Printable Page
04/19 19:05 CDT Rockies' Kyle Freeland out up to 6 weeks with elbow injury. He
says pitch clock may have been factor
Rockies' Kyle Freeland out up to 6 weeks with elbow injury. He says pitch clock
may have been factor
By JACK MAGRUDER
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) --- Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland is expected to miss
between one month and six weeks because of a strained left elbow and says the
pitch clock may have been a factor.
Freeland said the elbow issue is not related to a right shoulder injury
sustained this week during a collision at home plate as a pinch runner.
Atlanta's Spencer Strider and Cleveland's Shane Bieber are among the pitchers
who will miss the season following elbow injuries.
"There has been a lot of talk about pitch clock and sticky stuff and how all
that is correlating to this," Freeland said Friday. "I'm a firm believer that
there is something that correlates with pitch clock and pitchers. We are
exerting our bodies at 100% every 15 to 18 seconds. You do that, it's tough.
You do that in Colorado, even tougher."
Freeland said he worked over the offseason to gain velocity. His fastball this
season averaged 90.2 mph, the same as last year but higher than in his previous
six seasons.
"I do not know if that is any correlation to my injury. I really hope not,
because I enjoyed that work process," Freeland said. "I thought it was very
good for me and obviously put me in a good spot through spring training with my
velocity where I wanted to see it. I really hope that didn't play a factor, and
when I come back it doesn't hinder me at all."
The 30-year-old left-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday and
reliever Noah Davis was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque before Friday
night's game against Colorado was rained out and rescheduled as part of a
day-night doubleheader Sunday.
"There are no tears in the UCL," Freeland said. "From my understanding, it is
an elbow strain and we are working through it."
Colorado made the move retroactive to Tuesday.
"Relatively speaking, the results of the scan and the doctor's report, he's
going to be OK," manager Bud Black said.
Freeland dislocated his shoulder Monday in a ninth-inning collision with
Philadelphia pitcher Jeff Hoffman, who was covering at the plate when his pitch
got by catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Freeman said the elbow issue began the previous day, when he gave up four runs
over five innings in a 5-0 defeat to the Blue Jays.
"It goes back to my start in Toronto," Freeland said. "Had some discomfort late
in my start. It came on gradually, basically from the fifth inning is when I
started feeling some uncomfortableness in my forearm. Nothing that raised a
huge flag for me. I've been sore in starts before later in games."
Freeland is 0-3 with a 13.21 ERA in four starts. He felt soreness when he threw
Wednesday and was examined Thursday after the Rockies returned to Denver.
Peter Lambert will take Freeland's place in the starting rotation and pitch the
second game of the doubleheader.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
|
