NEWSFLASH: Eric Hurley Tears Rotator Cuff, Out For The Season
Joey Matschulat
Right-hander Eric Hurley (pictured) will miss the entire 2009 season.It was as recent as last February that industry publication Baseball American deemed Wolfson High School (Jacksonville, Fla.) product Eric Hurley the third-best prospect in the Texas Rangers' then-burgeoning farm system, ultimately appraising him as a "mid-rotation starter in the Kevin Millwood mold" and correctly projecting a mid-season call-up that came to fruition when veteran right-hander Sidney Ponson was designated for assignment following a series of "disrespectful and adverse reactions" in early June 2008.
Hurley was solid, if not spectacular in 22.2 innings of work spanning June 12-29, crafting a 3.57 ERA and 1.28 WHIP through his first four major league starts but never consistently flashing the mid-90s heat that facilitated his emergence as one of the safer bets among the Rangers' high-quality stable of young arms to contribute meaningful major league innings in the years to come.
Never has that long-term optimism been in greater jeopardy.
Multiple local media sources, including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, are reporting that Hurley underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn right rotator cuff and a frayed right labrum on Wednesday, effectively ending his 2009 campaign before it ever had the opportunity to get started.
Sidelined over the final two months of the 2008 season by what was initially diagnosed as a one-start injury -- right biceps tendinitis -- following a horrendous two-inning effort in Oakland on July 27th during which he never topped 88 miles per hour, Hurley received a cortisone injection in early August and undertook an extensive rehabilitation program that lasted through December, but continued to experience discomfort.
A second opinion recently sought from renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum confirmed the diagnosis of Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister, who performed the procedure on Hurley at Medical Center of Arlington:
"We were hopeful that rehab would allow Eric to avoid surgery," general manager Jon Daniels said. "Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. I thought he could have impacted our club this year, but with the proper program, that should be realistic for the following season."
Hurley isn't expected to begin a throwing program for another three to four months, but there's really no point in attempting to conceal the ugly truth of the situation: shoulder injuries, while certainly not always fatal to the often fragile careers of pitchers, are exceedingly difficult to rehabilitate from while maintaining pre-injury degrees of effectiveness. Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez notably bounced back from arthroscopic surgery to repair a partially torn right rotator cuff during the 2002-2003 off-season and turned in a quality 15-start campaign for the Yankees in 2004, but such instances of immediate success following such serious procedures are the exception more so than the norm.
Assuming the Rangers execute no further signings or trades this winter (and note that I still remain at least moderately confident in a deal eventually being completed with free-agent right-hander Ben Sheets), the Opening Day starting rotation is probably going to comprise Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Brandon McCarthy, Matt Harrison and possibly -- though not definitely -- Scott Feldman. A strong showing in Surprise, Arizona and some early rotation-related attrition could have conceivably opened another pathway to Arlington for Hurley, but he was, in all likelihood, going to begin the 2009 season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, and it wasn't a tremendous stretch to think that the electric Double-A Frisco tandem of Neftali Feliz and Derek Holland would have surpassed Hurley in the organizational pitching hierarchy at some point, regardless.
Not that any of that amounts to any degree of consolation for Hurley, his family, the Rangers or their understandably shaken fan base.
On Friday morning, we'll briefly look backwards at a few of the more noteworthy moments of Hurley's meteoric rise and fall last summer and unearth a few long-forgotten quotes that were ultimately more significant than they seemed at the time.
Reader Comments (24)
Welp, there's one down.
We're gettin' started early this year.
Thanks, Mark Connor, for this. I distinctly remember Hurley being sent tot the mound last summer when he obviously wasn't right and someone, Jason, Jamie Newberg, Mike Hindman, in blogger world questioning whether Hurley was healthy. My other question is--why wasn't this found before now? Hurley could be several months down the road to recovery and rehab if it had been found late last summer or early fall.
This is AWFUL news! I'm think I'm gonna HURL!
Holy shnikees. That really sucks. I guess either Feldman and Diamond are going to have to step up.
Professor Pessimist: Hurley will never fully recover from this injury. I don't think people realize how BAD this injury actually is. It's not often that pitchers get their stuff back after a rotator cuff tear. Considering Hurley's stuff had taken a step back in the past few seasons I think it is safe to say that his professional outlook is bleak.
Definitely stinks. Personally had Hurley as a lock to make the rotation out of ST.
MJH has voiced concern over management of Hurley's outings but I don't think even he's implied that Connor would deliberately send out a hurt pitcher to further injure himself. That would seem to be malfeasance of the highest order and I doubt the guy could get rehired in baseball much less be brought back to his previous club as a consultant.
So it starts...
Does this make Texas bite the bullet and sign Ben Sheets? Does this make Texas nut up and trade Taylor Teagarden and another player for Taylor Buchholtz? It does bear consideration now that they just lost one of their 5 starters.
Oops. Of course I meant Clay, not Taylor. Brain fudge.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Thomas Diamond 2.0...
This really sucks, because I liked Hurley a lot more than Matt Harrison or Tommy Hunter. He was the guy (well, along with Brandon McCarthy) I really thought could have a breakout year in the majors this season. Now, even if he recovers as planned, odds are he might not be anything more than a bullpen piece.
Ugh. I sure hope Matt Harrison is better than I think he is...
Edit: you know, re: Jdollas point just above, what this might wind up doing is making Michael Bowden look a lot better to the FO. Heck, he looks a lot better to me right now (as long as he comes with Hagadone).
JDolla$-Texas has been trying to sign Sheets for months. Eric Hurley's injury doesn't do much to change that situation.
Jon: Hurley never had Diamond's stuff.
Speaking of Diamond, what do you expect our of him this year, Jason? Starter or reliever in the future?
So maybe I'm not totally grasping the entire story, but are we to believe this is an injury that was recently sustained, or does it date back to last season?
Personally, I think Diamond is a future reliever, but he might turn some heads in the '09 rotation. Since his injury, people have forgotten how good is stuff was/is. His fastball didn't quite have his pre-TJ zip, but his curve was better and his change was always an above-average pitch. If he can put all the injuries behind him, he might be able to stick in a major league rotation and turn into the innings eating horse the Rangers always thought he could be.
I have to look at this injury as an opportunity to get one of our other guys some time in the rotation this year. I'm sure Feldman or Nippert will break camp in the the spot the would have been Hurley's; however, this could make it more likely that Feliz or Holland sees extended time in the show in '09.
JDolla$-Check your email.
Diamond is 100% HEALTHY. He should EARN a spot on the roster. Hunter and Harrison both have something to offer. Feliz and Holland are (barring injury) both future inning eaters. If you have not seen these guys pitch, go see them. You will believe.
txleague: How do you define "inning eaters"?
Robert: This evidently dated back to last season:
I don't think the Hurley debacle can be entirely blamed on Connor, but the timeline is very interesting...I might try to examine it in more detail tomorrow...
cool man
Joey I blame myself.
Trip, I think txleague meant to say Feliz and Holland will chew up innings, spit them out, then stomp on them until they cry "uncle!"
I wouldn't place too much blame on yourself, Kevin. I doubt your baseball card jinx can compare to the hex on the Rangers' pitching.
If something happens to Chris Davis and Brandon Boggs, you personally can lead the angry mob of pitch fork holding fans.......