Matt Kemp returns! (and injures himself again).

Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers returned to the lineup 2 nights ago and had 3 hits, including a home run, to help the Dodgers to a 9-2 victory.  However, he was taken out of the game in the ninth inning on a play at home plate.

On the night of the injury, Dodger manager Don Mattingly said that the injury appears to be a sprain and that no x-rays were planned to be taken.  He did not anticipate that Kemp would need to go to the disabled list.  However, last night, Don Mattingly was less clear on this issue.  He said that Kemp would likely miss the 3 game series against the Blue Jays and that Kemp actually may head back to the disabled list for the 3rd time this season.

Ankle Sprains

The ankle has many ligaments that holds the joint together and makes it more stable.  They are slightly elastic but have a firm end point that can be reached to prevent abnormal motion from occurring in the joint.  An ankle sprain occurs when the force exerted on the ligaments exceeds its failure point.  The ligament can tear or rupture depending on the extent of the force that is applied to it.  If the bone is actually weaker than the ligament, a piece of bone can be avulsed off by the ligament.

Matt Kemp's injury
As seen in the gif above, Matt Kemp sustained an inversion type ankle sprain.  In this sprain, the ligaments that are affected are on the outside of the ankle.  There are 3 ligaments on the outside of the ankle that prevent excess inversion of the ankle.  These are the anterior talo-fibular ligament (ATFL), calcaneal-fibular ligament (CFL) and posterior talo-fibular ligament (PTFL).  When these ligaments get sprained, they can stretch or even tear.  Judging from his injury and the amount of inversion that the ankle went through, it is likely that the ligaments tore.

Matt Kemp's outlook? 

According to reports, no x-rays were planned.  This is confusing to me; especially since he was seen limping in the locker room afterwards.  If there is an avulsion fracture, this may take longer to heal and recuperate from.  The bone needs to heal to maintain stability of the ankle.  X-rays are inexpensive and very non-invasive and there is little to no harm to take x-rays to evaluate the ankle after an injury like this.

Having said this, if this is a a ligament sprain is fairly easy to treat but it requires time.  Athletes may take 2-6 weeks to recover from this depending on the severity of the sprain.  Treatment requires immobilization, bracing, and physical therapy.

During treatment of a sprain, it is important to immobilize the ankle so that the ligaments can heal in its natural, anatomic position.  If the ligaments heal in a stretched out position, the ankle sprain may result from an unstable ankle and may eventually lead to arthritis.

I think Matt Kemp will recover well from this injury but it may take at least 2-3 weeks for him to feel stable on his ankle.  If he has an avulsion fracture, this may take 6-8 weeks for him to come back.