After being diagnosed with a cavernous malformation in his brain back in March, baseball was the furthest thing from 19-year old Ryan Westmoreland‘s mind. The top rated position player in the Sox system had successful surgery in March 16th and now just 5 and a half months later, he is suiting up for the Lowell Spinners, getting back to what he knows best. Although Westmoreland will not be jumping into game action immediately, being cleared to participate in team practices and workouts is a huge step in his return and an even better sign that he is healthy. Westmoreland’s story is a journey and everyone associated with he Red Sox is hoping that most of the story is still being written with a happy ending yet to come.
Life is the most unpredictable journey of all, regardless of your profession, background or social status. We so often get caught up in the scandal aspects of the MLB or focus on the players inflated salaries and ignore the human aspect of being a professional athlete. Unfortunately, many times it takes an extremely difficult situation like Westmoreland’s sudden health issues to bring back the personal component of these players lives. When the news was released about Westmoreland’s condition, there was an immediate outpouring of support to him and his family, proving the power of a fan-base like the Boston Red Sox goes beyond the baseball diamond. Everyone came together to send their thoughts and prayers, making it crystal clear that the Red Sox nation family was by his side through it all.
Westmoreland’s baseball career has been filled with accolades. He was one of the highest ranked players in New England in 2008, playing at Portsmouth High School in Rhode Island and opted to pass on playing for Vanderbilt when drafted in the 5th round in 2008. Since that point his career has been filled with bright spots of success and difficult injuries. His first professional season, Westmoreland had to have partially torn labrum repaired and followed that up with a broken collarbone forcing him out of action in the end of 2009 after a tough collision with the outfield wall. The biggest injury hurdle of all was the diagnosis mentioned above in the beginning of 2010, sidelining him until this week. When healthy, Westmoreland’s abilities are off the charts in many aspects of the game. Below is an except from SoxProspects.com scouting report.
"A true five tool talent with tremendous upside. Sturdy, athletic build with the ability to add strength. Open stance. Keeps his hands high around his helmet and goes into a bit of a crouch as the ball approaches. Smooth and quick swing. Patient and selective – waits for his pitch. Above average power potential with a terrific approach. Hits to all fields. Elite speed with excellent base-running skills. Strong arm with excellent outfield range. Very intelligent."
The 1st thing I noticed when reading the scouting report was Westmoreland’s skill level seems well beyond his young age. To be a patient, selective hitter at age 19 is a rarity and to already be considered a real 5-tool player says a lot about his overall game. The Sox could really use a talent like Westmoreland’s at the big league level and if he progresses like they hope he will, we may be seeing a lot more from this kid in 2012 or 2013. Assuming he can stay healthy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him break into the bigs even a little sooner.
Because this is such an unusual medical issue in sports,  the first question I had back in March after hearing the news, was what is a cavernous malformation? For those who don’t know, below is an excerpt from the Mayo Clinic to give an idea of the severity of this diagnosis. As with an medical issue in or around the brain, the level of concern is high because of the potential other issues that can be caused.
"Cavernous malformations (cavernomas) are abnormally formed blood vessels that have the appearance of a small mulberry in the brain or spinal cord. The leakage of blood from these malformations may cause significant blood loss (hemorrhage). Cavernous malformations may enlarge slowly as a result of repeated small hemorrhages. Seizures may also occur when the malformation is in the surface layer of the brain (cerebral cortex)."
I could talk about Westmoreland and his past numbers and continue on with the medical jargon, but that is now all in the past. The future is what is most important for him and how quickly he can get right back up to game speed. I know I speak for all of Red Sox nation when I say welcome back Ryan. You were in all of our thoughts and prayers and to see you back on a baseball field so quickly is a wonderful feeling. You will always be a member of the Boston Red Sox community and we look forward to watching you continue your journey towards stardom.
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