Willie Calhoun to Make Full Recovery From Fractured Jaw Before Baseball Season Begins
ARLINGTON, Texas – We could all use some good news in baseball-related stories nowadays. Thankfully from what we've learned in recent days, there is some very good news involving the Texas Rangers.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward addressed the media via conference call on Wednesday and was able to give an update on a few Ranger injuries, including outfielder Willie Calhoun.
"Willie's doing better. He got the little wire from his tooth taken out," Woodward said. "He feels good, there's still no real concussion symptoms. He's starting to ride bikes and do some exercise. I think he's going to ramp that up pretty quickly."
Woodward went as far to even mention that Calhoun's recovery could be much shorter than most expected.
"Honestly, I see a full recovery by the time we end up starting back up, which is great. That's good news for him," Woodward said.
Calhoun was struck in the mouth by a 95-mph fastball from Dodgers' pitcher Julio Urias on March 8th in Cactus League action. He was transported to a local hospital, where he had surgery the following day. While he did not have to have his jaw wired shut, a plate was inserted to help stabilize the fracture.
On Thursday, Willie Calhoun went to social media to update fans on even further progress in his recovery.
If there any positives to take away from this hiatus, this is definitely one of them. Calhoun worked very hard this past winter, knowing he had a job lined up for him in left field for the Rangers. His progress as a player and as a person has been praised by his manager, who has known Calhoun since their days in the Dodgers organization.
Now cleared to resume baseball activities, and with no tangible evidence of when the baseball season will actually begin, Calhoun is not expected to miss any time to start the season. If you needed a baseball hiatus silver lining, there it is, folks.
Follow Inside The Rangers on SI on Twitter: @SITexasRangers
Like Inside The Rangers on SI on Facebook: facebook.com/SITexasRangers
Follow our Rangers insider Chris Halicke on Twitter: @ChrisHalicke
Click the "follow" button in the top right corner to join the conversation on Inside The Rangers on SI. Access and comment on featured stories and start your own conversations and post external links on our community page.