4:25pm: Freeland told the Colorado beat that the injury is unrelated to the home plate collision (X link via Patrick Lyons). There’s no timetable for his return. The southpaw went for imaging but said he doesn’t expect it’ll reveal any ligament damage.
3:20pm: The Rockies announced that left-hander Kyle Freeland has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow strain, retroactive to April 16. Right-hander Noah Davis has been recalled in a corresponding move.
Freeland, 31 next month, is having a rough start to his season, having allowed 23 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings over his first four starts. Most recently, he was the subject of attention for a non-pitching appearance he made. After Freeland had started Sunday’s game, he entered Monday’s contest as a pinch runner.
Catcher Elias Díaz doubled with two outs in the top of the ninth, with the Rockies tied with the Phillies at the time. Freeland ran for Díaz and went to third on a wild pitch, then later tried to score on yet another wild pitch. But as he slid into home, he collided with pitcher Jeff Hoffman, who was receiving the ball from catcher J.T. Realmuto and attempting to make a tag. Freeland was ruled out and was visibly hurt on the play, grabbing at his non-throwing shoulder (Video via MLB.com).
After the game, manager Bud Black said that Freeland was fine, per Luke Zahlmann of the Denver Gazette. Black later explained to MLB Network Radio that a stomach virus was going around the club and a couple of guys on the team were not even present at the ballpark, meaning there was essentially no position player bench to draw from, which is why Freeland was tapped for the unusual assignment.
That injury was to Freeland’s right shoulder and today’s is a strain of his left elbow. The team has not commented on today’s injury announcement, though Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says they’re unrelated.
Whether there’s any connection to the pinch-running situation or not, it’s bad news for the Rockies either way. They have started the season 4-15 and Freeland’s injury will further thin out a pitching staff that is arguably the worst in baseball. Collectively, Colorado pitchers have a 6.01 ERA, highest in the league. The Astros are 29th at 5.24 and will likely see some stabilization now that Justin Verlander is coming off the injured list, thus bumping everyone else down a peg.
The Rockies play in a very hitter-friendly setting but it’s still been bleak. As of a few years ago, the Colorado rotation was anchored by Freeland, Antonio Senzatela and Germán Márquez, with the Rockies signing extensions with all three of those pitchers. But the latter two both required Tommy John surgery last summer, leaving Freeland as the only member of that trio left standing.
As mentioned, Freeland wasn’t out to a great start, but in a tiny sample size. Over his entire career, he has a 4.53 earned run average despite pitching half his games at Coors Field. The Rockies gave him a five-year, $64.5MM extension going into the 2022 season. To this point, it’s unclear if Freeland is facing a significant absence, but the fact that he has an elbow strain will at least lead to some worry that yet another pitcher will be going under the knife. Even if that doesn’t come to pass, the Rockies will nonetheless be proceeding without any of their core starters for the next few weeks at least.
Davis was starting in the minors so perhaps he will step in Freeland’s rotation spot for the time being alongside Cal Quantrill, Dakota Hudson, Austin Gomber and Ryan Feltner. The club will presumably provide more details about Freeland’s prognosis, either before or after tonight’s game.
I guess you can’t blame the high velocity, given he tops out at 91. Maybe the spin? Or just a combo of throwing at his max effort and spin?
What about the guys who have lower velo and not high spin though?
Which guys do you speak of? Zack Greinke?
Josiah Gray; Shane Bieber; Robbie Ray, just to name a few with below average FB and average-to-below average spin. Then you have others that have below average in one category or the other.
I’m sure there are others, but I think it’s more than the velo/spin causing these injuries.
Also, Sawyer Gipson-Long can be added to the list of below Avg FB and spin rate to have surgery….
Sorry, forgot the obvious one: Kyle Freeland also.
Do you have something specific in mind causing it for them? Or just pondering aloud?
No, definitely just exploring possibilities. My current assertion is that neither side has enough to say it is, or is not, a specific issue. My personal opinion (which has no objective, data-driven basis) is that it is a combination of everything.
I just see so many dismissing the clock’s potential impact outright because of no specific correlation, while then making the most general claims about velo and spin rate.
An example is this: “Kids today throw harder than ever before.” Or, “Kids today throw more breaking balls at younger ages.” Or even, “it’s the max effort.” These are not provable statements in the context of specific injuries – they are relative, general assertions.
The issue I have with that narrative is not because I feel it lacks plausibility, because it certainly is plausible; rather it is that there is equally no data proving correlation with those general statement claims because there has been no controlled studies (for the obvious reasons).
My overall point is that if we say the pitch clock isn’t the problem because of no direct correlation, how can we then believe it is velo and spin rate when there is also no direct correlation?
A lot of the pitchers in the past that threw multiple complete games also participated in quicker games as has been proven by the length of game increasing over the years. Mark Buehrle was mostly healthy his whole career and actually averaged quicker release time than the current clock. If rushing pitchers with a clock is an issue, we should have seen this in early years. The problem is that pitchers don’t understand how to pitch and perform like it’s a marathon season but I don’t blame them as much because the market pays for velocity.
Although I don’t disagree with your general principle, I think we can easily test whether the clock has an impact. But to your point, That’s exactly why I think it’s a combination of the variables. I believe velo, spin, torque, overuse, AND lack of recovery between max effort throws are all contributing factors. I think it’s a mistake fr MLB to eliminate a very real potential contributing factor.
@YC Fair enough. I would agree that it seems difficult to nail something down at the moment. And I think we can all agree that the injuries have increased at an alarming rate. Hope they can get it figured out.
Actually he has been hitting 95 on his fastball this spring.
Only the Rockies
You obviously have not been paying attention if you think pitching injuries is “only the Rockies.” But thanks for playing.
Lol he got hurt sliding into home but nice burn
He didn’t get injured sliding into home plate. The part he was holding in pain during the slide was his right shoulder. He was no longer in pain while the play was still under review. He ran out of the dugout to argue with the umps after the Rox lost the review. Three days later, his left elbow hurts. I guess you could find a correlation there if you really want to, but you can also find a correlation between crop circles and alien invaders if you really want to. Me? I’ll just go with Occam;s razor and take the easy explanation.
Guy Injured himself pinch running on a play at the plate. Brutal.
Rockies needed that run! Tied with 4-15 Marlins! With 4 wins they are only one game ahead of 3-15 White Sox! Call out to the bullpen to see who’s available to pinch run tonight, and see if any of them can hit!!
No he didn’t. The injury is not even to the same side. It was his right shoulder that he was holding on the slide. This is talking about his left elbow. He came back out from the clubhouse, no longer in pain, while the play was still under review. He was well enough that he went after the umps arguing. He was not hurt on the play at all.
Maybe it’s not a good idea to pinch run a guy who hasn’t run the bases in 3 years. Good job Bud!
Did you read the article?
Breaking: MLB places all pitchers on the IL. Batters to hit off a tee.
Pitching machines aimed and fed by whichever injured starter would have started that given game.
If we’re going to do a test run or just go live, I vote we start with the White Sox, the games would be more entertaining with a fan every home game pitching an inning or two or three…
I like that idea!
No more ridiculous than having position players come in to pitch tossing 70 mph fastballs and making a mockery of the sport.
I do love to see pitchers run the bases, but I suppose this is the logical outcome.
Why not expand rosters to allow each team 150 pitchers? Each guy throws one pitch each and then maybe they’ll be about to stay healthy
the best thing kyle freeland can do for the rockies is go on the DL and stay there
Not a problem. Holes in the rotation improve the Rockies odds to land the first pick in the Draft Lottery.
Hey now White Sox are in play too, and if I’m going to suffer through a tryouts season than I want dibs on the first round pick.
Pitch Clock strikes again.