Lindor Hamate Update from Will Carroll’s excellent Substack Under The Knife. Wanted to share with all of you so we can understand how Lindor is looking at the plate when he gets back. FRANCISCO LINDOR, SS NYM (fractured wrist)This is specifically about Francisco Lindor, but you can go ahead and apply it to almost anyone going forward: we’ve figured out hamate removal rehab. I spoke with a team consulting physician (ie, he’s not an official team doctor, but he handles speciality surgery for two of them, nor has he treated Lindor) and he explained that while hamate bone removal - either hook or full bone - has been done for years and is relatively simple, it’s understanding the structure of the wrist and what removing that does to everything.“It’s about comfort first, then structure,” he explained. “It doesn’t feel the same, at first, and the area is still in contact with the bat. Getting the bat, swing, and contact to feel the same is an issue. There was some debate about 3D printing a bone implant, but that hasn’t worked out for a lot of reasons. Instead, we focused on how the area heals, not exposing the nerves, and setting the body up to heal in a certain way.”After a Hamate Fracture, the medical clearance is almost beside the point. The hook is removed, the wound heals, grip strength comes back. What determines the return is feel. The bottom hand has to trust the bat again. Until vibration feels normal and the hitter stops protecting the contact point, the swing is present but not fully committed.The first signs show up inside. Exit velocity on inner-third pitches drops and pull-side authority fades. Balls that used to be turned on are guided to center or the opposite field. That is not approach. That is protection.Next comes the ceiling problem. Average exit velocity may look normal, but peak EV lags. The hitter is not finishing through contact. Barrel rate can hold while damage does not, a sign of controlled swings rather than aggressive ones.Consistency tells the deeper story. Bat speed variability increases as grip pressure changes swing to swing. Decision behavior shifts too, with more defensive swings at pitches in and more weak contact there. The nervous system is shortening the commitment window.Watch the misses. Soft foul balls, reduced hard-hit rate on mishits, and sensitivity to vibration often linger the longest. When pull-side power inside, peak EV, and bat speed stability return together, the hand is back. Until then, Lindor (and the rest) is active, not whole.Will’s stuff has always been the best in the biz when it comes to injury updates daily for the past 25 years.

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