Injury Report

Beginning the 1982 regular season, the following players were missing for most, if not all, of spring training for their corresponding teams :

ATLANTA :
Longtime Brave ace Phil Niekro will be out until the end of April with what is said to be "family troubles".

PHILADELPHIA :
Pete Rose is missing thanks to a bad back. (I can't say that I'm disappointed seeing as I despised Rose as a player. The way he would bounce the ball as high as he could on the turf after he made the third out of an inning, drove me nuts.)

Marty Bystrom is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and is not slated to return until, at the earliest, mid-August. Screwballing/screwball lefty reliever Tug McGraw is still recovering from off-season elbow surgery.

PITTSBURGH :
Right-hander Jim Bibby has pitched very little this past Spring because of a sore shoulder. John Candelaria, who suffered nerve damage in his left bicep in a cold, rainy game in St. Louis last May, will not be risked in cold games this season, stated manager Chuck Tanner.

LOS ANGELES :
Jerry Reuss has bone chips in his foot, but club trainers have stated that the chips will not bother his pitching at all.
And, everybody in Dodgertown is breathing a monumental sigh of relief now that Fernando has ended his holdout and signed a new contract.

SAN DIEGO :
Chris Welsh suffered a fracture of his left foot on March 22nd, and is out until mid to late April.

HOUSTON :
The only question mark for Al Rosen's Astros, coming out of spring training, is Mike Ivie. Ivie, who is still trying to deal with yet more emotional problems, all stemming from his recuperation two years ago after a hunting knife accident, is now firmly entrenched behind starter Art Howe. While the Houston lineup could really use Ivie's power, his whining they don't need. All despite the fact that Ivie had a very strong spring.

BALTIMORE :
Ken Singleton is battling a strained Achilles tendon, resulting in Gary Roenicke possibly seeing more playing time in right field with Singleton being played at DH, more and more.

BOSTON :
Chuck Rainey will miss his first few starts, returning probably by mid-April, because of a cut suffered on his right-index finger when a toilet door slammed on his pitching hand in the clubhouse at Winter Haven.

CLEVELAND :
Bert Blyleven has arrived to camp with a sore elbow, something he's picked up in an off-season snowball fight with his kids (?!?!). Blyleven has stated that despite the elbow, he will start the opening game in Milwaukee against the Brewers. How effective he will be, remains to be seen. As well recent acquisition Bake McBride, counted on to start in right field for the Tribe, is battling sore knees.

Many observers are confused as to how Von Hayes is being handled in Cleveland's spring training. Being called the Tribe's best prospect in 10 years, manager Dave Garcia has refused to start Hayes in right field, instead opting for sore-kneed Bake McBride on a regular basis.

TEXAS :
Mickey Rivers will be out until the end of April / beginning of May, recovering from off-season knee surgery. Johnny Grubb, as well, is nursing the pulled hamstring he suffered during a Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. Billy Sample's pulled groin muscle is healed to the point where it is expected he will start in left for manager Don Zimmer, in the opening game at Yankee Stadium.