Jose Contreras is a pitcher I enjoy watching. He has a spirit for the game that few major leaguers seem to have this day. He’s had his ups and down, but he’s bounced back.
Beginning his MLB career as a starting pitcher, he’s ended up as a reliever in Philadelphia and is doing a good job. It is too bad he’s suffered an injury to derail his relief efforts.The injury has popped him onto the disabled list for 15 days.
Jose is suffering from a, now brace yourself, strained right flexor pronator tendon. Yeah, it’s a fancy way of saying a forearm problem.
The pronator tendon pronates the palm. Love that circular definition right? It is responsible for turning the palm down, which, as you can imagine, is important for pitching.
How do you know you have a strained pronator tendon? Pain isn’t the number one symptom, but fatigue in the forearm. In more serious strains, you will experience numbness is the wrist and possibly fingers.
What causes a strained pronator tendon? Overuse is the number one cause. You can also strain it by attempting to curl or hammer lift too heavy of a weight.
How do you treat a strained pronator tendon? You need to rest the forearm and ensure you don’t increase the demand on the tendons. A doctor can tell you if you’ve strained it or something more serious has happened. If you tore the tendon, good luck. Surgery is usually needed. The treatment is rest, anti-inflammatory medicine and ice if you experience local swelling.
How long will you be out with a strained pronator tendon? It depends on the severity, but no more than a couple of weeks as a pitcher. It is odd Jose is sitting for 15 days, but other pitchers have had the same issue or worse and been out much longer.
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Jose has a history of lingering issues including an achilles tendon tear. Let’s hope he rebounds quickly.