Josh Beckett has had a successful career as a major league pitcher, but it might be coming to an end. In his career, Josh won the following:
- Three time all star
- Two World Series championships
- One ALCS MVP
- One World Series MVP
He is a great talent, but news broke that he is experiencing finger numbness that has him very concerned:
Any time something like that happens to your arm or you start losing feeling and stuff … you think about it for sure. I don’t really want to think like that right now. I want to think about figuring out a way to deal with this.
Causes of Finger Numbness
There are a number of causes that pitchers find:
Rash – Believe it or not, rashes can cause finger numbness. This is especially true with skin irritant rashes such as poison oak and poison ivy.
Burns – Burning your fingers causes nerve issues, which leads to numbness.
Infection – A cut can cause an issue with the nerves in the fingers.
Nerve damage – The catch all and what Beckett probably has is nerve damage.
Treatment for Finger Numbness
The root cause is important, but in Beckett’s case it looks like nerve damage of some sort. Whether the damage is in the fingers, hand or arm, the treatment is usually the same and includes:
Surgery – Nerve surgery allows for the area to be investigate and any nerve crowding to be addressed.
Strength Exercises – These allow a pitcher to build up finger, hand and arm strength.
Outlook for Josh Beckett
Who knows. He has an appointment with Dr. Gregory Pearl to review a 90 minute MRI session of the affected area. This is good news since the doctor handled Chris Carpenter’s nerve surgery.
The biggest issue is Josh’s outlook. He sounds like a man expecting bad news that will end his career.