Keep An Eye Out.. On The Gimps

Spring is in the air. Everyone's optimistic and players are saying (and I quote), 'I’m doing great' or 'that strain is no biggie', blah blah blah. Players and teams are just getting warm, getting back into the playing attitude or working on some new things. Which is why I wouldn't put too much weight on players who are successful thus far in spring training. Your focus should be the players getting/or who are hurt and constantly delaying when they will suit up. Do your home work on those players that had surgery last year or in the off season and project what their time period of recovery will be. Check in to see if their starting to play and if those injuries are still issues and lingering around. A lot of players will claim they are doing fine, but after 2 months of hitting .200 or sporting a 6.00 ERA in the regular season, they'll now sing a different tune, ‘oh I wasn’t ready yet, I thought I was’.

PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT (coming off surgery):
Aaron Heilman - elbow
Andy LaRoche - left shoulder
Armando Benitez - knee
Bartolo Colon - rotator cuff
Bobby Crosby - back
Brad Wilkerson - shoulder
C.C. Sabathia - knee
Carl Pavano - elbow
Carlos Delgado - right wrist and left elbow
Cliff Floyd -achillies tendon
Coco Crisp - left index finger
Dallas McPherson - back
Daniel Cabrera - LASIK
Darin Erstad - ankle
Duaner Sanchez - shoulder
Eddie Guardado - tommy john
Eric Gagne - back and elbow
Francisco Lirano - tommy john
J.J. Hardy - ankle
Jason Bay - arthroscopic knee
Jason Giambi - wrist
Jason Isringhausen - hip
Jason Kubel - right knee
Jhonny Peralta - LASIK
Jim Edmonds - toe and shoulder
Jody Gerut - right knee
John Patterson - nerve
Jonny Gomes - shoulder
Jose Guillen - tommy john
Juan Encarnacion - left wrist
Juan Rivera - leg
Mark Mulder - shoulder
Mark Teahen - right shoulder
Nick Johnson - leg
Pedro Martinez - shoulder
Randy Johnson - back
Richie Weeks - wrist
Scott Podsednik - hernia

PEOPLE THAT DID NOT OPT FOR SURGERY (but has issues):
Lew Ford
Jerad Weaver
Paul LoDuca
Mark Kotsay
Vladimir Guerrero
Kevin Mench
Kris Benson
Kerry Wood
Shawn Chacon
Chipper Jones
Ken Griffey Jr.
Joe Crede

PEOPLE YOU DONT CARE ABOUT (but I'm going to list them anyway):
Al Reyes - tommy john
Alex Cintron - elbow
Alex Escobar - shoulder
Andres Blanco - shoulder
Bobby Kielty - left mensicus
Brad Radke - shoulder (retired)
Brandon Backe - tommy john
Brandon Claussen - rotator cuff
Brian Lawrence - shoulder
Bryan Bullington - labrum
Casey Fossum - shoulder
Chin-Hui Tsao - shoulder
Chris Reitsma - ulnar
Cliff Politte - rotator cuff
Craig Dingman - bypass artery in shoulder
Cristian Guzman - LASIK and labrum (2005)
Dan Meyer - shoulder
Dave Williams - herniated disc in neck
Doug Mientkiewicz - back
Doug Waechter - shoulder
Hector Gimenez - right labrum
Jason Werth - wrist
Jeff DaVanon - left ankle and right shoulder
Jeff Nelson - shoulder
Jesse Foppert - tommy john (2003)
Joey Eischen - rotator cuff
Josh Fogg - right elbow
Juan Padilla - tommy john
Kelly Johnson - tommy john (2005)
Kent Mercker - tommy john
Kip Wells - foot
Logan Kensing - tommy john
Luis Ayala - tommy john
Mark Grudzielanek - left knee
Mark Lowe - elbow
Marlon Anderson - elbow
Matt Clement - shoulder
Mike Adams - knee
Mike DeJean - shoulder
Mike Hampton - broke up scar tissue; tommy john (2005)
Mike O'Conner - left elbow
Paul Wilson - shoulder
Pete Walker - rotator cuff
Rafael Soriano - tommy john (2005)
Ricardo Rincon - tommy john and shoulder
Rick Ankiel (the outfielder) - left knee
Roman Colon - neck
Ryan Goleski - wrist
Ryan Shealy - arthroscopic right knee
Scott Elarton - shoulder
Shawn Estes - tommy john
Taynon Sturtze - rotator cuff
Tim Worrell - shoulder (retired)
Travis Harper - shoulder
Trot Nixon - herniated disk
Tyler Walker - tommy john
Victor Zambrano - tommy john
Vince Perkins - tommy john
Yhency Brazoban - tommy john
Yorvit Torrealba - shoulder