Rockies report: Surgeon consulted for Helton's back

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 15, 2008 at 6:11 p.m.

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David Zalubowski © AP

Rockies first baseman Todd Helton hasn't played since July 2 with a back injury. Helton has received three epidurals, but is still no where near returning. The Rockies have now contacted Dr. Robert Watkins, a renowned spine surgeon, to see if he can determine the best course of action.

Trainer Keith Dugger said medical reports on Todd Helton's back were sent Thursday to Dr. Robert Watkins, a renowned spine surgeon whose office is in the Los Angeles area. The information sent to Watkins includes a magnetic resonance imaging exam, Dugger said, reports from the three epidurals Helton received and from his previous back injuries.

Helton, who hasn't played since July 2, had a setback when he took some swings recently and isn't close to returning.

"Baseball activity is really the furthest thing from my mind," Dugger said. "It's just getting him pain free. He's a little better every day. As we keep him down with real light activities, he gets consistently better. We haven't allowed him to do any activity to have it flare up."

CENTER STAGE

Seth Smith made his first career start in center field. Manager Clint Hurdle said Smith, who played two innings in center on July 31 at Florida, began taking flyballs regularly at the position about three weeks ago.

"This is the longest drought I've ever had my best pinch hitter have without getting a start," said Hurdle, referring to Smith not having started since he began his second tour this season with the Rockies on July 5.

With left-handers starting tonight and Sunday for the Nationals, Hurdle said Willy Taveras will be in the lineup, and starting the left-handed hitting Smith on Friday "was an opportunity I didn't want to pass up any longer."

PAINFUL END

Second baseman Jayson Nix was hit in the left eye with a ball while attempting to bunt in the 11th inning for Team USA, which lost 5-4 to Cuba in the Olympics.

In a statement, Dr. William Kuprevich, chief medical officer of the U.S. Olympic team, said Nix "sustained a laceration to the left upper eyebrow. . . . He will not return to play during the Games."

Nix was at Triple-A Colorado Springs when the Rockies took him off their 40-man roster so he could play in the Olympics.

Etc.

Willy Taveras, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh, set a franchise record with two stolen bases, giving him 55 for the season and breaking the record of 53 set by Eric Young in 1996. . . . Torrealba ran and was "significantly better," Dugger said. Manager Hurdle said he hopes to start catcher Yorvit Torrealba tonight. Outfielder Cory Sullivan remains with the Rockies but isn't on the roster. He was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs before Thursday's game, when Torrealba was scratched and catcher Adam Melhuse was promoted from the Sky Sox. Torrealba was diagnosed with a small meniscus tear in his left knee and received a cortisone injection, which he hopes will enable him to postpone surgery until after the season. . . . Outfielder Scott Podsednik is scheduled to take live batting practice today for the first time since he broke his left pinkie July 27. Dugger said Podsednik might go out on a rehabilitation assignment after the series with the Nationals ends Sunday. . . . Outfielder Ryan Spilborghs, who hasn't played since he strained his left oblique July 8, took swings in the indoor batting cage and is scheduled to take live batting practice today or Sunday for the first time since he was injured. Dugger said Spilborghs will travel with the team to Los Angeles and the goal is to have him go on a rehabilitation assignment by the time the series with the Dodgers ends Thursday. . . . Aaron Cook will start the series finale Sunday at Washington. He was scratched from a start Thursday at Coors Field against Arizona because back stiffness. Having Cook face the Nationals means Ubaldo Jimenez and Jeff Francis will move back a game and make the first two starts of the series at Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Right fielder Brad Hawpe picked up his seventh assist of the season and 40th of his career when he threw out Ronnie Belliard, who was trying to stretch a run-scoring single into a double in the first inning.

• August 16, 2008

  12:12 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  1somelikeithot writes:

  Hope Todd can get his back problems fixed enough to resume playing. It's just not the same without him on that field. Miss you Spilly, speedy recovery and hope to see you soon. Good game last night.

• August 18, 2008

  2:48 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  ShaneFalco writes:

  Todd Helton should be referred to the book Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection, by Dr. John Sarno. It's a short book that speaks about the concept of one's mind creating and perpetuating pain in areas such as the lower back, neck, and shoulder. It has healed numerous people (myself, a former college athlete included), and I firmly believe that a few other professional baseball players (Eric Chavez, Bobby Crosby, to name a few) would benefit from taking a different, non-physical stance on the causes of their back pain.
  All I simply hope for is to help just one other person heal themselves of lower back pain through Dr. Sarno's method. Hope maybe this will reach someone with a similar stance.
  (Side note: Todd Helton is also a favorite baseball player of mine)

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