Vernon Wells to have Wrist Surgery

by Tom Dakers on Nov 3, 2009 5:47 PM EST in News Comment 21 comments

More photos » Duane Burleson - ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vernon is having surgery on the wrist of his glove hand. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Vernon Wells is going to have surgery to repair cartilage in his left wrist, the wrist he broke back in May of 2008. Vernon never mentioned wrist pain to alibi his performance this season but I can't imagine it helped. Of course, since most of Vernon's batting troubles came off left handed pitching, I'm not sure why the wrist would cause trouble against lefties and not righties. Vernon played in 158 games this season, maybe a few days off to rest the wrist might not have been a bad idea.

Edwin Encarnacion also is having wrist surgery to repair his left wrist, get a 'bone spur' shaved. Sounds fun doesn't it? Edwin spent time on the DL in May because of the wrist and his wrist was blamed for his poor offensive numbers though he picked it up at the end of the season.

Both players are expected to be ready for spring training.

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Anyone else having trouble reading that?

Johnnie Morton: The Man. The Myth. The Legend.

by craig in calgary on Nov 3, 2009 6:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

wrist injuries always make me worry

by aagoodfella on Nov 3, 2009 6:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Again?

I’ve seriously had enough of Wells using the injury excuses for his poor seasons. I thought he was, at least, a decent guy, even with the lousy contract. Though, now that I can tell that he puts himself in front of his team by hiding all these injuries, Wells is nothing but a selfish POS. Sure, you may say that he’s a “gamer”, but what Wells did was nothing short of selfish.

Honestly, he deserves all the boos he gets from the home crowd. Until he really turns things around, which seems like never, I can’t support a player like this.

by Frag on Nov 4, 2009 12:04 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wells has never mentioned the wrist before and thus has never used it as an excuse. Are you suggesting Wells is undertaking “fake” surgery to misdirect detractors for a poor season?

by aagoodfella on Nov 4, 2009 8:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He's using

the injury excuse like the last few years. I’m really getting sick of it!

by Frag on Nov 4, 2009 11:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Where have you seen him say anything about it?

how can getting surgery be ‘using an injury’? He shouldn’t have the surgery?

by Tom Dakers on Nov 4, 2009 12:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No

He should have told someone when the Jays were out of it during the season that he was having wrist problems. Why did he keep it until around one month after the season was over? Does he want to come back healthy for Spring Training? From what I’ve been hearing, Wells seemed to have the wrist problems during the season, which would explain some of his poor play. At least tell someone when the games mean nothing!

by Frag on Nov 4, 2009 12:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The team knew about the wrist....

you complain he used the injury as an excuse and then complain he didn’t go public with the problem? Can’t have both. He had a cortisone shot for it from the team and he was taking anti inflammatories. I get you hate him and everything he does is wrong but if he has used the injury as an alibi show us where he has said something about it. And if he hid it from the team show us how he took treatment and hid it from the team?

by Tom Dakers on Nov 4, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly. Your comments are based on disdain for Wells, but the logic makes no sense.

by aagoodfella on Nov 4, 2009 1:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We have no idea what goes on behind closed doors

I wouldn’t exactly say that he’s more selfish than any other player for wanting to play . . . you don’t become a major leaguer by wanting to sit on the bench. Perhpas Vernon should have told Cito, Gene and J.P. about the injury, but perhaps they should have had him checked out, too. They pay Cito to manage the team, and that includes giving him time to rest up and/or dropping him in the lineup when he is ineffective.

And I wouldn’t call it using it as an excuse (from the link above):

“I said, ‘Vernon, do you think it affected you at the plate?’ Again, Vernon’s not one to make excuses. He really didn’t want to go down that road.”

"Look at me! I'm Tomokazu Ohka of the Montreal Expos!"

by jessef on Nov 4, 2009 8:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

should have said

that quote is from AA

"Look at me! I'm Tomokazu Ohka of the Montreal Expos!"

by jessef on Nov 4, 2009 8:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Actions speak louder than words. So far, from what I’ve seen of Wells, he’s been hiding injuries year after year unless they are obvious ones (When he broke his wrist during a game last season). And, yes, he has used his injuries as an excuse for poor play (See 2007).

I would have to think Vernon knows he won’t be benched, so I’d have to say it is selfish to put his own needs in front of his team. Not only is he hurting himself by playing hurt, he’s hurting his team for his mediocre play.

by Frag on Nov 4, 2009 12:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I can’t support a player like this.

Which pretty much is why Wells has been open about not willing to engage with the fans in the future. If he’s going to get called out for an ‘excuse’ he never used because he’s having surgery as some kind of moral deficiency, there’s no point looking for any kind of non-biased opinion any longer.

by dexfarkin on Nov 4, 2009 10:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He’s used the injury excuse before. He used it in 2007, when he hid his shoulder injury during a mediocre season. And I don’t really care whether he engages with the fans or not, just go out on the field and play well. If you have an injury that is very likely affecting your play, tell one of your coaches or a staff member on the team. There’s more good in that than bad.

by Frag on Nov 4, 2009 12:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

repeating the same thing doesn't make it true.

I’ve not once heard Vernon say anything about his bad shoulder in 2007 or his wrist now. And who says he didn’t tell his manager? They knew about both injuries.

by Tom Dakers on Nov 4, 2009 12:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If the manager knew about Wells' injury during the season

Then screw Cito for continuing to play Wells when the injury likely affected his play. What was the point of playing Wells when you knew that he had an injury that very likely affected his play? Why?

by Frag on Nov 4, 2009 12:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

just wrote 700 words on that....

part is, what was the alternative? Part is Cito being Cito.

by Tom Dakers on Nov 4, 2009 12:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Just read it

Nicely written!

by Frag on Nov 4, 2009 12:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Is tough....

As a fan I want players that want to play even if hurt. But I want a team put together so that a player doesn’t have to. I admire that Vernon played this year and never have mentioned wrist pain, still hasn’t, to the public. Same with the shoulder two years ago. The team knew about it, but we didn’t until the team decided to shut him down.

by Tom Dakers on Nov 4, 2009 12:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

One thing though

Can Jose Bautista play CF? I was actually quite surprised to see that he had better offensive numbers than Wells this year.

by Frag on Nov 4, 2009 12:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He played 32 innings there this year and was ok....

I don’t know, I wouldn’t want him as a CF. Better offensive numbers is a judgement call…he got on base better than Vernon and had a good month at the end of the season. Overall he hit .235, slugged about the same as Vernon. I’d like a better choice for a backup CFer, I wouldn’t want Jose to play there several games in a row.

by Tom Dakers on Nov 4, 2009 12:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs