The D-Backs introduced on Wednesday that veteran reliever Mark Melancon would miss the beginning of the season after experiencing shoulder discomfort. Supervisor Torey Lovullo offered a disheartening replace on Thursday afternoon. The four-time All-Star will obtain a platelet-rich plasma injection to handle a subscapularis pressure, an damage the skipper mentioned might be measured in “months, not weeks” (hyperlink through Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic).
Signed to a two-year, $14MM free agent contract over the 2021-22 offseason, Melancon had a tough first season within the desert. The righty posted a 4.66 ERA via 56 innings. It was his worst run prevention mark in a decade, whereas his 14.2% strikeout fee was his lowest since his abbreviated rookie season in 2009. His 44.1% grounder proportion was the worst of his profession. The D-Backs pulled Melancon from the closing function in direction of the tail finish of the season.
His hope for a bounceback exhibiting has been set again out of the gate. There’s some hope the PRP injection can get him again on monitor ultimately however it now appears that’s a midseason aim. Given the acknowledged timeline, the 14-year MLB veteran figures to wind up on the 60-day injured record every time the membership wants a 40-man roster spot.
Melancon isn’t the one Arizona reliever coping with a regarding shoulder challenge. Proper-hander Corbin Martin left final evening’s Spring Coaching contest with an damage. Lovullo informed reporters the 27-year-old was going for imaging on Thursday (relayed by Steve Gilbert of MLB.com). The membership received’t know a timetable for Martin’s return till there’s extra readability on the prognosis, but it’s an clearly unlucky state of affairs for a pitcher nonetheless seeking to set up himself on the MLB stage.
A former second-round choose of the Astros, Martin reached the majors with Houston two years after being drafted. He made 5 begins and had been optioned again to Triple-A when he required Tommy John surgical procedure in July 2019. Inside a number of weeks, Houston dealt him as certainly one of 4 gamers within the deadline blockbuster to accumulate Zack Greinke. A high 100 caliber prospect on the time, Martin was arguably the headliner of a bundle that included former first-rounders J.B. Bukauskas and Seth Beer, in addition to infielder Josh Rojas (who has been probably the most profitable of the bunch so far).
Martin hasn’t established himself within the wake of that surgical procedure, bouncing on and off the lively roster for the previous couple seasons. He allowed a 4.84 ERA in 22 1/3 MLB innings final season and was hit arduous for a 6.08 ERA over 17 Triple-A begins. This spring, the D-Backs moved him to reduction in an effort to get him on monitor. He’d gotten off to a pleasant begin this spring, putting out 9 with solely a pair of walks in 5 2/3 frames earlier than the damage.