Scott Kazmir has finally been castaway to the disabled list after a long, arduous, disappointing first half to the season and the move comes not a moment too soon with the playoff race at a fever pitch. But what fate lies in store for the man that not so long ago was seen as a key to the Angels’ potential World Series run? So many questions abound, but are there any real answers?
When, if ever, will we see Kazmir in the Angel rotation again?
Question #1: Is Scott Kazmir really injured or is this just a convenient excuse to get him out of the rotation?
Answer: A frustrating maybe. The team said right before the break that he was perfectly healthy. Then again they also said he wasn’t going to be removed from the rotation. Kazmir’s listed injury is shoulder fatigue which is perfectly plausible since he has a history of arm problems and might have even been putting additional strain on his arm with his change to a more over-the-top arm slot in his delivery. Personally, I don’t buy it, but I hope it is the truth as it could easily explain his underwhelming velocity and lack of command with his slider, especially in recent weeks. Let me put it this way, a busted shoulder is a lot easier to fix than fractured psyche.
Question #2: When will he back with the Angels?
Answer: Obviously no earlier than 15 days, but there is no sense in rushing him back just so he can suck again unless the Angels are truly intent on getting his ERA to creep over the 7.00 mark out of sheer masochism. That means that Kazmir is going to have to quickly prove himself healthy and then make at least two or three rehab starts to prove that he is back to his old form, and therein lies the rub. Kaz has a lot prove to Angel management before he is trusted with the ball during a divisional title race. The biggest barometer of his readiness will be seen in his slider and how frequently and effectively he can use it. He has been driving the Angel coaching staff crazy with his lack of confidence in what is arguably his most lethal pitch. Scott doesn’t like the way the pitch is working for him, so he has no faith in it. So as long as he is “rehabbing” in the minors, he better focus those efforts on rehabbing his slider more than anything. It also will certainly help his case if his velocity magically improves after getting some rest, but I really don’t think his velocity is ever going to come back, at least not by very much.
Question #3: What will his role be upon his return?
Answer: This will partly be based on the timing of his return, but there is no guarantee that Scott will ever get his rotation spot back this season. He is going to be on the DL past the trade deadline, so it is entirely possible the Angels will go out and get a proven starting pitcher to take his spot and give the team a shot in the arm for the playoff push. Heck, if Sean O’Sullivan or Trevor Bell do a decent enough job filling in, they might be able to hold onto the gig themselves. In that case, the Angels might decide Kazmir is best suited as a reliever for the team, an idea that actually makes a lot of sense due to the lack of a middle relief lefty in the Angel pen and even more sense when you consider many of Kazmir’s meltdowns have come after he has gone through the opposing order once or twice. However, the Angels are fiercely loyal to their players and don’t want to embarrass or upset Kazmir, so I consider it a relatively safe bet that his next appearance in an Angel uniform will be as a starting pitcher.
Question #4: Where did it all go wrong?
Answer: We should have known there would be trouble for Kazmir when he started Spring Training late because of shoulder issues so maybe this news of new shoulder problems shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Maybe he has been hurting this whole time and just to proud to say anything about, much like Joe Saunders last season. But maybe the problem runs even deeper than that. Mike Scioscia is on record as blaming a lack of confidence for Scott’s problems in which case we could certainly look back to his 2009 post-season performances which were all rather unimpressive. Kazmir was supposed to be a Red Sox and Yankees killer, but they killed him instead and his poor outings in the ALCS could very well have cost the Angels that series. And maybe he really just lost faith in himself after his misadventures in fielding sacrifice bunts in Game 6, ultimately sealing the Angels’ fate. The playoffs can be a real pressure cooker and mess with guys heads. Take a look at Rick Ankiel. He’s an outfielder now because he lost his mind during the post-season several years ago when he was thought to be an up and coming starting pitcher. I’m not saying that Kazmir lost his marbles, just that he might still be battling some personal demons in pressure situations after his recent post-season failures.
Question #5: Is there really any hope for Kazmir?
Answer: There is hope for sure, I just don’t know how much. He was a very good pitcher for a few years and I have a hard time believing he forgot how to pitch, but if there really is a health issue holding him back, and there very well could be because his velocity has been slipping for years, then he might never fully recover and become the pitcher the Angels thought they were trading for. If there is a glimmer of hope it is Mike Butcher. He had a good track record with Kazmir in Tampa for a year and even though he hasn’t had much success with him as an Angel, it isn’t unrealistic to think that Butch can work his magic on Kaz again, especially since Butcher went through a similar situation with Joe Saunders last season and was able to help him out.
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