Injury news always tough, but World Series ramp-ups are never that easy
What abummer, Mike Clevinger coming downwith abumelbow.
The timing, never good, stinks— for Clevinger, who nowstands to lose out on what he called the irreplaceable “adrenaline rush” of October baseball and who seemed euphoric in brown pinstripes; and for the playoff-bound Padres, who dealt Cleveland six players to get the ace pitcher and two fringe players last month.
The trade can stillwork out for the Padres, but scouts with other teamsthursday suggested Clevinger will sit out the World Series tournament next month. Any further risk to his recently damaged elbow ligament, they said, is toomuch risk. Reconstructive surgerywould sideline the righty until 2022.
At least Clevinger’s contract runs through 2022, whereaskevin Brownwas a one-year rental when he led San Diego to the 1998World Series afterkevintowers got him fromthemarlins.
There’s this, too: The Padres are still favored to win the best-of-three series that
startswednesday, almost certainly at Petco Park.
San Diego hasn’twon a playoff series or even a home playoff gamesince 1998. If either breakthrough happens, Padres fans should be ready to raise a toast.
It’s deeper into the fourtieredworld Series tournament that Clevinger’s absencewould most sting.
The scouts liked Clevinger’s chance of pitchingwell against the topseeded Dodgers, who likely would be the opponent in the best-of-fivenldivision Series.
The third round, best of-seven NLCS, poses this grueling scenario: The potential of seven games in seven days becausemlb bosses— placing profits above pitchers’ health— allowed no off-days rather than the customary two travel days that enable teams to use fewer starting pitchers.
Minus Clevinger, that could pose amt. Kilimanjaro climb just to reach the World Series.
October surprises happen. The most plausible one lifting the Pads even to the League Championship Serieswould involve Chris
Paddack finding his groove, allowing the talented righty to support ace Dinelson Lamet. Zachdavies overcoming the thin margins afforded by his high-80s velocitywould seemessential, too, at some point. Adrianmorejon? Luis Patiño? Starter-turnedreliever-(possibly)-turnedstarter Garrett Richards? All have lively pitches. Consistency will be the challenge.
U-turn
The Padres got one strong outing in three starts fromclevinger before his outingwednesday that, after nine off days meant to solve his upper-arm tightness, lasted just 12 pitches.
For this year, they had October in mind when they added Clevinger to a team all but assured of reaching the playoffs. Because he seldom had pitched this summer, he needed time to build himself up.
The plan seemed on track Sept. 13 when Clevinger, in his third start, threwseven scoreless innings.
The Giants put only two “hard hits” into play against him.
Was it a yellowflag, though, that of his 99 pitches, 45were either sliders or cutters, pitches that
can increase elbowstress?
Price of success?
Thepostseason will provide a farmore important test, but so far the Padres haven’t received great returns fromthe big leaguers they obtained thissummer in A.J. Preller’s flurry of trades. Versatile catcher Austinnola and lefty hitter Mitchmoreland havemade timely contributions, as has backupcatcher Jason Castro, but they seek better consistency. Closer Trevor Rosenthal has returned good value.
Chalk the whole effort up to the price of success, and the Padres entering a difficult realm theyweren’t good enough to enter the previous nine years.
Upgrading theworld Series potential of a legitimate playoff contender isn’t for theweak of stomach, but it comes with the territory.
Dodgers executive Andrewfriedman, a former Rays architect and one of MLB’S better teambuilders, has long assigned high value to youth but nonetheless has dealt prospects in most recent summers to try to get the Dodgers their first World Series title since 1988. Themoves didn’t end the drought, though pitcher Rich Hill, for one, rewarded Friedman with goodwork.
And rentingmanny Machado helped getl.a. to aworld Series.
Pitchers can be especially tough to project against tougher competition. When Friedman dealt for an ace, Yudarvish, the righty imploded three months later in the 2017World Series against the Asterisk Astros. Conversely, Houston got big results fromthe ace it obtained thatsummer, Justin Verlander.
For the Padres, a piece of good news is that Petco Park isn’t a threat to Clevinger’s mental game.
The ballpark got into the head of the previous centerpiece to a Padres summer push, Ryan Ludwick, a slugger obtained via a threeway trade in 2010.
Seeing hiswell-struck drives go for outs in his new home, said Ludwick, caused him to lengthen his swing. Fellownlcentral transplants such as Joe Randa, Jimedmonds and Brian Giles had made similar complaints, joining an already loud chorus.
Atnewpetco and everywhere else today, the baseballs jump. Nowwe’ll see if the retooled Padres can make a runwith their new starting pitcher reduced to a cheerleading role.