DL Updates: Joba, Giese Activated; Horne With Rotator Cuff Tear

First to the major league things. After missing nearly a month, RHP Joba Chamberlain was activated off the DL on September 1st. He is returning as a reliever, which makes no sense to me because he needs innings badly, and will likely start 2009 as a reliever due to those same innings limits. RHP Dan Giese was also activated after missing time with a similar injury, shoulder tendinitis. He is a long reliever-type, and has settled in nicely in that role.

Now to the minors. It was discovered on August 31st that RHP Alan Horne, who had struggled mightily this season, has a partial tear of the rotator cuff. Dr. Doom James Andrews examined him and determined that while it wasn’t a major tear by any means, it certainly prevented normal arm action. No timetable on a return, but I suspect he’ll miss a chunk of 2009. This certainly is a big hit on his prospect status, and, combined with his past injury issues (needing two years to recover from Tommy John surgery in college) and his age next year (26), his value has probably faded. At this point he probably won’t be more than an average middle reliever. While he had been named as a candidate for Rule 5 draft protection this offseason, I don’t see a team that would take him knowing that he has to recover and re-do AAA.

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