On Thursday the Oakland A's shut down reigning AL Rookie of the Year closer Andrew Bailey for a week with "tennis elbow."
Bailey made 68 appearances in 2009, going 6-3 with a 1.84 ERA and 26 saves in 30 chances.
"It's just a little discomfort," Bailey told MLB.com. "I felt something after my last outing [Sunday], so I figured I should have it checked out. I'll just be doing some therapy and give it some rest. Last year was probably the heaviest workload on my arm, so this is probably just from kicking it back up and my arm trying to get used to it again."
Fantasy owners should be very concerned by this news.
Any elbow issue is a major problem for a pitcher, especially one that's asked to throw as frequently as a closer. As drafts progress, the recommendation is to keep an eye on Bailey's status and drop him on your draft board. In light of Minnesota closer Joe Nathan's elbow issues and Brad Lidge's continued rehab, the field of experienced closers is shrinking.
