Some things never change. What is interesting is if Gerut and his agent claim that this was an injury that occured during his time in spring training. I believe they could file a grievance regarding the situation. Whatever happens, Gerut just cashed his ticket out of Pittsburgh. Even if the second opinion clears him to play, I doubt there is much he can do to reshape his image.
His best course of action is to shut up and play - as bad as the Pirates might be this year, he could get a shot to play if healthy. Of course, the odds that he can get healthy are slim and until Craig Wilson is traded, Gerut is a redundancy. 14-APR-2006 UPDATE From Rotoworld: "Jody Gerut has been placed on the minor league restricted list after deciding to undergo knee surgery that the Pirates don't believe is necessary. Gerut is battling a sore knee, but the Pirates believe he's healthy enough to play. "There were no significant changes in his MRI," GM Dave Littlefield said. "We don't think surgery is necessary based on regular playing in spring training and no complaints (from Gerut). His right knee tested out stronger in certain testing we do." We'll trust Gerut's judgment over that of the Pirates, especially given that he's risking his $875,000 surgery to undergo the procedure. He won't be paid while he's on the restricted list. Apr. 13 - 7:24 pm et" Lovely.
