Latos

[JohnU]

Latos wastes little time in getting back to throwing



GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Less than a week after undergoing left knee surgery to repair torn meniscus cartilage, Reds starting pitcher Mat Latos returned to throwing Wednesday, playing catch on flat ground a few days earlier than the club first anticipated.

Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek initially expected Latos to resume his throwing program seven to 10 days after the surgery on Friday, but the right-hander felt good enough Wednesday to push ahead of schedule.

"I'm not surprised by it, not in this day and age," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "It's incredible what doctors can do, so once we had the MRI results and knew what the injury was with the meniscus, I was confident with Dr. Kremchek's evaluation. We dodged a bullet there for sure."

Latos, who is also coming off October arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow, injured the knee last week when he slipped while long tossing. The Reds are still unsure when Latos will return to the mound, but the club wants to play it safe this early into camp.

"Before his knee injury, our concern was making sure his arm was ready to handle the rigors of Spring Training," Price said. "We hadn't satisfied that understanding yet, so he's got some evolution to take place before we're ready to know when we think he'll be able to face hitters or get in a game."

 

[Redsfan1507]

I'd love to see Latos pitch effectively opening day, but I'd rather have him out to May than have him with a 5.00 ERA or on the DL by May.

Good PR demands positive news, but it isn't worth risking an ace for. I hope they take it slow and safe with him. I have concerns that Latos makeup isn't one that would be completely up front about a little twinge or ache, that might be clues to his true readiness.

 

[JohnU]

Honestly, I'd put Latos on the 60-day, retro to Feb. 16 and free up a roster spot.

 

[HammerDown]

Honestly, I'd put Latos on the 60-day, retro to Feb. 16 and free up a roster spot.

This is the sort of conservative move I love seeing too. Treat him like an ace and assume we need him strong in the post season.

I'm a little lost on this surgery though. What happened to cause this so late? When did the damage occur?

 

[JohnU]

All I read was that he "came down wrong" while throwing a ball. That was real early in camp, maybe even on the first day.
Latos says it's minor and the doctor isn't required to say anything.
I think a mix of problems here ... with the bone chip surgery, now the knee ... . One wonders if the elbow led to the knee, thus connecting the thigh bone to the hip bone.

 

[Ryanballa]

Like Latos himself said a few days ago,if he does miss a lil time. "You cant win a championship in April" Id rather Latos be safe, and have him comeback 100%, then rush things. So im with you guys on this one.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think the two are separate issues. Loose bodies in the elbow aren't uncommon for pitchers, but they aren't natural- something caused them, a potential future issue. Latos is a tall guy- even though he has a relatively simple delivery, a knee and an elbow could cause timing issues, especially if rushed back. I remember feeling invincible at that age, and being clueless when the body didnt cooperate. IMO, if all the other SP's look healthy, it will decrease the urgency for Latos...the no championships in April is a cute cliche, but the facts are, if the Reds had one a few more games last April, they would have had a better playoff scenario than they did. They ALL count as much in April as September. People just remember easier losing that series two weeks before elimination.

 

[JohnU]

It used to be, teams could play through some injuries to pitchers in April because of the off-days.
But that's a myth that keeps going around and around. The Reds have three off-days for April, or about the same as any other month. So whoever keeps telling you about the early off-days is repeating an old lie.

One of the off-days is between O.D. and the first night game.

There are also 19 games in April against NL-C opponents.

 

[Ryanballa]

I agree 1507.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Cueto sounds like he's healthy and ready to take back the top spot in the rotation. I hope it's warranted, if so-Latos will probably get safer comeback strategy. If not, Bailey is better than half the #1 options in MLB. That's impressive depth at the top, for a team no one seemed to think has ONE #1 just 2 seasons ago. If they have to go to Plan C, the rotation gets pretty thin after Bailey though. Mike Leake is a nail bighter, Cingrani's best pitch is a ball. After that, we have relievers and retires...other than some kid named Chapman.