Chris Narveson Done For Year With Torn Rotator Cuff

Generally speaking, if you're a pitcher, you don't want anything to get torn. The best-case scenario is that you tear your uniform, and then you just have an embarrassing hole in your uniform for a few minutes. The worst-case scenario is that you tear your labrum, or your spinal cord. A bad-case scenario, but not the worst-case scenario, is that you tear your rotator cuff. Chris Narveson tore his rotator cuff, and now he's done for the 2012 season.

#Brewers. LHP Chris Nareson confirms he will have season ending shoulder surgery.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 24, 2012

This was the expected course of action. Narveson shopped around for more opinions after receiving his first one, but they all led him to surgery, as he has a tear in his shoulder, and it's difficult to pitch with a tear in the shoulder. The hope is that Narveson will be back to full strength come 2013, and if that's the case, then he can resume being "whoever the hell Chris Narveson is," in the words of so many fans of opposing teams. If he can't return to full strength, or if he can't return at all, a lot of baseball fans aren't going to notice. For a few reasons now, it's tough to be Chris Narveson.

Marco Estrada took Narveson's last start, and allowed a run in five innings with nine strikeouts. Without Narveson, the Brewers will survive, but without Narveson, their pitching depth will be put to the test.

Chris Narveson Injury Might Keep Brewers Starter Out All Season

Chris Narveson is a 30-year-old left-handed starting pitcher, and I'd wager that there are far more baseball fans who have never heard of him than there are baseball fans who have heard of him. He has a way of flying under the radar and not calling much attention to himself. But he can be effective, as evidenced by his career 4.19 FIP. As back-of-the-rotation starters go, you could do a lot worse.

But it looks like the Brewers will have to start looking for an alternative. Narveson was diagnosed with a tear in his rotator cuff. And from Adam McCalvy, we learn that Narveson will probably need surgery, and that the surgery would probably keep him out for the season:

"It’s probably surgical, but he’ll get a second opinion and we’ll go from there," assistant general manager Gord Ash said.

Surgery would probably shelve Narveson for the rest of the season, "but it’s hard to say before they do it, because as good as MRIs are, you don’t know the severity before you get in there," Ash said.

Narveson's looking for a second opinion, but it's unlikely he'll emerge with a positive outlook. The Brewers should plan on not having Narveson available for at least a while, and probably all year.

In Narveson's place in the short-term, the Brewers are calling on Marco Estrada. There's a chance that prospect Wily Peralta could earn consideration some time down the road. I also didn't know the Brewers still had prospects. I learned something today!

Chris Narveson Injury: Milwaukee Starter Has Torn Rotator Cuff