Mark Prior may require Tommy John surgery

[Guest]

Possibly devastating news, if true, from the Newark Star-Ledger:

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.s ... 997050.xml

Sunday, April 11, 2004
MARK PRIOR'S right elbow injury could be serious enough to require Tommy John surgery and keep him out for the whole year, according to the word circulating among baseball executives. Cubs manager DUSTY BAKER , who has a tendency to leave his starters in for extremely high pitch counts, has been confiding in friends that the situation is bleak. Losing Prior for an extended time would obviously be a big blow for the Cubs, who don't have a lot of wiggle room in their payroll budget to trade for another starter.

[slomo007]

wow....HUGE news...good thing I didn't take the chance.

[trac02]

Whoops, forgot to register when posting that piece of news.

[warrick95]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shit.

[nsulham]

I shall believe this information when I see it.

Until then as a Prior owner I will continue to believe he will back sometime in May.

[eftda]

[Zito is God]

As a baseball fan who lives in Chicago this hurts me deeply, although the Cubs are not my favorite team (Cleveland) I still loved seeing prior pitch. Now, as a competitive baseball player I have one thing to say :Haha! Told you so! NEVER Draft high ranked pitchers in the early rounds and let some chump take a guy who only plays every 5 days as his 1st pick while I get a great hitter...

[fezzik]

Here'a link updating Prior's status for 4/11/04 and I can't find any reference to possible Tommy John surgery...it's his achilles that's injured. Basicly, it just talks about his need to build up his arm strength and get his release point set.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ ... &fext=.jsp

[slomo007]

I have heard from numerous different places that the Cubs are probably covering Prior's real injury (arm) with the achilles injury. I just didn't think the arm injury they are supposedly covering up, was really THAT serious. I am not saying I believe it, but it is a reputable source.

[DK]

I also read this in the Star-Ledger today. I'm wondering which source they tapped for this.

Regardless, it's a blow.