One source, although not offering direct confirmation of Carroll's report, acknowledged some degree of accuracy. Another source, however, said neither the Red Sox medical staff nor an outside entity have administered an MRI to Ramírez and have not indicated they intend to do so. Without an MRI, the source said, the Sox would only be guessing there is a tear.
The medial meniscus is toward the inside of the knee joint and refers to a thickened, crescent-shaped cartilage that rests between the thigh bone and shin bone, acting as a shock absorber. The injury is fairly common in baseball and depending on the severity, many players continue playing. Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon played all of last season with a meniscus tear before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. Barry Bonds continues to have trouble with his knees after multiple surgeries to repair the meniscus.
Carroll has a solid reputation in the industry for his reports on player injuries in the big leagues. The Red Sox have consistently maintained that Ramírez bowed out of the All-Star Game to rest his right knee, and last Friday, when MLB announced Ramírez's withdrawal, a statement attributed to Ramírez was released by the player's agent, Greg Genske, saying Ramírez has been playing ``most of the season" with soreness in his knee.
``You know Manny has been having a problem with his knee," said David Ortiz, one of three Red Sox All-Stars here, when asked if he was disappointed Ramírez had elected not to come. ``Manny's not a baby anymore [Ramírez turned 34 May 30]. So he needs time off. I think three days will be good for him to shut it down, especially after those long games in Chicago."
