Brandon Lyons’ “shoulder weakness”? It was more than just a little weakness. The news from MLB.com’s :

Brandon Lyon going on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis and a partial tear of his rotator cuff. Jose Valdez recalled.

In this space yesterday, I suggested that Lyons’ struggles were merely due to him being less than a stellar pitcher. Well, that’s still true. But sometimes when a pitcher struggles as badly was Lyons has this season, there’s a better explanation than poor skills and/or poor luck. Sometimes they’re just plumb hurt. Which does make you wonder why the manager is always the last to know.

In Lyons’ absence, Mark Melancon has been handed the closer’s job. Twenty-eight-year-old rookie Jose Valdez was up earlier this season and gave up five runs in five innings. The longtime Yankees farmhand has posted decent numbers in the minors as a reliever, but doesn’t figure to pitch many big innings for the Astros.