Looks Like Brian Fuentes' Lat Injury Was Legit

There were some rumblings after Brian Fuentes pulled out of the All-Star game that he had a mysterious injury. The speculation by some, including myself, was that Fuentes just wanted some time to figure out his troubles; he had blown his previous four consecutive saves and been demoted as closer. This all didn't matter to Tony La Russa who selected him for the All-Star team anyways. It's not like it was a completely mysterious injury -- we knew it was a sore lat muscle. But it seemed mysterious that Fuentes had only complained about it after performing poorly. Turns out the injury was no joke.

Brian Fuentes has been placed on the 15-day DL with a strained lat. The move is retroactive to July 4th, meaning Fuentes could be back early next week. Manager Clint Hurdle has said that Fuentes will return to the closer role as soon as he's healthy. In the meantime, it's a combination of -- get ready for these big names to blow you away -- Manny Corpas, Jorge Julio, and Jeremy Affeldt -- who will lock up the 9th. Surprisingly, Corpas has been excellent this year, and so has Affeldt. The same cannot be said of Julio. They might not be big names, but they're good enough to get the job done in the meantime. Don't get it twisted though, even with the blown saves, Brian Fuentes is still a top closer in the league, and the above-.500 Rox will eagerly await his return.

Previously at FanHouse:
Justice to Be Served for a Snubbed All-Star: Brian Fuentes to Miss All-Star Game
LaRussa Selected Demoted Closer Brian Fuentes to NL All-Star Team
Brian Fuentes Lives in Blown Save Infamy