Nixon undergoes surgery on knee
HOUSTON -- Trot Nixon underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery Friday, ending five months of educated speculation as to the exact nature of a leg injury that he vaguely acknowledged in mid May.
Red Sox physician Tom Gill, through a team release, labeled the surgery ''routine and successful" and said Nixon ''is expected to resume his offseason conditioning program in two weeks."
On May 16, Nixon revealed that he would need surgery on his left leg, though the 31-year-old right fielder refused to specify the problem or location. The following day, Nixon said he would not discuss the injury at any point during the remainder of the season. However, that day Nixon wore electronic patches on his left knee, a strong hint at the locale of his pain.
Nixon rarely complained to team officials about the pain during the season, suggesting he wasn't excessively affected by it. But his production splits before and after May 16 suggest otherwise.
Through May 16, Nixon ranked third in the American League in on-base percentage (.450) and sixth in hitting (.343) and slugging (.588) among players with at least 100 plate appearances. He'd hit six homers with 24 RBIs. But over the next 4 1/2 months, Nixon's OBP was just .323, his average .252, and his slugging percentage only .399. He homered only seven times, with 43 RBIs.
A strained oblique muscle in mid July certainly contributed to Nixon's late-season slide. He missed a month, returning Aug. 23, and hit just .229 the rest of the way.
The cause of Nixon's left knee injury remains somewhat unclear, though he might well have hurt himself making a running catch of a Richie Sexson liner to deep right at Fenway Park during a May 8 doubleheader. Nixon came up limping, but clutching the left side of his lower back, not his knee.
He was pinch hit for the next inning. Six days later, Nixon hit a grand slam at Seattle and was replaced in the bottom of the inning by Jay Payton. Sox manager Terry Francona wouldn't address why he removed Nixon from those games, other than to say he didn't want to see Nixon ''hobbling."
Nixon has one year remaining on a three-year, $19.5 million contract.
