ANAHEIM
The dark cloud that hovered over the Angels through the first two months of the season like a persistent marine layer might have just re-appeared over the horizon.
Bad enough that John Lackey came unraveled in a six-run fifth inning that sent the Texas Rangers to an 8-5 victory Tuesday night. But on a seemingly innocuous play as the Rangers broke the game open further in the eighth inning, Vladimir Guerrero dropped to his knees in right field with a leg injury.
Guerrero was playing the outfield for just the second time this season, having recovered from the torn pectoral muscle that limited him to DH for the first half of the season (and sent him to the DL for 35 games). But when he charged Elvis Andrus’ single looking to stop Jarrod Saltalamacchia from going to third base, Guerrero wound up on his knees in shallow right field.
He got to his feet and slowly walked off the field. The preliminary diagnosis was a strained muscle behind his left knee. It was his right knee that Guerrero had surgery on last October.
Team orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum examined Guerrero and said the injury appeared to be in the area behind the knee where the hamstring attaches and not to a knee ligament.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Guerrero’s status will be re-evaluated Wednesday but he won’t be playing in the series finale against the Rangers.
How long before he returns remains to be seen.
“It just got tight on him,” Scioscia said. “He’d been moving pretty well, went over to cut that ball off and it just tightened up on him.
“How long it takes for Vlad to heal is how long it takes. There’s not a lot we can do at this point. We’re going to have to evaluate it and see.”
Losing Vlad is really not that bad. Lackey coming unraveled like that is disgusting. This and the base running fiasco in Texas will cost this team the division title. If we can’t beat Texas in July, you cannot expect to beat them in what could be huge series in Sept.
Once again, Scioscia was asleep at the wheel. Letting Lackey to stay in way too long, and Palmer too, although allowing Lackey to stay in to the tune of 6 runs with 2 outs was blatantly horrible managing. Instead of trying to get the team a win, Scioscia tried to get Lackey a chance at the win, and cost his team the game. Attaboy Mikey.
More concerning than the Vlad injury, is that Lackey is not the pitcher he used to be. He put together 2 good starts against two horrible teams, then gets shelled. He has been extremely hittable since the all star break last year. Until he shows that he can dominate a good offensive team, the dude better pray for 5 + runs an outing, we don’t play Arizona or San Francisco anymore. Bring your gloves to the cheap seats when he faces the Yankees kiddies, it won’t be pretty.
At least maybe now our best hitter will be able to hit in the #4 spot, paging Mr. Rivera.
Napoli should get the DH duty now but I would not be suprised to see MS give Howard a shot to ease his way back into the line up.
Goodbye John.
Goodbye Vlady.