Sports Medicine Doctor Weighs in on Shoulder Injury For Seattle Mariners' Victor Robles
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On Sunday, Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles left the game after injuring his shoulder while making a phenomenal catch against the San Francisco Giants.
On Monday, the Mariners placed Robles on the injured list with a left shoulder dislocation. General manager Justin Hollander said the team won't know more until results of an MRI come back either on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.
So what exactly are the Mariners looking for, and what additional worries are there? We reached out to sports medicine doctor Jessica Flynn, who contributes to the Boston Sports Journal and the NFLs "33rd Team" for a question-and-answer session.
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Q: The team has already told us it's a shoulder dislocation, but said they won't know more until the MRI results come back either by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. What additional things will the MRI be looking for?
A: When the shoulder dislocates, it tears ligaments and often other structures like the labrum. In older adults, it more commonly can also tear the rotator cuff. An MRI will give them more information on what structures are torn, to what degree, and also better quantify how much bone injury is involved.
Q: This is his non-throwing arm, so I presume that is *better news,* but given that he's a right-handed batter, how much discomfort can swinging cause?
A: Definitely a plus that this is not his throwing arm, but yes, the shoulder is very involved in the batting motion. The batting motion will be uncomfortable and could put the shoulder at risk of recurrent dislocation.
Q: I know the time frame for return will depend on what we hear from the MRI, but if there are no tears and this is "just a standard dislocation," what kind of missed time are we looking at?
A: By definition, there ARE tears. Important things to consider are whether he has ever had a dislocation before, if there are any significant fractures associated with this dislocation (there is almost always a “dent” type of fracture from the ball going back into the shallow socket). Basically they will look at the MRI, consider his history, and see how his motion/pain/stability look before determining when it’s safe for him to swing a bat or make a play. That’s different for everyone and some athletes do need in-season surgery to fix their shoulder, while others can play through and delay until the off-season
Q: Robles came off holding his wrist and forearm to the point we all assumed that was the issue, is that a typical reaction to a dislocated shoulder?
A: Yes, it’s common for athletes to grab their wrist/forearm to stabilize the dislocated shoulder because it’s hanging awkwardly and very painful.
The Mariners will provide an update on Robles when it is available, but now we all have an idea of what kinds of things Robles is facing. He's hitting .273 in the early going and also provides the team a spark on the bases. He stole 30 of them a season ago.
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NEW PODCAST IS OUT! Brady is back for another episode of "Refuse to Lose," where he recaps the team's win vs. the Astros on Monday, the updates on Victor Robles and George Kirby, and the main issue plaguing the roster right now. Also, former Giants' first baseman JT Snow had a classless post about Robles's injury on social media. Furthermore, TJ and Lyle from the "Marine Layer" podcast stop by to talk about their growing presence in the M's digital space and much more. CLICK HERE:
FEELIN' it FELNIN: Top prospect Felnin Celesten is off to a great start for the M's affiliate in Modesto. We spoke to Turlock Journal reporter Chris Correa about his impressions of the young star. CLICK HERE:
SNOW's TWEET: Former San Francisco Giants 1B JT Snow took a shot at Victor Robles after his injury in a now-deleted tweet. Here's what he had to say. CLICK HERE:
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