Drew Pomeranz had stem-cell injection in left elbow

Well I don't like experiments when it comes to injuries. What the heck could it hurt though, right?

It's better than Tommy John surgery and being out for the year I suppose.

Everybody's favorite, Bartolo Colon had stem cell injections several years ago. It was so successful (it pretty much revived his career) that now it's more common than you would think according to one article I read a while ago. You just don't generally hear about it because it is usually an off season procedure that isn't a DL type treatment.

IMO, if Pomeranz lives up to expectations, and so does Espinoza, then the trade will have been another bad trade of future young talent by the Red Sox. Pomeranz is simply not needed on this team, especially after the Sale trade, as he has done very little to contribute, and he's not even sure to crack the rotation, for even the number 5 position. If Pomeranz is successful, and Espinoza flops, then it will have been a successful move by the Sox, and hopefully that will lead to boosting the Sox's future by trading Pomeranz, or Rodriguez for something the Sox are in short supply of right now: high-grade prospects. The drastic move to acquire a third #1 starter in Sale, incredibly stripping down an already heavily depleted farm system, was the knee-jerk reaction by Dombr to hedge against the continuing uncertainty and disappointment of Pomeranz. Will he even be healthy enough to get through ST? Hopefully this trend of giving up good prospects for talented, but questionable pitching due to high-injury risk, or being past their prime, will come to an end. I know Sale is healthy, at least I haven't heard to the contrary, so that's a positive move. Hopefully this stem cell injection will get Pomeranz back to 100%, as he was obviously damaged product when the Sox got him.

Stem cell technology has been around for a while now. In the early 90's my mother declined it as an option to stop the onset of Alzheimer's (she objected to using embryo cells). In the mid 90's it was employed on my step grandson to combat SCIDS (severe combined immuno deficiency)(John Travolta, Boy In The Bubble movie). They used marrow from his mother's hip and he is now 100% normal.

From my understanding, it will be much less likely to be a problem and the absolute worst likely case is that it will be no worse. Let's not forget that there was no apparent need for Tommy John in the first place.

For the most part, this is an elective procedure.

Warning, I'm not a doctor and I never played one on TV. (memory jog)

lol, there used to be a commercial that started out "I'm not a doctor but I played one on TV" then went into a recommendation for some medical product (I don't remember which). Compelling.

Anyone remember Ned Martin (Sox announcer after Gowdy) doing the cartoon voices in the Schlitz Beer commercials ? I don't even know if they still make Schlitz, it was a Framingham company.

I don't want to be too much of a pessimist, but this is the kind of procedure you only get if there is some sort of structural damage in your elbow. I think it's very likely that Pomeranz has some sort of partial UCL tear. Now, if the partial tear is very slight, rehab (strengthening of the forearm/shoulder muscles) along with PRP (platement-rich plasma therapy) or and/or stem-cell therapy may be enough to prevent further damage. Pitchers can pitch with a slightly torn UCL for a long time (e.g., Colon or Tanaka). But you still can't really grow back a ligament, and this is further evidence that Pomeranz is an elevated Tommy John risk (compared with the average pitcher).

In October the Angels were happy with how Garret Richards was throwing in instructs after stem cell therapy for a damaged UCL:
www.ocregister.com/articles/richards-732071-angels-hope.html

"stem-cell therapy... had mixed results in recent years, with the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka being the most prominent success story. Other pitchers, like the Angels’ Andrew Heaney, had attempted the therapy and eventually had to have Tommy John surgery anyway.

When the Angels and Richards first agreed back in May to try this, Eppler felt it had a “40 to 50 percent” chance of working, he said Thursday.

This procedure can’t officially be declared a success until one final box is checked on Friday. Richards will see Dr. Steve Yoon, who has overseen the therapy, for a final exam, including imaging of his elbow.[[it was fine: www.ocregister.com/articles/clear-732181-spring-platlet.html]]

That seems like a mere formality, considering Richards threw 96 mph fastballs without issue.

“I feel like personally I’ve passed every test that I can put myself through,” Richards said.

Richards also might receive another stem-cell injection, to further strengthen the ligament while he rests until resuming throwing in January.

In the meantime, Eppler can begin his offseason team-building confident he will have Richards at the top of the rotation, which obviously makes a significant difference in how good the Angels can hope to be in 2017.

And “Garrett Richards 2.0” – as he referred to himself – not only has given the Angels hope for a rebound after this nightmarish 2016 season, but he might have given hope to other pitchers with damaged elbows."

The beer was Carling and it was brewed "By the shores of lake Cochituate"

..at least there haven't been alternatives in the past that addressed regeneration. From the NIH archives, a survey of the current research status::
Still early in the game, but because they are fundamental to cell development, they may be emerging as just such an alternative. Time to do some digging.

Oooh Garret Richards pitched the best game ive seen against the Red Sox in a long time it was the series when Koji gut hurt and Wade Miley had a no hitter going and lost.

For all we know his arm could fall off in spring training, but he still managed a WHIP of 1.037 and averaged more than a strikeout per inning last year.  I love the WHIP stat for obvious reasons.  Could it be he is just refining his craft.  I think we find he comes in handy this year, and maybe just maybe, Moncada is a better athlete than baseball player.