Jason Schmidt Having Shoulder Surgery, Career in Jeopardy

A day after telling you that the Dodgers were placing starter Jason Schmidt on the 15-day DL for the second time this season, the news has come out that Schmidt will have shoulder surgery. There is no return date planned for the pitcher, and GM Ned Colletti has called the news "very discouraging." In the meantime, Chad Billingsley will take Schmidt's place in the rotation, a move that is long overdue, and Marlon Anderson has been activated from the DL to take Schmidt's spot on the roster.

When I wrote that Schmidt was returning to the DL yesterday, I called his signing the worst of the off-season. Initially, based on the short length and little relative money (compared to other top-notch pitchers like Barry Zito), I thought Colletti made the steal of the Winter. And if Schmidt were healthy like his normal self, or if he pitched like he did last year at the least, the deal would have definitely been a bargain.

Now, it seems like an utter waste. The $47 million pitcher has been useless this year, and his surgery will probably set him back through part of next year. My guess is half the contract has already gone down the drain.

This is a crushing blow for the Dodgers, and possibly marks the end of the career for Jason Schmidt. The one-time fireballer might be able to come back, but I highly doubt he'll ever be the same. We're talking about a guy who threw in the mid-90s routinely now throwing in the mid-80s. It's hard to have success without much of a fastball, especially when you're used to blowing heat by opposing hitters. Additionally, I was told that the Dodgers wanted Schmidt to have surgery after his first trip to the DL. My source says Schmidt wanted to try and return on his own rather than go under the knife. Looks like the inevitable has finally happened, and both sides have agreed upon the necessary conclusion.

Previously at FanHouse:
Jason Schmidt News