Injured baseball player has been benched by an elbow injury before he even had the opportunity to pitch in a game for the season. The elbow injury was an ongoing problem for Madson who had elbow irritation issues when working with the Phillies. The team’s medical director did not consider the injury to be serious.
Madson had been making progress as a pitcher and had signed a contract for one year with the Red’s that was worth $8.5 million with $6 million being paid for this upcoming season. Madson has passed a recent physical successfully before the contract was made official. The Cincinnatti Reds did not take out any insurance on the contract due to the club’s policy for not insuring one year contracts. The Red’s acquisition of Madson was considered to be a ‘prized’ one in hopes of reaching the 2012 playoffs.
Madson was said to be disappointed and ‘feels terrible’ about the situation. The Reds team also held closed-door meetings where other players were encouraged to stay positive and were assured that a solution would come.
Madson was diagnosed with a torn ligament that will need reconstructive surgery to repair. The 31-year old had previously spent a 9 year career in Philadelphia with the Phillies before moving to the Red’s.
