James Andrews, MD, will examine Detroit Tigers Michael Fulmer's right knee Dec. 5, a little over two months after performing surgery on the pitcher's meniscus, The Detroit News reports.
Here's what you should know:
1. Dr. Andrews performed meniscus surgery on Mr. Fulmer's torn knee Sept. 20. It was the second time in the past five years he repaired the 25-year-old pitcher's knee.
2. Mr. Fulmer said, Dr. Andrews discovered "badly frayed cartilage" during the meniscectomy, prompting him to perform a modified chondroplasty.
3. "I don't want people thinking I had micro-fracture surgery, because it wasn't that bad," Mr. Fulmer told Detroit News. "They made some bone abrasions on the lateral side to draw some blood in there to recreate some scar tissue."
4. Dr. Andrews will examine Mr. Fulmer's knee to determine the pitcher's postoperative recovery progress, and Tigers' pitching coach Rick Anderson said Mr. Fulmer felt like his knee hadn't been improving when he goes to push off the ground.
5. Mr. Fulmer said there is no specific timeline for when he will return to game play, despite originally expecting to recover in time for spring training Feb. 12.
6. Dr. Andrews is a founding partner of Gulf Breeze, Fla.-based Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. He is one of the leading orthopedic surgeons in the world, and his center is internationally recognized for its sports medicine treatments.
7. Dr. Andrews is the Tampa Bay Rays' orthopedic medical director.