It has not been the best start for some MLB teams who have players suffering from injuries, and Tommy John Surgery seems to be at an all time high affecting clubs around the league. Here’s a look at some injuries that are derailing teams early on.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are off to a slow 4-14 start as their starting rotation is missing Patrick Corbin. Corbin will mis the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery. He put up great numbers last year and was a big part of the DBacks success. He went 14-8 with a 3.41 ERA. Corbin was their ace, and without him they’re going to continue to have trouble this season.
Luke Hochevar, who is also out for the year due to Tommy John, will be missed in the Kansas City Royals bullpen as well. The Royals surprised some people last year and were expected to continue that success this year, however they are in last place in the AL Central with their 5-7 record. Last season, he was 5-2 with a 1.92 ERA.
New York Mets star, Matt Harvey, also underwent Tommy John surgery after a breakout season. The starting pitcher was 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA last year. The Mets are currently 8-7 and sit in third place of the NL East.
The most recent case of Tommy John’s goes to Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Rays. The 24-year-old started two games this season while posting a 2.70 ERA. Tampa Bay is in the very difficult AL East, and the loss of Moore will impact the team moving forward. Currently they have a 7-8 record and are in third place.
Oakland A’s starter Jarrod Parker also underwent season ending Tommy John surgery, and A.J. Griffin is out with tendinitis. Griffin is expected to be back sometime in May, but fortunately for the A’s they had plenty of pitching depth to prepare for injury. The A’s have also managed to stay atop the AL West behind their current rotation.
Onto some injuries that aren’t season ending; Josh Hamilton of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim suffered a thumb injury and will be out until mid-May. The Angels have not made the playoffs in four seasons, despite signing some of the leagues top free agents. The Angels are in fourth place of the AL West, but luckily for them, Hamilton is expected to return and they could use his power bat in the lineup.
Seattle Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma has been missed in the starting rotation with a strained tendon in his middle finger. Last year Iwakuma was a force alongside Felix Hernandez in the M’s rotation. He went 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA. Seattle is off to a hot 7-6 start, with the opportunity to surprise. Their rotation has struggled when Hernandez isn’t pitching, but when Iwakuma is able to join the club, they’ll be even better.
Unfortunately its been a bad season for injuries with several players having to undergo season ending surgery. That being said, some of these clubs have depth on their rosters with guys who can step up and take their place.