Buster Posey Comes Down With Shingles

So word is just coming out that Buster Posey has been scratched from tonight's lineup after coming down with shingles.

Buster Posey out of the lineup. Came down with shingles after Sunday's game. Painful blisters made it hard to sleep.
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) April 11, 2012

He is being replaced by Hector Sanchez, as of right now there are no further details about a timeline of return. Of all the things that could have happened to Posey this is probably way down on the list of things that you would expect.

The Giants injury luck from last year doesn't seem to have turned.

Here is some info from WebMD on Shingles:

Shingles is a painful skin rash . It is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Shingles usually appears in a band, a strip, or a small area on one side of the face or body. It is also called herpes zoster.

Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines, or other reasons. Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again.

Hey so the good news is that he probably wont get it again after this. So how long will this last, again from WebMD:

Shingles symptoms happen in stages. At first you may have a headache or be sensitive to light. You may also feel like you have the flu but not have a fever.

Later, you may feel itching, tingling, or pain in a certain area. That’s where a band, strip, or small area of rash may occur a few days later. The rash turns into clusters of blisters. The blisters fill with fluid and then crust over. It takes 2 to 4 weeks for the blisters to heal, and they may leave scars. Some people only get a mild rash, and some do not get a rash at all.

So from the info that is coming out it looks like he is at the blister stage so it might be a week or two before the blisters heal. I am sure more information will come out with a better timeline of when he might be back and I will update this post with that information.

UPDATE 3:30pm: Baggs has an update with some vague time lines for return:

Posey is taking anti-viral medication; he's been advised that the condition generally clears in four to five days, but can take as long as three weeks. In the meantime, Posey is considered contagious but the virus is not easily transmitted.

So four to five days or three weeks. Basically no one knows right now.

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