Geoff Baker reported earlier that Cliff Lee took a flight back to Seattle. Larry Stone tells us why:
Mystery solved: Cliff Lee has a right lower abdominal strain and was treated in Seattle today by team doctor Edward Khalfayan.
...
Lee underwent ultra-sound and was given platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection. He'll be re-evaluated in seven days.
On its own, this isn't horrible news. But then you go to the online injury tool and plug in "Cliff Lee" and get some unpleasant results. In 2003, Lee strained his right abdomen in camp and missed a bunch of time, only making 23 starts on the year between AAA and the bigs. Then, in 2007, Lee again strained his right abdomen in camp and missed most of April. That's a history, and when there's a history, one becomes worried.
PRP is promising, as it seems to have worked well on other injuries to other players, but this is both disappointing and ominous. Not only will Lee miss time now - these sorts of injuries also have a nasty tendency to linger, which, yeah. Welcome back, baseball!
I'm guessing this will probably stretch into the season. What a day.
-----
Hilarious* update: Stone says the team believes Lee got hurt in his home plate collision with Chris Snyder.
*not hilarious
0 recs | 80 comments
The Itchy and Scrappy Show??
FML
PositivePaul - March 19, 2010
Hi Jarrod!
Hey it’s me Jack Z! What’s up man! We should go get some nachos real soon…
moyerLIVES - March 19, 2010
Be careful what you wish for
I wouldn’t be surprised if Z actually did make an “exploratory” phone call.
The upside of such a move, however, is that when Lee is healthy (and especially when Bedard is), they can turn Wash into a reliever.
wandergeist - March 19, 2010
Beat me to it!
I had just written a reply to Jeff’s post before scrolling up to see if anyone else mentioned the “Jarrod can cover for him and then relief” angle…
Besides, at this point I think I’d trust Washburn more than 3/4 of the rest of April’s rotation.
katal - March 19, 2010
He'd still need to get stretched out though
At this point he wouldn’t be ready by opening day either.
OlSalty - March 19, 2010
Fiddlesticks.
marc w - March 19, 2010
If he's out for any signficant time, the season is done.
Graham MacAree - March 19, 2010
That's the spirit!
DrunkAmerican - March 19, 2010
Graham is getting is French on
(The country, not the pitcher)
wandergeist - March 19, 2010
You must be Ralphie.
abender20 - March 19, 2010
Oh Hamburgers.
appleshampoo - March 19, 2010
So I guess the lesson is that Seattle just shouldn't trade for ace pitchers?
katal - March 19, 2010
Was thinking of a way to say this.
Ugh, it’s all too true.
Wilder. - March 19, 2010
Your time to shine, Ian Snell.
And RRS. And Jason Vargas. And… ah shit.
Wilder. - March 19, 2010
.
OlSalty - March 19, 2010
This has not been a good week for Seattle sports news.
Wilder. - March 19, 2010
So close, Jeff. So close.
A Thought
Matthew - March 19, 2010
Coincidence? Or...
Jeff Sullivan - March 19, 2010
...something darker? (Why does Jeff hate Cliff Lee's obliques?)
The obvious conclusion: Jeff needs to stop having Thoughts.
wandergeist - March 19, 2010
The floor is gone again
.Taylor - March 19, 2010
.
Eyeball Kid - March 19, 2010
Heh.
Larry tweets:
BrianL - March 19, 2010
Maybe this explains the wild pitches.
Boz86 - March 19, 2010
And why Lee was pissed at Snyder.
Wilder. - March 19, 2010
I'm pissed at Synder.
I’m guessing Snyder still firmly believes that as the on-deck batter, he had right of way over the pitcher covering the plate.
msb - March 19, 2010
In all fairness, Chris Snyder should really be strung up by the balls with piano wire
lemonverbena - March 19, 2010
Oh wait, he doesn't have any.
Mariner John - March 19, 2010
Lee is faking this just to provide "evidence" that he didn't intentionally throw at Snyder
thus allowing him to reduce his suspension on appeal.
Brilliant!
Matthew - March 19, 2010
Devious!
I like it. But as much as I love Jack, I don’t think his middle name is Machiavelli
wandergeist - March 19, 2010
Ugh.
That term has been bastardized to all hell. Not all forms of deceit or cunning are Machiavellian.
Matthew - March 19, 2010
Machiavelli wrote The Prince to be ironic!
katal - March 19, 2010
I think he meant the rapper
Bearskin Rugburn - March 22, 2010
Definately my first thought
Rudy4three - March 19, 2010
New Public Enemy #1
Join the crew of Carlos Beltran, JD Drew, Wilson Betemit, Player A, and..uh…Nick Markakis? Okay, no one cared about Wash’s one-hitter.
appleshampoo - March 19, 2010
Fuck you. I cared.
It was a near perfect game.
Matthew - March 19, 2010
Actually, I did too, I was lucky enough to be there for that one
But it seemed to be subsequently marginalized by a lot of people.
appleshampoo - March 19, 2010
Because we all knew Jarrod's success was a mirage.
That said, the game was damn fun to be at.
katal - March 19, 2010
Enemies
Don’t forget Bill Spiers who ran over Dave Valle’s leg on a “slide” (he didn’t slide…just stepped right on the leg) at home plate.
Or Tony Phillips who intentionally “entangled” Carlos Guillen though probably didn’t intend to hurt him…it was still a dick move.
I believe I was at both games, as well as the Manzanillo liner to the junk game and the A-Rod gets knocked stupid by Joey Cora’s brother game. I’m not good luck.
short - March 19, 2010
Should have linked to this picture of A-rod
post-collision…priceless
short - March 19, 2010
Amazing
Jeff Sullivan - March 19, 2010
I still hate Tony Phillips for that.
Two Rs and Two Ls - March 19, 2010
Cliff Freaking Lee?
Go fuck yourself, spring training.
lemonverbena - March 19, 2010
Why do players "collide" in Spring Training??
And why does the promised “1-2 punch” always end up being to my balls?
short - March 19, 2010
Because an ass doesn't watch what is going on?
msb - March 19, 2010
Missed this collision
So Snyder was on deck and ran into / was run into by Cliff? I’m surprised Wak wasn’t the one who threw at his head.
short - March 19, 2010
Snyder decided that he had to get over by the bag to tell his runner to get down into a slide, colliding with Lee who was running around the bag to back up home as he is supposed to.
msb - March 19, 2010
Incredible...
short - March 19, 2010
Snyder can go to hell by himself
Sam Regens - March 19, 2010
Okay we could use the annual ST injury to a major Angel now.
BrianL - March 19, 2010
Shannon on 710
She mentions the two other times he strained the same area, and hopes that (with his experience of the previous strains) his finishing the game and taking a bullpen indicates that it is not as serious as it has in the past. Her worry is that he is already so far behind this spring, and now will lose more pitching time— maybe get one more game in before spring ends, best case scenario
She is wondering (and stresses this is only her speculating) if he might have to go on the DL, take the suspension after that, and then get back up to speed for a very cautious team— and if they’ll be taking more looks at the 3-5th starters and maybe even look outside if there will be a two week absence at the start of the season
msb - March 19, 2010
I had forgotten that he threw in the bullpen after the ejection.
I suppose that’s encouraging.
BrianL - March 19, 2010
If he goes on the disabled list that should make the suspension a moot point.
You take him off the disabled list five days before he is ready to pitch and let him sit out his suspension for those five days. Then start him on the day you originally planned.
Droid Rage - March 20, 2010
Or wouldn't he be able to serve the suspension and then be put on the DL?
seattle_since_81 - March 20, 2010
From Philly:
What the hell did you guys do to him? He was fine when he left…
But in all seriousness, I kind of wished he was traded somewhere closer, that way I wouldn’t have to stay up so damn late just to watch him pitch. Yes, I know we have Halladay, but I’m never going to forget that Game 1 performance.
OuttaHere - March 19, 2010
Hm, time to sign Jarrod Washburn if you can get him super cheap?
I didn’t want Washburn before, but he’s been an interesting pickup the past few weeks and with this it makes a little more sense.
200tang - March 19, 2010
Oh my god we ARE turning into the Angels.
Our ace pitchers are going down but which is bad but we’re going to somehow win the division.
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2009/3/26/811626/it-s-happening-again
Slurvey - March 19, 2010
Once again...
Son of a bitch.
SeaKoala - March 19, 2010
You just got Washburned!
Janic - March 19, 2010
I'm too stunned to even be upset.
InSpokane - March 19, 2010
So, let me get this straight.
Snyder interferes with a play he had no business in.
He causes an injury in said interference.
He walks towards the mound after a near miss.
And Cliff Lee gets suspended, and might miss a significant amount of time due to injury.
Great job, MLB. Real top notch work.
JAH - March 19, 2010
Dear Chris Snyder
Please die.
xoxo
I Lick Squirrels - March 19, 2010
I hope he has a nasty encounter with some bot fly larvae.
Eyeball Kid - March 19, 2010
The bad news keeps coming.
Doug Fister was hit by a line drive in the forearm of his pitching arm and left the game. According to Baker, of course.
And Bradley ejected again.
Pretty disastrous news today all told.
Slica - March 19, 2010
Yup.
AAA umpire Jon Merry, behind home plate, calls a very high, very wide pitch a strike after Bradley starts down the line on what he (and everyone else) believes is ball four. Bradley apparently says something en route to the dugout, and is tossed.
And someone named Stubbs just hit an inside the park home-run off Guti & Ichiro.
msb - March 19, 2010
Drew Stubbs perhaps?
JY - March 19, 2010
Why, yes!
msb - March 19, 2010
#8 overall pick in the '06 draft.
Some people were talking about him in the early goings as a possible link to the Mariners before all the other picks we now know developed.
JY - March 19, 2010
Apparently he was very speedy.
msb - March 19, 2010
I think I like Bradley even more every time this happens
lemonverbena - March 20, 2010
You know, me too
royalcurve - March 20, 2010
It certainly makes it easier to get on
The “even if you’re paranoid it doesn’t mean everybody’s not out to get you” train.
wandergeist - March 20, 2010
Why do we ever get fucking excited?
We’re a fan of a Seattle sports team. We’re doomed to be fucked, always and forever. Can someone please launch Snyder into space?
OceanBird - March 20, 2010
Stupid Chicago
Wah wah wah…We haven’t won a world series in over one-hundred years. Cry me a river. We’ve never won a world series.
SeaKoala - March 20, 2010
Plus if we're talking cities
The White Sox* won in the past decade. The Bears have won a Superbowl. The Bulls won a bunch of, well, whatever they win in basketball. The only (men’s) pro team to ever win anything in Seattle has left town. Seattle may be on the Stanley Cup but that team doesn’t exist anymore either, and Chicago has the Black Hawks.
…* Yeah, I know, south side, north side, and never the twain shall meet. Fuck that — it’s like that Star Trek episode with the half-black/half-white aliens. They may see the distinction, but normal people don’t. They’re all Chicago sports fans. “Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son…” but in Chicago it’s a proud birthright.
wandergeist - March 20, 2010
Boy you sure do talk about how terrible fat people are a lot.
Also, I’m pretty sure most sports fans see a distinction between White Sox fans and Cubs fans.
Aaron Campeau - March 20, 2010
Yeah, I don't mind White Sox fans
but I’m not a huge Cub’s fans fan. And I was just talking about Cubs fans when I said stupid Chicago, but yeah, they win stuff. We don’t.
SeaKoala - March 20, 2010
To be positive...
Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Junior, Ichiro Suzuki, and Randy Johnson were all Mariners for the majority of their career.
The best a winning franchise such as the Angels can do is Nolan Ryan, and he shuns them.
OceanBird - March 20, 2010
See Snyder, this is why Miguel Montero will always be better than you.
Goose - March 20, 2010
Do we have any scrub pitchers left that we can go headhunting with?
Graham MacAree - March 20, 2010
This could screw up the beginning of the season even more than just the start or two that Lee may miss.
The whole basis for the six man bullpen was that with Felix and Lee, they would not need a lot of relief help on two out of every five starts. If one of the five inning starters is taking Lee’s spot, that theory goes out the window. If they have to add a seventh man to the bullpen, the bench they are trying to put together is going to be in dis-array.
Droid Rage - March 20, 2010
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Lookout Landing to post a comment.