Indians right-hander Danny Salazar will undergo exploratory surgery on his bothersome right shoulder on Monday, as per a team announcement (hat tip to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian). Details on when, or if, Salazar could be back on the mound this season won’t be known until after the procedure.
Salazar first suffered shoulder problems prior to Spring Training, with an issue that was described as rotator cuff inflammation, and later diagnosed as an impingement. The injury has kept him out of action for the entire season, and after rest and a pair of plasma injections didn’t lead to any progress, it seems as though surgery was the only logical next course of action.
Today’s announcement creates fresh doubt about whether or not Salazar will see any action at all in 2018. Even if nothing serious is discovered during the procedure, he would still need several weeks to recover and build up arm strength after not pitching since February. The best-case scenario would seem to be a September return, though the Tribe would most likely deploy Salazar out of the bullpen rather than rely on him for a starter’s workload.
Cleveland has largely managed to withstand Salazar’s absence this season, as the team’s rotation ranks at or near the top of most starting pitching categories. Over the long term, however, Salazar’s future with the Tribe may now be in question due to continued injuries. This is the third straight year that Salazar has faced shoulder problems, and he also had forearm and elbow issues in 2016. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted in our last update on Salazar’s condition, the Indians could decide that Salazar is too risky a proposition to be tendered a contract in his third year of arbitration eligibility. Even after potentially missing an entire season, Salazar would still be in line for a token raise of his $5MM salary for 2018, which would be a tough fit for a payroll-conscious team like Cleveland.
Of course. Everything pitching wise is crap right now……except for Biebermania!
Bieber is overrated….just another Jaret Wright…..typical clueless Indians fan, hang onto prospects too long. That’s why you’re sorry team hasn’t won since 48
he’s stuff has looked pretty solid and has been performing well. why not get excited for a young recent draftee that blew thru the minors
Ignore Thomas. He’s a troll.
Not a troll, a realist with knowledge
Thomas is a jerkoff
and he was just drafted in 2016, were just supposed to get rid of him already in a trade?
Do some research on Jaret Wright….they could’ve got Pedro Martinez if they dealt him…..but they didn’t….same old poorly run front office
I wouldn’t worry about Kluber until we hear something official
But we still have Tomlin and McAllister…
…..because someone has to keep up the bullpen’s ERA.
The two of them and Guyer need to be gone yesterday. I think I’ve written that everywhere possible, but it needs to happen.
Roberto Perez?
dan otero?
And you’re stuck with em because the front office is terrible
Otero…check
Guyer…check
Tomlin…check
exploratory surgery. bye bye career. Especially with the fact that his speed made him appear much better than he actually is
He has a wicked slider and change up. He’s more than just a fastball pitcher.
And the same lousy front office
Why do you comment on here? You have absolutely nothing positive to say.
You just don’t like the truth. Life is tough
hard to believe someone who didn’t take the mound at all can be in line for a raise they arb. Is he still getting service time for this DL stint?
I would definitely think that he would be a non-tender candidate. If they were to bring him back next year —and that’s a big “if” given his injury woes — it would have to be an incentive laden minor league deal.
The bullpen is Salazar’s future. Given what the Indians are set to lose to FA, Salazar is worth the gamble for another year of arby.
Last place is in the Indians future too