The aftermath of the 2006 World Series is not even a week old and the Minnesota Twins have already lost a key member of its pitching rotation. After only being able to pitch six innings throughout the final two months of the season, it was determined that Francisco Liriano needed Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.
Promoted to the rotation in mid-May, Liriano dominated the league with a wicked slider that he often threw well over 90 mph and went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 121 innings as a rookie. It’s possible the strain put on his arm by throwing that pitch so hard was part of this problem with his ulnar collateral ligament, which first popped up in late July and was diagnosed then as a mild strain.
Obviously this is a huge blow for the Twins after such a dominating rookie campaign by Liriano. The best thing that Minnesota can do for both its future and Liriano’s career is to let him fully recover. As similar to the cases of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior of the Chicago Cubs, when young pitchers experience injuries so early in their careers, it’s important for those athletes that the club doesn’t rush them back.
Hopefully the Twins are smart enough to allow Liriano to regain his full health.
