Wells placed back on the DL

Lefty gets first of three injections in right knee

By Chris Snow, Globe Staff  |  April 16, 2006

For now, at least, David Wells refuses to think that this could be the end of the line, the inevitable last stop in a 20-year major league career.

''I've got to give this a legitimate shot," Wells said, of opting for three Synvisc injections in his right knee and a disabled list visit of at least 2 1/2 weeks. ''I am going through this with intentions of pitching for the full season. I owe that to the team, to myself. Hopefully, this will help. I'm not down on it yet."

But Wells, after just one start, was put on the disabled list yesterday for the second time this season with what amounts to a disintegrating right knee. The Sox are calling it a sprain.

''That's what they're calling it?" Wells asked, sounding surprised. ''All I know is I'm bone on bone."

And that, according to medical experts familiar with Synvisc, doesn't bode well. Synvisc is artificial joint lubricant, used in the absence of sufficient cartilage, intended to decrease pain and swelling and improve functionality. However, the better the knee, the better the response.

As one prominent area physician who didn't want his name used said during a general discussion about Synvisc, ''Once you get down to bone on bone, it's really not effective."

Will it work for Wells?

''I'll let you know in a couple weeks," said the lefthander, who turns 43 next month. ''Hopefully, it'll take. I'm going into this with positive feelings. If it doesn't work out, hey, at least I did the right thing."

Wells had surgery on the knee in October, and the procedure was expected to be rather routine. His road back has been anything but. He received a round of Synvisc injections in December, arrived at spring training in February a couple weeks behind schedule, and didn't debut until Wednesday. By Friday night he was receiving the first of three Synvisc injections. He will have another in a little less than a week and another a week after that.

For the record, Wells doesn't think he reinjured himself in his start last Wednesday, when he lasted four-plus innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits, including three home runs.

''Reinjure?" he said. ''No. I don't think."

He said he felt the knee grab while he made a quick movement to cover a base in the third inning, though he already was trailing, 5-0, on eight hits at that point.

''That's what set it off, having to bust over there," he said. ''Spring training, my rehab start, I haven't been challenged to cover the lines. My biggest thing is, if I can't cover first, I shouldn't be out there."

The question that follows, of course, is whether Wells should have been out there to begin with.

''His knee felt great," said general manager Theo Epstein. ''It's hard to say if he was ready or not. He didn't say anything about his knee until now. You've got to factor in what a guy tells you.

''We're hopeful it will be a short-term problem. There's always a chance it turns into a long-term problem."

Epstein said Lenny DiNardo is likely to take Wells's turn tomorrow. DiNardo, the 26-year-old lefthander, has made 32 big-league appearances over three seasons, though just one start (last Sept. 2 vs. Baltimore). He took the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs (one earned) over six innings, fanning six and walking one.

''We're comfortable with Lenny spot-starting," Epstein said. ''He's had good success his first 50 innings as a big leaguer. He keeps the ball on the ground. This is a chance for him to step up."

Because the Sox intend to plug DiNardo into the rotation, at least in the short term, they elected to call up righthander Jermaine Van Buren, who they believe can pitch multiple innings in middle relief, as opposed to Manny Delcarmen, who is a one-inning pitcher, Epstein said. Van Buren, the Cubs' Triple A Pitcher of the Year last year, has struck out six and walked none in four scoreless innings with Pawtucket.

In 111 minor league appearances as a reliever, he has a 1.86 ERA. With the Cubs last year, he pitched six major league innings and gave up two runs on two hits and nine walks.

''He's got some deception in his delivery," manager Terry Francona said.

However, that deception has made it difficult for Van Buren to throw strikes. In fact, that was the case in mid-March, when the Sox reassigned him to minor league camp.

Trot Nixon, as of yesterday, had progressed only as far as hitting soft toss. He thinks he might pinch hit as soon as today and return to the lineup as soon as tomorrow, but that projection might be too optimistic, by a day or two. Regardless, Nixon said, he's pleased with how he's progressing. ''I am," said Nixon, who strained his left groin changing direction quickly in the outfield in Tuesday's home opener. ''I'm just thankful it's not as bad as what I thought it would be. I'm happy I didn't have to go on the DL. Hopefully, it stays that way." . . . Reliever David Riske (lower back strain) said he's ''very optimistic" he'll be healthy enough to pitch come Thursday, when he's eligible to come off the DL. Riske traces this back issue to surgery he had in 2000 to repair a bulging disk. ''It's been awesome all these years," he said. ''It was a lingering thing in spring training. I had some issues. It got better, but then I had spasms again."