Sounding every bit like a man who is staring down retirement, David Cone spoke in cautious terms yesterday about once again making a triumphant return to the mound.
The 40-year-old righty was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained left hip and underwent an MRI yesterday morning, which revealed joint inflammation. Cone left Tuesday night’s start after two innings when his chronic hip flared up and he was unable to complete his delivery.
Jae Seo will be the starter in Cone’s place until. Cone will be shut down for a period of 7-10 days, according to manager Art Howe, and will take anti-inflammatories. Down the road, a cortisone shot is a possibility, Howe added.
So is retirement, unfortunately.
“It’s disappointing,” Cone said. “I thought it’d be my arm, and now it’s my hip.
“In some ways, it’s good. If it was my arm, I’d know for sure I’m done.”
Cone added that he’d “give it one more shot,” alluding to the fact he might not stick around for the next five months to endure nagging hip pain.
Cone fought through numerous shoulder and arm injuries during an illustrious 15-year career. He even pitched after an aneurysm in his arm was discovered in 1996.
“I’ll just try to wait and see,” Cone said. “I’m not going to make any rash decisions based on emotion.
“I’ve had a long and very good career. It would be in bad taste for me to complain about anything now.”
After winning his first start of the season on April 4, he stands just six wins short of 200, a number he came out of a 2002 hiatus in order to capture.
But clearly, Cone wasn’t right physically – a fact he’s finally admitted in the past two days. Although the hip bothered him in recent years with the Yankees and Red Sox, he said was manageable once he loosened up.
Cone, 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA, hadn’t won since April 4. He hadn’t gone more than five innings and only went out for the sixth inning once in four starts. The DL decision provides maximum flexibility for the staff.
Cone described himself as “certainly a little down and a little sore.”
“I wouldn’t describe it as a jolt, no,” Cone said of the injury. “In some regards, I’m surprised I even made it this far. I even surprised myself.”
Although Cone sounded cautious and hinted repeatedly that this could be the end of the road for him, he made no such concessions with Howe.
After leaving Tuesday’s 6-2 loss following just 51 pitches, Cone and Howe held a key conversation.
“You’re not giving up on me, are you?” Cone asked.
“No,” Howe answered.
“Good,” Cone said.
