It's been something of a disappointing season for Vernon Wells, with his .256 average and 15 home runs falling woefully short of what Toronto fans thought they'd be getting from their $126 million man.
But it turns out his lackluster performance may be due to recurring shoulder pain that J.P. Ricciardi, MLB's original Man of Mystery, confirmed on the team's official website.
"It's not so much an injury -- there's just a little tightness in there," Ricciardi said. "He's been playing, and I don't think he would use it as an excuse. He's got a little soreness in his shoulder, but nothing that's stopped him from playing."
Ricciardi's right about that; when asked about the injury, Wells issued a terse, "no comment," adding, "there's no excuses." Still, Wells is scheduled to undergo an MRI at season's end to see if there's anything serious going on.
Just 7.5 games out of the wildcard, the Jays still, at least on paper, have a shot at the postseason. But seeing as how they've got Wells tied up for the next six seasons, they may do well to identify the ailment as soon as possible, shut him down if necessary, and focus on getting him back to "Vintage Vernon" condition for 2008.
