Cliff Lee experiencing back pain
Cliff Lee's struggles as of late may be related to some back pain he has been experiencing. The Texas Rangers’ left-handed ace experienced more discomfort after Tuesday’s loss to the Kansas City Royals and flew back to Arlington, Texas to meet with the club’ physician.
Lee received a trigger point injection. Tests showed that there was no structural damage meaning the problem lies with his back muscles. Lee is scheduled to start Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays and team officials are saying he should be back for his next start. He will throw a bullpen session and will be further evaluated.
"He's going to join us on Friday and we'll see where he is," assistant general manager Thad Levine said. "At this point, he's still on track to make his start next week."
Lee acknowledged that his back has been bothering him for a while and that may provide an explanation for his poor performance as of late. In his last five starts, Lee is 0-3 with an 8.28 ERA. He pitched only 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday, his shortest outing in nearly 12 months.
The Rangers acquired Lee in late June from the struggling Seattle Mariners. Lee is 2-5 as a starter with the Rangers with a 4.69 ERA in 11 starts. For the season, he is 10-8 with 161 strikeouts and a 3.37 ERA. His numbers have obviously taken a hit with his recent slump.
The Rangers acquired Lee to give them an extra ace down the stretch and for the playoffs but Lee has not been able to fill that role as of late. The Rangers will need him to be healthy heading into October and if this latest injection does not help then it may be best for him to rest rather than pitch injured and continue to struggle. Lee has proven that he’s a great pitcher and will help the Rangers in the postseason if he’s healthy. The Rangers have a comfortable lead in their division and can rest him if they need to.
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