Channing Frye Expects to Miss Season Due to an Enlarged Heart

The Phoenix Suns’ medical staff discovered that Channing Frye has an enlarged heart. The team lists him as out indefinitely, and Frye tells the AZ Republic that he will likely miss the entire season: “Frye said he expects to miss the coming season due to an enlarged heart caused by a virus that is rare and only treatable with rest, if that even works. It was caught during a recent treadmill stress test that players undergo before each season’s October training camp. Suns cardiologist Dr. Tim Byrne discovered that Frye, 29, had dilated cardiomyopathy and Frye underwent a battery of tests before visiting the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Wednesday for a final accord among more doctors. ‘It was very shocking and, at the same time, scary,’ Frye said. ‘It’s not like an arm or knee or an elbow where you’re like, ‘Maybe I can just rehab this.’ It’s something that keeps you going. The only time you hear about things going on like that is (Boston’s) Jeff Green getting open-heart surgery or (Sacramento’s) Chuck Hayes getting a little scare.’ The Suns said Frye, who is signed through 2015, will be re-evaluated in December for the possibility of activity but Frye said several times that he must have six months of rest and expects to miss the season that runs to April. He said his activity will be limited to yoga and golf. ‘I want to take a year off and make sure that I’m OK to play and that I’m not going to do any more damage to my heart,’ Frye said. ‘There’s no reason to push. It’s not worth it for the long run. To be 29 and have a heart issue is very rare. Other than that, I had a clean bill of health. I’m a 120-over-78 blood pressure guy.’ Frye will miss out on a season at an age when NBA big men often are at their peak. The hometown product’s best seasons have come in Phoenix, where he averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds and made 434 3-pointers over three years.”