Right-hander expected to miss four to six weeks of action.
The Los Angeles Angels have suffered a blow following the news that pitcher Jered Weaver is set to miss between four to six weeks of action after breaking a bone in his left elbow.
The Angels ace was quick enough to move out the way of a shot sent right at him during Sunday night’s loss to the Texas Rangers, but awkwardly fell on his non-pitching arm.
A follow-up MRI scan on Monday revealed that he had suffered a broken elbow, and will miss at least four weeks, possibly up to six.
“This is all new to me,” he told the media as reported by MLB.com.
“I’ve never broken anything before. I didn’t really know how to take the news. It was kind of a shock at first. Now you just have to play the waiting game, I guess,” he added.
Manager Mike Scioscia promoted hard-throwing right-hander Garrett Richards from the bullpen to replace Weaver in the rotation.
The 24-year-old was impressive in Spring Training, posting a 1.45 ERA in 18 2/3 innings, while the Angels have also called up right-hander Dane De La Rose who joined the franchise last month after a switch from Tampa Bay.
Despite a disappointing start to the season, Weaver remains one of the best starting pitchers in the MLB over the last three seasons.
Although there is relief that the 30-year-old didn’t damage his pitching arm, the injury would undoubtedly effect his balance and overall performance. He now faces an anxious wait to discover how long the break will take to heal, as the Angels will hope for a speedy recovery.
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