Detroit Tigers’ first baseman Miguel Cabrera has ended his 2018 season early due to a biceps tendon rupture.
Miguel is known for playing through pain. But after taking a swing and missing, he dropped the bat immediately and walked over to the dugout.
Cabrera is a strong, tough player but injuries like this one can definitely happen after years of wear and tear.
Now most of you know the biceps muscle is on the front of your upper arm. We have tendons that attach the muscle to our shoulder and elbow bones.
Now the tendons are made of pretty tough tissue, but a rupture can happen in either of two places.
The most common is a complete tear of the main tendon that attaches to the top of the shoulder. Often when this happens, people will hear or feel a pop.
Now ruptures can happen for different reasons like forced flexion of the arm, lifting 150 pounds or more, or the tendons weakening over time as you age. But in Miguel’s case, it could be due to constant overuse which can fray tendons, or possibly he moved or twisted his shoulder in an awkward way.
I feel for him as this injury will certainly delay his goal of achieving 3,000 hits.
First of all, tendon ruptures don’t always require surgery. There are lots of people who tear tendons and can still function normally without having surgery.
But there are cases where a tendon rupture can cause serious pain and lead to permanent disability.
Surgery is also the main treatment choice for those who need arm strength or are concerned with the cosmetic look of their biceps.
As for Miguel, I’m sure the doctors will know more about his prognosis once they perform the surgery later this week.
For most patients, they’re almost back to normal in about 12 weeks and can do typical engage in forceful activity after three or four months following surgery and physical therapy
