10:50pm: Smith had the operation earlier today, tweets Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald.
9:21am: Red Sox reliever Carson Smith will require season-ending Tommy John surgery, the club has announced. It’s a big blow for Boston and the young reliever, who was acquired from the Mariners over the winter.
Smith, 26, had missed the start of the season with what was diagnosed as a flexor strain, but returned to throw 2 2/3 scoreless frames for the club. That was all, though, as he experienced elbow discomfort and was soon forced back to the disabled list. Things ultimately turned out worse than had been hoped, as a visit to Dr. David Altchek resulted in a decision to replace Smith’s ulnar collateral ligament.
Boston shipped sturdy left-handed starter Wade Miley and right-hander Jonathan Aro to Seattle to add Smith and fellow southpaw Roenis Elias, in hopes that Smith provide another high-end option at the back of the ’pen after a breakout 2015 campaign. At the time, there was no particular reason to believe that he was at much greater risk than any other pitcher. The recent study of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum put Smith at only a slightly above-average statistical risk of needing a TJ procedure.
Losing Smith for the duration of this season, and at least a good portion of next, is obviously disappointing. But it’s still quite possible for Boston to redeem value on the swap. Smith entered this season with just over one year of MLB service, so he can be kept at the league minimum next year, will cost just a shade more in 2018, and can be controlled through 2020.
Smith was supposed to join Craig Kimbrel, Koji Uehara, and Junichi Tazawa at the back of a stacked Red Sox pen. The unit still looks like a good one, and that late-inning trio is better than most, but it’s certainly possible to imagine Boston looking at relief options as the trade deadline rolls around.
Man. That’s a shame for a kid with such a good arm and the results he got.
Not a surprise with the way he throws.
Yea… Mark Prior had the “Perfect” delivery but look what happened to him. OHHH, but let me guess, it was Dusty’s fault!
One of my coaches in college actually used prior as an example of how not to pitch. He said he was too balanced throughout his delivery and didn’t let momentum help him out, putting extra stress on his arm.
Too balanced through a Del? Is he suppose be off balance? Don’t know if I’m buying that description.
He obviously meant balanced as in equal plane of motion throughout not balanced as in off balanced or unsteady.
What have the Cubs or Mark Prior done to you to invoke this outburst?
What outburst? It’s a discussion about predicting injuries. Prior is an example a a fluid, EZ delivery, looking at from the naked eye. Sensitive much??
Yeah the Dusty Baker comment really improved the conversation. No I’m not sensitive, just laughing at your defensiveness over a cubs fan pointing out Carsons’ delivery method.
Defensiveness? I could care less about Smith or The Cubs. This a forum where people share their opinion, correct? If you weren’t living in your bubble you would’ve gotten my Dusty comment. Seeing as a “GOOD” amount of Fans blame him for injuries to Prior/Wood, which total BS
That darn bubble, now that I’m out of it I see the part in the article about Mark Prior and Dusty Baker….. Don’t mind me
Well played jp08
“At the time, there was no particular reason to believe that he was at greater risk than any other pitcher. The recent study of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum put Smith at only a slightly above-average statistical risk of needing a TJ procedure.”
Isn’t this contradictory?
I did add a modifier to avoid any confusion, but the point is that he’s comfortably in the sort of middle of the road risk group. There are some guys who are extreme on one end or the other, and he wasn’t throwing up any particular red flags.
I think the study, while a nice idea and valiant effort, takes WAY too few variables into account, none of which were physiological. Both weaknesses were acknowledged, but trying to predict a specific physical injury like this is akin to trying to predict if somebody will have cancer based on how productive they have been at work and how many sick days they’ve had.
Not to take away from all the analysis that was done, but if this was a good predictor, Mr Woodward could make bundle of money consulting for teams before they dish out $200+mil contracts to ptichers
He might yet! Ha. That’s a fair assessment of it. As Brad suggested, he was pleasantly surprised even to find as much meaning as he did, but there are tons of other variable and the statistical stuff only shows so much.
Re the variables, he did look at and reject many others, but obviously it was not possible to utilize physiological factors. Certainly, any assessment of risk — whether in thinking of how to handle a player or deciding whether to sign/extend them, etc — would need to take more subjective factors into account. Plus, teams have access to tons of medical info and assessment.
Describing Wade Miley as “sturdy” is like calling the Washington Generals “reliable.”
Ha. Well, they both ate innings.
Well the Washington Generals are reliable…reliable bets to lose.
Is it crazy to entertain thoughts of swapping Swihart (blocked at catcher and being moronically transitioned to LF) for a power arm from a selling club at the deadline? I honestly dont see how Swihart helps the Red Sox long term now that Vaz is fully healthy. But if you get a power reliever with closer potential he could fill the void Uehara and Taz will create next offseason.
Swihart could get them a power arm who is going into FA but not someone with years of control. They let his value erode, should have moved him last year before he was exposed as a non-catcher.
Hindsight is 20/20 but I’d rather have Miley than having to trot out guys like Owens, O’Sullivan, etc. They’re very lucky Wright has gotten the results he has to this point, b/c that rotation is pretty concerning.
Theyre waiting for ERod to return, and have Elias in pawtucket doing well of late. Look at Mileys stats this year, in Safeco no less. I dont think Miley is any substantial upgrade over Sox other options.
I don’t realistically think Erod or Elias is a reliable option either.
Trade Swihart before he become the next Henry Owens on our team. I don’t see the fuss about Swihart
Good thing you aren’t a scout.
They made the right move with Miley. The hindsight thing would be letting Rich Hill go and not moving Buchholz when his stock was somewhat high late in the season last year.
Sox have missed that Buchholz window several times. Timing is essential – good point. Buchholz is infuriating.
This really stinks for the Red Sox.
I am surprised that, so far, there is no mention of a trade involving Boston’s scraps ( Castillo, an injured Smith or Panda) for anyone else’s solid reliever. Nice to see some restraint from those hardcore fans.
The team is winning right now without those three on the roster, so nobody even thinks twice about them. If you remember back to April, people were calling to give away Castillo and Panda for tuppence. Tuppence I tell you!
Go away
Time to check in on Fernando Rodney and his new lights out change up.
Already have one of the better BP’s in the game with Smith missing thus far. Why would they need to acquire another BP piece? Last time checked, the staff was top 5-10 (relievers) in the game, as Hembree, Ross and Barnes have all stepped it up a notch as middle relievers to help out Kimbrel, Taz and Koji in late game situations.
Tazawa broke down late last year from overuse. Koji has shown his age lately. Hembree and Barnes are unproven. And Ross is Ross. If it were early August and they were this good, maybe there’s less of a need. That said, it’s still never ever a bad thing to have a surplus of relievers for a playoff run. There’s a reason they added Smith to the current cast.
Funny there that you missed the entire point..
Taz broke down from over use last season due to Boston’s BP being awful, other than himself and Koji. This year? They are 6 deep and that’s not even counting LH specialist Layne, who has been good also.
No need to use Taz, or Koji in middle innings, much less back to back nights like they did last year so the break down situation has no reason to occur this year.
Barnes has reached velocities this year, his 1st full season where he’s been a reliever only from ST onward, unheard of for himself. He is sitting 97+ and some games? 98-99mph on his FB as he improves, should become a true weapon out of the pen.
That really is a shame, too many players are going down with this injury.
Disappointing. Smith is fun to watch, his slider is potent. Get back healthy, Carson.