John Bale returned to Kansas City to have hit thyroid examined:

"There were irregularities in his blood work," manager Trey Hillman said. "It's a problem dealing with his thyroid."

Bale was limited earlier in camp by soreness in his left shoulder blade. He resumed throwing this week and appeared to be on track to resume a regular routine.

Here's to a speedy diagnosis and recovery for Mr. Bale.

I want to wish a speedy recovery to Jason Johnson, who was diagnosed recently with cancer of the retina. He's already undergone radiation treatment and his prognosis is good.

Mike Hampton got good news today as his irregular heart beat resoved itself.

Joe Mauer is taking it slow this spring due to his kidney surgery. I thought doctors went through the back for the kidneys, but Joe is waiting for his abdominal muscles to heal. Would any surgeons in the audience care to comment on why his abs were cut?

It's been a bad medical day for the Houston Astros. They detected an irregular heartbeat in Mike Hampton, and Jose Valverde is suffering from an arm infection:

Astros manager Cecil Cooper and Ed Wade were optimistic that both scenarios wouldn't be a problem, but Valverde will wait to see how he awakes Tuesday morning and Hampton is expected to be examined in Houston.

Hampton left Osceola County Stadium after a brief workout to catch a flight to Houston, where Astros team physician Dr. Jim Muntz planned to examine the veteran lefthander later in the afternoon. Barring any complications, Hampton was expected to "undergo a procedure to correct his heartbeat with the application of electrical current," the club announced.

"It was a little bit of a concern earlier, but big boy (Valverde) threw today. And he didn't feel a whole lot, so apparently he's going to be OK," Cooper said of Hampton. "We did have a couple of scares, but it looks like everything's going to be fine."

Better that it happens now than during the regular season.

Hat tip, Clownvision Chronicles.

Via The Hardball Times, Roberto Alomar is being sued for having sex while infected with AIDS:

Baseball great Roberto Alomar has full-blown AIDS but insisted on having unprotected sex, his ex-girlfriend charged Tuesday in a bombshell lawsuit.

The shocking claim was leveled by Ilya Dall, 31, who said she lived with the ex-Met for three years and watched in horror as his health worsened.

In papers filed in state and federal court, Dall said Alomar finally got tested in January 2006 while suffering from a cough, fatigue and shingles.

"The test results of him being HIV-positive was given to him and the plaintiff on or about Feb.6, 2006," the $15 million negligence suit says.

Read the rest for denials by Alomar's lawyer and Sandy Alomar Sr. Also this:

In April 2005, Alomar told Dall he was suffering from erectile dysfunction and confided "he was raped by two Mexican men after playing a ballgame in New Mexico or a Southwestern state when he was 17," the suit says.

I used to hear some juicy rumors about Alomar's sex life when I worked at ESPN in the 1990s. I would not be surprised if he turned out to be HIV positive.

Don Zimmer is recovering from a stroke. I hope he recovers quickly.

Joe Mauer underwent minor kidney surgery to relieve an obstruction.

Smith stressed that Mauer's situation, " is not serious," and is expected to be ready to go when Twins pitchers and catchers report for duty on Feb. 14. Mauer had the surgery on Dec. 22.

"It's something he's had since he was a kid," Smith said. "It is something that has bothered him more lately. Everything went fine and he will be ready for the season."

I wonder if all the squatting at catcher made the problem worse?

The Astros first round pick from 2006 is fighting meningitis.

Max Sapp, the Astros' first-round draft pick in 2006, has been hospitalized for more than two weeks in Orlando, Fla., with a case of meningitis, assistant general manager Ricky Bennett said Tuesday.

Bennett said Sapp, 20, has been breathing with the help of a respirator after undergoing surgery to repair a severe sinus infection and contracting meningitis.

Let's hope he makes a speedy recovering. It appears his athletic conditioning helped him through the illness.

Hat tip, BBTF.

It appears Rocco Baldelli was misdiagnosed last year, and doesn't suffer from mitochondrial disease. His illness is at the cellular level, but treatable. That's good news to any team thinking about signing Rocco as a free agent.

Jim Bowden delayed skin cancer treatment. Doctors diagnosed the problem in June:

That's how Bowden learned he had squamous cell carcinoma -- a type of skin cancer for which doctors recommended surgery within a month. Unwilling to abandon his job, even for a week, Bowden ignored the advice. He spent the second half of the season working as usual, and worrying in private about the growth on his forehead -- and whether it was spreading.

Immediately after the season, Bowden had the cancer removed in a five-hour procedure conducted by Melbourne, Fla.-based surgeon Larry Bishop. Doctors removed the cancer-infected skin layer by layer, following its roots to the very bottom. Because he had delayed treatment, the cancer had spread to a second area of his forehead, but doctors were able to get it all.

"I'll live," Bowden said.

Yes, managing the Nationals to the worst record in the NL was really worth it. I'm sorry, there is no GM so important that they can't take a week off and hand the reigns over to someone else.

That said, I'm glad he's okay and I hope his cancer doesn't return.

Carl Yastrzemski left the hospital today, a week after triple bypass surgery. Here's to a speedy recovery!

Earlier there was a report that Carl Yastrzemski entered the hospital with chest pain. He ended up needing bypass surgery. Best wishes to Carl for a speedy recovery.

Carl Yastrzemski was admitted to the hospital with chest pains. Let's hope all is well with the Hall of Famer.

Update: Yastrzemski underwent bypass surgery.

Tim Lincecum is fine after his hospital stay. It seems he was suffering from dehydration:

"I saw him this morning. He's fine," Chris Lincecum said upon returning to his Seattle home from New York on Wednesday night. "I ate breakfast with him. He looked better than me."

The pitcher's father filled in some of the details of his son's illness, saying, "He had major-league dehydration. It was a combination of flying in from the Chicago game, a delayed flight. He didn't land until 1 in the morning."

Terry Francona will receive medical treatment today:

"My body is falling apart at times," added Francona. "I've had a ton of numbness and weakness in my left arm. I've got to get it taken care of, because we've got a lot of baseball left to play." The Sox resume play Friday night in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels.

Numbness and weakness on the left side is something to be taken very seriously. Coupled with his scare in 2005 and his continuing circulatory problems, I wonder if Terry has serious heart issues. No matter the cause, here's hoping the treatment helps.

Tim Lincecum caught what looks like the flu and is in the hospital. Having pitched Sunday, he wasn't likely to play tonight. Of course, any absence from the Giants hurts San Francisco's chances of a comeback in the NL West.

Jeremy Bonderman underwent a procedure to fix a blood clot and will likely miss the rest of the season. Let's hope he has a quick recovery.

There have been a number of cases like this in the last decade, Bonderman's teammate Kenny Rogers coming to mind most recently, but Kip Wells as well. I wonder how many pitchers had career end prior to the ability to detect this condition?

Jon Lester's father is suffering from cancer:

Lester said his father John was diagnosed with lymphoma last month and that the cancer is "slow growing, ... something [his father] will die with, not die from."

Father and son will get to talk in person about their unfortunate common bond on Sunday. Jon Lester is scheduled to make his first start since the no-hitter Sunday afternoon in Oakland against the Athletics.

Then the Red Sox will travel to Seattle where they open a three-game series against the Mariners on Monday night. The elder Lester lives in Puyallup, Washington.

Jon Lester said his father is doing well and has two more treatments to go. The 24-year-old pitcher told Andrews that his father is proud of him, but after learning first hand what his son had to go through, "He's more proud of me on another level."

After the no-hitter, Lester and Red Sox manager Terry Francona had an emotional embrace. Everyone understood then what the pitcher had been through to get to this point -- or at least they thought they did.

While none of Lester's teammates knew of his father's cancer, Francona had been told what was going on. That was likely why Lester had said he wanted to keep his conversation with his manager private after the game.

I'm glad his father is doing well and wish him a speedy recovery.

Pedro Martinez cut short his rehabilitation to tend to his ailing father. My best wishes to Pedro and his family.

Big League Stew puts together the all-cancer survivor team.

Excellent news for Doug Davis.

Kip Wells again needs surgery to fix a blood clot. (Here's the post on the first surgery.) It's a tough break, but I'd rather hear that he needs surgery on a clot than he's died of a clot.

Red Sox outfielder Brandon Moss needed an emergency appendectomy Saturday night. Here's wishing him a quick recovery! He was off to a powerful start with the Red Sox, hitting two home runs in 21 at bats.

The Brewers-Cubs game was delayed for ten minutes as umpire Jerry Crawford suffered chest pain and was taken to the hospital. I hope he's okay.

Joba Chamberlain's father is home.

Daisuke Matsuzaka caught the flu bug and won't start tonight. Lester takes his place. Given the way the Red Sox are playing with the roster reduced due to illness, maybe they should get the flu more often. :-)

Josh Beckett is suffering from the same bug as Jason Varitek, and it's caused a stiff neck. He won't start tonight, and the Red Sox are sending Varitek home:

The other problem that the Red Sox have right now is that they are short a second catcher. Varitek is still under the weather and, though he did come to the ballpark this afternoon, he was supposed to be heading home before gametime. Had Beckett not come down with the stiff neck, the roster move would have been made for a catcher, which still might happen tomorrow (with the Sox sending Pauley back down to Triple A). So with the two players who have offered to be the emergency catcher both on the disabled list (Alex Cora and Lowell), Francona was in a bind.

Guess who offered?

That's right. Dustin Pedroia.

More scrappy player points for Pedrioa.

Doug Davis feels great. That's very good news.

Maury Brown's son was recently diagnosed with autism. He provides information on the condition and what to look for, since early intervention helps the child live a more normal life. Keep Maury and his family in your thoughts.

Joba Chamberlain issued a statement about his dad's situation.

River Ave. Blues has more on Joba Chamberlain's father. He's in critical condition. My best wishes go out to Joba and his family.

Joba Chamberlain's father is ill and the Yankees reliever returned to Nebraska to see him.

Doug Davis's surgery went well on Thursday:

"The surgery that was completed this evening by Dr. Bob Evani was very successful," team physician Dr. Michael Lee said. "Doug is awake and doing well. The only complaints he had was a mild sore throat, which is expected. He will likely be released (Friday) and will begin follow up treatments at that point."

That's good news.

The Diamondbacks confirmed Doug Davis's thyroid cancer, as reported here yesterday.

Davis is expected to make his next few starts, Hall said, before undergoing surgery sometime within the next three weeks.

"We're not sure about the timetable after that," Hall said. "We're deeply saddened and concerned for Doug but we're still in the process of collecting facts and applying that to timing."

My best wishes to Doug for a quick and complete recovery.

Peter Gammons writes that Doug Davis has thyroid cancer. I don't see a story yet. My best wishes to Doug for a complete recovery.

I have a cousin who had thyroid cancer when she was 18. Nearly forty year later, she's still with us.

Doctors diagnosed Rick Sutcliffe with colon cancer:

Sutcliffe, 51, was diagnosed after a routine test during a physical revealed that he has a treatable and curable form of colon cancer. Sutcliffe will undergo chemotherapy and surgery over the next few months and said he hopes to make a healthy comeback later this year.

"I deeply appreciate the support of the ESPN family and my family and friends around the country," Sutcliffe said in a statement.

I worked a bit with Sutcliffe on Baseball Tonight in 1999 and hope he makes a full and complete recovery.

Rocco Baldelli appears to be finished with baseball for the moment.

Rocco Baldelli will be sidelined indefinitely - but is not retiring - because of what he said are "some type of metabolic and/or mitochondrial abnormalities,'' a condition that leaves him feeling extremely fatigued after just a brief workout.

"When I say "fatigued" my body is literally spent after a very short amount of time out on the field which makes it extremely frustrating and difficult, but it's kind of a reality right now,'' he said during a 13-minute session with reporters before Wednesday's game. "I feel like I've done a serious workout after a very short period of time, and it's a very odd feeling. ... I try not to be too dramatic when I explain what's going on, but it's not easy when you're out on the field for a very short period of time and you're done, and you're not really worth anything else out there. That's a tough thing to handle because you wonder why. You wonder why this is how your body feels.''

Mitochondira are one of my favorite organelles (the ribosomes are pretty cool, too). Not only are they the power plant of the cells, but they have their own DNA that one can use to trace female ancestry. The problem is, when they don't work right, you can't power your muscles. For Rocco's sake, I hope this is something doctors can correct.

However, this does give the Rays another reason to sign Barry Bonds.

Hat tip, Rays Anatomy.

The Baseball Musings pledge drive continues through March. Please consider making a donation.

Bobby Murcer's biopsy showed scar tissue, not a return of cancer. Great news and best wishes for a continued recovery for the Yankees announcer!

The Baseball Musings pledge drive continues through March. Please consider making a donation.

Davey Lopes has prostate cancer. I hope he makes a fast and complete recovery.

Julio Lugo's poor offensive performance in 2007 is now being blamed on parasites:

Stomaching portions of last season was even more difficult for Julio Lugo than most realized.

The Red Sox shortstop admitted yesterday he never regained his strength during his first year with the team due to a stomach parasite he picked up during a month-long vacation to Europe the previous offseason.

"I never got my strength back," Lugo said. "I started training in January and that only made it worse, and when I got to spring training, I wasn't right.

He should be careful in Japan. Jason Giambi and Kevin Brown picked up parasites during their trip there with the Yankees.

Doctors are concerned about Bobby Murcer's health again. They'll perform another biopsy of his brain. I wish him the best.

Mark DeRosa undergoes heart surgery today:

Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa is scheduled to undergo surgery this morning to correct the heart arrhythmia that sent him to a Mesa hospital over the weekend. And barring a setback, the club expects he'll be ready to take batting practice as soon as Monday and be ready for games by the end of next week.

The outpatient procedure is called radio frequency catheter ablation (RFCA), in which an electrode catheter is used to destroy a very small area of heart tissue that caused the irregular heartbeat.

According to team doctor Stephen Adams, who spoke to media Wednesday at the request of DeRosa, cardiologists begin the process with an electrophysiology study (EPS), using a catheter-based system to induce atrial arrhythmia so they can identify the trouble spot. At that point the RFCA is performed, and another EPS is done to confirm the problem has been corrected.

The entire process should take one to two hours, Adams said. The success rate is about 98 percent.

I find it amazing that a person can undergo heart surgery and be back on the job in less than a week. It probably wasn't that long ago that DeRosa's career would be over.

Another ballplayer suffers circulatory problems:

Left-hander John Rheinecker will miss at least the first half of the season, and it may leave the Rangers without a second left-handed reliever ahead of the closer.

Rheinecker was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a condition that limits blood flow to the extremities. It is the same condition that wrecked third baseman Hank Blalock's 2007 season. The Rangers expect Rheinecker to have surgery to remove the top rib, as Blalock did, in order to improve blood flow.

"Pretty much every symptom I described, the doctor said was on the list," Rheinecker said. "Hopefully once I get back from this, I'll be the pitcher the Rangers traded for."

It seems there are a number of players who suffer from blood flow problems. Oil Can Boyd, David Cone and Kip Wells immediately come to mind. I wonder how much this occurs in the general population.

WebMD saved Shelly Duncan.

(Hat tip, LoHud Yankees blog.)

Shelly Duncan landed in the hospital last week:

Shelley Duncan, the Yankees' hard-hitting rookie, was hospitalized last week with an unknown arm ailment. A source close to the team told the Daily News yesterday that Duncan was hospitalized for two days last week because of the ailment, but the 28-year-old player should not have any long-term problems. "It's nothing serious," the source said. "Everything is going to be fine."

The Tug McGraw Foundation honors Yankees broadcaster Bobby Murcer to raise money for brain cancer research.

Garret Anderson is out of the game for Reggie Willits. I have to assume the eye infection is too bad for Anderson to play.

Former major leaguer Brett Butler suffered a stroke:

Mobile BayBears manager Brett Butler suffered a mild stroke Friday night and was resting comfortably in a Montgomery hospital, a Diamondbacks statement said Sunday.

Brett always struck me as a very intense player, the kind that never relaxed. I wonder if that was true off the field? Let's hope for a speedy recovery.

Hank Blalock needs a rib removed:

Blalock missed Thursday's game against Tampa Bay, but the Rangers thought he would be available for their first interleague series this weekend against Houston.

Instead, team officials said Friday he had been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which affects the nerves that pass through the shoulder into the neck. The surgery will remove a rib on the right side of his upper chest.

I wonder how long this condition effected his hitting. Ron Washington is certainly facing a lot of adversity his first year managing.

Roy Halladay unexpectedly ended up in surgery Friday:

Former Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay is expected to miss four to six weeks after having an emergency appendectomy Friday, the latest bad break for the struggling Toronto Blue Jays.

Halladay arrived at Rogers Centre on Friday looking pale and complaining of pain in his lower right abdomen. Trainer George Poulis recognized the symptoms and took Halladay to a local hospital for surgery.

Halladay was placed on the 15-day disabled list. The Blue Jays did not immediately announce a roster move.

I'm glad they caught it in time. Unfortunately for the Jays, they've now lost their best starter, best reliever and best hitter. Murphy's Law is in full force in Canada right now.

Just saw this headline of FoxSports.com:

Griffey Sidelined by Colon Problem

He's 5 for 18 vs. Bartolo with a home run and four walks. Doesn't seem like much of a problem. :-)

Here's hoping Ron Santo makes a speedy recovery.

Another blood clot rears its ugly head:

Tigers left-handed starter Kenny Rogers is expected to miss the first half of the season after he underwent surgery on his pitching shoulder today to remove a blood clot and repair arteries.

Rogers underwent the surgery in Dallas. The surgery was performed by the same doctor who did a similar operation on Rogers six years ago, club president and general manger Dave Dombrowski said.

In making the announcement on Rogers' surgery and prognosis, Dombrowski said that Rogers would be able to begin throwing in six to eight weeks. "We anticipate he will be out three months," Dombrowski said.

Best wishes for a quick recovery. Originally it sounded like Kenny would just miss one start, but now the Tigers definitely need a replacement. For now, Chad Durbin takes over, who is frankly not very good. I expect we'll see Detroit's pitching depth fill in eventually.

Does it seem that there are lots of blood clots in pitchers lately? I don't remember this happening before Oil Can Boyd, but it could just be it was harder to detect back then and they were missed.

John Vukovich is suffering from inoperable brain cancer. My thoughts are with John and his family at this time.

John's family kept this quiet, announcing this only as his condition worsened. I hope his friends and colleagues get to visit him. We lost a good friend of the family to brain cancer a few years ago. She didn't like funerals, so she threw a party while she was still able. People came from all over the country to say good bye. It was a very sad day, but therapeutic for all involved. Her death still hit everyone hard, but for most of us, our last memory of her is a fun one.

Update: Vukovich died today.

Zack Greinke discusses his depression in an exclusive interview with the Kansas City Star:

So how bad did it get?

"I really don't know what it is or what it was," Greinke began. "Depression kind of runs in my family. Supposedly, it goes down through (genetically). But I don't know if that's what I was actually going through.

"The medicine I take is an antidepressant. So (depression) must have something to do with it. That and social anxiety. But I don't think it was a serious case. I mean, I never thought about killing myself.

"It was always, once I got away from baseball, I was fine. So I didn't think about it as (an emotional disorder). I just thought that, at the baseball field, I was unhappy."

That misery reached such depths that Greinke often contemplated quitting baseball while still in the minors. His inability to handle the down time between starts heightened his turmoil and made him yearn to be a hitter or at least a relief pitcher.

"I'd talk to my agent all the time and ask him: 'How can I tell the Royals that I don't want to pitch? That I want to try hitting?,' " said Greinke, who added he knew there was no chance of that happening, which increased his frustration. "I thought that was why I hated baseball. I thought it was because I wanted to hit.

"It would be at least once a month that I'd be crying to myself while I'm going to bed with a bat in my hand, just swinging it. It's stupid. That doesn't happen anymore."

It's better now:

"But as soon as that was over and they sent me down (officially), I was done talking about it. Now, I'm just playing baseball. Now, I'm just going to the field. It was better after that."

Greinke went 4-1 while allowing just 13 earned runs in 48 innings over his last seven starts. That helped Wichita reach the Texas League playoffs, and that success proved a tonic in itself.

He found it hard to believe that he enjoyed baseball so much. He kept wondering if the joy would dissipate. It didn't.

"Usually with me," he said, "a month or even two months before the season is over, I'd be counting days. More than counting days. I'd be begging for it to be over. As soon as the last game was over, I'd be showered and gone.

"Last year, it was like I'd like to stay a little longer."

That's good news. Now, the question is can he make the big league club? Zack reaching his potential would be a huge boost to the Royals.

According to Julian Tavarez, the Red Sox won't see Manny Ramirez until March 1.

Julian Tavarez told MLB.com and WBZ-TV in Boston on Sunday that his good friend Manny Ramirez would miss the start of the Red Sox's spring training because his mother recently had surgery for an undisclosed condition.

"He's been going through a tough time because of his mom; they told her that she had a tumor and it wasn't a tumor, but she had surgery between her ribs and she's home right now recovering and Manny's out there with his mom," Tavarez told MLB.com.

Tavarez told MLB.com that both Ramirez and his mother are both currently in Weston, Fla.

This was the first Terry Francona heard about it, so we'll see if the story is real. However, given that the Red Sox training facility is just two hours from where Manny's mother is recovering, it seems that Manny could make some practices. He has enough money to hire pretty good care for his mom, and a driver to take him back and forth. He might even be able to fly! I appreciate that he wants to be there for his mom, but he can do both.

Update: Looking a map of the area, there are airfields next to both locations.

Dan Johnson suffered from double vision during the 2006 season:

The A's potential everyday first baseman unknowingly played last season with double vision in his right eye, a problem that wasn't diagnosed until about two weeks ago.

That revelation may at least partially explain why Johnson got off to a horrendous start at the plate last season, eventually getting demoted to Triple-A Sacramento after starting the season as Oakland's first baseman.

Johnson thought he merely had blurred vision throughout 2006, and was taking eye drops to remedy the problem.

"It's hard to treat someone who doesn't know what bothers him," Johnson said. "I went to a few doctors last year, four or five, but it's like going to the doctor and telling him my arm hurts, and it's my leg or something."

It goes without saying how important eyesight is to a hitter trying to make contact with 90-plus mph fastballs. Eye doctors recently recommended Johnson see a specialist, and he has been undergoing "eye therapy" over the past two weeks and is now on a different medication to help correct the problem.

"They say that I'm progressing like I'm supposed to," he said. "What they're doing is taking a 10-month program and putting it into about two weeks."

Johnson regaining his batting eye would be a huge boost to the Athletics offense.

My Baseball Bias links to good news on Jon Lester. He's in Florida working out and cleared to resume baseball activities. Nice to see him doing so well.

Nolan Ryan went into the hospital yesterday. Details are very sketchy, but this report in the Dallas Morning News offers the most insight:

Nolan Ryan, 59, checked into Round Rock Medical Center for treatment of recurring symptoms of a pre-existing medical condition, Reid Ryan said. Reid Ryan declined to specify the condition but said it was discovered when his father had double-bypass heart surgery in 2000.

"He takes medication for it," Reid Ryan said. "From time to time, he has episodes that require him to get checked out when he has pain or something. He's feeling good. This is more about taking precautions."

Here's best wishes for a quick recovery.

Bobby Murcer learned that the tumor removed from his brain was malignant. My best wishes on his fight with cancer.

Bobby Murcer is home from the hospital after brain surgery. Here's best wishes for a continuing recovery.

Alex Belth rounds up news about Bobby Murcer and the Randy Johnson trade.

Doctors found a brain tumor in Bobby Murcer. He'll undergo surgery today.

I started watching baseball in 1969. In Bridgeport, we received the Yankees and Mets telecasts. Murcer was one of my early favorites. Here's best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry underwent an angioplasty yesterday.

Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry underwent an angioplasty at an Orlando-area hospital and was recovering Thursday. He closed the deal for left-hander Ted Lilly from the hospital Wednesday night while undergoing a procedure.

"Ted had no idea where (Hendry) was, or anything," said Gary Hughes, a special assistant to Hendry. "It was business as usual."

I don't think he was making the deal while he had a catheter in his heart. Still, it's pretty impressive that a blocked artery can't stop baseball business! Here's wishing Jim a complete recovery. I'm glad we can laugh about this.

The Boston Globe reports Jon Lester's cancer is in remission:

A source with direct knowledge of Jon Lester's medical condition said yesterday that Lester's latest CT scan was clean and his cancer seems to be in remission, so the 22-year-old lefthander expects to be in spring training with the Red Sox in 2007.

Wonderful news.

A reader sends in this story on Jon Lester. There's not much on his condition, but a lot on how he's receiving tons of support from his fans. He sounds like he's in good spirits as he faces his fifth round of chemotherapy, however.

Bill Reiter talks with Buddy Bell about his recovery from throat cancer surgery:

Bell told the doctor he wanted the feeding tube removed. Today. Now. He didn't want his grandkids to see him that way, didn't want them to worry. The doctor told Buddy that patients kept feeding tubes in for weeks, sometimes longer.

The next day, a deal was struck. Get food down your throat, his doctor said, and the tube can come out.

"Eating just didn't work," Bell said. It was painful beyond description. It was like forcing sandpaper over a wound. "So I had to just force it down."

For weeks, Bell ate his way back to normalcy, chewing through the pain along with the pudding and grits that became his diet. But he hadn't willed himself all the way back. He wanted cheeseburgers, too.

"He got a cheeseburger, and it hurt to eat," said Bell's wife, Gloria, shaking her head. "I said, 'Then don't eat it.' "

She paused, still incredulous, and looked over at Buddy as they sat in leather chairs in their den on a crisp weekday morning.

"He said, 'No, I want man food.' "

He's doing well, and will be attending the winter meeting this week. That's good news, and I hope his recovery continues.

The growth removed from Buddy Bell's throat contained cancer.

The biopsy revealed that tissue surrounding the growth, however, was free of cancer cells. The team made the announcement during Kansas City's game at Minnesota.

Bell was examined by Dr. Michael Hinni, at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., as a follow-up to the surgery he had last Friday. Hinni said the procedure was successful.

Bell, who is resting at his home in Chandler, Ariz., and won't manage again this season, will meet with doctors soon to determine any possible further treatment.

Here's wishing Buddy a complete and speedy recovery.

Doctors removed Buddy Bell's tonsils and are awaiting the results of a biopsy:

"We just spoke to Dr. Joyce, who's been in touch with the physician at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale (Ariz.) and the surgery went very well," said Dayton Moore, the Royals general manager.

"Buddy's expected to be released on Sunday and the final result of the biopsy will be Monday or Tuesday."

Again, my best wishes for a speedy recovery and a negative diagnosis.

Buddy Bell is likely out for the rest of the season:

Kansas City Royals manager Buddy Bell is taking a leave of absence to treat a growth discovered near his left tonsil.

The Royals announced the move during the ninth inning of their game against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night, a game Bell managed.

The 55-year-old Bell will seek a second opinion at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona on Thursday at the direction of his doctor, who found the growth during a routine examination Tuesday.

Let's hope whatever the diagnosis Bell makes a speedy recovery.

Peter Gammon's column is back, and he uses it to thank everyone for their support. I think we should all thank the many people who worked together to bring Peter, and so many like him, back to us.

Derrek Lee will not play the rest of the season as he is going to spend time with his wife and ill daughter:

"My daughter's lost some vision in one eye and we'll find out more at a later time; we have to go through some more tests," Lee said in a statement. "Right now we just ask for everyone's prayers. We need a miracle, we need your prayers. We need everyone to believe she's going to be OK."

Jada is the only child for Lee and his wife, Christina. Lee fought back tears as he addressed the media and then spoke to the team in private in the clubhouse.

Here's best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery for Jada.

Doctors diagnosed Glendon Rusch with a blood clot in his lung:

Cubs reliever Glendon Rusch was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung and will miss the rest of the season. A team trainer said the condition was not life-threatening. Rusch was sent to Northwestern Memorial Hospital during Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"He is out of danger," Cubs trainer Mark O'Neal said.

Both my mother and mother-in-law survived these. My mom had a genetic form of emphysema and could barely breathe anyway. We don't know how she pulled through that. My mother-in-law had pneumonia and developed a clot (or the other way around, we're not sure). She vomited after breakfast one morning, called her doctor, and he had her rushed to the hospital. She suffered no ill effects. Let's hope the same is true for Rusch.

David Ortiz walks in his first plate appearance tonight. He's working his way up to running. :-)

David Ortiz can play baseball again:

"The ongoing monitoring of David Ortiz has not identified any further problem," team medical director Dr. Thomas Gill said in a statement.

"As a result, the team of consultants caring for David has met and decided to allow him to return to play today," Gill said. "The Red Sox medical staff will continue to monitor David on a daily basis."

That's good news, although I wonder if they determined what caused the problem in the first place?

The Boston Globe provides more information on Jon Lester's cancer. It sounds similar to Andres Galaragga's condition:

The most recent case of a major league player with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was Andres Galarraga, who was playing for the Atlanta Braves in 1999 and, like Lester, went to doctors to determine the source of persistent back pain. Just as in Lester's case, enlarged lymph nodes were found and he was diagnosed with the cancer. Galarraga underwent five months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation, and recovered sufficiently to resume playing a year later, at age 38. On Opening Day 2000, Galarraga hit a home run.

Let's hope it works out as well for Jon.

Update: And here's the latest on Ortiz:

Ortiz told ESPNdeportes yesterday, ``I have a heart rate monitor connected to my body, and whenever I feel some irregular heartbeat, I'm supposed to press a button to alert doctors. Doctors will remove the instrument on Monday and, after checking the data produced, will decide whether I can start playing immediately, if I have to wait longer, or if I can't play again this season."

Jon Lester does indeed have cancer.

Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Jon Lester has a form of lymphoma and will begin treatment within the week, the team said Friday.

The 22-year-old left-hander was placed on the disabled list Monday with back pain, but tests revealed enlarged lymph nodes. The team said Lester has a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

There's more information on the disease here:

Systemic ALCL can involve lymph nodes and extranodal sites acting aggressively but responds to chemotherapy used to treat other large cell lymphomas. The systemic form is associated with a t(2;5) chromosomal abnormality, leading to the production of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) protein. This so-called "classic" ALCL is most common in children and adolescents.

Meanwhile, Brad Radke's career may be over:

Twins pitcher Brad Radke has a stress fracture in his right shoulder, an injury Minnesota doesn't necessarily think will end his season.

Radke's injury, to the glenoid area of the shoulder joint, is a rare condition and was not detected in previous exams, the Twins said Friday. Dr. Dan Buss recommended that he not throw for two to three weeks.

Radke is going to retire at the end of the season. If the Twins don't make the playoffs, he may not pitch again.

Update: Sorry to not have written this last night, but I hope both players make speedy and full recoveries.

David Ortiz is out of the hospital:

Ortiz, who was allowed to go home last night, according to the source, underwent additional tests, the results of which will not be known until today. "That's very good news," said Dr. D. Michael Farmer, a Mount Auburn Hospital cardiologist, who is not treating the 30-year-old Ortiz. "If he had a negative echocardiogram, then he has a normal heart function. He's got a perfectly normal heart." Four Boston cardiologists interviewed said a negative result on those benchmark tests means the Sox slugger's heart is structurally sound. If the tests showed he had heart disease, the team would have much more reason for concern, they said.

So no word on the cause of the irregular heartbeat, but he's okay? At least they're going to keep looking:

In the short term, Ortiz' condition will likely require him to occasionally wear a monitor after returning to the Red Sox.

If it happens again, they'll get data on the actual event. This is the best news the Sox have received all week.

There's a speculative report in the Boston Herald on the health of Jon Lester.

The tests have prompted serious concern within the organization. Other than citing Lester's ongoing back problems, Sox general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona have declined to address any matters concerning the health of one of their brightest prospects. However, during the team's nine-game road trip that ended today with a 7-2 loss to the Oakland A's, Lester was diagnosed with enlarged lymph nodes, according to sources. Such a symptom can be caused by an array of issues, from infections to cancer.

There are two things fueling this speculation; a quote from Curt Schilling and the fact that Lester is spent time with his family. Now, Schilling likes to shoot off his mouth, and Lester was on the DL in Seattle with his family not to far away. Let's hope the Herald is wrong in this case.

Update and Correction: Here's a report from ESPN on Lester's hospitalization. Also, Lester was not on the DL in Seattle, he didn't go on until Tuesday, but he was hurt at the time.

One thing that I find a bit strange is that David Ortiz was flown across the country to get medical attention. As far as I know, the Bay area has fine hospitals and doctors. I spoke with a cardiologist this morning about this, and it indicated to him that the team may be concerned about a long term problem. In that case, he'd be better off examined by his own doctors who know his history. It could also be that the Red Sox want to force Ortiz to take off a couple of days. If he goes to a local hospital and just gets re-hydrated again, he'll want to play. But by sending him back to Boston, they give him some relief from the pennant race pressure and time to rest.

David Ortiz is headed back to Boston for more tests on his heart.

Big Papi was a late scratch for Boston's game at Oakland at Monday night for what was first thought to be the flu. Ortiz, who on Sunday hit his major league-leading 47th home run at Seattle, already spent time in a Boston hospital earlier this month for the condition.

He said he thought it was caused by fatigue.

"He will get a clean bill of health before he plays again," manager Terry Francona said. "The games are important, but we have a responsibility to do what's right."

Ortiz is a big man. I wonder how much his size is contributing to any problem he's having? Let's wish him well. He has a shot at Maris if he can keep playing.

Update: I guess Mel Antonen wrote this before he heard about Ortiz's problems.

Update: Could this be side effects of ephedra?

Common side effects resulting from the stimulatory effects of ephedra include headache, irritability, restlessness of muscles, nausea, sleeplessness, increased heart rate, urinary disturbances and vomiting. Higher dosages may result in drastic increases in blood pressure and cardiac rhythm disorders.

Ephedra is banned by MLB, but do they actually test for it?

Update: Here's a summary of testing for stimulants. From this, I'd say it's likely they test for ephedra.

David Ortiz finally came forward to speak about his hospitalization:

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said stress and nearly a week of sleeplessness caused dehydration and eventually the irregular heartbeat that landed him in a Boston hospital last weekend.

The major-league leader in home runs said he was "stressed out about everything" -- including the New York Yankees' first three wins of their eventual five-game sweep of the Red Sox last weekend that has turned both teams' seasons. A team doctor advised him to go to Massachusetts General Hospital last Saturday evening.

The hospital re-hydrated Ortiz and he was fine.

There's very good news for Tom Glavine and the Mets today:

An angiogram Monday showed that no invasive procedure is needed. "The test showed that the symptoms are caused by an old injury to an artery probably caused by pitching," the Mets said in a statement Tuesday. "The scar tissue from that old injury occasionally causes blood clots to form in Tom's finger. The condition is not serious and will be treated with baby aspirin and other medication to help his circulation."

A news conference was expected at Shea Stadium before Tuesday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

"I was relieved to hear the news," Glavine said in a statement, "First and foremost to hear that the condition is not serious, but also to hear that I can get back to doing what I love to do relatively quickly."

Glavine was not expected to go on the disabled list, meaning he could be back for the series that starts Sept. 1 at Houston. He will rest for a few days to allow the incision from the angiogram to heal.

It's probably good for Glavine to miss a start so he can rest and be fresh for the playoffs.

Cold finger.
On his hand,
The hand that does throw the pitch.
Oh what a bitch!

Tom Glavine's season could be in trouble:

Tom Glavine's health and his season are in jeopardy, a potentially crushing blow to the pitcher as well as to the Mets' World Series ambitions, the Daily News has learned. Sources said the southpaw has experienced coldness in a finger on his pitching hand, and that the cause of the alarming condition isn't yet known.

The 287-game winner is scheduled for a CT scan tomorrow, while an angiogram is planned for Wednesday.

Let's hope this is nothing serious, but the Mets have potential problems in the post season. New York, especially at home, is a low batting average/high on-base average team. Offenses like that can be stopped by good pitching staffs, ones that don't allow many walks. Teams like the Dodgers, Twins and Tigers could take advantage of that Mets weakness. One way to combat that is with great pitching of their own. But with both Pedro and Glavine iffy, it becomes more difficult to send great pitchers to the mound for more than half your games in a short series.

Via Redleg Nation, Ken Griffey's mon and dad are suffering from cancer:

Birdie is undergoing surgery for colon cancer today in Orlando, Fla.

Griffey is going through one of the more trying periods of his life. He found out about his mother's condition shortly after learning his father, Ken Sr., was suffering from prostate cancer.

"Not one parent but both your parents," he said. "It's been tough."

Griffey has known about his father's cancer for about a week and a half. He found out about his mother's a few days later. Ken Sr., 57, and Birdie are divorced.

Let's hope both make a full recovery.

Deadspin notes that Peter Gammons attended a Cape Cod League game. Let's hope that a signal he'll be back on the air soon.

It sounds like Chan Ho Park was seriously ill:

San Diego Padres right-hander Chan Ho Park is expected to have a transfusion on Thursday to treat intestinal bleeding that led him to lose half his blood volume.

Let's hope he gets better soon and they figure out what caused the bleeding.

This is great news. A friend of mine bumped into Peter Gammons at a hospital today:

He looks great. Lost some weight but otherwise, indistinguishable from his old self.

After the e-mail, I gave the friend a call and he says Peter was walking on his own and they had a short conversation and Gammons sounded like his old self. Let's hope he's back on the air soon.

Peter Gammons is out of the hospital and in rehabilitation. Let's hope he makes it back all the way.

Terry Pluto relays some good news about Peter Gammons and speaks of their friendship:

According to the Boston Globe, ESPN's Peter Gammons is making progress after his scary June 27 brain aneurysm. He has been able to talk -- a great sign -- and is working on being able to walk. The hope is that he can leave the hospital this week and transfer to a rehabilitation center.

Staph infected a second Toronto Blue Jays player:

The Toronto Blue Jays disinfected their clubhouse after being forced to place right-hander Ty Taubenheim on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with an infection in his left foot, the second Toronto player to be placed on the DL because of a staph infection.

Right fielder Alex Rios still hasn't rejoined the club since suffering a staph infection in his lower left leg in late June.

They've disinfected the clubhouse. Let's hope this is it.

The AP gives Peter Gammons' new CD, Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old an excellent review. We also get this word on his health:

"He's making good progress, and everyone's encouraged with how he's doing at this point," Vince Doria, the ESPN news director who was also Gammons' boss at the Boston Globe, said Thursday.

Proceeds from the sale of the CD got to Theo and Paul Epstein's Foundation to be Named Later. Click here to purchase.

Alex Rios is suffering from an infected leg:

Rios fouled a ball off his leg during Tuesday's 6-0 victory over the Washington Nationals. He sat out Wednesday's game as a precaution, but the pain in his leg got worse Thursday, so the team sent him to the hospital.

I assume the foul ball must have broken the skin somehow. It seems an odd way to get an infection. Maybe someone from the medical community would like to comment?

Peter's wife issued a statement today.

"Peter is resting comfortably after surgical repair of a brain aneurysm," his wife, Gloria, said in a statement. "We appreciate all of your good wishes and ask that you keep Peter in your thoughts and prayers. Please understand that we are asking for our privacy at this time as we focus on Peter's recovery."

ESPN set up a page where you can leave get well wishes.

Thanks to Josh for sending me this link:

ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons, 61, is undergoing surgery this afternoon for an aneurysm in his brain.

Gammons was stricken earlier today and was taken to a Boston-area hospital. He is expected to be in intensive care for the next 10 to 12 days.

I was lucky enough to work with Peter for 10 years on Baseball Tonight. Peter's a good friend and a great supporter of this site. The first game I brought my daughter to at Fenway was courtesy Peter, who gave us his seats behind home plate. I hope you all keep him in your thoughts and wish him a very speedy recovery.

Update: Gammons is out of surgery and in intensive care.

Former Umpire Eric Gregg suffered a stroke and is in critical condition:

Eric Gregg, 55, worked as a National League umpire for 23 seasons before losing his job as part of a failed mass-resignation tactic by umpires during a 1999 labor dispute.

Gregg was one of the most recognizable umpires ever. During his time on the field, he was affectionately known as the "Plump Ump" for his hefty size, which was matched by a 100-watt smile and a gregarious personality that made him a favorite of baseball people and ballpark workers throughout the big leagues. He worked the 1989 World Series along with several championship series and All-Star Games.

I didn't realize Casey Kotchman was suffering from mononucleosis. I caught that in my late 20's and it knocked me out for a month. He's upset that the Angels didn't try to get him better medical care in March.

"It's nice to get medicine three months after your diagnosis," he said wryly.

Kotchman, the Angels' starting first baseman, batted .421 in spring training but .152 through May 9, when the team put him on the disabled list. In the interim, he said, he received intravenous fluids three times a week and used a hyperbaric chamber in what he called "individual efforts to help myself, because I wasn't getting it here."

Here's a scary article on a disease that forced Billy Koch out of baseball. The Sci-Fi geek in me says it sounds like people are mutating into spiders.

(Hat Tip, Rachel)

Hayden Penn won't be making his first MLB start of the season. He went under the knife.

Eric Chavez is sick with a bacterial infection, orginally thought to be food poisioning. The A's are in pretty bad shape right now:

"He's our third or fourth hitter who plays every day," manager Ken Macha said. "We had another error at third, which led to a couple of runs. We missed the guy. I saw him in there (trainer's room) sleeping. I don't know if he'll play tomorrow."

That's a question Macha might ask of a lot of his players. The team, already short-handed with Chavez's absence and catcher Jason Kendall's suspension, which has one game remaining, may have lost designated hitter Frank Thomas for the time being to a right quadriceps injury.

The A's aren't in a position to call up a player, though that could change, but outfielder Milton Bradley said he's willing to be activated from the disabled list. Bradley hasn't played since leaving an April 25 game in Texas with a left knee problem. His left oblique muscle is still an issue, which has kept him from taking batting practice left-handed this week.

Todd Helton's diagnosis came down today:

Allen Schreiber, the team internist, confirmed today that Helton's stomach discomfort is a result of acute terminal (end of small intestine) iletis. Schreiber said Helton will require more rest before beginning light exercises. No date has been set for his return to the team's active roster. Helton was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Thursday and is not eligible to be placed on the active roster until May 5.

I wasn't sure what that was, so here's a paper with the causes:

Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter and Salmonella are the most common causes of acute inflammation that specifically localizes to the ileocecal part of the intestine. In these cases, the dominant symptom is pain in the lower right quadrant, while the diarrhea is often mild or absent.

Meanwhile, Scott Rolen is out with bronchitis.

Wright Thompson details what's been bothering Zack Greinke. While no one offers a diagnosis, his problems go much deeper than earlier reports indicated. It's actually quite sad. His problems started at an early age:

From an early age, Greinke didn’t know what to do with empty spaces. Even during Little League, he hated to arrive at the ballpark a half-hour before games. He never seemed to know what to do or say.

“I knew there was something wrong with me,” he says, “but I never thought about going to see anyone to talk about it.”

He gravitated toward solitary pursuits. Even today, he loves golf, fishing and mountain climbing. High above Phoenix, where he likes to trek, he can look down on everyone else, happy up near the clouds.

And it all came to a head this spring:

He had a successful 2004 season but faltered a bit in 2005. By the time he got to spring training earlier this year and couldn’t throw a bullpen session, he’d come to a crossroads. He couldn’t fake fitting in any longer. Things he’d once adored meant little.

“I really like when the sun is setting,” he says. “I was here in Arizona, and it was one of the prettiest days out and the sun was setting, and I was like, ‘I don’t care; I don’t even want to look at it right now. It doesn’t do anything for me.’ That was one moment where I was like: What’s wrong with me?”

He left camp, and as the plane took off for home, a weight lifted off his shoulders. He felt free, for the first time in ages. But soon, he realized that his problems existed inside himself, not in any clubhouse.

Now, two days into his comeback, sitting in a conference room in Surprise, he touches his pitching arm.

“I wouldn’t give up this thing for anything,” he says. “I love it. But also, the problem I have isn’t going to bother me just if I play baseball. It’s gonna bother me no matter what I’m doing. That’s one thing I realized when I left and started talking to some people. I realized that it’s not just at the baseball field that it’s like this.

“Whatever I do in life, it’s gonna bother me.”

Let's hope he continues to make progress.

There's good news for Cliff Floyd. His kidney function is better than first thought:

Further tests revealed Floyd's kidneys were functioning at 48% of capacity - which is significantly above the level that normally requires dialysis (15%-to-20%). But Floyd said a more intricate ultrasound test administered by Roche revealed his kidneys actually were at 65%, and added that he won't have to take any medication other than "a small dose of medicine to keep my blood pressure down."

What's all this about Nora Ephron in Cliff Floyd's kidneys? She can't fit in there! And it can't smell too good.

Emily, that normal nephrons, not Nora Ephron.

Oh that's very differnt. Never mind.

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I just saw this news about Doug Brocail. It seems he was very close to a heart attack, but the doctors found the blockage and opened up the artery:

The 38-year-old Brocail, who last pitched Wednesday, had complained of chest tightness that radiated into both arms. He already was being treated for an abscessed tooth and asthma.

Dr. Harry Albers ordered a stress test, which came back abnormal.

"We found a large abnormality on the front wall of the heart, a blockage," Albers said. "He wasn't getting significant blood to the heart under stress."

Here's wishing him a speedy recovery.

While we're on the subject of kidneys, Cliff Floyd is being checked for trouble in his pool shaped organs:

Floyd has a family history of kidney problems, which triggered concern among Mets doctors.

"Everyone needs to know I'm OK," Floyd said Thursday, one day after missing practice to have tests. "I'm still going out there and playing. No one needs to worry now. The tests were in response to small things."

The results of an ultrasound conducted by a nephrologist to gauge kidney function won't be known until Wednesday, Floyd said. Floyd's father had kidney failure and needed a transplant.

Let's hope the tests prove negative.

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Kip Wells underwent surgery yesterday, and is expected back after the all-star break:

General manager Dave Littlefield said Tuesday that Wells will spend two or three days in St. Louis to rest and return home to Houston for an unspecified stay. In four to six weeks, Wells can begin rehabilitation to strengthen his arm.

The All-Star break is July 10-12, meaning Wells will miss half the season or less.

"Considering all things, I think it is a good result," Littlefield said.

Given how Kirby Puckett's circulatory system betrayed him, a healthy Kip Wells is a very good result.

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A hospital spokesperson says that Kirby is on life support in intensive care.

According to this AP report, Kirby Puckett is in crtical condition. However, this does not come from a medical official:

A nursing supervisor at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, who declined to give her full name, said early Monday the 44-year-old Puckett was in critical condition. She did not provide additional details.

So our best guess is that Kirby's in bad shape, but we don't know how bad. You can be critical and still have good odds for recovery. Let's hope that's the scenario Puckett is facing.

Kirby Puckett suffered a stroke today:

Hall of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett has suffered a stroke and is undergoing surgery, the Minnesota Twins announced Sunday.

The Twins said Puckett, a longtime star center fielder for the team, suffered the stroke Sunday morning at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was transported to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital, then airlifted to Scottsdale Osborne Hospital, where he is undergoing Neo Surgery.

I wish him a complete recovery. Kirby was a favorite of mine while I was playing, although his revelations about his life since his retirement damaged his reputation.

Reds pitching coach Vern Ruhle has cancer:

The first road trip of the spring is off to a somber start. We were informed that pitching coach Vern Ruhle is about to start treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer. The good news is it was caught early. In fact, it was discoved in a blood test during the precamp physical.

...

Ruhle plans to continue on the job as his treatment allows. The thoughts and prayers of anyone connected with the Reds are with him.

Let's hope Vern recovers quickly.

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There's much more information on Kip Wells' blood clot in the Tribune-Review:

Littlefield described Wells' condition as "definitely serious."

The axillary artery is a large blood vessel that conveys oxygenated blood to the lateral aspect of the thorax, axilla and upper limb. Its origin is at the lateral margin of the first rib. (One of Thompson's two surgeries on Cook was to remove the pitcher's top right rib. The other was to re-route a vein in his right wrist.)

Basically, Littlefield explained, the axillary artery supplies blood to the upper extremities. If, as in the case of Wells, it is completely clogged, that might explain why he was feeling symptoms of fatigue.

Let's hope for a complete recovery.

Pirates pitcher Kip Wells is suffering from a blood clot under his clavicle near his right arm. It sounds very similar to what drove Oil Can Boyd out of the majors.

Dave Wallace's condition does not sound good:

Wallace's condition, according to Red Sox ace Curt Schilling, had deteriorated last week to the point that ''he literally almost died."

The procedure, according to a team source, was ''a necessary part of the process of clearing the infection. They think he will be OK in time, but . . . all infections are serious."

''The hip replacement," the team source added, ''will mean that he's out for several months at a minimum, probably longer. It's a serious matter and requires attention."

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Mr. Wallace.

The batting coach of the Texas Rangers has prostate cancer. Here's to Rudy Jaramillo having successful surgery and getting well soon.

Deadspin notices that Dr. James Andrews suffered a heart attack over the weekend (hat tip John Ptacek). Here's wishing the surgeon a speedy recovery.

Tim Worrell goes on the DL with psychological problems. If he goes totally batty, maybe they can convert him to an outfielder. :-) Of course, it could just be he can't deal with a 9.82 ERA.

Correction: It was Tim, not Todd Worrell.

Update: Some people thought this post was in poor taste. I agree. After I published it, I thought, "That wasn't nice of me to do." When I read the article I flashed back to an old Bugs Bunny cartoon in which Bugs holds up a sign with pictures of a screw and a ball on it, and I thought I could do something humorous. My apologies.

Elrod Hendricks is back coaching the Orioles after suffering from a stroke. He really missed the game:

"I missed it enough where I don't know what it's going to be like in retirement, but I know that I am not going to like it. I watched the games every night. I was like an addict. At a quarter to 7, I'd check my watch to see what time it was, and then at 7 o'clock, I'd turn on the TV and concentrate on the game. I got into the game as if I was coaching."

It's good to see him recover so quickly.

Terry Francona has been released from the hospital. It seems his illness was caused by a virus. That's good news.

Terry Francona appears to be doing better. Best wishes that he can recover quickly enough to be at Fenway on Monday for the home opener.

According the story in the Globe, Terry Francona did not have a heart attack. However, he's being transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital for further observation.

Francona told members of his coaching staff last night that he would undergo further exams and a "procedure." Bench coach Brad Mills, who managed the Sox in Francona's absence yesterday, said last night he had been told there was a chance he'd be called upon to manage the club in Toronto as well. The Red Sox, who are off today, play the Blue Jays tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday.

"He keeps telling me he's going to be OK," said Mills, who spoke with Francona after the game. "But you don't get prodded and poked and tested as much as he was today without some concern. He's probably concerned a little bit, but he's confident things will wind up OK."

Once again, let's keep Francona in our thoughts.

Terry Francona is in the hospital for tests after suffering "chest stiffness."

Epstein said he was taken to Cornell Medical Center in New York for what he called “precautionary testing.” He also said he didn’t think Francona would return for today’s 1 p.m. game against the Yankees.

You never know how serious these episodes are. It's good they got him to the hospital right away. With luck, it will be a bad case of acid reflux. Let's keep Terry in our thoughts today.

Update: It looks like the Globe is updating the link above, so click back there for more information.

Update: Nothing new on Francona at the start of the NESN broadcast. He's in the hospital undergoing tests.

Reggie Sanders is going to be sidelined due to an appendectomy for a while. Is this the Wally Pipp moment for Rick Ankiel? Probably not:

With Sanders sidelined, the club probably will give his at-bats to So Taguchi, John Mabry and Cedeno. Mabry has received increased time after making only six plate appearances in the Cardinals' first eight games in part because of an elbow sprain suffered March 5.

Besides, if it was a simple laproscopic procedure (four tiny holes in your abdomen) Sanders should be back pretty quickly.

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Jason Giambi has been diagnosed with a benign tumor. The type, location and treatment of the tumor have not been noted. It doesn't sound too serious, but we simply don't know all the facts. Regardless, this type of disease is still scary, and I wish him the best.

Jason Giambi is undergoing more tests today to try to figure out what ails him. The latest theory doesn't sound pleasant.

Giambi is being tested for a parasite called entamoeba histolytica, Alejo said, which can cause a potentially fatal condition called amebiasis. The parasite can be transmitted through water and food, among other ways, and it can embed itself in the intestinal lining, making it undetectable except by very specific tests, according to the Star Ledger's report.

Here's some details on the disease; it doesn't seem to be that fatal. Whatever he has, let's wish Giambi a speedy and full recovery.

Jason Giambi has a parasitic infection. I'm waiting for someone to tell me that it's a sure sign of steroid use. :-)

Andres Galarraga's cancer has returned. He's still hoping to return to a team and hit the two HR he needs for 400. I just hope he continues to recover.

It sounds like Marge Schott is not long for this world.

There are a lot of strong opinions about Marge, and you can see a discussion here at Baseball Primer that dates to her entry into the hospital. I always find it interesting that the worst of people often get praised on their deaths. It will be interesting to see how the media, which did plenty to help bring her down, responds when she passes.

Update: Marge Schott has passed away.

Bernie Williams is having an appendectomy. Torre doubts he'll be back in time for opening day. I actually find this a bit surprising, since appendectomies are pretty non-invasive these days. However, the person most likely to benefit from this is Travis Lee. I would think with Bernie out of the picture, the Yankees will use Giambi at DH and Lee at first.

Update: In related news, the Yankees have released Aaron Boone.

ESPN is reporting that Bonds will be taken to the hospital and kept over night to monitor his irregular heartbeat.

As you probably know, Barry Bonds was removed from yesterday's game after hitting the go-ahead home run due to an accelerated heart beat. He's not in today's game for the same reason. No one seems to be too concerned about it now, but hearts are tricky things. I hope it's just stress over his father's death, and not something more serious. However, I will remind you of this post, saying we would not see the end of Bonds career coming.

Giants shortstop Rich Aurilia underwent an emergency appendectomy yesterday and will be on the DL for three weeks. That surprises me a bit. I thought laparoscopic procedures were pretty non-invasive and you healed pretty quickly. I guess the strain of athletic competition is too much for that.

He'll likely be replaced by Neifi Perez. I thought that would be a down grade, but Aurilia hasn't been setting the league on fire:

2003	Aurilia	Perez
Games	97	83
Batting Avg.	.269	.246
Games	.319	.295
Games	.402	.350

The Bloviator has posted on the upcoming centennial of Lou Gehrig's birth, with links to stories about ceremonies this Thursday to mark the occasion and links to ways you can help in the fight to cure ALS.

Note: As I write this, the permalink doesn't work, so click on The Bloviator above and scroll to the Lou Gehrig post.

Curt Schilling had an emergency appendectomy today. Looks like they caught it before it burst. He's only expected to miss one start.

One of the great things I've seen in my lifetime is surgery become less invasive. Thirty years ago they would have opened up his abdomen to remove the appendix. Today, they make four little holes, and in a few days you're back on your feet in no time. Let's all hope Schilling has a quick recovery.

Don Baylor has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow, according to this AP article on ESPN.com. It looks like he will undergo chemotherapy and stem cell replacement. This type of cancer is very tough, so let's hope for the best for the former MVP.

By coincidence, I will be participating in a charity bike ride on May 18, 2003 to raise money for the Center of Hope, a non-profit organization that helps people deal with cancer. If you would like to sponsor me in any amount, use the PayPal button on the right to make a donation, and indicate that it is for the Center for Hope. I will match any donation made. Thanks in advance.