Carlos Silva will be mysteriously injured soon. It may not be tomorrow, it may not be next week, but it will be soon.
In 1995 Randy Johnson was billed as a “stopper” because the team could count on the lanky lefty to stop any losing streak it may encounter, and Silva’s been exactly the opposite so far this season.
Ryan Rowland-Smith will be coming off the disabled list, and guys like Jason Vargas and Chris Jakubauskus have show enough promise to warrant the team keeping the more productive pitchers in the rotation as opposed to Silva.
However, baseball custom doesn’t allow for demotions to the bullpen when it comes to veteran players. Rather, a player will be sidelined with a mysterious injury, and relegated to the disabled list. After the injured stint, and a few, likely unproductive minor league “rehab” starts, he’ll be brought back to the majors.
While he’s on the disabled list, people in decision-making positions will state that Silva cannot lose his position in the rotation due to injury. That is cliché rule as frequently stated and frequently broken as the proverbial “bros before hoes” rule.
The real question however, is not whether or not the “injury” will occur, but what the injury will be.
Here are some odds:
2:1 Oblique Strain/Hip Flexor strain. The theory here is simple, pick a muscle that isn’t in the standard sports fan’s vernacular, and give it a mild ailment. There will be very little point of reference for recovery time, and Silva can remain “injured” in peace.
7:2 Finger Blister. Silva won’t have to fake a limp, or wear a cumbersome sling. He’ll simply have to avoid showing the media the inside of his hands.
10:1 Illness. No swine flu reference here. Silva may develop an ulcer from all the stress, or a bout with the common cold. With today’s heightened health awareness, reporters will shy away from the sick righty.
25:1 Neck Strain. Jerking one’s neck to watch line drive after line drive sail out of the infield can cause a repetitive motion injury.
100:1 Shoulder fatigue. This is a long shot. Silva’s averaged less than 75 pitches in his last three starts. However, he may have acquired this injury by throwing in the towel. That’s unfair, he’s actually worked very hard to be a bad pitcher.
250:1 Shoulder bruise. Jon Wetteland’s pats on the back have been few and far between for Silva this season, but a well placed World Series ring…
500:1 Celebratory ACL tear. We saw it with Bill Gramatica when he was the kicker for the Arizona Cardinals. Silva’s moments of celebration are rare and could be coming to an end.
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