For now, Sizemore and Tribe willing to play through the pain: Indians Insider
by Dennis Manoloff/Plain Dealer Reporter
Wednesday August 05, 2009, 7:55 PM
Unwilling to use his ailing left elbow for an excuse for a disappointing season, Grady Sizemore has his sights set on finishing the season regardless of the discomfort.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The one element missing from Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore's multifaceted game is a strong arm. But a Sizemore throw in Tuesday night's game against Minnesota could not be explained away so simply -- at least in the minds of Tribe fans in the blogosphere and elsewhere.
Sizemore has been playing through pain in his left elbow, the result of synovitis, an inflammation of the joint lining. The problem dates to spring training. He is a virtual lock for arthroscopic surgery in the off-season.
So when Sizemore one-hopped the cutoff man from medium depth Tuesday, the question was raised for the umpteenth time: Why don't the Indians just shut him down instead of waiting?
The answer, evidently, is this: Sizemore is a gamer who feels a responsibility to the organization and the fan base. He wants to keep grinding, no matter how hot the elbow or how bad the team.
Manager Eric Wedge, asked Wednesday if it is difficult not to tell Sizemore to call it a season when there is nothing for which to play, said: "Well, first of all, you're always playing for something.
"If he feels like he can go out and help us -- and I know he does and I know he has -- he'll continue to play. If we felt like he could hurt himself worse, then he wouldn't be playing. That's point-blank. At some point he might have to shut it down. We'll have to see."
The elbow did force Sizemore to the disabled list May 31. He returned June 23. In 31 games since coming off the DL, Sizemore was batting .234. His season's average was .227 in 80 games.
"It's not going to be OK this year," Wedge said of the elbow. "This is something he's going to have to deal with as long as he keeps playing. There's no way of getting around it."
Hours before the Indians faced the Twins on Wednesday, Sizemore said he felt fine. That's no surprise, though. He never so much as hints at an excuse. He did not play in 382 consecutive games from August 2005 until April 2008 without having a high pain threshold.
