Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Anyone that has seen Los Angeles Dodgers SP Zack Greinke pitch recently can plainly see that the hurler is throwing hurt. He is grimacing after almost every throw and has pitched miserably ever since coming off the disabled list last month. Fantasy baseball owners were counting on Greinke to be an ace upon his return, but he has since become just another mid-level starter.
Greinke was originally placed on the DL on April 11th. Greinke pegged San Diego Padres OF Carlos Quentin will the ball during a game and due to their history, Quentin charged the mound. Greinke broke his collarbone in the altercation and it was one of the most devastating injuries during the early part of the fantasy season.
Well, since his return from the shelf, the right-hander has been unable to get into a groove. In his last six games, Greinke has seen his ERA jump from 1.62 all the way up to 4.22. He has allowed 20 earned runs over that span and seems to always have the bases full.
Recovering from a broken collarbone is an extremely painful injury, especially for a starting pitcher. The shoulder is constantly grinding on the bone and it leaves a permanent knot over the collarbone. Needless to say, it is something that isn’t going away and will bug him every time he throws the ball.
It may only be a matter of time until Greinke lands back the DL with shoulder inflammation or shoulder soreness. He doesn’t appear ready to carry the load for the remainder of the season, so fantasy owners shouldn’t put too much faith in the 2009 AL Cy Young Winner.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
