|
|
Right-hander Nate Cornejo lost his spot in the starting rotation Monday, then publicly acknowledged what he considers a reason for his decline: He has worked this season with pain in his pitching shoulder.
Cornejo said that he would return today to Detroit for a medical examination.
Tigers manager Alan Trammell didn't name an immediate replacement for Cornejo because he didn't have to. With two open dates in the next week, the Tigers can get by with one fewer starter until a week from Saturday. Trammell left open the possibility that Cornejo could return to the rotation after he misses one start.
Cornejo allowed four runs and got knocked out in the fifth inning of a one-sided
loss to Seattle on Sunday. Cornejo is 1-3 and hasn't made a quality start in
five tries this season. He has an ERA of 8.42. His only victory came in his
first start, when he allowed four runs to Minnesota in seven innings in the
Tigers' home opener.
In an interview before Monday night's game against the Angels, Cornejo didn't
pinpoint when the shoulder began to hurt. But he indicated that it has ached
for some time, both between starts and when he tries to warm up.
An injury would explain the otherwise baffling drop in Cornejo's velocity. He
used to throw more than 90 m.p.h. -- above-average for a major league starter.
On Sunday, according to one scout's radar gun, he peaked at 85 m.p.h.
Cornejo said that his initial approach to the pain was to "try to just
get through it and see what happens." On Monday, he acknowledged, "I
came to a point where I know I'm not pitching like I can and I'm just hurting
the team."
Cornejo suggested that the root of his shoulder problem might be the arthroscopic
surgery he had on both knees after last season. He speculated that with his
right knee weakened, he hasn't gotten enough thrust in his windup from his right
leg (the "push-off" leg). Thus he suspects he has put too much strain
on his shoulder.
After Cornejo made a sensational rise through the minors, he got hit hard when
he was first called up three years ago. He spent most of the next season, 2002,
in the minors.
Last season, he didn't throw as hard as he had a few years before. He had fewer
strikeouts per nine innings than any other big league starter, and his record
was 6-17 amid the Tigers' 119-loss wreckage. But he led the team with 17 quality
starts, and his season was generally regarded as a positive step.
Then his velocity dropped noticeably this season. Cornejo said he decided to
say something about his shoulder pain after he spoke with his father, former
big league pitcher Mardie Cornejo.
"I'm struggling so much, and I don't think my velocity is there, and I'm
not letting it all go," Cornejo said. "I finally decided, and I had
a talk with my dad about it. . . . I figured it was time to say something."
Trammell didn't mention Cornejo's medical exam today when he explained his decision
Monday to take Cornejo from the rotation. It wasn't clear whether Cornejo told
club officials of his injury before or after he learned he was exiting the rotation
for now.
MINOR LEAGUE HONORS: Infielder-turned-outfielder David Espinosa of Double-A
Erie had a .411 on-base percentage in April and was named the organization's
minor league player of the month. Triple-A Toledo pitcher Pat Ahearne went 4-for-5
in quality starts and was named the minor league pitcher of the month.
Back To Index Page