As speculated last night based on his reaction to the injury, Joel Zumaya is out for the season. He had an MRI today that revealed what exactly went wrong during a pitch in the eighth inning of Monday's Twins game. Here is what his injury is, according to the Tigers' Twitter page:
Zumaya has a non-displaced fracture of olecranon (tip of elbow) and he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
So, what exactly is an olecranon fracture? Here is a quick description from About.com:
What is an olecranon fracture?
An olecranon fracture is an injury to the most prominent bone of the elbow. People may call the olecranon the 'funny bone.' The bone is actually the end of the ulna, one of the two forearm bones, and it is the attachment of the powerful triceps muscle of the arm. The triceps is the muscle that straightens the elbow, and olecranon fractures can impair a patient's ability to straighten the elbow joint.How does an olecranon fracture occur?
Olecranon fractures can occur by either falling directly on the elbow, or by the triceps muscle pulling off a fragment of bone from the elbow. Stress fractures are also a possible mechanism of injury to the ulna, commonly seen in athletes such as baseball pitchers.
I'm sure we will learn more about what Zumaya's timetable is to recover from this injury and all that later, so look for continuing updates on SB Nation Detroit as this story develops.
Loading comments...