Grady Sizemore won’t be back in the Indians’ lineup this month, but the oft-injured center fielder has been cleared to resume baseball activities following sports hernia surgery on July 21 and is optimistic about returning at some point in September.
In addition to the surgery Sizemore is also recovering from ongoing knee problems, but has advanced to playing catch, hitting off a tee, and running on an “anti-gravity treadmill” that simulates different body weights and “reduces stress on a runner’s legs,” according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
Sizemore sat out 56 games in 2009 and 129 games in 2010, and has already missed 57 games this season, so by the time he returns in September he’ll have played in just 200 of the past 460 or so games. With the Indians holding an $8.5 million team option or $500,000 buyout for 2012 the impact of his comeback goes beyond the September push for a division title.
