Hanley Ramirez went under the knife yesterday to repair his left shoulder.
Hanley Ramirez underwent an "open" surgical repair of his injured left shoulder Thursday. But even though the healing period typically ranges from four to eight months, the Marlins expect him to be ready for Opening Day next season.
Ramirez underwent an arthroscopic procedure on the same shoulder after the 2007 season. But Dr. James Andrews, the orthopedist who performed Thursday’s repair on Ramirez, opted for the more invasive procedure this time.
Hopefully this time the surgery will fix the problem once and for all. Seeing how Dr. Andrews decided that Hanley's condition was bad enough to lay his shoulder open, I have a lot of doubts as to whether he will be ready by Opening Day. Sure, it could happen but only if the Marlins are careful with him, as they should be, however, it probably won't. My guess is that by Opening Day he will be in Jupiter trying to regain his timing while building strength.
What I fear the most is that the Marlins Front Office will have him in the starting lineup before he is ready, just to trot him out there for Opening Day for show. These things take time to heal and regain strength and just putting on a show is the worse thing they can do for Hanley and the team in general. If Hanley doesn't start the season with the Marlins it isn't the worse thing to happen. The key is to get him back when he is really ready, even if that means he misses the very early part of the season.
Maybe he will heal fast and all my concerns will be abated. That said, I really don't trust the club to do the right thing, if he doesn't. But maybe I'm wrong on this account and they actually care about an investment. The player himself probably means nothing.