Scott Podsednik in walking boot but says no surgery planned

Outfielder Scott Podsednik is back with the Dodgers, sore heel and all.

Podsednik is suffering from plantar fasciitis in his left foot and is out for the rest of the season. He had gone to Texas for a second opinion.

Podsednik had an anti-inflammatory injection in the heel and is scheduled to wear a walking boot for the next three weeks.

Podsednik said doctors are not anticipating the heel will require surgery. Plantar fasciitis is the painful inflammation of the ligament that connects the heel to the toes.

The injury complicates another Dodgers decision for next season. Podsednik, 34, has a mutual option in his contract for next year at $2 million.

Coming off the injury, it’s unlikely Podsednik would declare for free agency. The Dodgers need to find another power bat in their lineup and probably will have to decide whether to bring him back as a reserve.

Podsednik said he wasn’t ready to discuss next season.

"You know, there’s a time and place for that and it’s not right now," he said. "We still have two weeks left in the season and we’ll handle all those decisions at the appropriate time."

Podsednik, battling the foot injury, hit just .262 in 149 at-bats for the Dodgers. He was batting .310 with the Royals before his July 28 trade. He hit .304 in August for the Dodgers, but as the foot became more of an issue, just .115 in seven September games.

He did, however, say he felt comfortable on the Dodgers.

"It’s been comfortable," he said. "It would have been a lot better if we’d won more games. I don’t think we clicked the way we should, or the way we drew it up. But in terms of just comfort, I felt comfortable here."

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[Labeldude]

No hit no power over-the-hill OF "speedster" who may or may not have a foot injury that will impair his next season/career, all for only $2 million? That has Ned written all over it. Color it done (much like you can the 2011 season.)

[bleed_dodger_blue]

podsednik is great, but do we really need another leadoff guy, especially when he is taking up a corner fielding position? We still have furcal and carroll under contract who can bat 1-2 in a lineup. what we need is more power, not the white version of juan pierre. with james loney, the reincarnation of franklin stubbs, still in single digits for HRs at first base and AARP member casey blake at 3rd, where are we going to get power? unless we can trade for mike napoli (i'm still not sure what he did to get into the angels doghouse this bad, perhaps he was dating scioscia's daughter?) for some pop behind the plate, we'll need some power from LF. carl crawford is out of our price range, but perhaps someone like jayson werth? is jay gibbons ready for the big time (again)?

[Hollywood Dodger Mark]

Posednik has Jim Tome Disease.

[Zen]

Another teaching from a great master...

"Society can put any company out of business, overnight, if it so wishes."

Businesses serve at the will of the people, and the laws that govern this service go well beyond the invisible hand of supply and demand.

If it is determined that a business has a deleterious effect, regulators will step in. In the case of the Dodgers, this could mean the MLB Commissioner's office. It could be the tax authorities, if abuses of the system, such as fraud are alleged.

It could be the Attorney General's office, which is already inquiring into the lopsided payroll of the nonprofit Dodger foundation.

Any and all of these instruments, and others, can be marshaled to dislodge the most pugnacious and arrogant business owners.

Mere "paper ownership" is nothing compared to the clout society wields.

And when society is finally fed-up enough, it won't need the moral suasion of an O'Malley to usher McCourt from the scene.

[Ned's Family]

Way to go Ned.