Kuzul

Jered Weaver's injury was an odd one.The Los Angeles Angels ace was quick enough to get out of the way of a shot right back at him, but fell on his non-pitching arm in doing so. It was an awkward fall, as you'd expect with a quick twisting move on a sloping surface, which resulted in what looked like a hyperextended elbow.The team removed Weaver from the game, but he was near his pitch limit anyway, so we really weren't sure whether he could have continued. The Angels initially only worried about whether he'd make his next start, but images on Tuesday morning showed a fracture near the elbow (via Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal), putting him out of action for an extended period of time. Though an injury to his pitching arm would obviously have been worse, the non-throwing arm (or glove-side arm) is important for balance and consistency, so changes there could cause ...

One can not help but feel badly for Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry DiPoto. He assembled a team that by all appearances looked like the squad that would win owner Arte Moreno's first-ever pennant and bring the World Series back to Orange County.Jered Weaver, locked up to a long-term deal, was having a Cy Young-caliber season. He brought in Albert Pujols who is heating up. C.J. Wilson made the All-Star team. Mike Trout has already sewn up the Rookie of the Year and has his sights set on the MVP. Torii Hunter's bat was heating up.He brought in Zack Greinke to slide into the rotation with Weaver, Wilson and Dan Haren. Reliever Ernesto Frieri was a steal from San Diego.After the Greinke deal, the Angels looked poised and ready to run off with, at the very least, a wild-card spot and possibly zoom past the Rangers and claim the ...

Los Angeles Angels ace Jered Weaver is 15-2, and he leads the American League in ERA, WHIP, opponents' batting average and various other categories.In the minds of many, this makes him the automatic favorite to win the AL Cy Young award this season.Those who have been keeping up with my weekly AL Cy Young rankings will know that I disagree.Weaver's been good, but assorted advanced stats suggest that Justin Verlander has been better. His Cy Young candidacy is further bolstered by the fact that he's been a bigger workhorse than any pitcher in either league.But the gap between Weaver and Verlander has never been huge. Truth be told, there are five leading candidates for the Cy Young at this moment in time, and any one of them could claim the top spot in the rankings in a given week.To see where Weaver, Verlander and all the rest rank this week, ...

Last season, there was little question that Justin Verlander was going to win the AL Cy Young Award. He won the AL pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Pitchers who do that tend to walk away with the hardware.Verlander is once again in the middle of a tremendous season, but the AL Cy Young race isn't nearly as cut-and-dry as it was last year; Verlander has some serious competition.Jered Weaver is right in the thick of things. He leads the AL in wins with 15, and he also has the league's top ERA and top WHIP. The no-hitter he pitched in May looms large on his Cy Young resume.Felix Hernandez, the 2010 AL Cy Young winner, is also right in the thick of things. He's among the league leaders in virtually every pitching category, and he's only getting better and better as the season moves ...

With the fantasy-trade deadlines coming up this week or next (I have four red-letter dates this Friday), it's time for owners to make one last pitch for baseball's elite categorical contributors.AccuScore, a company that specializes in thorough game simulations, has made a few on-the-fly revisions to its seasonal projections.These 50 starting pitchers, based on AccuScore projections (not mine), will register at least 55 strikeouts from this point forward (Aug. 7-Sept. 30): Part I1. CC Sabathia, Yankees—772. Justin Verlander, Tigers—753. Yu Darvish, Rangers—754. Cole Hamels, Phillies—725. Gio Gonzalez, Nationals—686. Adam Wainwright, Cardinals—687. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers—688. Lance Lynn, Cardinals—679. Roy Halladay, Phillies—6710. James Shields, Rays—6711. Felix Hernandez, Mariners—6712. Cliff Lee, Phillies—6713. Marco Estrada, Brewers—6714. Yovani Gallardo, Brewers—6715. Francisco Liriano, White Sox—6616. Madison Bumgarner, Giants—6517. Zack Greinke, Angels—6518. Tim Lincecum, Giants—6519. Matt Cain, Giants—6520. Mat Latos, Reds—6421. Jered Weaver, Angels—6422. Jeff Samardzija, Cubs—6323. David Price, Rays—6324. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals—6325. Erik Bedard, Pirates—63 Part II26. Felix Doubront, Red ...

The task of catching the Texas Rangers has just become more difficult for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as they were forced to place Jered Weaver on the 15-day disabled list.The move happens less than 24 hours after Weaver was forced to leave the game against the New York Yankees. Paul Severino of MLB Network tweeted the news on Tuesday,   #Angels have placed Jered Weaver on the 15-day DL with lower back strain with spasms. — Paul Severino (@SeverinoMLB) May 29, 2012   The Angels have called up Garrett Richards from Triple-A Salt Lake in the corresponding move and he will likely start in place of Weaver.Initially many felt the injury was to his leg, but after the game trainers hinted that it involved his back. Now we know he has suffered a strain and is experiencing spasms in his lower back.Anaheim will have a difficult time filling the void left by Weaver, especially ...

The baseball gods are really testing the Los Angeles Angels' collective resolve this season.First, the Angels had to deal with Albert Pujols' prolonged slump, which sucked the life out of their offense and was painful to watch from beginning to end. It also may or may not have cost hitting coach Mickey Hatcher his job.The Pujols slump is over, but the Angels may be about to begin an entirely new nightmare. Ace pitcher Jered Weaver had to leave his start against the New York Yankees on Monday after throwing just 12 pitches, and the vibes concerning his status are not positive.Officially, the Angels are calling Weaver's injury a mere "lower-back injury," according to a report from ESPNLosAngeles.com. They won't know more until they get the results back from some tests on Tuesday, as Weaver was scheduled to undergo an X-ray and an MRI. UPDATE: Word started circulating on Tuesday evening that ...

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been deemed by most to be the big winners of the 2012 offseason free agent market. They beefed up their lineup and their pitching staff in an attempt to reclaim the AL West from the back-to-back World Series entrants, the Texas Rangers. These offseason acquisitions and a few other factors have suddenly put the Angels, a team with no 20-game winners in 2011, as the lead candidates to have two 20-game winners in 2012.The CandidatesThe Angels starting pitching rotation boasts an absolutely formidable front four—Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson and Ervin Santana. It's saying something about the strength of the rotation when Santana, who put up a 3.38 ERA and struck out 178 in 2011, is the weakest link.Winning 20 games may prove to be no problem for Weaver, Haren or Wilson. Although none of them have ever hit the 20-win mark, ...

With pitchers and catcher reporting to camp, spring training is finally underway. Although some fans might not be excited until the regular season starts, the players are certainly ready to get back on the field and prepare for the upcoming season.Spring training is often a time for hitters to find their swing, base stealers to condition their legs, and pitchers to find their touch. In addition, often pitchers will try out new pitches during spring training to see if they can add another weapon in their arsenal of pitches.Here are four pitchers everyone expects big things from this season and who are also trying out new pitches this spring.Begin Slideshow

Saturday night, the American League West separation between the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels was just two games. Mike Scioscia's club now controls its destiny and postseason potential.Here are the five realistic reasons that the Angels will surpass the record of the Rangers to make the 2011 Playoffs. The battle for the American League West Pennant will not be easily decided. The Rangers are stacked offensively and filled pitching gaps that make them a formidable team. Begin this slideshow to find out why the Angels are up to the Texas-sized challenge.Begin Slideshow