Cincinnati Reds CL Francisco Cordero done for the season

September 26, 2008 @ 11:52:37

By Keith Hernandez
Edited by Tim Heaney

Mark Sheldon, of MLB.com, reports Cincinnati Reds closer Francisco Cordero (foot) will miss the team's last three games of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery Friday, Sept. 26, to remove a bone spur from his right foot. The surgery was performed by team medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek.

Cordero's season comes to an end on the final weekend of the season after he finished on a hot streak, ending on a 14-for-14 saves streak. On the year he went 5-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 72 games. Cordero recorded 34 saves out of 40 opportunities in 2008 and finished with a 1.41 WHIP. In 70 1/3 innings pitched he struck out 78 batters and walked 38.

The team has not announced who will receive the closing duties during the final weekend of the season. It is possible that the Reds will go with a closer-by-committee approach to close out the 2008 schedule.

The most likely replacement would be David Weathers, the Reds' 2007 closer who has been a moderately effective setup man this year with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. He isn't a strikeout pitcher, though; he has fanned only 46 batters in 68 1/3 frames this year. The burly right-hander closed out 33 games last year before the team acquired Cordero via free agency last offseason.

If you need to earn a few saves in the last fantasy baseball weekend, grab him off the wire immediately because he has pitched in that role already for Cincy.

There's an outside chance righty Jared Burton could receive a save opportunity. He has the K rate to do the job; he has fanned 57 in 56 2/3 innings of work this year along with a 3.34 ERA and a .250 opponents' batting average. NL-only managers who miss out on Weathers should give Burton a whirl.

Owners of Cordero can safely drop him in all single-league formats with just three games left in the season. The surgery does not appear to be major, so expect Cordero to be fully healthy for spring training next season.

 

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Keith Hernandez

Keith, an editor with KFFL, joined the team as a Hot off the Wire analyst in 2008 and has been playing fantasy sports since 2005. He is involved in MLB, NFL and NASCAR content. He graduated from the University of California-San Diego in 2005 with a B.A. in Communications and was a four-year starter as a member of the baseball program.

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