Angels Reliever Out For Several Weeks After Fracturing Elbow During Mariners Brawl
The big brawl between the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners on Sunday, from Anaheim, set off a series of repercussions for both teams. However, the Angels have so far caught more bad news in the ensuing week.
After receiving a multi-player suspension from MLB on Monday, including a 10-game ban for Angels manager Phil Nevin, the Angels were informed on Tuesday that reliever Archie Bradley is dealing with a broken right elbow injury, first suffered during the brawl.
Bradley will not be starting a throwing program for at least four weeks but may be back in full swing in two months' time.
This season, Bradley has pitched for LA in 21 games, tallying a 4.82 ERA with 15 strikeouts.
Angels athletic trainer Mike Frostad gave an update on the reliever's injury:
"His overall time down could be a couple of months," Frostad told the MLB media.
"It won't have any long-term effects. He won't even be in a cast. With this injury, the biggest thing is to keep it moving and keep that range in the elbow. It's a well-documented injury in orthopedics. It happens with a fall with an outstretched hand."
The fight broke out after Angels pitcher Andrew Wantz got some retaliation for a pitch by the Mariners, the day before, that nearly hit teammate Mike Trout.
Wantz took a shot (and missed) at Julio Rodriguez in the first inning. He hit Seattle's Jesse Winker in the second, which cleared both sides in a brawl.
Bradley reportedly fractured his elbow after falling over the dugout railing.
Acting Angels manager Ray Montgomery spoke on the ill-timed injury's effect on the bullpen for the forthcoming weeks.
"With the way, he's been throwing the ball recently, and what he brings to the clubhouse, it's a huge loss," Montgomery said. "In the short term, guys are going to have to step up. I think we've done a good job all year of picking up other guys. We'll miss him, for sure, but the guys down there know what they need to do."
Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela