:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/19817739/20120927_kdl_aq3_099.0.jpg)
For Ravens fans hoping for positive Ray Rice news, here's a tidbit that might be of interest.
The Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson tracked down a board-certified hip arthroscopic surgeon, who offered an opinion based on what he saw from Sunday's game against Cleveland, when Rice injured his hip flexor, and from news reports afterward.
Before relaying Ochiai's take, it should be noted that the doctor is not treating Rice and isn't privy to the star running back's medical record.
"Uniformly, injuries like this don't require surgery. The initial diagnosis is a physical exam and pressing and moving the hip to determine how severe the injury is. An MRI is really good at assessing soft-tissue injury, but it's not necessary to diagnose a strain. The question comes if there are any issues around the hip or irritation or if he doesn't respond normally. If that's the case, if there are issues, then you look for the possibility of a labral tear or sports hernia. He may not be able to play this weekend because it usually takes a week or two to recover from hip flexor strains depending on the severity. If he deviates from that timeline, then you should probably get an MRI to see if there are any other existing issues with the hip."
That's obviously good news in the sense that the injury probably isn't serious to keep Rice from missing a lot of time. The bad news is he may be out this week against Houston, if the soreness is still tough to work through on Sunday.
The Ravens will likely make a game-time decision with Rice, but one with the rest of the season in mind.
Follow me on twitter: @JasonHButt