Alex Rodriguez’ Experimental Treatment: How Kobe Bryant Saved Yankees’ Season
December 28, 2011 · Joel Reuter · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Last season, Alex Rodriguez appeared in just 99 games, including only 19 games after July 7th. Injuries to his right knee and left shoulder kept him sidelined much of the second half, and it showed when he was on the field.
In preparation for the season ahead, it was reported today that the 36-year-old slugger has undergone an experimental procedure on his right knee in Germany at the recommendation of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
According to the report, the procedure, known as orthokine therapy, “uses the patient’s own blood, which is drawn from the arm and put into a centrifuge to separate out a certain protein. The mix with the protein is then injected into the affected joint.”
The procedure has been cleared by Major League Baseball, and according to Rodriguez, he now feels he is 100 percent heading into spring training.
This is after a season in which he hit just .276 BA, 16 HR and 62 RBI; this was followed by a disastrous postseason when he went 2-for-18 and drove in just two runs in the Yankees five-game loss to the Tigers.
A healthy Rodriguez could be a huge boost for the Yankees. Although the slugger is no longer a threat for the perennial .300 BA, 40 HR, 120 RBI seasons that he put up in his prime, he is still an impact player offensively. A healthy Rodriguez means one of the deepest lineups in baseball gets that much deeper.
Unlike many short-term solutions, orthokine therapy provides the patient with relief upwards of two years, and in some cases even longer. The joint problems that plagued Rodriguez last season could now be a thing of the past.
In Bryant’s case, he underwent the procedure on his ankle a matter of weeks before the NBA season began, yet he has averaged 34.6 minutes and 27.7 points over the Lakers’ first three games. He has clearly not been hampered by the injury or the procedure.
Last season, the Yankees had four different players spend time at third base in Rodriguez’s absence: Eduardo Nunez, Eric Chavez, Ramiro Pena and Brandon Laird.
Of that group, Nunez and Pena are better suited as utility infielders and are more comfortable playing up the middle. Chavez is no longer with the team and, while Laird is the team’s top third base prospect, he struggled to a .190 average over 21 at bats and is an unproven commodity to say the least.
A full season from A-Rod could mean four 30 HR, 100 RBI players on the team. Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira should all approach those milestones in 2012.
With the starting rotation still a question mark, the Yankees will once again rely on their high powered offense in 2012. Having a completely healthy Rodriguez back in the middle of things will mean taking that much more pressure off of the pitching staff.
Whether or not the procedure proves to be a success for Rodriguez remains to be seen, but for a player who has missed 150 games over the past four seasons, new found hope that he can stay healthy makes the Yankees that much more dangerous in 2012.
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