Another Injury Clips Escobar's Wings

February 21, 2008 @ 21:59:11

By Tim Piotrowski
Edited by Tim Heaney

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starting pitcher Kelvim Escobar (shoulder) was supposed to enter the 2008 season as the No. 2 pitcher in the rotation, but the ever-present injury bug came and bit him again. The Angels recently said that Escobar will likely miss all of April because of soreness in his throwing shoulder.

Feeling the Pain

The injury occurred when he was participating in his offseason conditioning. During his training, he felt discomfort in his shoulder and stopped working out. He underwent an MRI, and it showed no significant damage in his shoulder. He has been rehabbing for several weeks but still says the shoulder is sore and painful.

Currently, he is doing minimal shoulder work and the rest of his rehab while trying to maintain his leg and core strength. Escobar said he hopes to start a throwing program in three or four weeks. If everything goes well for Escobar, he could return to the rotation sometime in May.

Extensive History

Escobar is no stranger to injuries. He was able to overcome back and shoulder injuries last season to put up some very impressive stats. He went 18-7 with an outstanding 3.40 ERA, which ranked 16th in the majors in 2007. He struck out 160 batters last season and only gave up 60 walks, which is a ratio any manager or fantasy owner can live with. He allowed only 11 home runs and started 30 games for the second consecutive yea. He brought hope to many owners that thought he would be able to stay relatively healthy this season.

In the 2004 season, he had difficulties with a split fingernail and a blister on his pitching hand, both of which can greatly affect pitchers. The big problem came the next season. Escobar was limited to only seven starts because of bone spurs and bone chips in his elbow, along with other arm and shoulder injuries. He reemerged near the end of that season to help out in the bullpen.

Two seasons ago, his old friends - the fingernail and blister problems - came back to hinder his playing time. He also fought a small knee problem but did not miss any games. He was finally shut down late in the season because of an elbow problem.

Shifting of the Rotation

The injury likely catapults starting pitcher Jered Weaver to the No. 2 spot in the rotation. Starters Jon Garland, Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders will likely round out the group.

After a tremendous 2006 season, Santana really struggled last season and probably disappointed many fantasy owners. He finished with a 7-14 record and an enormous 5.76 ERA. He was rocked by opposing batters, giving up 26 long balls and allowing opponents to have a .288 batting average last season. He allowed 103 runs in only 150 innings but was able to ring up 126 batters in the same number of innings. Santana would likely have more value than Saunders, but in shallow leagues, he will likely start the season on the waiver wire and could be a nice pickup if he starts the season on a positive note.

Saunders did not have the greatest of seasons in 2007, either. Although he did have an 8-5 record, his other stats were not fantasy material. Opponents hit nearly .300 off him last year (.298), and he gave up 127 hits in 107 1/3 innings. His ERA was also a disappointing 4.44. He was able to strike out 69 batters and walk 34, which is a steady ratio. Saunders will almost assuredly start the season on the waiver wire even in deeper mixed leagues.

Fantasy Outlook

This latest shoulder injury really diminishes Escobar's fantasy value at least for the early portion of the season. Escobar should plummet several rounds because of the injury, and there may be some instances where he might not be picked at all. There will likely be pitchers available that are not as injury-prone and could make just as much of a fantasy impact as Escobar, who may only play 75 percent of the season.

However, if an owner is confident in Escobar, he could be worth a selection in the later rounds and be stashed on the disabled list until he is rearing to go on a consistent basis. For those leagues where Escobar isn't drafted, owners should keep an eye on his progress because he would be a tremendous pickup if healthy. He could earn at least 10 wins with the lineup he has with the Halos. Garland and Weaver were likely going to be selected in fantasy drafts and now with the promotions, their value likely increases to some extent. Santana could still be a serviceable late-round pick.

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Tim Piotrowski
Piotrowski has been a Hot Off the Wire analyst since 2007.

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