Merged: They'd be wise to replace Harang this Sunday / Harang to have MRI

[Kingspoint]

When asked if his arm was hurting, Harang said it felt fine.

The radar gun might have indicated otherwise. Harang's fastball velocity hovered mostly in the low 80-mph range, but he did reach 90-91 mph on a few occasions. He usually throws in the low-to-mid 90s.

"This is puzzling here," manager Dusty Baker said. "It's gone on for quite a while. We certainly need to get him on track."

I don't care who pitches on Sunday, just anyone but Harang. That will give him 8 days of rest then if he pitches the first game back from the break. Add that to the 7 days of rest he just had and that would be a huge benefit to him.

The REDS had the right idea in giving his arm some rest. It clearly wasn't enough after he walked 7 batters, and that for a guy, who normally only walks zero, one or two in a game throughout his career.

[Jefferson24]

I wouldn't mind them resting him even longer. It's not like this season means anything at this point. And if it does mean something is he the one you want throwing? Put him on the shelf and lets hope he return to his normal numbers next year. If not, then the Reds have one very expensive 10-15 game loser. Although since dealing with Milton, it won't be a pill that is too hard to swallow.

[REDSEER]

Is what we all thought (Harang's hurt) true?

http://www.thelotd.com/ctrent


Aaron Harang will fly back to Cincinnati from Chicago to undergo an MRI following his career-high seven-walk performance on Tuesday night, the team announced on Wednesday.

Harang has struggled since throwing four innings in an extra-inning game in San Diego on May 25, going 1-5 with a 7.31 ERA since that outting.

Harang missed his scheduled start on Saturday and was pushed back to Tuesday with forearm stiffness. The team said he's still bothered by the injury.

If Harang is put on the disabled list, Daryl Thompson could step right in for him. Thompson allowed one run on six hits in six innings in Louisville on Tuesday, picking up the win for the Bats. Thompson, optioned to Louisville last week could be recalled if the Reds placed a player on the disabled list. Otherwise, Homer Bailey, who pitched well on Monday, could be recalled to start on Sunday.

[Kingspoint]

Good.

I'm glad they're taking an active part in taking care of him.

The MRI may or may not reveal anything (I don't think it will unless there's some sort of tendinitis that can be revealed by an MRI), but it does show that the REDS "know" something is wrong.

They are taking the proper course, and hopefully this means that he misses Sunday's start.

His arm just needs some rest, just a little more than they thought.

My thoughts a few weeks ago was that he could use a 15-Day DL stint, or the equivalent of 2 or 3 missed starts. With the All-Star break coming up, and Livingston cotinuing to rehab (he's about 10 days into his minor league rehab assignments), that's one possibility for Harang's replacement for Harang's spot after the All-Star Break along with Affeldt for Sunday's game.

It's important that they do what's necessary so that Harang is healthy to go in 2009.

They just ended SS Gonzalez' season this week and Hopper's will end this week, too. That shouldn't have to be the case with Harang, but definitely some rest after leading the League in Innings Pitched for 3 straight seasons would be a huge benefit for him.

[ChatterRed]

Atleast he won't be trade material now! Woo-hoo!!!

[Kingspoint]

Per C.Trent, the wisdom of the organization takes over.

I like what management, including Dusty, has done over the last two weeks with regard to paying attention to the workload of Thompson and Harang.

Though Arroyo needs the reduced workload more than Thompson or Harang, he's just not as valuable as the other two towards the team, and so, he's 3rd on the priority list here. As I said before, he's also probably part of trade rumors and so giving him some rest would indicate to other teams that the REDS think something is wrong. He really needs a 30-Day DL stint or be shut down for the rest of the season, but since neither of those things are going to happen, the REDS' best alternative is to jettison to another team and let him be their problem. He'll pitch well again if he can get some rest, but I don't think there is any team willing to do that for him.

[RedsFanInBama]

I'm with you. I'd skip him on Sunday and then re-arrange the rotation to make him the fifth guy to start coming out of the break. That would give him a long rest. If he still looks the same after that, then you send him to the DL. No reason to tax his arm for this season.

[44Magnum]

Shelve Harang for the year and have him undergo a battery of tests, MRI, etc.
The year is shot anyway.

[UC_Ken]

We have three days off afterward so you could just make Sunday a bullpen day assuming the starter doesn't go out early Saturday. Everyone agrees that under no circumstances should Harang start Sunday.

[Kingspoint]

I'm with you. I'd skip him on Sunday and then re-arrange the rotation to make him the fifth guy to start coming out of the break. That would give him a long rest. If he still looks the same after that, then you send him to the DL. No reason to tax his arm for this season.


Based on how the REDS have handled Thompson and Harang the last two weeks, I have a feeling that's exactly what they'll do.

[James B.]

That extra inning game where Harang pitched in relief has really came back to bite the reds. I think that game really messed him up.

[RedsFanInBama]

That extra inning game where Harang pitched in relief has really came back to bite the reds. I think that game really messed him up.
That certainly didn't help, but he was not his normal self even before that outing. That just made it worse.

[James B.]

That certainly didn't help, but he was not his normal self even before that outing. That just made it worse.

I don't think that he was that bad before that game. He had a good era, but was just not getting any run support.

[RedsFanInBama]

You're right. His ERA was 3.50 before that outing. It just seems like he's been getting hit all season. He got murdered the start before the infamous relief appearance.

[captainmorgan07]

I'll take an educated guess and say they sit him Sunday as a precaution. Who makes the start sunday is anybody's guess.

[Kingspoint]

I don't think that he was that bad before that game. He had a good era, but was just not getting any run support.

RedsFanInBanana was right. He was getting pounded before that game, even though as you say his ERA was good. He was able to get himself out of some of the trouble he had gotten himself into before that game, but he was still getting pounded as his OPS against before that game was a lot higher than it had been his whole career with the REDS, and certainly not indicative of the last 3 seasons.

That San Diego game just made a sore arm into a tired arm.

[Kingspoint]

The MRI may or may not reveal anything (I don't think it will unless there's some sort of tendinitis that can be revealed by an MRI), but it does show that the REDS "know" something is wrong.

They are taking the proper course, and hopefully this means that he misses Sunday's start.

His arm just needs some rest, just a little more than they thought.


I didn't think the MRI would show anything. What's wrong with his arm doesn't show up on an MRI. They were just being extra careful and making sure that there wasn't something in addition to his arm being "tired".

They'll have a better idea next time he pitches after the All-Star break if they have to do something like a DL-stint. I don't think they'll opt for that yet until he pitches as least one more time.