The Los Angeles Angels will be without another key bullpen arm in Archie Bradley after he injured himself during their brawl with the Seattle Mariners.
The Angels’ 2-1 win over the Mariners on Sunday was highlighted by a bench-clearing incident that resulted in numerous suspensions for both clubs that were fueled by issues during their game on Saturday when Mike Trout was almost hit in the head during the ninth inning.
Angels manager Phil Nevin and the team took exception to that and retaliated, which resulted in the incident on Sunday when opener Andrew Wantz drilled Jesse Winker in the back during the second inning. Lost in the kerfuffle was Bradley’s injury that he sustained after tripping over the dugout railing and falling on his arm.
Bradley suffered a fractured elbow that Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad said will force him to miss a good period of time, via Sarah Valenzuela of the L.A. Times:
Frostad explained that the radial head in Bradley’s elbow is what’s fractured. Bradley will be shut down from throwing for at least four weeks, but his return to the team might not be for “a couple of months.”
“It’s bone, and bone has to heal, so it’s gonna take time,” Frostad said.
Bradley’s absence will be missed considering his recent success after being activated from the injured list for an abdominal strain. During the month of June, he’s posted a 3.38 ERA in eight innings pitched and has only surrendered a .200 batting average against.
Thankfully for the club that can’t afford to lose any more players, Bradley was the only major injury:
Bradley is the only Angels player the team is aware of who sustained a significant injury as a result of Sunday’s fight.
“There’s some bumps and bruises but nothing that’s going to hold anybody else out,” Frostad said.
Bradley is on the shelf along with Jimmy Herget who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a right shoulder impingement, he won’t be eligible to be activated until July 7.
Angels feeling ‘more united’ following brawl
Aside from accusations made by both clubs as to why the incident occurred in the first place, the teams will now have to navigate without key pieces. But a silver lining is a unification of the Angels clubhouse that was desperately needed.
Since the Angels were hurtling toward a black hole of losses and set a franchise record in doing so, they’ve lacked that singular moment to set them on a new course, but this incident with the Mariners could be a minor turning point.
Make sure to follow Angels Nation on Twitter for all the latest news and updates surrounding the Halos!