Placido Polanco HEALTH REPORTS

04/18/2008 7:25 PM ET
Polanco returns to Tigers lineup
Second baseman had been resting sore left hip flexor
By Gregor Chisholm / Special to MLB.com

TORONTO -- After receiving one day off to rest a sore left hip flexor, second baseman Placido Polanco made his return to the Tigers starting lineup on Friday night against the Blue Jays.

His presence there may be short-lived, though, as Detroit manager Jim Leyland said he would most likely give Polanco another day off on Saturday to ensure the injury doesn't linger for an extended period of time.

Last season, the 32-year-old All-Star established career highs in batting average (.341), RBIs (67) and runs scored (105).

This year has been a different story. Polanco, who is in his fourth season with the Tigers, has gotten off to a slow start, hitting just .154 (8-for-52) with four RBIs and just four runs scored.

Leyland admitted prior to the Tigers four-game series opener against Toronto that he thought the hip injury was a factor in Polanco's subpar performance.

"I think he's affected," Leyland said. "Exactly how much I don't know, but I definitely think he has been affected."

What makes Polanco's early slump even more frustrating for Detroit is that during Spring Training, he was arguably the Tigers' best hitter. In 23 exhibition games, Polanco hit .408 (29-for-71) with four home runs and 12 RBIs.

Leyland thinks one reason behind the large discrepancy in numbers between Spring Training and the regular season could be the weather. Instead of playing every day under the warm sun in Florida, Polanco has been playing in frigid conditions in Boston, Cleveland and at home in Detroit, just to name a few.

"He was probably real loose down [in Florida]," Leyland said. "I'm sure some of this weather's caught up with [the hip], stiffens up a little bit."

For now the plan remains to rest Polanco when necessary and a trip to the disabled list is not expected.

Injuries have been keeping the Tigers training staff busy so far this season. In addition to monitoring Polanco's left hip, the crew is also working on first baseman Carlos Guillen's sore right hamstring and left-hander Dontrelle Willis' hyperextended right knee.

Guillen, who tweaked his hamstring on April 11 while running down the first-base line against the White Sox, said on Friday that he was improving but the muscle remains a little tight. Regardless, it's not something that is expected to keep him out of any games in Toronto.

Willis has been on the disabled list since April 12. He threw off flat ground on Wednesday and felt fine afterwards, but still does not have a time frame for when he will be able to make a rehab appearance.

Gregor Chisholm is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Leyland also needs to rest Guillen

we're makin' it back, slowly but surely!
Grandy
Placido
Carlos
Sheff
Miggy
geez, that's a lot of injuries so soon!

good excuses, anyway

04/20/2008 3:01 PM ET
Polanco sees back woes worsen
Second baseman returns to Detroit for further examination
By Gregor Chisholm / Special to MLB.com


TORONTO -- The news on Placido Polanco's injured back continues to worsen and the Tigers second baseman has returned to Detroit to have the area examined by team doctors.

Polanco has been bothered by soreness in his lower back area since Spring Training, but it was expected to be only a minor issue. The problem is the discomfort has not gone away and there is fear that the injury could be more severe than originally thought.

His departure from the team could not have come at a worse time for the Tigers, who already have six players on the disabled list and are currently playing without the services of designated hitter Gary Sheffield because of a sore right shoulder.

Prior to Sunday afternoon's game against the Blue Jays, Detroit manager Jim Leyland was clearly frustrated at the current state of affairs and was in no mood to discuss the severity of Polanco's injury.

"It's acting up," is all Leyland would say about his second baseman's back.

Polanco has played in 14 of his team's 19 games this season, but has managed to hit just .148 with four RBIs in 54 at-bats.

Polanco's absence on Sunday marked the third time he has sat out over the Tigers' past four games. Detroit has not announced any roster moves, but Leyland did not rule out the possibility that the team may have to send Polanco to the disabled list.

Ryan Raburn got his second consecutive start at second base in place of Polanco. The 27-year-old is batting .375 (3-for-8) with two doubles and an RBI in eight games this season.

The injury news wasn't all bad for Detroit on Sunday afternoon. Center fielder Curtis Granderson has continued to make progress in his attempt to return from a non-displaced fracture of his right middle finger.

Granderson started in center for Triple-A Toledo on Saturday night and went 2-for-4. He is now batting .500 (4-for-8) during two rehab appearances this season.

"His legs are a little sore, but he did fine last night in Toledo," Leyland said.

Granderson originally hoped to make his Major League return on Monday in Toronto, but on Saturday, Leyland said the possibility of that was unlikely. It's unclear at this point if the Tigers' current injury woes will make them rethink that stance.

Gregor Chisholm is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I heard Rod and Mario discussing Polly today and Rod was saying that he was having some numbness in his left (??) leg because of his back and they sent him back to Detroit for further testing. That sounds scary

I am worried about it!

Sounds more like a disk problem. I lived with bad disk problems for over 20 years until the disk started bulging against the main spinal nerves. I ended up with back surgery. If it is just sciatica, a chiropractor can help it, if it is more damage, I am then really praying for him!!!

OUCH!

Wow, back surgery is scary! I'm glad everything went okay for you.

I sprained my back once and I thought I was going to lay there and die, I can't imagine the pain of playing with a back injury. He should not be playing, period, until he is completely better.

Let's keep our crossed

SoulRat wrote:

Wow, back surgery is scary! I'm glad everything went okay for you.

I sprained my back once and I thought I was going to lay there and die, I can't imagine the pain of playing with a back injury. He should not be playing, period, until he is completely better.

If it is more serious, I hope they have a neurologist working with him, and not an orthopedic DR. As to playing, you are correct, he should not be. In the past they recommended bed rest, not anymore. They recommend regular activities that do not involve sudden violent movements. HELLO--playing baseball is full of sudden violent movements!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

HELLO--playing baseball is full of sudden violent movements!

Seriously! Figure out what the hell is wrong and fix it. Good gawd DO NOT PLAY BASEBALL!!

What do you mean dont play baseball???

It's the greatest thing in the world.

gdennis59 wrote:

What do you mean dont play baseball???

It's the greatest thing in the world.

Not if you have a back or spinal injury!

gdennis59 wrote:

What do you mean dont play baseball???

It's the greatest thing in the world.

Did you read what we were talking about?

Don't play baseball if you have a back injury.

If this is as bad as feared, Placido might be done. From Opening Day, he has not been the same. If there is spinal cord compression (what numbness usually means), that probably means surgery.

Maybe he just needs a little rest

The article sounds scary!
This really could end in a long absence for Polly.
get well!

this totally sux!

Wow, hope Polly is ok

During the game today, Rod and Mario said that Pollys MRI showed no major problems. I am waiting to post an official notice on his status.

Tests finds 'no major structural damage' with Polanco's back

By JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 21, 2008

TORONTO – The Tigers said today that an examination of Placido Polanco’s ailing back revealed “no major structural damage.”

He has been placed on medication and is listed as day-to-day, but it was not immediately clear when he would return to the starting lineup.

The announcement was as encouraging as the team could have hoped, given that Polanco’s pain was serious enough for him to come home early from the team’s road trip to be examined in Detroit.

Polanco, 32, has not played since Friday. Because of the back pain – exacerbated by cold weather earlier this month – he has rarely, if at all, played pain-free this season. A .341 hitter last year, Polanco is batting .148 in 14 games.

Well that is good news! I still hope he's not rushed back though.

By medication, that probably means muscle relaxants...but those are usually narcotics...

They also use Flexeril which is a muscle relaxer. Been there, done that.

Utram, my buddy, my pal....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

laprimamirala wrote:

Utram, my buddy, my pal....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Been there, done that. Low to moderate level pain pill they use for fibro also. Not as addictive (not if you really have pain). Did not even make me sleepy. Depends on the person.

so funny our different responses to medications. Vicodin makes me very friendly! another friend gets sick on it....

laprimamirala wrote:

so funny our different responses to medications. Vicodin makes me very friendly! another friend gets sick on it....

gets sick and