CarGo OK after having emergency appendectomy
Outfielder will shut down exercise and baseball activity for about two weeks
DENVER -- Rockies All-Star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez will have his preparation for 2014 shut down for two weeks, as he recovers from an emergency appendectomy that he underwent late Friday night at a Denver-area hospital.
A Rockies source said that Gonzalez was resting comfortably after the surgery, and would be released from the hospital later on Saturday. The source provided the information about Gonzalez being shut down from exercise and baseball activity until doctors see him at a follow-up appointment.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Gonzalez was well into his efforts to get ready for the upcoming season at the time of the appendectomy, so he hopes recovery will be quick.
"I think it's good that it happened now, if it was going to happen, as opposed to during Spring Training or during the season," said Weiss, who said he was taking in a movie on Friday night when he learned of Gonzalez's illness. "It sounds like [doctors] got it right away. There's not as much chance of complication when you get it early.
"We've got some time here [until Spring Training starts], and CarGo is in great shape. I've seen him at the stadium several times this offseason, and he looks really strong. That'll help with his recovery."
Gonzalez announced the appendectomy in a tweet on Saturday morning. Additionally, his publicist, Fabiola Bohorquez, announced that doctors removed a small hernia near his navel during the procedure. Bohorquez said anticipated recovery time was unclear, but Gonzalez hoped to be ready for Spring Training. Rockies pitchers and catchers begin workouts at Scottsdale, Ariz., on Feb. 17, and Gonzalez and the rest of the position players begin workouts on Feb. 23.
Carlos González was operated for appendicitis last night in Denver, presented a strong stomach pain and went to the emergency...
- Car Go (@CarGoMedia5) January 11, 2014Gonzalez, 28, is a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, who is spending the winter rehabbing from a sprained right finger that limited him to 110 games in 2013. He still hit .302 with 26 home runs and 70 RBIs.
In four full seasons with the Rockies, Gonzalez has hit .311 with 108 home runs and 364 RBIs. Injuries, however, have limited him to 517 games over those four campaigns.