BP on hurt Angels pitchers

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 29, 2009 2:21 PM CDT

"How concerned should the Angels be about Ervin Santana's sprained elbow?"

I hate being a downer just a week before the start of the season, but this is not good for the Angels. Santana is dealing with a sprained UCL, and while it's not enough to require surgery yet, he's not expected back until early June. Right now the plan is to let him rest, and hope that the ligament can scar up and allow Santana to pitch. Scar tissue is, at best, usually only about 70 percent as strong as the regular ligament, and though it's rare, if the scar tissue overlays the healthy ligament, he may be fine. This looks a lot like what happened to Francisco Liriano in '06 when he sprained the ligament, rested, and then it snapped in his first game back. The Angels will do everything they can to avoid that situation, but surgery may be inevitable.

* * *
John Lackey had been one of the game's true mound horses until last year, when a triceps injury forced him to miss the first six weeks of the season. The good news is that once back, he showed no ill effects, but the bad news is that a recent forearm strain means he'll likely open the season on the DL. He's been shut down for an undetermined amount of time as the team awaits the full results of an MRI. If the problem persists, he could be looking at the same type of injury that knocked Andy Pettitte out for half of the year during his first season in Houston. If it's even worse, then you can start looking in Ben Sheets' direction. Right now there's not enough evidence to think it will match either of those scenarios, but that could change. By the way, it's a contract year for Lackey, and it doesn't look like he'll get a deal done for a while, so don't be surprised if he tries to push through this injury or others that might pop up during the year.

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Comments

Ouch.

Cue the Hope!

"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008

by Rodney on Mar 29, 2009 2:23 PM CDT reply actions

Is Lackey about to take a Ben Sheets career path?

Sheets had a great season last year, but his free agency prospects were tainted nonetheless by the fact he kept putting off surgery. If Lackey struggles to stay healthy, it doesn’t matter how effective he is – no one is going to line up to sign him this offseason. Isn’t the smarter long-term move for him to just go for surgery ASAP, and hope to recover for 2010?

I just want to see examples of people hoping to rest to hold off surgery and things actually working out that way for them.

by JBImaknee on Mar 29, 2009 2:26 PM CDT reply actions

I think the best case scenario for him

is to sign an extension with the Angels, as long as they are offering some decent money.

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Mar 29, 2009 2:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Maybe we can almost sign Lackey

Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam

by Brett Perryman on Mar 29, 2009 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions

On the real

Are you for us going hard after Lackey if he does enter FA?

"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract

by octoberty on Mar 29, 2009 5:34 PM CDT up reply actions

I've probably got to see

what happens this year. A good amount of his appeal was his durability.

Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam

by Brett Perryman on Mar 29, 2009 5:54 PM CDT up reply actions

i agree on his durability being a lot o fhis appeal

but a question, is he THAT much of a different/better than millwood?

career averages (162 games)

player A: 14-10, 34 starts, 218 IP, 220 hits, 64 bb, 174 k, 22 HR allowed, 1.311 whip

player B: 13-10, 33 starts, 206 IP, 207 hits, 62 bb, 164 k, 21 HR allowed, 1.309 whip

which player is lackey and which player is millwood?

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Mar 29, 2009 6:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Well

I don’t know how much stock you want to put in career averages, particularly when one guy is 34 and one guy is 30. And Lackey has an ERA+ 10 points higher than Millwood…remember, Millwood racked up a lot of those numbers in the N.L.

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 29, 2009 7:06 PM CDT up reply actions

and yes, the fact that lackey has done it in the AL

if, like zy said, a lot of lackey’s appeal was that he was durable…comapre those numbers

player A: lackey
player B: millwood

almost equal in everything other than IP (in favor of lackey by 12), hits (in favor of millwood by 13 – call it a wash b/c of year in AL vs NL), K (lackey by 12)

millwood has been in the majors for 12 years, lackey 7 so its not like lackey doesnt exactly have a lot of experience out there ya know?

the overall point was that when looking at stats alone (which isnt the end all of end alls, obviously) the 2 players are about the same (lackey is 10 in ERA and millwoods era is +.20ish – but other than that…)

is lackey going to be THAT much better than millwood at TBiA?

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Mar 29, 2009 7:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Those numbers inspire a

“back the fuck up” pause, don’t they?

"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008

by Rodney on Mar 29, 2009 8:01 PM CDT up reply actions