Giants closer likely out for 2012
Brian Wilson said the first thing he did Sunday morning was download the MLB 2012 app for his ipad, figuring he’s going to be watching a lot of games.
Jacoby Ellsbury might have already done the same.
Wilson, a three-time all-star as the San Francisco Giants closer, confirmed he would probably have to have Tommy John surgery after an MRI revealed structural damage in his right elbow. He’ll visit noted surgeon James Andrews to get a definitive prognosis this week but said, “The likelihood is yes, the season’s over with.”
The news is not as dire for Ellsbury, the Boston Red Sox centre-fielder who finished second in the American League MVP voting last year, but he could miss six to eight weeks after suffering a partial dislocation of his right shoulder in a second-base collision Friday.
The Red So xcalled up outfielder Jason Repko and utility man Nate Spears to help fill Ellsbury’s void, and manager Bobby Valentine said injured outfielder Carl Crawford was about to start playing in extended spring training games. His return would give the Red Sox a natural replacement in the leadoff spot for Ellsbury.
The Giants don’t enjoy such a luxury with Wilson, their closer since 2008. Manager Bruce Bochy said he intended to go with a closer-by-committee approach for the time being, with Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo and Javier Lopez all in the mix.
Hard-throwing prospect Heath Hembree, now the closer at Class AAA Fresno, could factor into the equation as well later in the season.
Wilson’s injury is a huge blow for the Giants, who rode their stellar rotation and his closing exploits to a World Series championship in 2010. He saved a career-high 48 games that season and another six in a brilliant post-season.
Last year, San Francisco fell out of contention in August, partly because a forearm injury limited Wilson to six appearances in the final two months of the season.
Wilson, who hurt the elbow while notching his only save of 2012 on Thursday, said he was not down about the injury news even though he was facing a gruelling rehab he’s quite familiar with. He had Tommy John surgery in 2003 while at LSU.
“By no stretch of the imagination is my journey over with here,” he said. “This is just a mild bump in my road. This is an opportunity for me to get a better arm.
“Why is that disappointing? I get to throw harder. I like it.”