Zach Britton Headed To DL with Forearm Injury
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!! Always great to wake up to news that the best closer in the world is going on the 10-day DL with soreness in left forearm. Buck Showalter said that Britton felt something in his forearm when he threw a curveball in his save on Friday night and that it is too soon to see if he will be able to return after the 10 day period is up, I’m sure we will hear more about that later.
Britton hasn’t looked good on the mound this year, maybe stemming from the oblique injury that bothered him in Spring Training, but he has got the job done. He is 5-5 in saves, but there has been a scare in every single one of them. He’s given up 10 hits in 5 innings this season after giving up 38 in 47 innings pitched last season. His ERA is still under 2, 1.29, and has only given up 1 earned run in his appearances, but his WHIP has ballooned to 1.857. His hits per 9 innings are up, and his Ks per 9 innings are down, not a good formula for a closer. It seems like every time he comes in, not only is he giving up hits, they are hard hit balls. That rarely happened last season. It’s like he has been playing with fire, and he just hasn’t got burned yet. He has found a way to get into trouble, and get out of it, but it’s only a matter of time before his save streak that is at second longest of all time, at 54, comes to a close. This situation is sort of similar to former Orioles closer, Jim Johnson. Was LIGHTS OUT, but slowly came back down to earth. I’m not saying that will happen to Zach, he is a much better pitcher than Jim is, but you have to be worried about his performance. And now with the injury, who knows that that holds.
The Orioles will bring back pitcher, Stefan Crichton to replace Britton in the bullpen, but my guess is Brad Brach will handle all closing duties for the foreseeable future for the Orioles.
Baltimore now has its best pitcher, Chris Tillman, and best reliever, Zach Britton, on the DL. Not great for a team where pitching is already the weak spot. Gotta hope that this is just a quick DL stint and the Orioles can get through this without losing any ground. The O’s schedule isn’t too tough the next 10 days, Jays game today, Reds series, the Red Sox come into town, then the Rays. Looks like we will see if Brad Brach can hold down the fort until Britton returns. Pencil me in as officially worried about Britton and his forearm strain.
Nothing that has had to do with the Orioles and forearms has ever ended badly.