When the Cleveland Indians traded for Chris Perez last year, they envisioned him as the closer of the future. Well, for the next six to eight weeks, the Indians are going to get a glimpse of what their future at the closer position is going to look like.
According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer , current closer Kerry Wood will miss six-to-eight weeks because of a strain in his right latissimus dorsi muscle. For those who are not familiar with the latissimus dorsi muscle, here is the definition according to Encyclopedia Britannica :
Widest and most powerful muscle of the back. It is a large, flat, triangular muscle covering the lower back. It arises from the lower half of the vertebral column and iliac crest (hipbone) and tapers to a rounded tendon inserted at (attached to) the front of the upper part of the humerus (upper-arm bone).
The action of the latissimus dorsi draws the upper arm downward and backward and rotates it inward, as exemplified in the downstroke in swimming the crawl. In climbing it joins with the abdominal and pectoral muscles to pull the trunk upward.
Yeah, whatever they said.
Now that Wood is on the shelf, the Indians will turn to the aforementioned Perez to close out games. Perez, who was drafted in the first round of the 2006 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, was traded to the Indians in the Mark DeRosa trade last year.
In 33.1 innings last year with the Indians, Perez posted a 4.32 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 10.3 K’s/9. Nobody has ever questioned Perez’s arm—it’s his ability to throw strikes that has always been his problem in the majors. That being said, Perez did lower his BB/9 by almost half (5.7 to 3.2) with the Indians.
If Perez can harness his control and mature into the role, then the Indians will have a solid closer on their hands.
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