DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Freddy Garcia was pounded by the Blue Jays in the first inning here, but he may have more problems than his performance.After allowing three runs on five hits, including a mammoth homer by Troy Glaus, Garcia was removed from the game after one inning and 35 pitches complaining of tightness in his right bicep. He was supposed to throw 85 pitches. He walked to the clubhouse with Class AAA trainer Shawn Fcasni and returned to Clearwater to be examined by head trainer Scott Sheridan. Also, a scout in attendance said his velocity topped out at 85 mph.
Good thing the Phillies haven't traded Jon Lieber, isn't it?
More updates on Garcia are expected tomorrow. I'll post to this blog when I hear something.
2 comments:
Get ready for the, "This is why we kept Lieber around until the end of Spring Training" answer. In all seriousness Scott, if the right trade came along to bolster the bullpen, but Garcia is out for, say a month, does Gillick still trade Lieber? Who would step in as the fifth starter in such a scenario? Keep up the good work as always Scott.
Eddie: Great question. If they trade Lieber and someone gets hurt, the Phillies would have to dip into their Triple-A rotation, where they'll have prospects Zack Segovia and J.A. Happ. Segovia, in particular, has looked good this spring.
But, honestly, if Garcia needs to open the season on the DL, I fully expect the Phillies will admit their good fortune at not trading Lieber yet. Ultimately, this is why they've waited for the right deal. Good starting pitching is hard to find, and they aren't about to give Lieber away for less than full value.
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