When the Marlins placed left-hander Wei-Yin Chen on the disabled list with a tired arm last Saturday, their hope was that he’d only miss one start. Now, after Chen suffered a setback during a bullpen session Saturday, the Marlins are unsure when (or if) he’ll pitch again this year, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
Chen’s arm “just doesn’t feel right,” according to manager Don Mattingly, who added: “At this point, you feel like you really can’t count on him in the near future when it happens like this. Obviously, this is turning into more than what we thought it was going to be.”
Prior to going on the DL, Chen had been pitching through a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, though an MRI didn’t reveal any serious damage. Nevertheless, he’s now all but certain to miss significant time for the second year, which is also his second season in Miami. Chen, whom the low-payroll Marlins signed to a five-year, $80MM contract two offseasons ago, sat out two months in 2016 on account of an elbow issue. When he was on the mound, the former Oriole posted strikeout (7.3 per nine innings), walk (1.75 per nine) and ground-ball rates (40.5) in line with career norms, but his ERA ballooned from a career-best 3.34 in 2015 to a personal-worst 4.96 over 123 1/3 innings. While Chen has fared a bit better at preventing runs this year across 27 frames, his improved ERA (4.33) has come with a worse K/9 (6.67), BB/9 (3.0) and grounder rate (37.2 percent).
Given his arm troubles and on-field difficulties as a Marlin, Chen looks like a shoo-in to remain with the team past this season. Chen’s contract includes the ability to opt out of the final three years of the deal next offseason, but exiting the pact would mean leaving a guaranteed $52MM on the table.
For now, the Marlins will likely recall fellow southpaw Justin Nicolino from Triple-A to fill Chen’s void in their rotation, per Spencer.
do any of you know if he pitched in the world baseball classic? If so could this have influenced this injury?
No he didn’t.
Just get the surgery.
The Mets training staff strikes again!!
Figured someone was going to say something like that (yes, I realize Chen plays for the Marlins!) so wanted to beat them to the punch!
Money well spent… Reminds me a lot of Jeff Suppan while in Milwaukee.
Poor Marlins, they had such a bright future and all that changed after the tragic accident that took the life of their young ACE who was only 23(I think) Fernandez was such an amazing talent that you can’t just replace him. They did their best with what they had and brought in Volquez. But I think Had Fernandez not been tragically killed in that accident I think the Marlins would be in contention right now but unfortunately we will never know. This goes the same for the Royals who tragically lost their young ACE this offseason as well. He too was so good that he couldn’t just be replaced. The Royals, like the Marlins had to work with what they had and did their best they could to replace him but you don’t just find someone as young and talented as Fernandez or Ventura in FA so I think both franchises have been set back multiple years unfortunately. I Ventura was lucky enough to win a World Series but Fernandez wasn’t as lucky and would love to see those two teams fight it out in the World Series and possibly have seen those two ACEs duel it out in game 7. They will never be forgotten
Agreed with almost everything you said, except both accidents were not tragic…which was mentioned multiple time…they were avoidable due to poor choices.
Must be a real bind being so perfect and seeing the rest of us mere mortals doing things we love.