Twins pitcher Tommy Milone will miss his next start because of shoulder fatigue.
Milone has struggled recently since joining the Twins at the trade deadline. He was acquired in the trade that sent Sam Fuld to Oakland.
“It’s been one of those things where early in the game I feel really good,” Milone told the Pioneer Press Thursday. “The more I come in, sit down, get back up, it’s just wearing down a little too easy. That’s what I’m seeing more consistently the last few times out.”
Hard Ball Talk notes that Milone has given up 21 runs in his last 21 innings. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings against the White Sox on Tuesday night.
LHP Tommy Milone in past 4 starts since strong debut at HOU: 9.82 ERA, .400 BABIP, .378/.446/.541 slash line allowed.
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) September 4, 2014
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Milone is dealing with “dead arm.“
“We’re going to see how the next few games go,” Gardenhire said. “He just said he has a tired arm, a dead arm right now. The ball just isn’t coming out of his hand. After talking with the trainers and [pitching coach] Rick [Anderson], he said he’s had this before. So we’re just going to back him off.”
Gardenhire added that lefty Logan Darnell is the top candidate to start in Milone’s place. Darnell joined the Twins as a September call-up.
Milone has dealt with the issue before.
“It’s something that’s frustrating because I’ve never been the guy who goes four innings a start, and that seems like what I’m doing right now,” Milone said. “It’s something I was trying to just fight through. At this point it’s not fair to the team, not fair to the bullpen, that I go out there and throw four innings a start.”
In 2012, Milone had a similar issue and skipping his start helped. He returned and posted a 3.26 ERA over his final nine outings of the season.
