Corey Dickerson feels Peyton Manning’s pain, because he has lived it. The Rockies left fielder missed large chunks of the 2015 season because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
“It’s incredibly painful, just to walk,” Dickerson said from his home in Mississippi. “It can get to the point that you are thinking more about the foot than the game you’re playing.”
Manning, the Broncos’ 39-year-old quarterback, played one of the worst games of his illustrious career Sunday, completing just five passes and throwing four interceptions before being benched in a 29-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Manning is dealing with a plantar fascia tear in his left foot and sore ribs. Manning will not practice this week and is not expected to play Sunday at Chicago.
Four on the Floor:
“You can always tell when an athlete is not playing up to their caliber and not doing the things that made them great,” Dickerson said. “Peyton’s performance didn’t just drop off for no reason. He was in pain and thinking about every move he had to make.”
The problem with plantar fasciitis, as Dickerson knows firsthand, is that it can linger for months. Some athletes can manage the pain well enough to continue playing at a high level, and others simply can’t.
Dickerson began experiencing pain in his left heel during spring training and eventually ended up on the disabled list. He missed 23 games in May and June and 29 more in late June and July. The broken rib he sustained July 30 turned out, in some ways, to be a blessing in disguise because it allowed Dickerson to rest his foot for another 37 games. He returned Sept. 8 to finish the season.
“I still didn’t really feel like it was really healed until after the season when I could totally rest it,” Dickerson said. “I didn’t have to worry about rehabbing and trying to play. It was about just getting time and letting it heal on its own.
“It feels great now. I can run on the beach without pain, and I’m working out again. Before, it hurt just to walk.”
Dickerson, who batted .304 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs in 65 games, said his heel did not bother him when he was in the batter’s box, but he experienced stabbing pain him when he burst out of the box or when he sprinted after flyballs.
“It’s different with Peyton, of course, but he’s a big quarterback and he’s got to drop back so hard and so fast to be in a position to throw,” Dickerson said. “And he has to plant his feet to throw downfield. Those cleats grip the grass, and pain just shoots through your foot.”
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or @psaundersdp
