@MarkBermanFox26 @LMcCullers43 says his right elbow is "a lot better..we're going 2make the push,try to come back this year" #Astros
I was thinking the same thing. Not that I know what his medicals are, but seems like he should shut it down. Is it worth risking at this point?
The first quote directly prevents ability to ponder the 2nd. It could be clear (a la Steve Matz, bone spur / no damage by pitching further, if he can stand the pain), or unclear, where they're not sure exactly what's going on or what the potential for further injury is. Just gotta wait on the info..
Like we all think about, is he delaying the inevitable surgery? And then miss a year? Then the move to the pen? Will he go play with Roy O's tractor battery? A) then B) or C)? Maybe D)? I have no idea.
It just strikes me as weird that we've gotten no updates at all on what the injury is or an estimated time from the Astros. And then we hear he's going to TRY to come back this year, which suggests a multi-month injury that we have no info on? All seems a bit weird.
I don't think they will bring lance back unless it's into September and we are in the thick of it for the playoffs . He is such a weapon to have in a series of there is only a minor risk of making his arm worse the present value of what he can offer is just worth too much . All the talk about he is too big of a part of our future to risk is a bit incorrect . It's clear at this point a smart organization shouldn't be relying on McCullers long term and slot him into the rotation for the next decade . Especially if his arm troubles this year are indicative of the future . That just goes for pitchers in general . In not saying throw him out there regardless of increasing the injury severity/risk ... But there will be a calculation involved. If McCullers is on his combination of stuff is the best on the team and one of the best in the league . Last year in the postseason I think he was our best pitcher , but maybe my memory is wrong .
Yeah I agree. I just wish we knew exactly what the issue is. Silence is usually not the best of things regarding injuries. Hoping for the best, of course.
A couple of weeks ago, Luhnow was being interviewed and said off-handed that they do hope to get to the playoffs, and that would be exciting because there would be a possibility that LMJ would then be back. I didn't think much of it at the time... Thought he may have just misspoke and meant that LMJ would have spurred them to the playoffs... But Luhnow doesn't often miss-speak. As far as the injury goes... If it was surgical, they would have already done it. They've never been shy about being ultra cautious with him. Even the non-descript injury that made him miss the first several weeks wasn't all that clear.
Or it could be surgical but considering he'd be out the rest of the season they'd rather try to rehab it first.
That would most likely be the case with a minor or partial tear of a ligament. If that is what this is...the re-injury rate is quite high, and I'm not sure it would be the best for anybody in the short or long term. Shoulder injuries are one thing. Elbow injuries are usually more cut/dry (literally). I do wonder why no media member had pressed them in their lack of transparency.
All he's saying is that they are going to test the elbow. If it were a TMJ situation, further rest will just delay the inevitable. However, if it's really just a strain, then the rest might have worked. Of course, if the Astros continue to scuffle through the rest of the month and fall further back, he'll get shutdown (Musgrove likely will as well) and we'll let September call ups carry the team home.
Strain usually indicates a partial tear. It can heal itself, and it will feel better when the inflammation dies down... but it says nothing about the future longevity or strength of the ligament itself. Honestly, I don't mind either approach... he's young enough that they could give it a go via rest, and if he ultimately requires the full surgery + a year out, he'd still only be 23-24 (and not sure how the service time works when he's out this much... I presume it still counts).