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Pablo Sandoval's shoulder injury could require surgery

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor
(AP)
(AP)

While it's clear Pablo Sandoval's relationship with the Boston Red Sox is at best strained, and perhaps even damaged beyond repair, there remained legitimate questions about the health of his left shoulder.

The left shoulder in question is what landed Sandoval on the disabled list on Wednesday. That the injury seemingly came out of nowhere only fanned the flames of discontent and even a possible disconnect between team and player.

[Relation: Pablo Sandoval's former trainer speaks out: He needs a babysitter]

Perhaps the two sides were only seeking a break from one another, or perhaps the injury was in some part playing a role in Sandoval performing below standards.

So many questions, so few answers. At least until Friday, when we learned that perhaps there really is more to Sandoval's shoulder injury.

According to Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, Sandoval is headed for a second opinion on his ailing left shoulder this coming Monday. Sandoval will visit with famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, and the team is now acknowledging that surgery could be a possibility.

Few specifics on the nature of Sandoval's injury or when it occurred have been made available to this point. Although one astute producer at a Boston television station may have found a key moment.

It didn't look like much damage could be done on that dive alone, but if there was already an issue in play it's easy to see how it may have exacerbated it.

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At this point, it seems safe to assume the two sides will remain in a holding pattern, at least until a firm diagnosis is made and prognosis for recovery is laid out. From there, it's anyone's guess what will happen. All we really know for sure is that Boston still owes Sandoval roughly $75 million through the 2019 season, and barring a return to form, they will likely exhaust every possible avenue to get out from under that contract.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!