Cliff Lee has torn flexor tendon, will try to pitch anyway

Cliff Lee was only supposed to be on the Phillies until he proved he was healthy enough to be traded. That moment might not come in 2015, as it turns out Lee is suffering from a torn common flexor tendon in his left elbow, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Lee is going to attempt to pitch through the injury, though, with surgery as a last resort.

Lee visited noted elbow surgeon Dr. James Andrews about the injury, and he agreed that Lee could at least attempt to pitch through the tear. Zolecki describes this as a “longshot”, but what choice does Lee have at this point? He’s 36 years old, and his $27.5 million option for 2016 won’t vest unless he throws 200 innings this summer. If he undergoes surgery and misses 2015, he’ll be a 37-year-old free agent coming off of major surgery on his pitching arm -- he should at least attempt to avoid that scenario.

Plus, the recovery time for this procedure, should Lee undergo it, is only six-to-eight months, rather than the 10-12 months that working back from Tommy John surgery requires. If it turns out Lee can’t get out of spring training without surgery, he’ll be ready for free agency just in time for a standard offseason workout regimen.

Lee’s injury doesn’t just ruin the plans the Phillies had for him, but also makes things more difficult for teams like the Rangers, Red Sox, and Padres -- all clubs who have had recent interest in acquiring the last of Lee’s five-year, $120 million deal to bolster their own rotations. Now those teams might not get the boost they wanted, the Phillies won’t get the prospects they needed, and Lee’s year and career could be in jeopardy.

It’s okay if you think all of that is a downer, because it is. It’s unlikely Lee can avoid surgery and missing 2015, but with any luck, this won’t be the end for one of the great pitchers of the last seven years.