NewsRiske likely to require elbow surgery
Reliever to meet with doctor Monday, may miss rest of '09
David Riske pitched through pain before his '08 surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. (Getty)
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
05/26/09 9:03 PM ET
MILWAKEE -- Brewers reliever David Riske had a setback in his recovery from a right elbow injury and could require reconstructive surgery that would end his season, assistant general manager Gord Ash said Tuesday. Riske has an appointment with Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles on Monday, at which point a decision will be made regarding Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. Such a procedure would sideline Riske for up to a year. "The likelihood is that he will have a reconstruction," Ash said. Riske has been on the disabled list since the second week in April because of pain in his elbow and later was diagnosed with laxity, or looseness, of the ulnar collateral ligament. Riske was examined by both Dr. William Raasch, Milwaukee's head team physician, and Yocum, a noted orthopedist based in Los Angeles, and opted for a course of rehabilitation to strengthen the joint. It appears that course didn't work, because Riske reported what Ash called "ongoing pain" in his elbow during a weekend appearance at extended Spring Training. The Riske camp is not yet resigned to a full elbow reconstruction, in which the loose ligament would be replaced by a tendon from another part of the body. Riske's agent, Nez Balelo, confirmed that Riske will see Yocum on Monday and could undergo another MRI scan to make sure there is nothing else going on in the elbow that could be causing his pain. Riske pitched much of last season with a bone spur in his elbow that required surgery, and an additional MRI could resolve whether there are any loose bodies still in the joint. The Brewers and Riske have offered varying diagnoses from the beginning. Brewers officials said from the start that Riske's options were rehab or surgery, but Riske disputed during the team's last road trip that surgery was discussed. Ash said he was surprised by those comments. "I don't know what he was doing, because the diagnoses from both Dr. Raasch and Dr. Yocum were that he had a ligament issue and that if he rehabbed first and it didn't work, he would have a reconstruction," Ash said on Tuesday. Riske's tenure with the Brewers has so far been marred by elbow woes. When he finalized a three-year, $13 million contract at the 2007 Winter Meetings, Brewers officials noted Riske's durability as a major factor behind their interest. Riske was coming off a 65-appearance year for Kansas City in 2007 in which he posted a 2.45 ERA. He pitched consecutive days 10 times that season, including one stretch of three straight days, and had a perfect 0.00 ERA (11 innings) on Days 2 and 3. He pitched with discomfort from the bone spur for most of 2008 and posted a 5.31 ERA in 45 games. He didn't pitch after Sept. 7 and had surgery on Sept. 23 to remove the spur. Riske is earning $4.25 million this season and will make $4.5 million in 2010. The Brewers own a $4.75 million option for '11 or can buy out the final year for $250,000. With Riske sidelined, the Brewers are counting on a bullpen made up mostly of low-salary players. Closer Trevor Hoffman makes $6 million, but none of the other six relief arms are earning more than Seth McClung's $1.6625 million. "It just shows you that you can't judge a player based on what they get paid," general manager Doug Melvin said. "You look at the make-up of our bullpen and you have Todd Coffey, who was a waiver claim. Mitch Stetter was drafted for a $1,000 signing bonus. We got McClung for Grant Balfour in a trade [with Tampa Bay] of out-of-options guys. We got [Carlos] Villanueva for Wayne Franklin after I saw [Villanueva] in rookie ball. There's value to be had in the bullpen." Even without Riske, who was considered a key component in Milwaukee's rebuilt bullpen during the offseason, Brewers relievers have been excellent this season. Milwaukee's 3.46 bullpen ERA ranked third of the 30 Major League teams entering play Tuesday, trailing only the Red Sox (3.03) and the Mets (3.12).Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
