Dr. Hay asked to opine on how long the Giants’ defensive backs will be out with his wrist injury
Article Link: Mets injury takeaways: Brandon Nimmo not certain for opener, Francisco Alvarez’s recovery – The Athletic
Francisco Alvarez should have an ‘easy recovery’
When Alvarez felt the pop in his hand, he knew something was wrong.
Alvarez broke the hamate bone in his left hand during a swing last week, requiring surgery on Sunday. The injury usually takes six to eight weeks for a full return to action.
“It’s hard because I worked so hard in the offseason,” Alvarez said. “It’s hard for my mind. But I’ve got to keep going.”
A broken hamate is a common injury for hitters, explained Dr. David Hay, an orthopedic hand and wrist surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics in Los Angeles. (Dr. Hay did not treat Alvarez.) The hamate bone is triangular with a hook projecting out toward the ring and little fingers — like a fist with a thumbs up, said Dr. Hay. The break is usually of that hook, and so surgery cuts off the rest of the hook and allows the hand to heal around it.
“The No. 1 thing I tell patients is you’ve got to let the healing come to you,” Dr. Hay said. “It’s sort of a zen recovery, where you’re not trying to push it. It’s healing, and as it heals, you’re able to do more and more. If you follow your hand, you’ll be back recovered in six or seven weeks and you’ll think it was the easiest recovery.”
Once healed, there isn’t much of a concern for lingering issues, Dr. Hay said. “The vast majority of patients progress through the recovery well, get back to baseball and don’t have any long-term problems,” Dr. Hay said.
Alvarez is hopeful that he can begin swinging a bat again by his third week of recovery, right at the end of March. “My goal is to make it as quick as possible,” he said.
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