That revamped bullpen for the Los Angeles Angels might not be so great, after all.
The bullpen struggled horribly last season for the Texas Rangers' biggest rival and was a big reason why the Angels missed the playoffs after leading the AL in games lost late by the bullpen and going through a closer overhaul when they gave the job to Ernesto Frieri, stripping Mansfield native Jordan Walden of the job midway through the year.
In the offseason, the Angels signed free agent closer Ryan Madson from Philadelphia hoping Madson could return to form after missing the 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow.
Madson experienced elbow tightness early in Angels spring training and was shut down for six weeks before starting to throw again early last week. Now, he's shut down again after throwing last Thursday.
Madson saved 32 games in 2011 for the Phillies in his only season as a full-time closer, putting up a 2.37 ERA. The Rangers were reportedly interested in signing Madson this past winter, a similar chance to the one they took by signing Joe Nathan last offseason. Nathan's signing ended up being a risk worth taking, but the Angels might be wondering whether Madson's was.
