Cubs Done Prior to Season?
Well Cub fans, that dark cloud of dread has most likely already settled in above your head but just in case you haven’t heard, let me be the bearer of bad news. Mark Prior is having his rotator cuff examined. Prior, the talented young pitcher, has spent time on the DL in each of his major league seasons and it appears this season might not be any different. While the extent of his injury is not yet known, this is obviously an odious sign for Cubs fans. With the status of Chicago’s other brittle ace, Kerry Wood, still in doubt, the health of Prior has taken on even more importance. As manager Dusty Baker put it “We have to stay positive and keep our fingers crossed.” Not exactly the answer Cubs fans wanted to hear.
The news out of Cubs camp today added fuel to a slowly growing fire of speculation about Prior’s status. The rumors of a possible trade involving the young pitcher earlier in the spring had also stirred speculation of an injury. Prior’s name came up in trade talk for Baltimore Orioles slugger Miguel Tejada, putting his health in the in the public spotlight. When the deal didn’t go through, rumors of health trouble for the pitcher began to circulate. As spring training started, Prior had been under a “strict program” which had caused even more Cubs fans to speculate about a possible injury. And now the team announces today that Prior will undergo tests on his shoulder and might need an MRI on his rotator cuff. You’ll forgive Cub fans if they say they told you so. The rumors had become so rampant that Cub general manager Jim Hendry was forced to address the concerns of Cubbie nation.
“It’s unfortunate. The first time he’s ever complained of discomfort since we got here is today. It will be perceived any way people want to perceive it. There’s no advantage to us holding back until March 14 and then discussing a problem that we knew about earlier. Hopefully, it’s just a little snag and he’s back with a few days setback and he’s back on his program at the end of the week. Today was the first day that he ever told [O'Neal] or Larry that he had discomfort.”
Whether management knew about it earlier this spring or just found out about it today… this is bad news for the Cubs.