The Padres have already taken a hit to their starting pitching depth after losing Cory Luebke to a second Tommy John surgery, and now right-hander Joe Wieland could suffer the same fate. Wieland is scheduled to have an MRI on his sore right elbow today, and Yahoo's Jeff Passan tweeted late last night that there's "significant concern" throughout the organization, with a re-torn UCL being the worst-case scenario. Wieland, like Luebke, spent the 2013 season recovering from 2012 Tommy John surgery. A second Tommy John surgery has become a familiar refrain around MLB of late; Daniel Hudson underwent his second Tommy John last summer, and there's a strong likelihood that Braves hurlers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy will do so as well. D'Backs lefty Patrick Corbin could be headed for his first Tommy John surgery as well.
Here are a couple of other NL-West-related items…
- The Dodgers are currently on the lookout for bench help, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who questions how the club could spent $225MM on payroll but enter the season with such a weak group of reserve players. Rival evaluators in Spring Training consider the Dodgers' bench to be the weakest in the division, says Rosenthal.
- Within that piece, Rosenthal reports that the Dodgers indicated to Mark Ellis early in the offseason that another two-year deal was a possibility. However, Ellis eventually grew weary of the Dodgers' indecisiveness, as they offered a one-year deal after signing Alexander Guerrero. Rosenthal adds that one potential scenario last summer was for the Dodgers to flip Zach Lee to the Angels for Howie Kendrick, then move Ellis to Kansas City for Luke Hochevar, but ownership nixed the Kendrick-for-Lee swap.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes that while the Rockies initially thought right-hander Jordan Lyles would need some time in the minors when they acquired him in the Dexter Fowler trade, Lyles is forcing his way into immediate rotation consideration. He's competing with Franklin Morales for the fifth starter's role, and Lyles could benefit from the fact that Morales has bullpen experience. Manager Walt Weiss told Renck that Lyles is viewed strictly as a starter, so Morales could end up in relief with Lyles in the starting five.
Maybe you guys should just start a MLBTommyJohnRumors site to keep up with all of the injuries. Such unfortunate news.
Too many young stars fallen to this all of a sudden 🙁
One time way back they blamed it on so may pitchers developing the forkball all of a sudden who weren’t used to throwing it and the stress it creates.
I have noticed several gents lately using a “short arm” motion. Nate Jones of the Chisox being the most violent looking. That causes stress.
Some of these guys could clean up the mechaincs. Hanrahan had a painful looking delivery as well. Not saying it led to his surgery, but guys could clean them up some perhaps.
Interesting comment on the Dodger bench in that versatile Elian Herrera who the Brewers claimed off waivers from the Dodgers is in the mix for a bench role in Milwaukee. Maybe the Dodgers can get him back in a trade.
Looking at depth charts, the Giants’ bench looks to project to be (correct me if I’m mistaken): Hector Sanchez, Tony Abreu, Joaquin Arias, Gregor Blanco, Ehire Adrianza, and probably Juan Perez. Is that really that much better than Federowicz, Turner, probably Figgins assuming Gordon wins the 2B job and Guerrero starts in the minors, Kemp/Ethier/Crawford/Puig, and Van Slyke?
The bench is as “good” as it was last year when they won the division by 10 games. I don’t think the Dodgers are worried about it too much. I think this bench what actually will be better with perhaps some healthy outfielders and a mix of Dee Gordon and Guerrero.
Your bench will be fine, the Cardinals bench last year was incredibly weak, and we were fine. This looks like nit picking to me, and if that is all the sportswriters can point out about the Dodgers, you are in good shape. With it seeming like every pitcher is getting TJ lately they only thing every team should be concerned about is having enough pitching.
Pitch counts continue to be monitored, yet the number arm injuries and TJ surgeries continues to mount.
I think the act of throwing a baseball the way professionals have to throw it to make the ball do what it has to do to keep a batter from mashing it is never going to be a ‘safe’ thing for the pitcher. Attrition is the cost of doing business.
I find the repeat TJ numbers this season to be alarming. Is there a problem with the procedure? The rehab? The player not being truthful about discomfort or not being able to tell the difference between discomfort and injured? Has the past success of the procedure led to complacency with training/rehab of the injury?
Is it just a fluke that seemingly so many need to repeat the procedure so soon? Rehabbing from TJ surgery is a grueling and painful process. But to do it TWICE???
mrsjohnmiltonrocks
For sure it’s an unnatural motion, but our increasing pitcher care does not seem to extend arm life. Sure, pitchers blew out in the old days…but there were countless numbers capable of tossing 300 innings.
Nope, all of the care in the world seems to not make a difference in pitching injuries.
We need robots.
They didn’t throw anywhere near as hard. Pitchers today are bigger stronger, and put a LOT more stress on their arms than they used to. Heck, sliders didn’t even become a thing until the 60’s.
There have been hard throwers and junk ballers throughout baseball history. I do believe that pitchers today might be wired muscularly tighter… we see fewer “country strong” pitchers. I’m not sure what you mean by they didn’t throw as hard? Bob Feller threw 103. Walter Johnson… many others. You mention the slider… it was also replacing the high torque screwball
The Ellis story doesn’t make a lot of sense. Why would the Dodgers decline his option and then try to negotiate a one-year contract with him?
Probably thought they could get him cheaper than the option – $5.75 million. Considering he signed for $5.25 million in St. Louis, maybe they could have saved a few bucks, but not much.
Probably nothing, or even more, after paying to decline the option. Wasn’t that $1M? Something about this story doesn’t add up, literally.
Yeah who knows. Maybe he asked for a two-year deal and the Dodgers balked at that.
Honestly I don’t think we’re going to miss Mark Ellis very much. At this point in his career he seems replaceable to me.
San Diego has reached the point to where if I’m a pitcher I want to stay away from there, your pretty much bound for Tommy John. Every pitcher is a ticking time bomb.
Some pitchers are likely simply physiologically prone to certain injuries regardless of training regimen. They are the reverse to the Nolan Ryan type that seem to defy science.
i would be looking at the way pitchers train or throw. over 30% of active pitchers have torn ulc. i think thats something to look into