| Weeks out for the season |
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Written by Daniel Paulling (Contact & Archive) on May 19, 2009
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Rickie Weeks seemed to finally be putting everything together this season. Willie Randolph worked to "calm" Weeks down in the field. Weeks was also hitting for a respectable batting average with some pop. His running game was a little off, but that's just nit-picking. But now Weeks is done for the season, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The bad news came from Phoenix, where Weeks had traveled to have his injured left wrist examined. An MRI confirmed he has a torn tendon sheath in the wrist, necessitating season-ending surgery Wednesday by specialist Don Sheridan. In an odd twist of fate, Sheridan performed the same surgery on Weeks' right wrist late in the 2006 season. Brewers trainer Roger Caplinger said the odds of a player suffering that exact injury in the other wrist were incalculable. "Dr. Sheridan said he's never had a person have this in both wrists in his career," said Caplinger, who said the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris tendon would not stay in place when the sheath is torn. "The recovery time is four to six months. That's the best guess right now. (Sheridan) will have other information once he gets in there and opens it up." As for why Weeks might be susceptible to that particular wrist injury, Caplinger said, "He has strong hands, strong wrists. The bat speed he has possibly contributed to that. There's a lot of torque going on there." Weeks suffered the injury on the final swing of a strikeout to begin the game Sunday against St. Louis. He was removed from the game and it was announced afterward that he was going to Phoenix to see Sheridan. The Brewers are going to search for a replacement internally before shopping around. Craig Counsell gets first crack at the spot, but he doesn't appear to be the every day player the Brewers need for the remainder of the season. Highly touted shortstop prospect Alcides Escobar could be called up to play second once he has had a crash course at second in the minors. If Mat Gamel pulls out his best Ryan Braun impersonation at third this season, the Brewers may be able to eat Counsell's lack of production at second. No matter what happens, the Brewers need their youngsters to step up big time. |
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