Cliff Lee placed on 60-day disabled list, will attempt to rehab elbow injury
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee will attempt to rehab his elbow injury for the third time, the team announced Monday.
The club issued a statement, saying Lee will be placed on the 60-day disabled list with a forearm strain, but will not have surgery. This is the same injury Lee attempted to rehabilitate twice last season. Those attempts were unsuccessful, leading Lee to complain of elbow discomfort again this spring.
Surgery has actually been recommended, but it would end Lee’s season. The team has opted for rehab so that there’s at least a chance Lee will be able to return and pitch in 2015. For now, the 36-year-old will be sent home in order to set up his rehab schedule and stay in shape. He’ll be brought to Philadelphia periodically for evaluation. Those visits will determine when Lee will be allowed to start a throwing program.
Lee was limited to just 13 starts last season due to similar arm woes. After throwing at least 200 innings in six straight seasons, Lee tossed just 81 1/3 in 2014. His numbers, while not up to his usual standards, were still solid, as Lee posted a 3.65 ERA.
Lee has said surgery would likely end his career, which is why the lefty likely opted for rehab again. Lee has a $27.5 million team option for next season, but that’s unlikely to get picked up. The club can buy him out for $12.5 million, which would put him back on the free-agent market. By opting for rehab over surgery, Lee seems to indicate that this will be his final season, whether he can return or not.
The Phillies are projected to be one of the worst teams in the majors this season, so the injury doesn’t have a big impact on the club from a competitive standpoint. Lee, however, likely would have drawn interest around the trade deadline if he had been healthy and was performing up to his usual standards.
The Phillies farm system doesn’t rate all that high according to prospect analysts, and Lee was one of the players the team could have used to bring in some young talent. With Lee being sidelined for a significant amount of time, the club will have to rely on Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon in order to restock their system.
The team’s woes pale in comparison to what Lee is currently experiencing. His exceptional career is likely over due to an elbow injury. While he realizes that, he’s still going to try to get back on the mound one more time. Injuries shouldn’t dictate whether a player has to hang up his cleats, but that’s the sad reality of the game.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
