Dr. Altcheck would likely be asked to testify to this. One Players Association official says their office handles more medical complaints from Red Sox players than the rest of the league combined . The Commissioner's Office study on the baseballs will show that while most of the balls produced in Costa Rica are within MLB guidelines, within those guidelines today's balls are livelier. It's a difference of 15-20 feet for a lot of players. Ruben Mateo 's season-ending injury is a cruel blow to the Rangers and an extraordinary young player who was coming into his own.
Doctors say they see that kind of injury only in auto accidents.
But it raises a question. Jason Kendall had the same injury last year, hustling into the first base bag. Now, first base is the only bag where players go in like that. When you lose players like Kendall and Mateo in successive seasons, it's worth studying. Meanwhile, Melvin thinks there is no outfielder on the market to fill his need right now, so they'll use Gabe Kapler in center and Chad Curtis in right.