The Los Angeles Angels have been awaiting results on the left shoulder of José Suarez after he exited his most recent start in the third inning against the Texas Rangers.
Suarez has been stuck in the midst of his toughest stretch as a Major League pitcher, allowing a 7.89 ERA through 21.2 innings heading into his fifth start. But through 2.2 innings versus the Rangers, the lefty allowed seven earned runs on six hits, including two homers.
His ERA ballooned even higher, hitting 9.62 with an 8.25 FIP over 24.1 innings. After the game, it was revealed he was dealing with a shoulder strain in his throwing arm and according to Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register, the Angels and manager Phil Nevin received some decent news on his outlook:
Tests on left-hander José Suarez’s shoulder showed no structural damage, but he won’t be able to throw for three or four weeks, Nevin said.
Because of their need for any innings they can get, Nevin understands the news is good, but still unfortunate to hear based on the timeline provided to them after the evaluation:
“No structural damage or anything that requires surgery, so that’s good news,” Nevin said, “but he still has to be shut down, so that’s discouraging.”
The Angels have enough arms to withstand Suarez’s injury with Chase Silseth, Tucker Davidson, Griffin Canning, and a few other options in the Minor Leagues if they’re really pressed for depth.
Angels place Chad Wallach on injured list; Jimmy Herget recalled
The Angels have had their depth tested at the catcher position with Max Stassi out for an undetermined period and Logan O’Hoppe recently undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum. Both of which made Matt Thaiss the primary guy behind the plate.
Unfortunately, Wallach entered concussion protocol after waking up with a stiff neck, which gave the Angels enough pause to place him on the 7-day IL.
They, in turn, selected the contract of Chris Okey to give them a backup on the Major League roster. The 28-year-old made his debut on Tuesday.
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