(AP) WASHINGTON--A silent hush fell upon XRAY Arena today as leadoff man
Lance Johnson was taken off in a stretcher during Washington's 5-2 loss
against the Richmond Panthers.
Johnson suffered a broken hip sliding into second base. Manager Aaron
Weiner said that it turned over when he tried to take out Richmond second
baseman Mariano Duncan.
Initial reports say Johnson could miss the regular season; however,
doctors say he may be back in time for the September stretch run.
"Lance Johnson broke his hip sliding into second base," Weiner said.
"We're certain that the injury isn't going to be season-ending, but we're
not sure how long he's going to be out."
Team Doctor Ivan Rasika said that it was likely Johnson would be out for
until at least September.
"We're looking at three-four months," Rasika said. "It would be
impossible to pinpoint a date now, but we're certain the fracture will
heal by around mid-June, with several weeks of rehab involved."
Rasika said that it was due to the nature of a hip injury that so much
rehabilitation was necessary.
"Well, you're really not walking for six weeks," Rasika said. "So he'll
be going around in a wheelchair for six weeks and then have to learn to
run again. It's a nasty injury."
Washington is currently at 15-7 on the season, second-best in the PVBL.
