In case you haven't yet heard, Jason Schmidt had an MRI on Monday in an attempt to see if there is, as many have speculated, some type of physical problem behind his lack of velocity. When a pitcher's fastball drops from mid-90s to mid-80s, that typically means one thing: shoulder issue.
What was Mark Prior's issue all spring? Primarily a drastic loss in velocity. Where is he now? That's right, off for a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews.
If you own Schmidt, I'm sorry to say it's too late now. You just have to ride this one out and hope for the best. Unless you can find that knowing, risk-taking owner in your league who has a middle of the pack team and may be willing to take a gamble. Heck, I myself did the same thing way back in Schmidt's first season with the Giants when he left a start in the first inning with shoulder stiffness. I jumped on the horn and traded Scott Williamson and Matt Herges for Schmidt and ended up owning him for three more seasons.
Roto Rebel's Current Schmidt Shoulder Defect Odds
Rotator Cuff Strain 2-to-1
Frayed Labrum 3-to-1
Partial Thickness Labrum Tear 5-to-1
Torn Rotator Cuff 20-to-1
The bottom line: best case scenario, expect Schmidt to miss three or four starts during a DL stint while trying the physical therapy route to fix his yet-to-be-discovered shoulder malady. That's what the Roto Rebel crystal ball is showing me anyway.
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