Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis was injured Friday night in a play at second base against the Cardinals when he tried to avoid a collision at second base and was upended instead (see above). Early reports indicated an undisclosed leg injury, but when more information surfaced, the potential severity of the situation was revealed. Ellis had to undergo a fasciotomy on his lower left leg, according to Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, and the situation was evidently real serious.

From latimes.com:
Mattingly said Dr. Neal ElAttrache told him the muscle might have died if surgeons had performed the fasciotomy six or seven hours later.

Surgeons cut an approximately six-inch incision on the outside of his left calf Saturday to drain blood and fluid that was applying severe pressure to the muscle. Ellis is scheduled to remain in the hospital to allow continued drainage until the flap is sewed back on Tuesday.
Being the simpleton I am, I had no idea what a fasciotomy was, so I looked it up. Here's what medicinenet.com says:

"The treatment for acute compartment syndrome is surgery (fasciotomy). The surgeon (either an orthopedic or general surgeon) will perform a fasciotomy, an operation where the thick, fibrous bands that line the muscles are filleted open, allowing the muscles to swell and relieve the pressure within the compartment (similar to splitting open the casing of a sausage). Depending upon the amount of swelling (edema), a second operation may be required later to close the skin after the swelling has resolved."

Fortunately the doctors got into Ellis' leg in time to relieve the pressure with that aforementioned six-inch incision and instead of a situation where he could have lost his left leg, he's expected to miss six weeks.

Ellis, 34, is hitting .273/.373/.364 with 27 runs scored in 37 games for the Dodgers this season.

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