Less than a week ago, the Phillies sent second baseman Freddy Galvis to the disabled list with a strained back. It turns out that Galvis' injury is much, much more serious and he'll be out indefinitely with what the team is calling a fractured vertebrae.
In addition, Phillies trainer Scott Sheridan says, via Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, that the second baseman will be in a back brace for the next three weeks. During that time span, Galvis will have to wear the back brace at all times except for when he's in the shower.
Galvis suffered a pars fracture of his L45 vertebra. Sheridan says, per Gelb, that such an injury is not that uncommon.
"The biggest thing right now is trying to get him comfortable," Sheridan said, "make him feel better and get this to heal."
As Dayn Perry of CBSSports.com's Eye on Baseball notes, David Wright dealt with the same injury in 2011 and it ended up costing the third baseman 58 games.
Sheridan didn't have a timetable for Galvis' return, saying simply that he'd be re-evaluated after having the back brace on for three weeks.
"I don't know yet," Sheridan said. "When we get to three weeks, we'll see where he's at. A lot depends on how he responds to the first three weeks."
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Galvis wasn't putting up All-Star numbers or anything for the Phillies, but he was filling in adequately while Chase Utley worked his way back.
Obviously his health is the primary concern here, but it's just another tough injury for the Phillies to deal with as the season begins to grind along.
