Actually, I’m probably not. But Jerry Hairston’s hip is, and the condition he had is the same as the one Kershaw’s described as having: a hip impingement. Here’s what repairing that involved:

The procedure is arthroscopic, but not minor. His left leg was placed in traction to separate the leg from the hip far enough for arthroscopic tools to enter the joint. The torn labrum was repaired and an irregularity in the head or neck of the femur that caused the impingement was shaved to allow for smooth rotation in the joint. When the ball and socket don’t fit properly, friction tears the labrum.

Having undergone surgery recently myself, I’m inclined to think there’s no such thing as minor surgery if it’s being done on your own body, and that certainly doesn’t sound minor to me. Separating the leg from the hip via traction? Ouch!

Today’s game pits Josh Beckett against Edinson Volquez. If you can rely on history (doubtful), Beckett ought to be favored. He’s 5-1 with a 2.16 ERA in six career starts against the Padres, which sounds good, but the last time he pitched against them was five years ago. I’m pretty sure the entire Padres roster has flipped in those five years.

It’s a KCAL game, so I’ll have to rely on Gameday and you folks for game action. Let this be the game thread.

Lineup:

Ellis, M, 2B
Ethier, A, RF
Kemp, M, CF
Gonzalez, A, 1B
Ramirez, H, SS
Victorino, S, LF
Cruz, L, 3B
Ellis, A, C
Beckett, J, P

Gameday