Derek Holland‘s knee procedure was a bit more serious than expected.
The Texas Rangers acknowledged Tuesday that Holland underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee last week, according to Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News. Such a procedure requires more rehab time than routine arthroscopic surgery, and it’s possible that Holland could be out until the All-Star break.
Holland suffered the knee injury in what he described as a “freak accident.” The pitcher initially told reporters he had fallen on the stairs at his home, but he later revealed that his tumble was caused by his dog, a boxer named Wrigley.
“He was running up the stairs and clipped me,” Holland said. “I hit my knee on the step, and if it wasn’t for me grabbing the rail, I might have fallen all the way down the stairs and cracked my head open.”
Holland said during a radio interview with KRLD-FM 105.3 on Monday that he’s hoping to be back by June or sooner. That might be a lofty goal, however, as rehab times following microfracture surgery tend to vary from player to player. As Fraley notes, Astros pitcher Scott Feldman — a former teammate of Holland — underwent microfracture knee surgery while with the Rangers in November 2010 and returned to the majors in July 2011.
Fraley reports that Rangers medical director Dr. Keith Meister, as part of the procedure, created tiny fractures in Holland’s kneecap that are designed to stimulate the growth of new cartilage.
Holland went 10-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 213 innings over 33 starts last season. Losing the left-hander certainly is a blow to the Rangers.
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