Ian Kennedy lasted only a few innings before succumbing to the DL
San Diego Padres pitcher Ian Kennedy will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, after he left Thursday’s game against the Giants with a left hamstring injury.
I talked to Dr. Selene Parekh (@seleneparekhmd) about this situation.
He informed me: “A hamstring strain can occur with dehydration, over-use, miss-stepping, or trauma.” The hamstring is an injury that could cause some concern now and down the line. Dr. Parekh went on to state: “Typically you need two-to-four weeks to recover, using rest, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy with performance training.” This could become a more serious situation down the road, if the Padres try to rush him back, or feel that he has properly recovered before he truly has.
Dr. Parekh believes “A lot of athletes get rushed back into playing too quickly. This becomes an issue, because the guys have not adequately recovered, and the injury can nag through the entire season…Look for him to be out two-to-four weeks.” When he departed the game against the Giants, he was a little shaky as he had not allowed a run, but did allow two hits and two walks, but also had two strikeouts.
Manager Bud Black talked about the injury to Kennedy “Overnight, Ian made some progress, but hamstrings are tricky,” Black went on to say “Probably the best thing to do for Ian is to put him on the DL. … Now we can really make sure the leg is healthy and 100 percent where he has a good deal of confidence both physically and mentally in his leg. “Injuries are part of the game, but this looks to be a short-termer as far as the hamstring goes.”
Kennedy is coming off one of his better seasons as a pro. In 2014, he finished with a 3.63 ERA with 13 wins and 13 losses. He had 207 strikeouts in 201 innings with a 1.28 WHIP. This was impressive as he was coming off an injury-shortened campaign in 2013, during which he only made six starts.
In the meantime the Padres will have right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne enter the rotation, and he will start Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. Despaigne is a Cuban native who became part of the San Diego Padres organization in 2014. He got his first start June 23, 2014 against the San Francisco Giants. He pitched well, as he went seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits. Despaigne finished the season with 16 starts, 96.1 innings pitched, 36 earned runs, 85 strikeouts with 32 walks, and a 3.36 ERA. In Thursday’s game against the Giants, after taking over for the injured Kennedy, he pitched 4.2 innings and struck out one, while allowing no runs.
The Padres will bring up left-handed reliever Chris Rearick to fill the vacant roster spot left by Kennedy. Rearick who is 27 years old, has not yet pitched in the major leagues. Last season he was with Triple-A El Paso for most of the year, compiling a 2.89 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 10 walks in 43.2 innings. Rearick was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 41st round 1,241 overall in 2010. The Padres acquired him in 2012, but has been slowed by injuries, as he has suffered an ACL ailment in 2013. Now healthy, he recently completed a solid Spring Training, allowing just three runs in 8.2 innings in the Cactus League.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Rearick, the Padres shifted left-hander Cory Luebke from the 15-day to the 60-day DL.
Mike Valverde is a correspondent for FantasyPros, and he also writes for Fantasy Sports Warehouse. You can follow Mike @RFLRedZone and Fantasy Sports Warehouse @FantasySportsWH.
