http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/st.../F3FF65
Surgery, uncertainty await Encarnacion
By Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/02/2007
Juan Encarnacion injured
Cards outfielder Juan Encarnacion is helped off the field after being
hit in the head by a foul ball off the bat of Aaron Miles on Friday
night.
(Sarah Conard/P-D)
Cardinals outfielder Juan Encarnacion's career is in jeopardy because
of a severe, season-ending eye injury suffered when a foul ball struck
him Friday night at Busch Stadium.
Encarnacion has multiple fractures in his eye socket and a "serious"
injury to his left eye, the team announced Saturday. The extent of the
damage to his left eye will not be known for at least several days as
the swelling calms. One team source acknowledged that Encarnacion's
sight in the left eye is threatened and said the outlook "for the
return of his vision is extremely guarded at this point."
The Cardinals right fielder remained in the hospital Saturday and was
visited by several teammates including Albert Pujols and Aaron Miles.
Pujols was with Encarnacion after the game Friday and until 3 a.m.
Saturday. Pujols said his teammate was "in good spirits, as good as
possible."
"Just pray for him," Pujols said. "It's tough. It's something you
don't want to happen to anybody. It's just the toughest situation, and
all you want is for him to be better."
Said Miles: "We're all pulling for him. Hoping for the best. We hope
he'll be able to see and hopefully play ball again."
Encarnacion was on the on-deck circle, preparing to pinch hit, when
Miles lashed at an outside pitch and fouled a line drive that hit
Encarnacion flush in the left eye. Encarnacion collapsed and was
quickly surrounded by trainers and teammates. Though Encarnacion left
the field under his own power, several teammates described him as
dazed when taken to a hospital.
A team official said Encarnacion's orbital bone "exploded" and that
there was significant harm to the eye itself. The concern is that
Encarnacion's optic nerve was damaged by the trauma.
Eye specialists saw Encarnacion on Saturday, though it could be
several days and even a week before he has surgery to repair the
fractures. It also could take that long for swelling and bruising to
withdraw and reveal the true scope of the injury. His right eye is
unharmed.
"Clearly, at this point, we know it's a serious injury and we know he
is out for the rest of the season," Cardinals team physician Dr.
George Paletta said. "He is in the care of specialists, and we're
working with them to determine what the long-term prognosis is. We
want to give him the best chance to continue and have his career. But
that has yet to be determined."
A retina surgeon from Barnes Jewish Hospital, who spoke to the Post-
Dispatch about eye injuries in general, said the range of damage from
blunt trauma to the eye can vary widely. Fractures to the orbital bone
can trap the muscles that control the eye, and cause double vision.
Other fractures can damage the optic nerve - "and that is very serious
as it can lead to a loss of all vision," Dr. Gil Grand said.
CARDS-REDS
Cards 2007 Photo Gallery
Cards schedule/results
Cards' player stats
Team Stats: Cardinals
MLB Scoreboard
NL Standings
FAN FORUMS
Derrick Goold's "Bird Land" blog
PostCards: Q-and-A with Derrick Goold
Submit your PostCards questions
Cards Talk: Sound off!
Bernie's Press Box
E-mail a "Letter to Gordo"
MORE BASEBALL
Cardinals Site
MLB's Site
Reds Site
Reds coverage from Cincinnati.com
Back to Cards on STLtoday.com
Any direct blow to the eye can cause long-term consequences, he said.
"With blunt trauma to the eye, the potential is there - with an
emphasis on potential - for cataracts, glaucoma and retinal
detachment," said Grand, who is a member of the Barnes Retina
Institute. "There is tremendous variability in the injuries. Some
blunt trauma will end up with nothing more serious than bruising or
swelling around the eye. The shape of the object, how hard and how
fast it traveled are all factors.
"There can be anything from bruising of the eye to disturbing the
retina to a loss of vision. Sometimes it takes weeks or a month to
know what the potential loss of vision will be. Eyes recover very
slowly."
Encarnacion, 31, was hit by a pitch in September 1999 and had a small
plate inserted to repair a fracture in the same area as this injury.
He played 141 games the next season.
He is in the second year of a three-year contract. He missed the first
1½ months of this season rehabbing from wrist surgery but was able to
elevate his numbers to his career standards. He hit .356 with 19 RBIs
in July, and he finishes the season with a .283 average, nine home
runs and 47 RBIs in 78 games.
The Cardinals released a statement Saturday that said Encarnacion's
"long-term prognosis is undetermined at this time," and manager Tony
La Russa echoed the sentiment by calling speculation about the future
of Encarnacion's career "unfair to him."
"He has more immediate concerns," La Russa said.
General manager Walt Jocketty said: "With an injury that is this
serious, you worry about the guy's long-term well-being, not just
whether he plays baseball again."
In the sixth inning Friday, Encarnacion was preparing to be the second
batter of the inning when he was struck by the foul ball. "If he was
looking elsewhere on the field and not paying attention," La Russa
said, "he might have gotten killed."
The Cards relocated their on-deck circle for Saturday night's game,
moving a few feet farther from the dugout.
Miles said he saw a few replays of his foul ball and each time "it was
just as frightening." He said he spoke with Encarnacion at the
hospital and the question the outfielder asked him was if he got a hit
after Encarnacion left the field.
Miles told him about the rally that happened that inning and how the
game was won four batters after Encarnacion was felled. But he also
told him that he did not get a hit.
"No, I struck out," Miles said. "He got kind of mad at that. ... He just
told me to go get them tonight. He gave me the thumbs up."
FAQ
Profile
Private Messages
Log in
