Ryan Howard Injury: Why Torn Achillies Will Doom 2012 Season

Ryan Howard‘s injury on the final play of the NLDS Game 5 against the St. Louis Cardinals could jeopardize his 2012 season.  While Howard will play next year, he will not be at the same level as he usually is.

Friday night’s Game 5 could not have gone much worse for the Philadelphia Phillies.  As Chris Carpenter completed his shutout for the St. Louis Cardinals to eliminate the Phillies, Howard injured himself running to first base on the last play.

The city of Philadelphia has experienced a lot of pain in the past month and a half, with the Eagles going 1-3, and the Phillies being eliminated. However, the fans may experience even more pain in 2012 if Howard’s injury is as serious as most expect.

The general consensus is that Howard tore his left Achilles tendon, but we will have to wait for the MRI later today to be sure.  If it is a torn Achilles, then Howard will need surgery.

The typical post-surgery process of rehab for a torn Achilles is a difficult one, including wearing a cast for up to two months and then undergoing rehab that would take him into Spring Training.

The 31-year-old Howard has had a series of injuries over the past few years, including an injured left ankle that had been bothering him until the Achilles tore last night.  I’m not saying that the two are necessarily related, but it would be a huge coincidence if they weren’t.

Howard has seen a decline in numbers over the last few seasons, especially since 2006, when he won the MVP.  His batting average has dropped over 60 points in the last five seasons, and his home run total has been cut almost in half.

As if finishing the NLDS 0-for-15 wasn’t bad enough for Howard, he is seriously injured and will most likely have a poor start to the 2012 season. He usually struggles in the beginning of the season if he does not begin Spring Training earlier than his teammates, and starting later will lead to a devastating month of April.

After that, it will be difficult for Howard to work his way back into his old form, and that’s if he doesn’t aggravate this injury once more.

No longer a young player, Howard is not the feared hitter he once was, and now that he may miss most of Spring Training, his 2012 season could be a disappointing one.

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