Straight from the Washington Nationals, word that starting pitcher Tom Gorzelanny is going on the Disabled List with an injury to his left elbow. No word yet on the severity of the injury, or how long Gorzelanny is expected to be out of action.
Tom Gorzelanny Injury: Elbow Injury Sends National To DL
Leaving aside his 2-4 record, Gorzelanny has actually pitched well for the Nationals this season ... Well, if you also leave aside the 11 home runs he's allowed, including three in his start Monday night against the Brewers.
Until now the Nationals have been fortunate, as they've needed only five starters all spring. There's no obvious candidate for Gorzelanny's rotation slot, but he was scheduled to start against the Padres on Sunday afternoon, so the club will have to make a decision soon. Or not. The Nationals were off Thursday, so they could just skip that spot and hold off on determining Gorzelanny's replacement. But the candidates include triple-A starters Ross Detwiler, Craig Stammen and Yunesky Maya; Stammen and Maya have both been effective this spring.
The most effective, though? Left-hander Tom Milone isn’t on the Nationals’ 40-man roster, but he was the organization’s Pitcher of the Year in 2010, and this year in 43 AAA innings he’s struck out 44 batters and walked three. According to John Sickels, Milone throws just 85-87, “but he has a good breaking ball, an excellent changeup ... scouts remain skeptical that he can remain this effective in the majors.”
Soon, Milone might get his chance.
But wait! It gets even better. The Nationals recently promoted Brad Meyers from double-A Harrisburg to triple-A Syracuse. Combining his 10 starts at both levels, Meyers has 57 strikeouts and ONE walk. Meyers wasn’t considered a top prospect before the season, but then again neither was Milone. They both bear watching, though.
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