Scary stuff. Here’s to a speedy and full recovery.
A couple of days ago we learned that right handed pitcher Tristan Beck had returned to San Francisco following “right hand discomfort” and today Bob Melvin announced that the San Francisco Giants rotation hopeful will see a vascular surgeon after being diagnosed with an aneurysm in “his upper arm.” That puts pushes his return into the range of unknown.
While a blow for the Giants’ experimental rotation, let’s stay on the person and acknowledge that intense diagnosis. Aneurysms are a ballooned or weakened artery which can be caused by changes to blood pressure. A family history of stroke or heart disease can contribute along with diet and smoking. That’s all the generic stuff you can see after a cursory glance. We don’t know the specifics of Tristan Beck’s situation, of course, so there’s no point speculating.
Susan Slusser just posted an interview she had this morning with David Cone who went through a nearly identical situation back in 1996. It’s a good piece. Go check it out. In his day, the fix involved a vein graft from the thigh to the arm, but today’s medical technology has artificial blood vessels that can be used.
That could be a good thing from a baseball standpoint, as Cone’s recovery then was in the range of four months. Makes sense when you consider both an arm and a leg had to heal. The artificial vessel could shrink that recovery window.
Still, important to keep sight of the important issue. It’s not the Giants’ rotation, it’s Beck’s health. Heart attack or a brain clot risk increases if left untreated and those are absolutely worst case scenarios. Cone tells Slusser there are some reasons to be less scared about an aneurysm in the arm, and Slusser does relay the idea that it’s actually a type of repetitive stress injury for pitchers.
That’s not an idea I’ve ever heard before — but wow, okay. Well, I certainly need to give pitchers more grace when it comes to their need to control the situation.
While wait to hear more, Brady posted in this morning’s BP a great Mic’d Up of him, so check that out. In the meantime, get well soon, Tristan.