Andre Ethier Set for Season Ending Surgery
By Editorial Staff
Andre Ethier will undergo arthroscopic surgery tomorrow to repair his bothersome right knee. The procedure was decided upon after Ethier received a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews this weekend.
The Dodgers shut down Ethier for the season last week. They wanted to give Ethier some additional time to recover from his injury, as surgery seemed to be on the horizon.
These beliefs were confirmed, as Dr. Andrews stated the procedure would be the best option for Ethier. The operation will be performed by team doctor Neal ElAttrache, who will be cleaning up the loose bodies that are sitting behind Ethier’s kneecap.
Doctors believe that the cleanup will help alleviate the pain Ethier has been experiencing and hopefully allow the slugger to regain his power.
Ethier has dealt with discomfort in his right knee for the past two seasons and the injury has obviously impacted his numbers.
In 2009, Ethier hit 31 home runs and tallied a slugging percentage of .508. Last year he went yard 23 times and, before being shut down by the Dodgers, Ethier only managed 11 dingers in 2011.
While his batting average and on base percentage are on par with his career numbers, Ethier’s slugging percentage has fallen well below the mark (career .479 compared to .421 in 2011).
After Wednesday’s surgery, Ethier will remain in LA for a week before returning home to get a jump on his rehab. The Dodgers expect Ethier to be ready to go for Spring Training.
For more on the Dodgers, be sure to check out Lasorda’s Lair.