Ogando Prognosis Bad, Could've Been Worse

Alexi Ogando has not been good this season. He's had some stretches of good outings this year, but he's been a far cry from what the Texas Rangers expected out of him since deciding this spring to put him back in the bullpen, where he's been so good in the past.

Since a stretch in late-April when he worked on three straight days, particularly, he's been awful, sporting an 8.28 in his last 14 outings, culminating with Tuesday night's outing that didn't end well in the Rangers' 8-3 loss to Baltimore.

Turns out, that was the last game Ogando will throw for a while as he was shut down from even throwing a baseball for at least three weeks after an MRI revealed elbow inflammation and some small tearing in the elbow ligament, though not a complete tear needing Tommy John surgery, at least not yet.

After that three weeks, Ogando will be re-evaluated and then could start from scratch with a throwing program, meaning he could be back by sometime in August, perhaps. Or, it could be determined he needs elbow surgery.

“I think things are going to depend on how I feel,” Ogando told The Dallas Morning News through an interpreter about a timetable for his return. “I’m relieved that what has happened to me is not as bad as it could be. What happens, happens for a reason.”

The simple truth of all this is that it's somewhat refreshing to hear of Ogando's arm trouble because it was quickly becoming apparent he wasn't the same Ogando. Now, at least the Rangers and Ogando have a good reason for his lack of performance and can get him right and back to his old self.

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