Angels manager Mike Scioscia announced to reporters today that Tyler Skaggs underwent successful Tommy John surgery this afternoon. News of Skaggs’ injury first broke on Sunday afternoon. While the Halos have yet to make a move to address the void in their rotation, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make some kind of waiver transaction in the next two to three weeks. Skaggs is expected to be out until 2016, Scioscia said on Sunday.
Here’s more on some injury notes from around the league…
- The Rangers announced tonight that ace Yu Darvish has been placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to Sunday) due to inflammation in his right elbow. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes that Darvish will undergo further testing in the next day or two. Darvish apparently felt tightness when playing catch on Monday, and the discomfort failed to dissipate prior to a scheduled bullpen session on Tuesday. GM Jon Daniels tells reporters, including Grant (Twitter link), that doctors do not believe there is any ligament damage in the elbow. Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest tweets that team doctor Keith Meister feels that Darvish may be suffering from pronator flexor tendinitis. Darvish will undergo an MRI tomorrow, and in the meantime, the Rangers have selected the contract of right-hander Alex Claudio to take his roster spot. Daniels says the team is hopeful that Darvish will only miss two starts.
- Injured Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka threw fastballs from flat ground today — a step forward from playing catch — tweets MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Tanaka feels that he still has a chance to pitch in a Major League game again this season. Skipper Joe Girardi told reporters, including Brendan Prunty of the Star-Ledger, that the team also has hope that Tanaka is not lost for the year.
- Yet another pitcher has fallen prey to the Tommy John scourge, as Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times tweets that Dodgers righty Stephen Fife will undergo the procedure. Fife, who started 10 games for the Dodgers last year and one this season, has a 3.66 ERA in 91 Major League innings over the past three seasons. It seems likely that the 27-year-old would miss most, if not all of the 2015 campaign.
I wonder if there is anything MLB can do about all these TJ injuries. Keeps getting worse each year, it seems.
Nolan Ryan curse.
MLB should make a DL list for tommy John injuried players. in which the team paying the player that requires tommy John surgery, has his salary off the books for the time he is disabled.
when you hurt yourself on the job, you get paid leave. This is no different.
I think that’s illegal. You can’t just dock pay for an injury on the job. Plus, he’s under contract. So unless there’s an injury clause, players (workers) who suffer this injury and have to undergo surgery are entitled to compensation and benefits provided by their respective organizations (employers). But insurance also comes into play here.
I’m assuming (possibly a bad assumption) that the OP meant that the player’s salary is off the books for luxury tax purposes and nothing more.
Ii meant that the player that got TJ would still get paid his salary, but that money would go off payroll kind of like the NBA does its amnesty rule.
go off payroll? money doesn’t grow on trees
So I guess I am chopping down a tree tonight…Thanks.
Fingers crossed for Darvish. Heck, fingers crossed for all mlb pitchers. There is no end in sight for TJ surgeries. SMH
Claudio is actually a lefty…