LOS ANGELES -- Eric Gagne will have season-ending surgery Saturday to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, the latest injury to sideline the Los Angeles Dodgers' All-Star closer.
The announcement was made about 3½ hours before Friday night's game against the San Francisco Giants. The 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner woke up with back pain Tuesday and received an epidural injection along with a nerve block, which didn't produce the desired results.
The operation will be performed by Dr. Robert Watkins at St. Vincent Medical Center.
"When things like this happen, there's not really a good time for it to happen," manager Grady Little said. "It's disappointing for all of us, mostly Eric himself. But there's nothing we can do about it."
The injury had nothing to do with baseball-related activity, because Gagne has been on the disabled list with elbow problems that have limited him to 16 appearances since the beginning of last season. The 30-year-old right-hander agreed to a $19 million, two-year contract before the 2004 campaign.
He underwent surgery on April 7 to remove a nerve from his pitching elbow -- the same elbow that required Tommy John surgery in 1997. The three-time All-Star missed the first 51 games and made only two appearances after that. The most recent was on June 6 against the New York Mets, when he struck out Carlos Delgado and David Wright en route to his 161st career save.
Gagne's 2005 season also ended prematurely when he underwent elbow surgery, but he didn't need a second ligament replacement procedure. Doctors cleaned up a slight amount of residual fraying around a nerve from the original Tommy John surgery, and he was able to begin spring training on time.
Gagne holds the major-league record of 84 consecutive saves. He had a club-record 55 saves and 1.20 ERA in 2003.
Takashi Saito is 6-for-6 in save conversions since taking over as closer. The 36-year-old right-hander, who spent the previous 14 years pitching for Yokohama in the Japanese Central League, allowed three earned runs in a span of 22 innings entering Friday and has struck out 54 batters in 40 innings altogether.
"We've got some good arms down there," Little said. "Danys Baez took on that role early in the year when Eric wasn't able to start the season and he did a good job. And now Saito's been doing a good job. So we have options that we feel confident in. Immediate adjusting doesn't have to be done, because we've been operating without Eric, anyway. So we'll just keep moving forward."
Baez is 9-for-16 in save situations. The right-hander had 96 saves over the previous three seasons with Cleveland and Tampa Bay, including a career-high 41 last year with the Devil Rays.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is terrible to hear that he is gone now for another season I think that he should just retire and not reck anything else on this body. But for the dodgers you will now see Danny Baez be the closer and the bullpen not a strong.
Thoughts?
Linear Mode
