Buchholz likely out for season, Mackanin mulling options
NEW YORK >> Phils manager Pete Mackanin described himself as “a little surprised” Tuesday when told veteran pitcher Clay Buchholz is shut down for the season after surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm.
The prognosis for recovery is four to six months, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for optimism.
“Too bad that happened,” Mackanin said. “Probably out for the season, obviously, with the surgery today. I don’t know for a fact whether he can come back at the end of the year.
“Fortunately we’ve got a pretty good inventory at Triple-A. We’ve got some pitchers to choose from.”
The first selection from that supposed stable of available minor league arms was a familiar one, Zach Eflin. He was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and immediately inserted as the starter in Tuesday night’s game against the Mets at Citi Field.
The second minor league selection was a bit more surprising. It’s Mark Leiter Jr., son of longtime major league starter Big Mark, who went 17-22 for the Phillies in 1997 and ’98. (Of course, those teams weren’t very good.)
Expect Little Leiter, who is 26, to serve in a long relief role while here. How long he is here remains to be seen, but he was given this first major league trip to New York courtesy of outfielder Howie Kendrick, who went on the 10-day disabled list with what’s being called an abdominal strain.
Kendrick said Tuesday he expects to undergo an MRI later in the week, but is spinning it as precautionary.
“It’s something that’s been lingering,” Kendrick said. He added that he felt it after warmups Saturday in Washington but played through. He was hopeful he was dealing with a minor muscle pull on the right side of his upper abdomen instead of an oblique issue.
“I’ve (hurt) my oblique before and I can feel that one with everything I do,” he said. “Upper abdomen, upper rib cage. Hopefully it’s something that’s not a nuisance, but we’ll see. It hasn’t gotten any worse over the past couple of days, so hopefully it’s something pretty quick.”
Asked before the game if a DL trip were possible, Kendrick added, “It is. I don’t know what all that entails, but given this point, it’s already been three days. I want to find out what’s going on and get back on the field.”
As for Eflin — who in 11 Phillies starts last season went 3-5 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.33 WHIP — the 23-year-old had surgeries on patella tendons in both knees in the offseason. So far this season he’s made two starts, one at Class A Clearwater and one at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, not allowing an earned run in 10 total innings of work.
“We’ve seen Eflin and I like Eflin,” Mackanin said. “I talked to him and he really feels good. He doesn’t have any key issues. As (Lehigh Valley manager) Dusty (Wathan) told me, he’s 100 percent. They were just cautious.” that will be done with
*** You might wonder where the caution went with Buchholz, who will earn $13 million this season for two starts (0-1, 12.27 ERA) that produced a lot of mayhem in 7⅓ total innings pitched.
Mackanin pointed out Buchholz “had the same thing” two years ago while with Boston. It was a similar injury which cost him the final 2½ months of the 2015 season.
“That stuff has a tendency to creep back,” Mackanin said. He added Buchholz gave no indication of an injury issue through the spring and very early going. His performances spoke for him.
“He never really complained,” Mackanin said, “and he wasn’t really shaking his arm or anything that I noticed. Maybe he felt it coming on but he never gave us an indication, and maybe he was pitching with it ... and he finally said, ‘That’s enough.’ But I don’t know. I can’t read their minds.”
*** NOTES >> Cesar Hernandez came into this Mets series with a .329 average and .416 onbase percentage over his last 100 games. ... Slumping Maikel Franco was on an ohfor-13 skid coming into the game, his average caving to .174. Mackanin on Kendrick’s injury: “He told me if he were young and eager, he’d probably tell everybody he could play. He’s smarter now. He’s just being cautious.”