Post Game Celebration Leads To Injury For Ellis

A note to all athletes: it's all well and good to celebrate after a good win or victory, but keep it under control. 
Take A. J. Ellis, Los Angeles Dodgers catcher: Ellis severely sprained his ankle on Sunday in Philadelphia while celebrating Josh Beckett's no-hitter. Ellis rushed to the mound to celebrate with his teammates and stepped on the discarded mask of backup Drew Butera, who caught the major's first no-hitter of the season. 
Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register tweeted, "Ellis jumped up and landed on Butera's discarded catcher's gear during the celebration." 
"I wanted to be a part of it," Ellis said. "It's a great day, a great experience to be a part of. I quickly lost my thrill for what happened. Rolled it pretty good. I'm beyond frustrated, still kind of shocked."
Ellis was scheduled to see the team physician on Monday; no update has been provided. His ankle was treated throughout the flight home, using ice and compression.
"Getting off the plane I was feeling pretty good, but this morning as they predicted, it was hard moving around once I got up," he said. 
Ellis was put on the 15-day DL on Monday. He had arthroscopic knee surgery in April and had a short-lived return to the field on May 14th. 
Ellis has not had a stellar start to his season, hitting .170/.350/.213 (65 OPS+) with more walks (12) than strikeouts (10). 
The Dodgers recalled Tim Federowicz from Class AAA Albuquerque, where he was hitting .298 in 17 games. Federowicz played 13 games for the Dodgers in April.
Manager Don Mattingly admitted that Ellis's injury was poor timing, but believes that Butera or Federowicz can fill his shoes. Butera started Monday night at home against the Cincinnati Reds. The team is currently 27-24, sitting 5.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. For the team to catch up to the Giants they will need a healthy Ellis. 
The moral of this story is that while it's good to celebrate with your teammates, it's even better to watch where you are going. 
References: Bleacher Report, USA Today, and CBS Sports. 
If you are a baseball player with a foot or ankle problem, call our Rocky Hill or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Jeffrey S. Kahn, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Sports Medicine Podiatrist in CT
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