Updates on Zambrano, Young 

June, 23, 2008
06/23/08
3:32
PM ET
What a week it has been in the injury world! The Yankees lost ace Chien-Ming Wang to a Lisfranc sprain, an injury that rarely affects baseball players. Wang is their second pitcher to suffer such an injury this season. (Brian Bruney sustained a similar injury earlier in the year.) Apparently, lightning can strike twice. Then, the golf world was rocked by the news that Tiger Woods had played throughout the year with a torn ACL and, more recently, stress fractures. Golf is losing its biggest name for the remainder of the season, as Woods plans to undergo reconstructive surgery followed by a lengthy rehabilitation.

Also undergoing season-ending surgery is Curt Schilling, who announced Friday that because of persistent problems in his throwing shoulder, he will undergo season-ending, and perhaps even career-ending, surgery Monday. And in what might be the biggest injury news of the week, at least in my little world, I have seriously injured my knee to the point that walking has become a great effort. My sympathy for the walking wounded has increased dramatically. On that note, we take a look at who has been added to the wounded list of late.

Carlos Zambrano, P, Chicago Cubs: Zambrano made a face after throwing a pitch Wednesday night that said it all. Pain in his throwing shoulder had forced him to drop his arm because he felt like he "couldn't go back to the top." The Cubs wisely removed him from the game and held their breaths while waiting for the test results that would determine his future. On Friday, Zambrano underwent an MRI arthrogram, a procedure in which dye is injected into the shoulder before the MRI to provide better detail of the joint during imaging. The conclusion? A minor right shoulder strain, which is about as good an outcome as the Cubs could have hoped for. Zambrano was placed on the 15-day DL, and although he was not pleased, he seemed to understand that the move was in both his and the team's long-term interest. Zambrano told the Chicago Tribune that he was worried about his shoulder because "this never happened to me." If indeed the strain is minor, a brief period of rest followed by a gradual return to throwing should allow Zambrano to return to action when he is eligible to come off the DL or shortly thereafter. If that's the case, he'll miss only two or three starts. Zambrano's improved physical shape this season may have helped him dodge a bullet and should continue to help his recovery. The Cubs have to be breathing a big sigh of relief now.


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