Sept. 05--Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella has been sidelined by a condition known as fourth cranial nerve palsy, which causes weakness or paralysis to a small muscle behind the eye and can lead to double and cross-eyed vision.
Because of health information privacy rules, the team did not disclose Giavotella's condition when it placed him on the disabled list Aug. 25, saying only that Giavotella had a "personal medical issue."
By the time doctors diagnosed Giavotella's condition -- it took several days after he experienced the initial symptoms on Aug. 21, the morning after he went one for four against the Chicago White Sox -- the Angels had embarked on a three-city, nine-game trip.
Giavotella finally rejoined the team Friday, before the Angels open a pivotal three-game series against the Texas Rangers, relieved that his condition isn't serious but unsure when he'll be able to return.
"Two weeks ago, I woke up in the morning and I was seeing double," Giavotella said. "I was seeing cross-eyed. ... It was incredibly scary. I couldn't see straight. I went to the hospital. There were some talks that it could be something more permanent like multiple sclerosis. But they ran a bunch of tests, I saw a bunch of specialists and all the tests came back fine."
From what he has learned about fourth cranial nerve palsy, "it affects the muscle movements in the eye," Giavotella said. "The nerves get irritated, and it needs to calm down. Eventually it'll repair itself. I'll be back to normal, but I still have double vision when I look left or I look down. It's gradually getting better, but it's going to take some time."
Giavotella, who was batting .265 with 21 doubles and 40 runs batted in when he went on the DL, has been able to run and throw as well as work on physical conditioning, but he can't hit live pitching yet.
"I feel like I'm in great shape and I'm ready to play whenever my eyes are ready to go," Giavotella said. The issue can last "a couple of days to a few weeks, so I'm just being patient with it, taking it a day at a time, and hopefully I'll wake up one morning and it will be clear."
Giavotella was not one of the most feared hitters in the lineup this season, but he was one of the team's most consistent hitters. He delivered several clutch late-game hits in the first two months. In his absence, Angels second basemen have hit .114 with one RBI in 12 games.
"There's no doubt, he was a spark on the offensive side," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "When [third baseman David] Freese was out, and guys were not swinging the bat, a guy like Johnny, with his versatility, could lead off or hit fifth or sixth. It creates depth in your lineup. We've missed him, no doubt."
