+2
It's pretty much gross.
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen drew broke his ankle sliding into home plate on July 20 and missed the rest of the 2011 season. He has been the starting shortstop for the diamondbacks since 2007 and has a .270 batting average and has scored 376 runs. Opening day for the Diamondbacks is Friday, April 6 when they host the Giants for the first game of a three-game series. Even though at that point, Drew's injury will have been suffered almost nine months earlier, he isn't sure if he'll be ready for opening day.
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Arizona DiamondbacksStephen Drew meets with the media and says he's "optimistic" but doesn't know yet if he'll be ready for Opening Day http://t.co/L7XKmUBc
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If Drew isn't ready to go, Willie Bloomquist will likely take his place at shortstop until he's ready to get back out on the field. Nothing is set in stone, though. There's still plenty of time left before teams take the field for the first time in the regular season.
For more on the Diamondbacks, check out AZ Snake Pit.
Stephen Drew is one cool customer. You never quite know how you're going to react when faced with a situation like your ankle pointing 180 degrees in the wrong direction, and let's hope you never have to find out. Drew handled it with about as much composure as you could possible expect from a situation like that.
When you watch the video (we don't recommend it, but have posted it below) you will see Drew immediately reach down and grab his foot which is pointed the wrong way and reset the break. The doctor apparently was even impressed with the job he did.
According to Drew, he was just trying to spare the fans an even more horrific scene.
"I don't know if the fans would have wanted to see what really happened if I got up that way...I don't want to come out of the game and my foot be a 180. It was just one of those things where reaction took over and I set it back in place."
We'll go ahead and assume the normally quiet and laid back Stephen Drew is tougher than you (and me).
Was it painful?
"At the time, I mean I felt it, I felt it, but with the adrenaline your body kind of takes over. It wasn't as painful as it could have been without the adrenaline."
Stephen has a hard cast on his foot now and is enjoying watching his team battle for the NL West pennant. Of course, he's frustrated the injury is keeping him on the sidelines.
He reports no pain now and it seems to be doing as well as can be expected three weeks on from the injury. The plan is to be ready for next season.
If you are so inclined, the video of the play and some still pictures are after the jump. Consider yourself warned.
Stephen Drew Recovery Could Be Diamondbacks X-Factor
by Jess Root
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew did not have a great year at the plate in 2011. He was only hitting .252 and did not provide the power that he typically has done on the past. His defense, though, was superb. When he went down for the season with a broken ankle, the team surprisingly took off as Willie Bloomquist provided a little more at the plate. No one, though, thought that without Drew's glove in the middle of the infield the team would be able to win the division.
He is not quite sure if he will be ready on Opening Day, as not only is he recovering from the ankle injury, but he also had surgery for a sports hernia in the offseason. However, while some might believe that with the team's late success, that the team is better without him, don't believe that for a minute.
There is reason to be optimistic if Drew is healthy.
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Feb 12 1:00p