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Wednesday, May 19, 2004Anderson diagnosed with form of arthritisGarret Anderson's mystery back ailment has been diagnosed as "Early Undifferentiated Arthritis." It is apparently a catch-all category of arthritides that do not fit into other groups (ie. rheumatoid or reactive). It is usually seen prior to a patient developing another form of arthritis. Not a good sign.
Now, I'm obviously not a doctor, so I can't predict how this will turn out. I can't even tell you if the prognosis is good, bad, or indifferent. The research I have done (all ten minutes of it) doesn't sound to promising. It seems as though GA's on the fast track to rheumatoid arthritis, which is a career killer. I guess it's good news that he's been diagnosed, but unfortunately there is really no effective treatment for this type of arthritis. In fact, very little seems to be known about it at all. So it looks like we're back to square one. The Angels are saying that he will begin light workouts in a week, so that's promising. There is still no timetable for his return however. UPDATE: ESPN is reporting that GA has arthritis in his "upper back, neck and shoulders." Also, Mike Scioscia seems confident that GA will return this season. When asked by reporters if he expects Anderson back, he replied "absolutely." I'm not holding my breath. Even if he does return this season, the real problem is in the years ahead. This is going to become a chronic condition. Remember- we just gave GA a four-year, $48 million extension. If there were questions before about how effective he could be in the coming years, they are magnified now. It's Albert Belle all over again. |
