FORT MYERS, Fla., 12:03 p.m. EST March 28, 2001 -- Nomar Garciaparra said Tuesday the likelihood of surgery on his right wrist is "extremely high," a move that could sideline the All-Star shortstop for up to four months.
Garciaparra will meet with Boston Red Sox officials and the team doctor Tuesday or Wednesday.
"It seems like we've kind of exhausted a lot of our options right now," Garciaparra said.
Garciaparra's comments came a day after he got a second opinion from an expert on wrist injuries. He said that he is still hoping to avoid surgery.
"Hopefully within a few days, hopefully it'll calm down a little bit," Garciaparra said. "I'm still doing some exercises with it, and if that doesn't (work), then we'll have to pursue some of the other options."
Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette has said that Garciaparra could be out 2 1/2 to four months if he has an operation.
Dr. Frank McCue said that surgery is the best option to relieve the considerable pain limiting the winner of the last two AL batting titles.
"He was able to tolerate it, and he is a very tough-minded individual to tolerate it. I think he has reached a stage where he can't tolerate it anymore," McCue, a hand specialist at the University of Virginia, told The Associated Press on Monday.
"Swinging the bat is one of the hardest things on the wrist," McCue said.
Asked if Garciaparra needed surgery, McCue said, "I think he probably does."
The absence of Garciaparra would be devastating.
"I don't even want to talk about it," pitching ace Pedro Martinez said last week.
Garciaparra has what was diagnosed as a split in the tendon that runs from his fingers to his right wrist. He originally was injured late in the 1999 season, when he was hit by a pitch from Baltimore's Al Reyes.
He played with the injury last season and won his second straight batting crown. But he was sidelined when the wrist bothered him early in training camp.
McCue said Garciaparra could continue to play with the injury if he received cortisone injections every day.
"I would say that would not be the best thing to do," McCue said.
Should Garciaparra choose surgery, McCue said, it would be at least three weeks before he could exercise and another three weeks before he could begin hitting and throwing.
"Everything's going to work out fine," Garciaparra said. "I'm confident in the doctors we have and the doctors I've been talking too. So I'll be fine."
Duquette said Lou Merloni or Mike Lansing would replace Garciaparra. Manager Jimy Williams said Craig Grebeck is also being considered.
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