Barrys Dopers wrote:
Not sure how you can be OK with this news. How often do trips to Dr. Andrews have "happy" endings? Everyone here had Joel penciled in for a significant role and now, less than 24 hours in to camp, NH is admitting May 1 might be optimistic. It only stings more when you consider that NH has turned two competent MLB lefties into potentially two arm surgeries (Ascanio, now Joel) last year...
Not sure how you can jump to conclusions.
From PG Blog
Quote:
UPDATE 9:58 a.m.: Comments moments ago from Hanrahan, who said surgery isn't a consideration right now:
"It's something that I kind of battled with in August and Septemeber," months where he permitted opponents to hit a .162 average and crafted a 0.42 ERA. "I felt good coming into mini-camp [a month ago]; probably cranked it up a little too much there. I tried to psyche myself out and say it wasn't anything. I took about a week off after mini-camp. Didn't feel great. I felt like I could throw, but I wouldn't do any help to myself or the team. Got it checked out. Just got a little setback."
"Nothing structural. It's like tendinitis -- a little strain in the forearm."
"Hopefully, it won't be anything that lingers around all year. Get it taken care of now. If I miss two weeks to a month, it's better than missing the whole year. This is the first time I've really dealt with any elbow [problem]. I mean, I've never had surgery on anything. That's not even in the question right now -- that's a positive. I just kind of want to make sure it's gone and be healthy for the rest of the year."
UPDATE, 10:40 a.m.: Huntington dmitted that he's continuing to look at what free-agent relievers remain available, but the Pirates are "content" with what bullpen alternatives they have on hand.
"We'd go get somebody else now, if we were that panicked about our bullpen. We like the options that we have. Especially as you start looking at Ascanio, Cotts and Yates coming at some point this summer. And Joel, we still think he's going to come back relatively quickly -- it may be a month, it may be two months, it may be two weeks. We don't really know yet.
"There are still some guys out there we've talked to. But, at this point in time, we're content with the bullpen. We like [Octavio] Dotel at the back end, we like [Brendan] Donnelly and Evan Meek pitching late in the game. We'll have enough options internally to fill the middle of our bullpen, and look forward to Joel getting healthy and coming back.
"Now somebody will step up. We got some guys that have done that before. We got some guys with the stuff to do that now. We got some guys who can mature in. We feel good about where we are.
"The reality is, Joel's probably not going to be ready for opening day. Is it May 1? Is it June 1? We'll know more as we get more doctor information. . . .He is very likely to start the season on the DL and may even miss some time during the season."
