Johnson to see Dr. Andrews
From the bad-news department, reliever Jim Johnson, who made one appearance for Triple-A Norfolk, will see orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., this week to get a second opinion on his ailing right elbow.
Johnson has been dealing with a bad elbow since his first appearance this season.
He's already seen Orioles team orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens, who Johnson said is calling the injury a strained ulnar collateral ligament.
"I felt like I could have pitched through it, but obviously I wasn’t able to," said Johnson, who is on his way to Sarasota, Fla., to start a rehab program. "I can’t straighten out my arm like I normally should be able to, and obviously that’s affected everything. I’ve been getting treatment for it since the first day of the season. But the more you throw, the worse it gets.
"In hindsight, I should have seen a doctor earlier. But I have to deal with what’s at hand now and for me to get back to helping out the team, I have to get this resolved."
Asked whether he is fearing the worst, Johnson said: "I don’t think it’s the same. I think Tommy John is on the acceleration of the arm. But where I get the pain is on the extension of the arm. It’s not the exact same. I’m being optimistic that it’s something I can rehab and come back 100 percent from and be back in a couple of weeks."
A Baltimore native, 
Comments
It's nice to learn that Johnson is an MD as well as a struggling reliever. Surely he isn't the first to have this arm ailment, so there must be a recovery pattern to follow; not the pitcher saying, "Oh, I think I can pitch through it". We've all seen how well he has been able to pitch through it; much like Brian Roberts saying he can play through his ailments as he watches from the sidelines. One would think as frugal as Peter is that he would be more conscientious about his players health.
Posted by: GregA | May 9, 2010 11:56 AM
Good luck to Jim Johnson. He is a classy, no excuse guy.
Posted by: Tom from Elkton | May 9, 2010 12:47 PM
I just don't get it. He's been having this problem since the start of the season but rather than get the problem resolved this idiot just keeps on trying to pitch and costing the Orioles games by doing so. Tell me how this is helping your team and helping yourself.
Posted by: Bob | May 9, 2010 12:53 PM
We can't avoid pitching injuries. They just happen. Though I wonder if the pressure to help the club out of the cellar, and a lack of true options to sufficiently fill-in, creates a climate where hiding injuries is tacitly accepted, preferred, or even encouraged?
In terms of the longterm view, wouldn't this actually hurt the club in the long run?
Posted by: Eddie in NYC | May 9, 2010 1:19 PM
..that is, "hurt the club in the long run" by contributing to more losing, which contributes more towards this vicious cycle?
Wouldn't the club lose more by staying with a player who is secretly injured? If they have to stay with a player who is unable to perform, but hasn't given a pretext to take them out of the lineup? I think both the Gonzalez and Johnson injuries raise this concern. It's unclear when they actually suffered their respective injuries. The emergence of their injury news after the fact of their demotions seem to absolve them of accountability of the real cause of their demotion, that is, their performance. It seems to give them an "out" and create the opportunity for them to come back and hopefully perform better.
Posted by: Eddie in NYC | May 9, 2010 1:28 PM
Stupid to pitch with arm/elbow pain!!!!
Thanks for thinking of yourself first Johnson and the teams needs second you jerk.
Posted by: Jack | May 9, 2010 4:16 PM
Bob got it right.
The Orioles should fine Johnson for harming the team.
Posted by: Jack | May 9, 2010 4:17 PM