Maine Done

Jerry Manuel in a press conference yesterday announced that he will not use John Maine the rest of the year. Maine did come off the DL Wednesday, but Manuel doesn't feel comfortable using Maine, though doctors have said he will do no further harm by pitching.

Manuel wanted Maine to be back on the roster for the rest of the year, and hopefully the play-offs because he is part of the team. "Let me put that this way," Manuel said. "I think that John Maine worked so hard to come back and be a part of this. For me, the reward is to activate him. Now, how I use him might be questionable."

Knowing all too well what shoulder problems are all about, I agree with Manuel. Doctors do say that no further damage will be done, but if pitching continues to hurt Maine, his shoulder will get weaker, and when he does have the spur removed, his rehabilitation might take longer due to a more weakened state of the shoulder prior to the surgery. It's great to see him on the bench, but General Jerry is making the right decision.

For more on this, click here and here.