Griffin to have Surgery Wednesday, Details Still Shrouded in Mystery

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Since it was reported last week that Oakland A's pitcher A.J. Griffin was seeking a second opinion on his injured elbow. There have been varying reports as to what is to become of the pitcher and his fate for the 2014 season. At first it was will he require surgery at all or just more rehabilitation? Originally diagnosed with flexor tendinitis but having made no real progress in six weeks, Griffin decided on the second opinion.

Then a few days ago  it was reported by CSN Bay Area's Joe Stiglich that Griffin was having Tommy John surgery on Tuesday (what would have been today). That report was then refuted by the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser who spoke with A's assistant general manager David Forst who said that no plans were made for surgery and that Griffin's appointment with Dr. Melhoff was only scheduled for Tuesday (today).

Well Slusser has now confirmed that Griffin will in-fact have season ending surgery but what type has not yet been specified or if it has it has not been released to the public.

Griffin will have elbow surgery in Houston tomorrow.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) April 29, 2014

In her most recent report for the San Francisco Chronicle of less than an hour ago, Slusser says that not even A's manager Bob Melvin knows the specifics of the surgery. Slusser writes that the surgery could be,

"a Tommy John procedure – the most common elbow surgery – or could involve other elbow ligaments besides the ulnar collateral ligament, or could involve the flexor tendon. Then there are all the unknowns such as cartilage damage, etc. Dr. Thomas Mehlhoff will perform the procedure."

In any case any elbow surgery will end Griffin's 2014 season before it even began. He is expected to return no later than mid season 2015. No specific timeline will be known until the type of surgery he is having is known.

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Melvin did say that he had an idea of who would be next in line if another starter needs to be replaced. Besides Griffin, starter Jarrod Parker is out for the season having had Tommy John surgery during spring training. In their steads Jesse Chavez and Tommy Milone have stepped into the rotation. Chavez has been a virtual ace for the A's and Milone has held his own. In the case another starter is needed Melvin said that it will not be long reliever Drew Pomeranz who is comfortable in his role and currently not stretched out enough to move into starting duties. Since the A's will need an extra starter for their double header next week Slusser tweeted that it will likely be Josh Lindbloom or Arnold Leon. Lindbloom pitched the one game of the A's first double header earlier this month.

Melvin says if #Athletics need another starter - and they will for doubleheader next week - it will be Leon or Lindblom. #Athletics
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) April 29, 2014

At least the Athletics have a plan on starter depth. Losing two starters for the year can be a big blow to a team but so far the A's haven't missed a beat. They are currently sitting atop the AL West at 16-10. Still, although the A's are prepared and ready to continue their strong season, one has to wonder what is with all the secrecy surrounding Griffin's surgery?? 

A's Cepedes Leaves Game Early; Griffin Suffers Setback

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It looks as the the wave of injuries that has already hit the team on the east side of the bay pretty hard, may be on its way to back to Oakland. Yoenis Cespedes, the A’s left fielder, was forced to exit Thursday’s game during the seventh inning. Cespedes has just begun to hit his stride this season. While only batting .238 after getting off to a slow start Cespedes has hit four home runs in the last week.

Unfortunately, it now appears that the 28-year old Cuban star may be sidelined with a hamstring injury after he limped off the Houston Astros’ field at Minute Maid park in the seventh inning. He is expected to be kept out of the A’s lineup for at least a couple days if not more.

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Why are Injuries Piling up at Such a Rapid Rate Among MLB Pitchers?

Four Starting Pitchers Go Down to Elbow Injuries in One Week

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Personally I think that it HAS to be some kind of disease that is spreading across the country. I'm serious. Well, not exactly about the "disease" aspect but something is going on around Major League Baseball. In recent years more and more players, especially pitchers have been getting injured, having Tommy John surgery and spending over a year just trying to recover to be able to pitch. When is the barrage of injuries in MLB going to stop?

Many ideas have been tried - everything from lowering pitch counts to the new rule regarding home plate collisions to special helmets for pitchers - yet the number of serious injuries continues to grow. Is it the way that teams are handling the players rehab? Not necessarily as both the Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg and Atlanta Braves' Kris Medlen had the surgery in 2012 and their rehabs were handled differently. Yet still both pitchers ended up injured again.

To Read the Remainder of this Story click here! Find more Sports News and Updates on Sports Unbiased - Your Alternative Source for Sports!

A's Will Have to Start Season Without Griffin, Parker!!

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Sorry don't have time to fill in the details at this moment, I may or may not come back to it but you can read my report on this bad news using the link below .... Baseball Gods Be With Us!! (Here's hoping Jesse Chavez and Tommy Milone can get their shit together!) 

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