Saturday, September 30, 2017

Brantley Activated from 10-Day DL, Ankle Updates (August 10 - September 30)

let's try this again, shall we? today, on September 30, the Cleveland Indians activated Michael Brantley from the 10-Day DL.😃👏👊 he spent 52 total days on the disabled list, missing 50 ballgames altogether. Michael is not in the starting lineup tonight versus the Chicago White Sox, but may come off the bench to pinch hit.👌


Michael sustained yet another right ankle sprain this season on August 8 during the game versus the Colorado Rockies. he was running over to center field to back up a play in the top of the 5th inning, when he suddenly started hopping and then just sat down on the grass until the trainer met him in the outfield. shortly after, Michael came out of the game, walking off the field under his own power, but he needed help going down the dugout steps that lead into the clubhouse. an MRI revealed that his sprain was considered mild and the Indians placed him on the 10-Day DL on August 9. seeing that it took so long for his return, this sprain was clearly more severe than the initial "mild" diagnosis, which was not completely accurate (as you'll learn when you scroll down into the September Updates section of this blog).

this was Michael's second stint on the DL this year because of that ankle, and the third occasion that he's had to miss playing time in 2017. he first sprained his right ankle on May 7, but
did not go on the disabled list, sitting out just three games from May 8-10 before returning. then he sprained it again in an early June series against the Kansas City Royals and continued to play through the soreness. he was eventually put on the DL on June 19, immediately following his three-day Paternity Leave. Michael came off the disabled list as soon as he could, on June 26. to read all about his DL updates from June 21-26, click here.

now let's get into the daily updates from his most recent DL stay.

note: all the updates from the month of August were previously posted in my Brantley's August 2017 #s blog. so if you've already read that, then you can skip down to the September updates.😉 but i wanted to make this an all-inclusive DL updates blog, so naturally, i made sure the August news was in here as well.


August Updates (August 10-31)

August 10: after the Indians' late night trade for outfielder Jay Bruce from the New York Mets on August 9, there was a lot of speculation that Michael's injury was more serious than initially reported. from Jordan Bastian's blog on bastian.mlblogs.com, Chris Antonetti, Indians President of Baseball Operations, claimed that they've been trying to acquire Bruce for years and Michael's recent injury reopened those talks. he assured everyone that there was no further (bad) news about his sprain. "...we'll have to see how he responds to treatment over the course of the next few days to get a better timetable."

(fwiw, Connor Mount, filling in for Bastian, wrote in his article on indians.com that Terry Francona explained how Antonetti called Michael and Lonnie Chisenhall before the Bruce deal was done to communicate with them about the OF acquisition.)

during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays, WTAM 1100 radio announcer Tom Hamilton shared that Michael was getting a second opinion on his ankle today.

August 12: a small excerpt in Paul Hoynes' article on cleveland.com clarified Hammy's proclamation. Michael had a specialist check his ankle on Friday [August 11], but "that was more to see how they can brace the ankle or tape it differently when he comes back so he can get a little more support on it," Tito informed.

August 13: at some point in the game against the Rays, Hammy rattled off injury updates for all the current Tribesmen who were on the DL. regarding Michael, he remarked, "nobody knows when he'll be back."

August 14: during the game against the Boston Red Sox, Hammy was very blunt when referring to Michael. he stated, "Michael Brantley is still a long way off. [his] foot is still in a walking boot." (i remember back in May, Michael wore the boot to speed up healing.)

August 15: per Francona, via Zack Meisel's article on cleveland.com, Michael is still wearing a walking boot for the purpose of easing the burden on his sprained ankle. Tito said there's no timetable for his return. the manager offered a few more details in Bastian's pregame blog on bastian.mlblogs.com as well. "he's still in the healing stages. once that stops, then we'll start to get him [going]. and he's doing [rehab] stuff at the ballpark, but he's still in the healing stages."

prior to the game against the Minnesota Twins, in-game reporter for SportsTime Ohio Andre Knott tweeted to a fan that Michael would be out for "a few more weeks."😲😞

August 18: when Francona met with the media following the game against the Kansas City Royals, he spoke about the lineup and how when they get Brant back, their lineup can really make it tough on a starter. "but that's a little ways away," he added at the end in this FOX Sports Ohio youtube video. this marked Michael's 10th day spent on the DL, by the way.

August 19: Bastian's indians.com article unveiled that Michael remains in a walking boot most of the time but has been doing some light baseball activities recently. Francona supplied a lengthy update about Michael before the game against the Royals (without really giving much information at all), as provided in Bastian's Pregame Minutiae blog on bastian.mlblogs.com. "you know what? i'm sure we'll have an update. he's starting to do some baseball activities slowly, when he's out of the boot and stuff. we'll have a much better update when we go home [August 21]. we're trying to kind of not [give a timetable], because i know... he's going to be chomping at the bit. we need him so bad that rushing him is not good, and i think you know what i mean. we need him, but we don't need to rush him. we need to let him come back and have a chance to be himself, because when he is, he's one of the best players there is.

"when you're making out a lineup and he's not in it, it just kind of, you know... he's so consistent and you just plug him in and you put him in left and you know every play is going to get made that's supposed to. it's a nice feeling."

as for what the lineup will be when Michael returns, Tito hasn't thought about that yet. "no, i never do that. i really don't, because [shoot], when Brant comes back, somebody else might [be banged up]. it's kind of like our game--it's fluid. the one nice thing is, i know that nobody ever gives me a hard time if i think something makes sense."

August 21: according to William Kosileski's article on indians.com, Michael is back to throwing and hitting. "Brantley is doing baseball activities," the skipper disclosed. "he's not been given the go-ahead to run yet. ...because he is able to do baseball stuff, when he is able to run, it will come quick, hopefully."

in addition, from a video on FOX Sports Ohio's youtube channel, Knott relayed that he saw Michael in the clubhouse without a boot on.

here's a picture of Michael in the dugout before the game versus the Red Sox:

photo courtesy of Chuck Crow via The Plain Dealer

and here's a picture of Michael with Josh Tomlin, who's on the disabled list as well, during the game:

photo courtesy of @SportsTimeOhio on twitter

August 22: from Bastian's Pregame Minutiae blog on bastian.mlblogs.com, Francona had the latest on Michael: "he's not running yet. when he starts running, i'll let you know. that's the last thing to come and we're not there yet."

August 23: more of the same from Tito in Bastian's bastian.mlblogs.com blog. "he's doing baseball activities, but he's just not ready to resume running. it's just got to heal. i know he's wanting--if wanting to is going to help, you know--but you've just got to wait until it heals. i know he's biting it, frustrated and is wanting to play, but we've got to let that thing heal."

August 24: when asked to give an update on Abraham Almonte during his pregame presser, Francona also volunteered, "there's really no change" re: Michael in a video on the cleveland.com youtube channel.

August 26: Lonnie Soloff, Indians Senior Director of Medical Service, shed some light on why there's no specific timetable for an injury such as Michael's in Hoynsie's article on cleveland.com. "the rehab process has involved finding a balance between how the player feels and how much time he needs to recover under ideal circumstances. if a player needs eight to 10 weeks to recover, but is feeling close to 100 percent after four or five weeks, and the training staff feels they can keep him on the field with a flare-up here or there, that's where the balancing act comes into play."

August 27: in Terry Pluto's Terry's Talkin' article on cleveland.com, he wrote, "it sounds as if he'll be out at least a few more weeks."

here's a picture of Michael clapping in the dugout with Jay "Bruuuce" Bruce and Boone "Booner" Logan after Francisco Lindor hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 2nd inning in the game versus the Twins:

photo courtesy of Chuck Crow via The Plain Dealer

later during the radio broadcast, Hammy continued with the "Michael's still a ways off" declaration.

August 28: amid the game against the New York Yankees, Hammy echoed his Michael's "still a ways away" notification.

also, Bastian's indians.com article included a tiny blurb that Michael has not yet been cleared to begin the running portion of his rehab. 

August 30: during Game 1 of the straight doubleheader against the Yankees, Hammy repeated the "still a ways away" status update for Michael.

in Hoynsie's late night cleveland.com article, a sentence conceded that, per Francona, Michael has not started to run yet.

August 31: on the Indians' off day, when someone inquired about a Michael ankle update from Bastian on twitter, he replied with "every time we've asked in the past week, it's been [the] same update: doing some baseball activities, but hasn't advanced to running yet."

Michael missed 22 games between August 9-30.

September Updates (September 2-30)

September 2: Paul Hoynes presented readers with an actual update in his article on cleveland.com. though he began with how running is still a question mark, Hoynsie revealed that Michael is running on an AlterG treadmill (non-weight bearing) and will be evaluated next week to see what the next step is. additionally, Michael is throwing and hitting without an issue.

i did some research to find out what this type of treadmill running entailed and i found it's an anti-gravity treadmill used, in this case, to keep weight off Michael's ankle. basically, you start to run on a low percentage of your body weight, pain-free. from there, the percentage of body weight that you're running at is slowly increased. this method builds an athlete's confidence and maintains a player's cardiovascular fitness while he's injured.

go to alterg.com for more information or check out the video on the AlterG youtube channel for real testimonies by professional athletes. it's really quite interesting!

furthermore, during the radio broadcast of the game against the Detroit Tigers on WTAM 1100, announcer Tom Hamilton divulged that Michael, who was not on the road trip at the time, would be joining the Indians in Chicago [on September 4].

September 5: after T.J. Zuppe gave twitter updates on all the injured Indians except Brant, a fan brought up Michael. Zuppe verified that Michael was actually there last night [September 4] for the team's fantasy [football] draft and traveled back to Cleveland to continue to work on the AlterG machine. Zuppe subsequently tweeted to the same fan that there is no exact timetable yet on Michael's return.

September 7: Francona chatted with MLB Network Radio about Michael and they posted the following quotes from the skipper in a twitter pic: "Michael Brantley is running on the treadmill where you can take some of your body weight off. he's able to do that and he's doing all the baseball activities but he's not ready to run unassisted. he's frustrated because he's swinging the bat, he feels good hitting, but he's just not ready to run yet without the aid of that thing. it is frustrating for him."

September 8: Jordan Bastian returned to the beat after a week break and his indians.com article pointed out that Michael continues to do some baseball activities, but his running remains limited to the AlterG treadmill to take stress off his legs. "i think he's frustrated," Tito surmised, "but there's that one spot that's just not ready to let him do it yet."

September 9: the Indians hosted their annual Season Ticket Holder appreciation event after the game versus the Baltimore Orioles, where STHs got to meet with players and get autographs. here's a picture of Michael at his table:

photo courtesy of Dan Mendlik via TribeVibe

September 10: for the first time since Michael was placed on the DL (on August 9), we finally got to hear from Dr. Smooth himself. Ryan Lewis publicized Michael's thoughts on his injury and missing out on the team's then 17-game winning streak in an article on ohio.com. "anytime you're with your teammates, especially a group that you love so much and want to be a part of, be a part of a great experience, it's a little bit frustrating. but at the same time, i've got to get right, i've got to get 100 percent healthy, so i can come back here and contribute in a positive way with my teammates. i can't [look at the calendar] or else i'll get really, really frustrated. i've got to take the time that i need to get healed. whenever that happens, every day, i'm getting a little bit better. i'm not regressing. i've got to continue to push forward."

"you can't push this thing too far or i'm going to take a step back," Michael went on in Joe Noga's cleveland.com article. "today was another good day. hopefully i can continue my transition to making it back on the field."

also in Lewis' article, Michael complimented the players, including the September call-ups, on their performance during his absence and the streak. "they've been phenomenal. hats off to the leaders we have in this locker room, the young group and the core of guys that are stepping up at the time. it's a team effort. it always has been since i've been here. not one guy is always going to steal the show. it's been a team effort all the way around, especially through this winning streak. it's very fun to watch."

September 11: note: i don't know if this is accurate, but i'm going to post it in here anyway. at 4 pm, Chris Assenheimer tweeted that Andrew Miller was throwing a simulated game and Michael was hitting against him. fans on twitter bombarded Assenheimer, contending that they heard through another source that it was Erik Gonzalez, not Michael. and this video on indians.com does show Gonzalez in the batter's box (while acknowledging that Jason Kipnis hit off Miller as well). i don't know how you'd confuse the two, but Assenheimer stood by his observation.

here's where my skepticism about this comes in. no other Indians reporter mentioned Michael as one of the hitters to face Miller, which is odd considering that's kind of a big deal if it happened. not only that, but Assenheimer falsely cited that Michael was going on the road trip in August immediately following his sprain, which he never did. so there's proof that this guy's been wrong before, and i think he's wrong again now.

September 13: here's a picture of Michael high fiving the guys after the game versus the Tigers, otherwise known as the team's American League record-setting 21st consecutive win:

photo courtesy of John Kuntz via The Plain Dealer

September 14: according to a cleveland.com article by Hoynsie, the medical staff talked to doctors in Utah today to see if they could offer any advice on Michael's ankle because he's still only able to run on the AlterG treadmill. "they talked to them to see if they could help him get over that hump," Francona affirmed. Assenheimer's chroniclet.com article unearthed that Michael himself participated in a conference call with the Utah doctor to get another opinion on what to do.

September 15: "there's nothing new to report right now," insisted Tito, per Hoynsie's cleveland.com article. "he's still at that one point where he's not able to get out and do that ground-based stuff. he's frustrated. we all feel for him, but there's just nothing else to report." William Kosileski's indians.com article further alleged that the Indians are looking to get a second opinion, but i'm not sure if he's a day behind with that news since Michael did just consult with other doctors on September 14, which technically is already a third opinion.😕😟😞

September 17: before the game versus the Royals, Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti addressed Michael's return in Hoynsie's article on cleveland.com. "we have not got complete clarity on that. Michael is still working to get to the point where he can run at full speed and full intensity. until he's able to do that, we're not going to know when he's going to be able to get out there and perform. the good thing is he's still been able to hit and throw. so he's kept his baseball skills in a good spot. but until his ankle is able to respond to full intensity running, we won't have a definitive timetable."

Michael was on the field with the rest of the guys for the pregame, 2017 American League Central Division Champions banner raising, however.

photo courtesy of Chuck Crow via The Plain Dealer

he also took part in the postgame clubhouse celebration. he didn't get too crazy, just drank his champagne in this SportsTime Ohio twitter video and calmly hung out in the back, as you can see in another twitter vid from Hayden Grove.

photos courtesy of Dan Mendlik & Allison Farrand via TribeVibe

September 19: before the game against the Los Angeles Angels, Bastian pronounced to the twitterverse that Michael did not go on the Indians' final road trip of the year and remains in Cleveland rehabbing.

September 20: the Indians broke some sad news about Michael in a twitter picture. it read: Michael had a second opinion evaluation with foot and ankle specialist Dr. Thomas Clanton in Vail, CO on Monday 9/19. Dr. Clanton confirmed that Michael is dealing with a deltoid ligament sprain along with ankle synovitis. he remains shut down from all running activity for another 7-10 days. after that time he will be reevaluated to determine his readiness for land based running.

Francona expounded on the situation a lot more in Hoynsie's cleveland.com article and the cleveland.com youtube video embedded within the article. "we know what's wrong. i just think that, he went for the second opinion, and i think that the opinion is let him have another week-ish and when he gets out of that thing [walking boot], try to ramp up and see how it feels. i think there's a feeling that maybe this will do it and he'll feel good. we'll see. as long as Michael keeps trying, we certainly are gonna also."

in regards to Michael not being ready for the first round of the playoffs, Tito conveyed, "whatever happens, i just don't feel like it's even appropriate to say that right now. guy's trying his best to do whatever he can so let's just see how he does.

"it's always hard to see him go through this because he's the heart and soul of our team, even when he's not playing. that's how much he's respected in the clubhouse and from the staff. that's why, one, we want to look out for him and, two, we care about him. that's why we just try to follow the doctor's orders and just do the best we can."

MLB Network Radio had more from the skipper once again in a twitter photo. "the doctor agreed that we need to keep him down seven to ten days and then let him try to try and run. and if he can run, he should come fast. the first round of the playoffs doesn't look good. knowing Brantley, and how conscientious he is, we're not ruling anything out just because he's so good. even if it ends up being pinch hitting, we talked to Brantley about this. we're not going to pull the plug on anything just because of who he is."

MY THOUGHTS: upon the initial reading, i instantly saw it was incorrect. first off, September 19 was a Tuesday, not Monday. so did he see the doctor on the 18th or 19th? Monday or Tuesday?😕 secondly, this was Michael's FOURTH OPINION. let's count. he got his first diagnosis of a "mild" ankle sprain after the game on August 8. he saw another specialist for a second opinion on how to better brace or tape his ankle on August 11. then he had a conference call with doctors in Utah on September 14. so meeting with this specialist is, in reality, a fourth opinion.

aside from the fact that the Indians can't seem to count, i am infuriated that it took this long for them to decide to reach out to a specialist for a better diagnosis when it's been evident over the last three, four weeks that Michael's sprain was not simply a mild issue. at this point, he's already been on the disabled list for six weeks and now will be out for at least two more. he should have seen a different doctor weeks ago. i don't care if the Tribe was winning without him, the lack of positive progression should not have been neglected and i'm very angry with the Indians over this.😡

now let's try to make some assumptions. the regular season ends on October 1, Michael potentially won't run again until September 29, and the Indians might start him out on the AlterG treadmill first for a while before he's permitted to run on the field. so if Michael's regular season is over as of this moment, then he'll finish with a .299 batting average in 88 games played.

the American League Division Series starts on October 5 and could continue through October 11. if Michael is just going to attempt to run a week prior to this, then it's unlikely that the Indians would presume he'll be able to play in the ALDS, so he could possibly be left off that playoff roster.

the American League Championship Series begins on October 13 (provided that the Indians advance) and could span through October 22. if Michael has not yet been cleared to run on the field while the ALDS is taking place, then i'm not convinced the Indians would bank on him being healthy and ready for any part of the ALCS. so he may be excluded from that roster as well.

the World Series will commence on October 24. i'd say that would be the best chance Michael has at returning, but only if he has no pain when running, and of course only should the Indians make it that far. my stomach churns just thinking about all this, knowing that for the second straight year, Michael may have to miss the postseason with the Tribe.

as for the idea that Michael could be used strictly as a pinch hitter off the bench, um, no. the guy hasn't faced Major League pitching in two months and you want his first AB back/only ABs in the playoffs to come in high-pressure, runners in scoring position situations? even i'm not that naive. i'd rather he start and get multiple ABs a game and maybe manage one hit out of four chances. if he's cleared to run, you can't be scared to put him in left field.

(btw, for more information about deltoid ligament sprains and ankle synovitis, scroll down to my What's a Deltoid Ligament Sprain & Ankle Synovitis? section of the blog below.)

September 26: Keaton from Middlebury, Indiana, queried what Hoynsie's feeling was on Michael returning this season in an afternoon Hey, Hoynsie! article on cleveland.com. Sir Hoynes' opinion on the subject was the chances of Michael returning for the postseason were slim and if he did make it back, it would be in a limited role. remember, Hoynsie's the guy who threw in the towel and gave the Indians no chance in the playoffs last year after Carlos Carrasco went down with an injury, so... take this with a grain of salt.

shortly following the start of the game versus the Minnesota Twins, Kosileski's indians.com article indicated that Michael will attempt to run the bases and be re-evaluated later this week. "Brantley is going to try to run later this week," noted Francona. "kind of one step at a time. we'll see how he does and see where it leads."

"if he runs well," Tito teased in a SportsTime Ohio twitter video, "then that opens up... how can he, let's see how he can do."

September 27: sometime before 3 pm, Hoynsie posted a picture on twitter of Michael jogging in the outfield.

photo courtesy of @Hoynsie on twitter

(me: wow that was fast. not even 10 days yet!😲)

later, Bastian tweeted that in Francona's pregame media session, he confirmed that Michael did some light running today and will continue his progression in the next couple days with the goal of trying to get into a game this weekend.

a video on cleveland.com's youtube channel contained part of the skipper's presser with his update on Michael: "i think he was doing the a, some of the sim game. we had a, i think [lefty Kyle] Crockett was throwing to some, Lonnie [Chisenhall] and some of the guys. Brant is working up to where, Thursday, Friday-ish, and he's gonna try to get out there [to run the bases] and we'll see where he's at and see if he's able to get in a game and kinda go from there. he's definitely building towards that so we're just trying to give him every chance possible so we can make a good decision and he'll be included in that.

"every day when he's done, he'll go in and check with the trainers and you see after, how he feels not only later but then tomorrow."

Kosileski's article on indians.com added that Michael is working through a running-progression program planned by the Indians' training staff and will have to clear a couple hurdles before he gets in a game, but the team wants to give him the opportunity to play in a regular-season game before the Indians set their roster for the American League Division Series, which begins on October 5.

and SportsTime Ohio in-game reporter Andre Knott attested in a FOX Sports Ohio youtube video that Francona told him, "if they get Michael right and Michael can come back over the weekend and play, he wants him on the playoff roster as a guy he can bring off the bench."

(i still don't like this coming off the bench idea. i don't think he'll be effective as a pinch hitter. and one at bat a game is certainly not going to help him find his timing at the plate in a timely fashion...😕)

Michael can be seen in the batting cage with Francisco Mejia in the aforementioned vid, and also in a video on indians.com.

here's a picture of Michael sitting at the end of the dugout during the game versus the Twins:

photo courtesy of @DreKnott on twitter

September 28: Michael was running sprints in the outfield and making some cuts during his sprints to test his right ankle, so observed Hoynsie ahead of the noon game versus the Twins.

September 29: Tito spoke with Matt Underwood, STO's play-by-play announcer, before the game versus the White Sox in this video on FOX Sports Ohio's youtube channel and gave the latest update on Michael. "Brant's out there today, he's gonna have a really good work day. and that'll go a long way into what we do tomorrow or the next day and that's exciting because, Brant's so meaningful to everything we do. and just the fact that he's getting better, we're all excited about that. where it goes, nobody knows yet."

in addition, Bastian's article on indians.com included a passage that Michael did more running, worked through outfield drills and took part in batting practice on the field, but Francona was non-committal on whether he'd be activated from the DL to appear in a weekend game. "the good part of it is, he's really getting better. you can even tell in his demeanor."

an article on cleveland.com by Noga described that Michael ran "more aggressively" today (Hammy defined it as "lateral running" on the radio) and the manager maintained, "we'll see how he bounces back tomorrow." Michael was filmed running forward and backward and side-to-side in this video on indians.com. a youtube video from John Alfes showed him taking BP as well.

is Michael a candidate to be on the ALDS roster? "i don't know," admitted Francona in Assenheimer's article on chroniclet.com. "i really don't know. and i don't think it's fair to him to even say that. i just think it's good that he's feeling good enough to get out there and do some things."

September 30: the Indians announced that Michael has been activated from the 10-Day DL! on the contrary, Bastian tweeted that he is not in the starting lineup tonight versus the White Sox and he has five days to push for a spot on the ALDS roster. Zack Meisel tweeted that he was told the Indians would consider dropping a pitcher from the ALDS roster if Michael can even pinch-hit.

Francona met with the media in the afternoon and briefed everyone on how Michael's activation came to be and what the plan for him is going forward. Bastian's Pregame Minutiae blog on bastian.mlblogs.com and cleveland.com's video on youtube covered it all. "he went out and did his baserunning today and did well. now, what we're going to do is--i just grabbed him a little bit ago--we'll wait until he cools down and gets his treatment, icing and everything, and then i want to sit and talk with him. part of my, i don't know if anxiety is the right word, but he's trying so hard to be a part of what we're doing. and i just want to talk to him at length, because he's got a career ahead of himself. i just want to make sure that we're not putting him in a spot that isn't right. so, we're going to talk for a little bit. that's kind of where we left it and i think he was comfortable with that, too."

photo courtesy of Chuck Crow via The Plain Dealer

the manager has his concerns about making sure Michael's not rushing. "yeah, yeah, because he's tried so hard, and i've seen it. believe me, we appreciate what he's trying to do, but i just want to talk to him, and in-depth. so, we'll do that a little later on."

when a question was posed if Michael would play in either of the last two games this weekend, Tito laughed, "i just told you what i'm going to do. that was my answer. we activated him, but the next step is i really want to visit with him."

Assenheimer uploaded a short video to twitter of Michael running in the outfield in the afternoon. likewise, he recorded a video of Michael walking afterwards.

lastly, Hoynsie wrote in his cleveland.com article that when reporters approached Michael in the clubhouse before the game, he ducked into the shower room.😳

Michael missed 28 games between September 1-29.

fingers crossed all Michael's ankle problems will now be done and over with and that he can play in as many postseason games as the Indians are a part of.🤞



What's a Deltoid Ligament Sprain & Ankle Synovitis? 

i thought i would take the time to educate myself on these conditions because i like to know exactly what's going on with my boy when he's sidelined with an injury. so what's a deltoid ligament sprain? the deltoid ligament itself is a band connecting the lower leg bone (tibia) to the inner side of the ankle. it supports the ankle and prevents it from over rotation. a sprain is basically caused by severe trauma and results in outward twisting of the ankle, but it's not common and usually comes with a broken fibula (which Michael thankfully does not have!!!). the Indians did not reveal the grade of his sprain, low or high, but since Michael is still able to walk on his foot, it's probably a lower grade issue. typical treatment involves RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation as well as NSAIDs. most people do not need surgery; however, if the ankle does not respond to treatments and surgery is required, an athlete cannot engage in sports activities for SIX MONTHS.😨😱😢 for more information, check out: http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/Deltoid-Ligament-Tear.html.

okay, so what's ankle synovitis? it's inflammation of the soft tissue lining the synovium with swelling, pain, and stiffness. it usually occurs after a serious ankle sprain when patients attempt to return to weight bearing activity too soon following the injury. it can also occur due to repeated strain when running or in someone with recurrent ankle sprains who plays sports, like an athlete. treatment again involves RICE and anti-inflammatories, along with hands on treatment from a physiotherapist. depending on the severity, this condition can subside in days, weeks, or months. a corticosteroid injection can speed up the recovery time. the Indians did not report that Michael got an injection, but if there is inflammation, i don't know why he wouldn't get a shot.🤷 for more information, check out: https://www.physioadvisor.com.au/injuries/ankle/ankle-synovitis/.


My Final Thoughts

back when Michael was first placed on the 10-Day DL, i never imagined that he'd end up missing as much time as he did. i'm still baffled and a little upset that he didn't get another opinion from a specialist sooner, so that he maybe could have returned prior to the end of the regular season.🤷

it's a safe bet that Michael's going to be a little rusty in his first few games back. i'm hoping that his simple swing will be able to help him readjust at the plate quickly, but it is entirely possible that he performs well below normal in the playoffs after being out for seven+ weeks.😞

have you ever dealt with an ankle issue like Michael's? if so, feel free to share your experience and recovery in a comment below!


if anything else comes up health-wise, i will tweet about it, as well as his upcoming game stats and other pertinent information. so make sure you're following me on twitter @clevelandgirl23 for that. and if you'd like to join my subscription list to receive email notifications whenever i publish new blogs, you can do that by entering your email address in the box underneath the Blog Archive sidebar over on the right side of this page.📧

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