Rafael's elbow a little Soriano

April 14, 2008 @ 07:03:08

By Fraser Lovat
Edited by Richard Garcia

Atlanta Braves closer Rafael Soriano (elbow) was placed on the 15-day disabled list with elbow tendonitis Wednesday, April 9. The move was retroactive to Monday, April 7. He experienced soreness in his elbow after consecutive appearances in the team's weekend series against the New York Mets Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6. It is not the first time Soriano has been placed on the disabled list due to an elbow injury, but it is his first bump in the road this season.

Soriano signed a two-year, $9 million deal, which includes $50,000 to $100,000 in incentives, with the Braves at the end of the 2007 season. He was named the team's closer prior to this season, replacing Bob Wickman, who tallied 20 saves for the Braves last season before being released.

Career recap

Soriano made his major league debut in May 2002 with the Seattle Mariners and was with them until the end of the 2006 season. He appeared in 116 games over a five-year span with the team and recorded 177 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched. Soriano was acquired by the Braves in December 2006 in a trade for starting pitcher Horacio Ramirez. In 2007, his first season with the Braves, Soriano set career highs in innings pitched (72), strikeouts (70) and converted nine of 12 save opportunities. He also matched his career best with three wins.

Injury history

The right-handed reliever was injured in his first season of major league duty when he was with the Mariners. He was placed on the disabled list July 10, 2002, with a strained shoulder. In 2004, he was limited to four games in spring training because of a sprained oblique muscle. Later that season, Soriano was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mild right elbow sprain. The closer underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Aug. 17, 2004, and spent the rest of the season rehabilitating the injury. He would go on to spend most of the 2005 season on the disabled list following the surgery and only appeared in seven games.

Soriano was placed on the 15-day disabled list once again with right shoulder fatigue in July 2006. He did not pitch in the last month of the 2006 season after being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Vladimir Guerrero; he suffered a concussion from the incident.

Assume the position

The severity of his current injury is unknown, and it's uncertain if it will require him to miss his scheduled return date of April 22. Starting pitcher Chuck James (shoulder) was activated from the disabled list to take Soriano's place on the Braves roster, although James was sent down after his outing.

Relief pitcher Manny Acosta seemed to be a likely candidate to take over the closer role in Soriano's absence. However, manager Bobby Cox indicated that he sees no reason to put any pressure on any given pitcher when he has plenty of options to choose from based on game situations. Since Soriano was placed on the disabled list, the Braves' only save chance has gone to relief pitcher Peter Moylan.

Acosta has put up strong strikeout rates in the minors and saved 29 games for Triple-A Richmond in 2006-07. Giving up walks seems to be his biggest concern, but he throws hard, and Moylan has generally thrived in middle relief. Acosta has appeared in five games this season, recording four strikeouts in five innings pitched. He has given up four earned runs and three walks in the same span, with a 7.20 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP.

Moylan appears to now have more than a slight advantage over Acosta after striking out two batters in one inning of work and picking up his first save of the season. He has an extra year of experience and 74 more appearances than his fellow relief pitcher. Moylan is tied for second in the NL with four holds. He has pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, one earned run, one home run and one walk, with five strikeouts. He has a 1.59 ERA in his seven appearances this season.

Fantasy outlook

If you have Soriano, you should put him in a DL spot your roster if it's available to you on and pick up Moylan, who could likely see most of the save opportunities while Soriano is injured. Acosta was reportedly in line to pick up the save Monday, April 7, against the Colorado Rockies with Soriano given the day off, but relief pitcher Blaine Boyer blew the lead in the eighth inning; Moylan entered that game in the seventh inning.

It remains too early to tell who will be the definite closer, but if Moylan's appearance in the ninth inning April 11 is any sign, then it appears he will get first crack at closing out games for the Braves. The situation still may dictate who pitches, though. Fantasy owners should stay alert in case Cox turns to Acosta at any point in the coming weeks.

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Fraser Lovat
Fraser is a Hot off the Wire Analyst with KFFL and has been with the company since 2007.

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