The Injury Analyst

This saddens me to write this piece. The Dodgers were having such a good year. This was supposed to be THE year. Matt Kemp left the Dodgers-Brewers matchup in the first inning with a hamstring strain, a day after coming off the 15 day DL for the same injury. Maybe you could blame Stan Conte for clearing him to play again so soon. But how much time and rest would have resolved the issue? Especially when the source of the problem probably wasn't even addressed!

The hamstring muscles are hip and knee extensors that are powerfully used in running. When one muscle is asked to do the work of another, strains are highly likely. When a muscle is asked to help out another, become a main stabilizer and push off the ground with high frequency and intensity, then your just asking for it. 

There are a few type of people in this world. Back people. Groin people. And then there are hamstring people (wouldn't be the world be a better place if this how we judged people, by the muscles they overuse?). Each person uses a combination of muscles that work as efficiently as possible. The problem is sometimes the strongest muscle is being asked too much of. I guess you can say the hamstrings are the Kobe Bryant of muscles. 

The hamstring is a powerful group of muscles that generates high forces and gives you your speed. But as big and bad as it is, it can't carry everybody else on its back (or to be more precise, your knee). There are numerous other tiny muscles that are mean't for stabilizing the hip and the Glutes Maximus/Medius are mean't to handle the forces of body weight and loading. Give the hamstring a break and get everybody else involved, I say. Then maybe Kemp can come back and bring back the glory days to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Don't Get It? Try This:

Lie on your stomach and lift your leg off the ground. What muscle(s) do you feel the most? Hamstring? Gluteus Maximus? Back? Now lie on your side and lift your leg away from your body (towards the ceiling). What do you feel? Getting hamstring on both? Maybe you and Kemp can play cards in the dugout while my dream of the Dodgers winning it all this year slips away like a dream.

J.M.