Whether the Weather Affects Beltran’s Knee

The wild weather of the Northeast has certainly played havoc with our daily lives — but what about Carlos Beltran’s knees?

On April 6th, as reported by Zach Berman of the Star-Ledger:

Collins speaks to Beltran every day. Before the season, Collins told Beltran the open line of communication would last throughout the season. Collins said the cold weather is affecting Beltran’s knee, but Beltran has remained strong and felt good enough to start on Sunday if needed.

As reported by Anthony DiComo on Mets.com exactly 6 days later (April 12):

Collins said he does not envision Citi Field’s damp, cool weather becoming a problem for right fielder Carlos Beltran, whose knee issues are not muscular in nature.

(Emphasis in both quotes by me.)

So, the weather may affect Beltran’s knee, except when it doesn’t. Clear as mud?

I’m not a doctor, and don’t even pretend to be one on TV. There are some people who believe that the weather can play a part in joint pain, particularly regarding arthritis and arthritic conditions. Generally speaking, it is the change in weather rather than specific temperatures or climates, that causes an increase in pain. Though, studies are inconclusive, since most research is based on small sample sizes.

I don’t mean to pick on DiComo — who does a great job at Mets.com — but I’m confused by the end of that quote: “… whose knee issues are not muscular in nature.” What does it matter? Again, no offense to DiComo, whose job is to report and who I assume regurgitated what someone told him. If Beltran’s issue was “muscular in nature”, would it hurt more or less due to the weather conditions? Honestly, I’m not being a smart-aleck here — I’m curious, and if there are any physicians, sports trainers, or similarly qualified people reading, please post an explanation in the comments.

Even if you are not qualified, what do you think? Might the weather affect Beltran’s knee issues?