The Padres will shut starting pitcher Josh Johnson down for 10 days to two weeks with a strained flexor, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Johnson will be out for at least four weeks. It must be a frustrating injury for Johnson, who only started 16 games last season. While the injury doesn't appear to threaten a huge portion of the season, the Padres can feel grateful for an option they built into Johnson's contract — if Johnson starts fewer than seven games this season, the Padres get a $4MM option on his services for 2015. Here are more notes on pitchers.
- Another Padres pitcher, Joe Wieland, will have minor surgery to address irritation in his elbow, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. He is expected to be back by the All-Star Break. Wieland spent last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
- The Rangers are facing a decision on Tommy Hanson, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes. Hanson has a split contract that calls for him to receive $2MM guaranteed in the Majors and less than that in the minors. If the Rangers don't option him by Wednesday, they'll be on the hook for the entire $2MM, but if they do option him, he can opt out and become a free agent. The Rangers are trying to figure out what to do in their rotation after Yu Darvish, Martin Perez and Tanner Scheppers.
Schepper’s with virtually no starting experience as a pro may be tough getting him built up with a pitch count also. Texas is probably going to have to carry 7 relievers and then possibly shuttle 1-2 back and forth to AAA if the #4-5 have innings issues.
Do not know of a team that does not carry 7 relievers, should be no need to shuttle anyone back and forth, because the 5th starter will not even be prevalent until end of 2nd week or start of 3rd, because of off days. The #4 stater will probably be Ross and #5 will probably be Saunders with Hanson as the long man
Padres are cursed at the moment. Although an injury to Josh Johnson should never be considered bad luck — or luck of any kind, really.
The guy most likely to hit the DL this year is hitting the DL. You’re absolutely correct — zero luck involved with that.
Please put Hanson in your rotation.
– An Angels Fan
Regardless of Texas’ offense. Their rotation is not championship caliber.
I don’t really think the offense is championship caliber either. They only have two real power bats and the last half of the lineup has each hitter averaging an OPS of less than .750.
If they can tread water it will be come the All-Star break. Darvish, Holland, Harrison, Perez is a top 4 I would take any day. If Lewis can come back strong they will be tough to beat.
HOW have the Strength and Conditioning coaches not been fired yet?!?
As a Padres fan, three years of numerous pitchers having serious injuries is simply unacceptable.
Josh Johnson getting injured is inevitable. No fault of the Friars.
He’s pretty brittle, I realise that. But all those other pitchers? Come on.
Calling it a “curse” just lets people off the hook.
A bunch of the Jays fringe 5th starters are better than Hanson. Maybe a deal could be done with a Happ or Redmond, RP and prospect to get Odor. I know it seems like a huge lowball but depending on the prospect it may not be. And the biggest factor in a trade is that Odor is going to be blocked for a long time.
I guess this means Erlin or Smith will get a shot at making the rotation.