Carlos Delgado hasn't played since Sunday with a sore right hip. The Mets haven't been able to determine whether or not to place Delgado on the disabled list, which seems to be the most logical alternative at this juncture.

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post writes that Delgado's hip injury may be career-ending.

General manager Omar Minaya delivered this double whammy on the injury front: Delgado has a multitude of potentially career-ending problems in his ailing right hip, and set-up man J.J. Putz has developed a bone spur in his pitching elbow. It doesn't look promising, but the Mets now plan to wait until Sunday before making a decision on Delgado and what seems to be an inevitable trip to the disabled list -- and possibly could lead to the end of the 36-year-old's career.

Minaya said team doctors have determined that Delgado has an impingement in his right hip, a small bone spur in the hip and a partial tear of an unspecified area of the hip.

A hip impingement is a lack of space between the neck of the hip socket and its rim; it causes them to jam together when the hip is flexed. That can lead to labrum damage, as well as degenerative arthritis.

Minaya said the arthritis, which potentially could end Delgado's career, is something the GM has "heard" when talking to the team's medical staff about his first baseman's hip.

Minaya also did not rule out surgery for Delgado, who has battled hip problems the past two seasons and hasn't played since last Sunday against the Pirates.

Delgado made the trip here for a four-game series with the Giants that started last night, but did not sound optimistic he could avoid the DL or even surgery.

"I wish I could tell you that I felt a little bit better today, but it's about the same," Delgado said. "If it doesn't get better, we're going to have to visit other options."

Delgado is receiving what he described as "mobilization therapy" in which his leg is pulled in an effort to create more space in the hip socket.

Minaya said he wants to see how Delgado responds over the next three days before making a call on the DL.

Because of the Post's reputation as a tabloid and its propensity for blowing things out of proportion, we should take their report with a grain of salt. (Nothing against Hubbuch's reporting; the Post's problem is an institutional one.) This story is probably playing up the possibility of Delgado's injury being career-ending instead of discussing the other avenues Delgado could choose.

Delgado fantasy owners should watch this situation carefully. He has been hitting well before his injury, but an extended stay on the disabled list certainly looks probable. If he gets dropped in your fantasy league, make sure you have an open DL spot before picking him up.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites