Injury sidelines Angels' John Lackey
SPRING REPORT
With Kelvim Escobar also recovering from an injury, the team will be without its two top pitchers for several weeks.
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Angels rotation, and possibly the team's division title hopes, were dealt a significant blow today when ace John Lackey was diagnosed with a strained right triceps, an injury that will sideline the right-hander until at least mid-May.
Lackey, who hasn't missed a start in his six-year big league career but has been limited because of a sore elbow to one exhibition start this spring, felt sore after Wednesday's bullpen workout and said his elbow "locked up pretty good" Friday.
An MRI test revealed the strain and Lackey, who went 19-9 with an American League-leading 3.01 earned-run average last season, will be held out of baseball-related activities for three to four weeks, meaning he won't begin throwing until about mid-April.
He'll need at least four or five minor league rehabilitation starts to build up enough arm strength to return, so in a best-case scenario, Lackey won't be ready until mid-May.
That means the Angels, heavy favorites to repeat as AL West champions, will be without its top two pitchers for at least the first six weeks of the season -- No. 2 starter Kelvim Escobar is out with a shoulder injury and won't begin throwing again until next week.
"It's going to be a huge blow," fellow starter Joe Saunders said. "It's definitely not good. We're going to have to step up our game. It's a sad time for us. John is our horse, the leader of the pitching staff and one of the leaders of the team.
"Our Nos. 1 and 2 starters are not doing so hot right now, but we'll get through it."
Though several free-agent pitchers such as Jeff Weaver, Freddy Garcia and Horacio Ramirez remain available, General Manager Tony Reagins said the Angels will first look in-house to fill Lackey's spot.
Long reliever Dustin Moseley is the leading candidate, and prospects Nick Adenhart, who started in Lackey's place today against Arizona, and Nick Green will have a shot.
If Moseley opens the season in the rotation, it will open a second spot in the bullpen, in addition to the one created by Chris Bootcheck's strained rib-cage muscle.
"We have candidates in-house who can step into that [rotation] role," Reagins said. "In the case of Lackey and Escobar, we don't think the timetable for them [to be out] is going to be that long. If we can fill the gaps for the first month of the season, hopefully we'll get those guys back."
Though Seattle will open the season with a far superior rotation of Erik Bedard, Felix Hernandez, Carlos Silva, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista, Manager Mike Scioscia doesn't think the loss of Lackey and Escobar will put a huge dent in the Angels' division hopes.
"Those two guys are important to us, but even without them, we'll have a rotation that can give us a chance to win every night and a bullpen that can hold leads," Scioscia said.
"It's obviously big when you lose a guy who brings as much as John does, not only when he pitches but on the periphery. He sets the tone. Hopefully he'll be back soon enough to have an impact on the staff."
mike.digiovanna@latimes.com
