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Westbrook becoming an expert in medicine
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Saturday, Sep 06, 2008
KANSAS CITY, MO.: Jake Westbrook might want to think about opening his own medical practice after this season.
He has suffered three injuries, two requiring surgery, including a hip-joint problem that was corrected by Dr. Thomas Byrd on Friday in Nashville, Tenn. Byrd performed an arthroscopy to clean out the hip joint and shave the top of the femur that fits into the joint.
Westbrook will walk with crutches for four weeks, then resume his physical therapy. He already was working out as part of his recovery from Tommy John surgery in June. His latest trip to the operating room should not delay or hinder his return to the Indians' rotation around midseason 2009.
What did Westbrook do to bring on the hip problem? Nothing. It's just the way his body is constructed.
''Over the course of his life, there has been bone growth on top of the femur to buffer some of the stress [from movement of the hip],'' head trainer Lonnie Soloff said. ''It's just his body type, how he is built.''
In other words, it might have happened to him even if he weren't a major-league pitcher.
The injury is not considered to be serious — that is, the additional bone on the femur did not arise because Westbrook has arthritis in the area. He does not have bone rubbing on bone.
Nor will post-surgery healing prolong Westbrook's recovery from the elbow reconstruction operation. Because the recuperation period for Tommy John surgery is so long, it's unlikely the hip surgery will have any real impact on Westbrook's throwing program.
''I talked to Dr. Byrd,'' Soloff said. ''He usually allows that [throwing] after 21/2 to three months out. That would put it around Thanksgiving or a little after. So it might delay Jake's throwing program by a couple of weeks. It is not an issue.''
Westbrook is to return to Cleveland and continue his physical therapy program.
''In addition to finishing his rehabbing, he'll come to Cleveland for monthly rechecks in the winter,'' Soloff said. ''He also will report early to spring training.''
Even before his elbow began to ache, Westbrook had to deal with a strained oblique muscle early in the season.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
KANSAS CITY, MO.: Jake Westbrook might want to think about opening his own medical practice after this season.
Get the full article here.
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