MLB Tribune

Twins Nathan Out for Season

by Scooter on 03/21/2010 in MLB News

Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan will miss the 2010 season because of a right elbow injury that will require surgery.

Nathan leads the major leagues with 246 saves since the 2004 season and is due to make $11.25 million both this season and next. Nathan went 2-2 with a 2.10 ERA and a career-best 47 saves last season.

The Twins will need to find a replacement. Jon Rauch is the only player on the Twins that has 26 saves and he will most likely step into the role. Rauch was 7-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 2009 and will have to take charge this year in place of Nathan.

This is really bad news for any team with a top pitcher going down for a season. The Twins are not a team with pitching depth.

Joe Nathan played a game of catch on Sunday morning and felt pain in his pitching elbow. Because he felt pain, which wasn’t unexpected, Nathan will proceed with Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. (It won’t be done by Dr. James Andrews, who removed bone chips from Nathan’s elbow this past offseason.)

Estimated recovery time for Tommy John: 12 months.

We wish Joe a speedy recovery.