Liriano the second coming of Mark Prior/Kerry Wood?

[W_Marone]

Ok, with Liriano hurt again, and out for the season I cant help but think, could this be a repeat of what we saw in Chicago with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood? A great pitcher who cant fight off he injury bug? Just curious as to your guys thoughts.

[Astro]

Dear god.... just stop

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

Very possible, but, before these injuries, Liriano was very durable.

It's possible that his injury wasn't completely healed.

[DoWnWiThTheSiCkNeSs]

i hope not cuz i like Liriano

[SoxSon]

Ok, with Liriano hurt again, and out for the season I cant help but think, could this be a repeat of what we saw in Chicago with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood? A great pitcher who cant fight off he injury bug? Just curious as to your guys thoughts.

Seems a bit premature to even speculate on this, doesn't it?

Oh, and it's not really that he's hurt again. It's the same elbow injury that hasn't really gone away.

[starkeeper]

He just came back too soon; probably because of the push for the playoffs.
Sometimes we're a little quick to label someone here I think!!

[cardsfanatic]

Some of Mark Prior's injuries have simply been bad luck, though. The rest are Dusty Baker induced, no doubt. Being overworked has been the downfall of many great young pitchers... and Dusty sure loves to pound his young arms into the ground.

[STLCards2]

Seems a bit premature to even speculate on this, doesn't it?

Oh, and it's not really that he's hurt again. It's the same elbow injury that hasn't really gone away.

I agree. We shall see in a few years. I hope he rebounds. Santana and Liriano (if they don't split) may be a great pair to watch for a long time.

[runningshoes]

You go, Gomes.

[Whitesoxnut]

Liriano has en elbow issue which is far easier to deal with then a shoulder one. Even if he has the surgery the TJ surgery has a much higher success rate then shoulder repair.

[tommydale1]

God, please don't let him be done!!!!
I spent a fortune or his baseball cards!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's Kevin Maas all over again.

[KCGHOST]

To wonder if a guy who gets injured the first time is injury prone is very speculative.

[W_Marone]

no, he is hurt "again" of sorts, but hey, maybe thats just me, hey just some speculation. He did hear a pop, who knows, TJ could be in the future, just sayin, we shall see.

[Big Mafia]

I think its safe to say this was related to his previous injury, certainly not a new injury.

That said he did miss a year in the minors to an injury.

I think people tend to not realize how common injuries are to young pitchers. Wood and Prior are two high profile examples, but its a lot more common than that. Pitching is incredibly taxing on the arm.

[phillydj]

Both Wood and Prior had shoulder injuries. Many pitchers have recovered from elbow injuries -- even those requiring Tommy John surgery -- and come back to be as good as they were (Rivera, Smoltz, etc.). Very few have come back from major shoulder injuries -- Curt Schilling is the only one that comes to mind.

That said, this is sad for the Twins. It's amazing how resilient that team has been through all of its injuries.

DJ

[Zito75]

Very possible, but, before these injuries, Liriano was very durable.

It's possible that his injury wasn't completely healed.

I agree. Don't read too much into his injury. The Twins were just pushing him too hard to fast. (to get healthy)

[Astro]

Both Wood and Prior had shoulder injuries. Many pitchers have recovered from elbow injuries -- even those requiring Tommy John surgery -- and come back to be as good as they were (Rivera, Smoltz, etc.). Very few have come back from major shoulder injuries -- Curt Schilling is the only one that comes to mind.

That said, this is sad for the Twins. It's amazing how resilient that team has been through all of its injuries.

DJ

All of it's injuries? Who's been hurt for the Twins other than Liriano, Radke, and Hunter? I cant think of anyone

[PhilWings24]

could be, but i think its too early to make any judgment either way.

to me, he's a prospect all over again. this year doesn't count much to me, cus the tons of good that came with it may be outweighed by the bad.

so if next year he pitches 200 innings with an ERA of 2.20, i'd say its time to get excited again.

injuries with pitchers are such a delicate thing its ridiculous. every single pitcher has arm trouble, and it tends to be at young ages. i mean, roger clemens missed lots of time in 1985, and some more in 94 and 95. so he got hurt and it obviously didn't ruin him...but mark prior and kerry wood and ramon martinez also got hurt, and it didn't turn out so well.

so my point is that injuries happen to everybody, and they seem to just create an enormous question mark. some pitchers aren't affected at all, some get their careers ruined, some even improve (clemens, again).

so basically what this does to me is, like i said, return him to prospect status. if he pitches 200 dissapointing innings net year, then he becomes a potential stud, no longer a stud. if he pitches 200 innings with a 2.20 era, he's a stud again. if he pitches 100 innings, i say its time to start worrying, but not write him off yet.

[PhilWings24]

Both Wood and Prior had shoulder injuries. Many pitchers have recovered from elbow injuries -- even those requiring Tommy John surgery -- and come back to be as good as they were (Rivera, Smoltz, etc.). Very few have come back from major shoulder injuries -- Curt Schilling is the only one that comes to mind.

That said, this is sad for the Twins. It's amazing how resilient that team has been through all of its injuries.

DJ

clemens biggest problem has been his shoulder, i believe.

it was before my time, so i might have this mixed up, but i've heard stories about how after he came back from shoulder surgery, he got banged around. he then told his wife-or girlfriend or even mother or something...some female he was fond of lol- that he felt like he has a bunch of scar tissue in his shoulder, and he went to some park and threw 200 full strength pitches just to wear his shoulder out, and he got back on track right after that.

again i could have that mixed up, but i'm pretty sure it was a shoulder injury that limited him to 15 games in 1985. and i know that his world-famous workout program is centered almost entirely on shoulder strengthening.

[ElHalo]

Pitchers get hurt. That's what they do. There's loads and loads of pitchers who come along with all the talent in the world, who just can't stay healthy enough to remain on a roster. Liriano appears to be one of those guys. It's possible that he'll come back to be a star, Johan Santana quality starting pitcher. But I'd put greater odds on him coming back, never being able to pitch 150 innings in a season, and winning maybe a total of 35-40 more games in his career.

[Biggtone23]

I think its to early to say that, but I also think it was too early for all the other people who were already getting his spot in Cooperstown ready.

[dabum1]

he had injury problems while in the giants' system also