Drew Pomeranz has been sidelined due to tightness in his left forearm, but testing revealed no structural problems. (MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell was among those to report the news.) The Padres southpaw hasn’t pitched since March 9 but the team is hoping Pomeranz can return to action in the coming week. Pomeranz has dealt with his share of injury problems in the past — including a 10-day IL stint due to a shoulder strain last season — but not the sort of forearm/elbow issues that can sometimes be an ominous precursor to Tommy John surgery.
Fortunately, it seems as though Pomeranz and the Padres have avoided the worst, though it isn’t yet known if Pomeranz’s absence from spring games could require some extra ramp-up time via an injured-list stint at the beginning of the season. The left-hander’s first season in San Diego was a dominant one, as Pomeranz posted a 1.45 ERA/3.11 SIERA and a whopping 39.7K% over 18 2/3 innings in the regular season, and then four scoreless innings over five games during San Diego’s postseason run.
More from the relief pitching beat…
- Tyler Clippard didn’t retire any of seven batters faced during yesterday’s outing, and the Diamondbacks said the veteran reliever was suffering from right shoulder discomfort. “He just felt the discomfort as the inning was building,” manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and other reporters, adding that more will be known about Clippard’s condition after examinations from team trainers. Clippard signed a one-year deal worth $2.25MM in guaranteed money last month, and is expected to work as a setup man behind Joakim Soria or perhaps grab some save opportunities himself. [UPDATE: Clippard is getting an MRI on his shoulder, The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan tweets.]
- Andre Scrubb was removed from the Astros’ Grapefruit League game yesterday due to right shoulder soreness. Catcher Martin Maldonado summoned a trainer to the mound to check on Scrubb, and manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome) that Maldonado “noticed a change in his velocity.” More will be known about Scrubb’s condition after medical tests are taken, though even a brief injury setback could hurt his chances of winning a job on the Astros’ Opening Day roster. The righty made his MLB debut last season and posted a 1.90 ERA over 23 2/3 innings with Houston, but had a lot of control issues, recording almost as many walks (20) as strikeouts (24).
- After some notable bullpen departures in the offseason, the Braves might yet need to add some relief pitching at the trade deadline, though “We’re going to need some good stories there to have a deep group,” president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. With Shane Greene still unsigned and Darren O’Day and Mark Melancon now pitching elsewhere, others “all get elevated now into more important roles, so now everybody moves up a little bit.” Namely, A.J. Minter, Chris Martin, Tyler Matzek, and (perhaps most importantly) prospective closer Will Smith will all be asked to match or better their 2020 numbers. The Braves have some other interesting relief names on hand, but Anthopoulos said “we need some of these other young guys to take a step” in order to have a satisfactory amount of depth.
Glad the Giants cashed out on Pomeranz when they did. At the same time, I’m wishing him a speedy recovery.
Pomeranz as the vest LHRP in baseball is worth far more than Dubon
It’s not that simple, he wasn’t the best LHRP when they traded him. He was a failed SP who had just been converted and was showing a lot potential in the pen, but he was also a pending FA at the end of the year.
SF would have had to pay up to keep him long term like SD did, so it makes sense they wanted to get value back for him instead.
Minter, Martin, Matzek and Smith are a pretty good quartet at the back end of the pen. Though it is A bit lefty heavy so I can see why they want to add another reliever, likely an RHP.
I wouldn’t disagree but they have RHP guys. Jacob Webb is for real and Touki may actually embrace the role. Like AA said, need some good stories for them to be deep. Also wouldn’t doubt seeing either Carl Edwards Jr or Arano.
I agree, they have some RHRP with potential. They do really need someone to make good on it though and surprise.
I like the lefty side of the Braves pen, but I’d feel a lot better with one more proven righty in the fold to relieve.
Me too, but there is too much ripe pitching depth to only benefit the rotation. The trickle-down effect means some of those might actually get ML IPs and prove themselves…or be sent down when MiLB season eventually begins.
Nate Jones pitched pretty well the other day , He’s a RH RP.
I forgot about him, he’s been quietly solid (better than Arano) in the sample size, but you gotta love a guy with closing history that needs an opp.
Braves will be more than fine until the deadline. I do think at the deadline it’ll be nice to add another reliable arm
Hopefully the Angels fall off and Iglesias will be available.
Maybe the As and Rosenthal as well, though I’m less confident the As will be selling.
Craig Kimbrel, believe it or not, may be another option
The Cubs would have to eat most of Kimbre’s contract or take on Inciarte’s deal to make it work AND Craig would have to be preforming at a level that would make up for the better prospect the Cubs would want as a result of picking up the tab.
Braves need to add another bullpen arm. Just 1… Shane Greene … guy needs to just take a pay cut and come play for a contender. Apparently no one wants him
I’m sure it is likely his asking price, as alot of teams could use him…
With all of the starters we have, I think Ynoa could be a righty that could fill the void.
Nice to see @Yankee Clipper still pitching. How many more years will he pitch? I hope he can continue to pitch for the next 5 years, depending on his health of course? Good luck my friend! Lol.
Heyyyyaaaa! I can’t believe he tried to copy my name….. ugh, so tiring
@Yankee Clipper- yeah copying your name and funny to that he played for the Yankees and at one time played for the AAA Columbus Clippers.
Just three more teams to tie what I believe to be the record of 13 held by Octavio Dotel!
The Astros were not counting on a big 2021 season contribution from Andre anyway,
The team was well aware when they received him via trade from the Dodgers that he was a
SCRUBB !!
Don’t go chasing waterfalls with this one.
Drew Pomerpantz is going to break out this year!!
Of his recovery room, maybe
didnt he do that last year?
A 300 ERA+ in only 18.2 IP in 2020 will put the league on notice, but he needs to do it for the long haul. He’s definitely broken, still waiting on the out.
2013-2017 was his breakout
It’s starting to look like he won’t be ready for the first few weeks and by then I am going to bet Melancon is going to take control of the job. Kela and Pagan are way too up and down.
Odds would be to play the field on this one, but I just think it will be Melancon.
SD is a savant of creating closers. They know it and my money is on a dark horse, maybe Pagan will embrace it or Keone Kela – a sneaky good pick-up with lights-out stuff. Melancon can get outs (esp in that ballpark) without his vintage stuff, but if anyone has the stuff to run with it, it’s Kela/Pagan.
I think even if Pom was ready he wouldn’t exclusively close. They seem to like the option to use him as a LHP when it strategically lines up best against the other team’s lineup, whether that’s in the 7th, 8th, or 9th.
It seems like articles I’ve been reading about it indicate that the team wants Pagan to close for some reason, but Melancon seems like the most stable option so they’ll probably go by committee until someone performs to the point where they take over the job.
While Greene asking price is a bit to high I get the feeling he burnt a bridge with the Braves brass. It seems odd that nobody is knocking on Greene’s door either. I still think letting O’Day go was a mistake, he was relatively cheap and effective.
Since you feel its too high, please share with the rest of us what Greene’s asking price is.
LOL
Braves are a proud franchise, but it all comes down to money. Never really know of AA and his team for holding grudges until Jose Urena surfs the waiver wire.
All it would have taken to shore up the Braves’ suspect pen was $2 million – that’s what the Padres are paying Melancon.
TJ incoming
Ideally newcomb would come into his own in the pen. He has stuff. He is inconsistent. This is a big year for him to show and prove it.
Looks like Touki is the next Teheran/Faulty,
Trade him, get rid of him already
Get feeling this Padre bullpen going to be an adventure