The Miami Marlins will be without one of their top relievers for the entire 2016 season, as Carter Capps is set to undergo Tommy John surgery.
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Timetable for Capps’ Recovery Revealed
Tuesday, March 8
The team announced that the 25-year-old righty’s procedure will be carried out by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.
Per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, the surgery will repair a torn UCL. Frisaro also provided a potential timeline for Capps’ return:
After mixed results in two seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Capps was traded to the Marlins prior to the 2014 season. He truly broke out in 2015, though, with a 1.16 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 31 innings.
Capps’ unique delivery made life miserable for hitters last season, and it created the illusion that nobody in MLB threw harder, according to MLB.com’s Daren Willman:
As pointed out by MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, the manner in which Capps bore down on hitters led to a remarkable amount of swinging strikes:
Capps was penciled in to be the primary setup man for closer A.J. Ramos in 2016, but the likes of Mike Dunn, Bryan Morris and Brad Hand now figure to vie for that role.
None of them bring the same type of electricity to the table that Capps does, which could make the late innings a challenge for Miami.
The Marlins already faced an uphill climb when it came to competing with the Washington Nationals and reigning National League champion New York Mets in the NL East, but Capps’ absence will put even more pressure on the Giancarlo Stanton-led offense to produce massive numbers in 2016.
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