re: UCLA Pitcher Thatcher Hurd commits to LSU

quote:

---

You know that they can fixate these stress fractures with surgery right?

---

Yes. They're called spinal fusions. Very likely he would be saying goodbye to his MLB career if he did that don't you think? How many MLB pitchers out there have had lumbar spinal fusions and continued with a career?

Serious. Look up lumbar pars defects and treatment. Key in "study" or "professional paper" in the search to bring up papers/studies and not some personal blog out there speaking their own opinion. Look for papers that say "Review". They usually give good background information. Just saying.

Honestly, I'm really not hating on the guy. I just have a bit of knowledge about his condition and the fact that it knocked him out for the rest of the season in April. When I read the SI article and it said what he had, I just groaned. What bad luck. I'm not so much an LSU homer that I want us to get all we can get out of him and who cares what happens afterward. I want the best for the kid. He needs to strengthen his core and keep it strong. I do believe our new pitching coach is "just what the doctor ordered" for him as he probably over all the other college pitching coaches out there can teach him great form and how to keep it. I know I originally posted that I believed we made a mistake, but on further thought, if he desires to keep playing, we are likely his best option with the recent pitching coach hire.