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The Cincinnati Reds have been dealt another blow at the hands of an injury, as high-priced right-hander Homer Bailey is now scheduled to undergo surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right forearm tomorrow, the club announced via Twitter. The Reds expect Bailey to be back at some point during spring training, though it isn't out of the question that he begins the season on the disabled list.
Bailey injured himself on August 7th in a game against the Cleveland Indians. He complained of forearm tightness, and despite resting him in hopes that he could return, he was ultimately placed on the DL on August 16th. Cincinnati moved Bailey to the 60-day DL earlier this week, giving them extra roster space for September call ups.
Per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bailey's injury is quite similar to the one that afflicted the recently traded Jonathan Broxton last season. Broxton underwent surgery in August, and only wound up missing one week of this season.
Bailey, of course, was handed a massive six-year, $105 million extension last winter, preventing him from becoming a free agent following this season. After a rough start that saw him post a 5.44 ERA over his first nine starts, Bailey settled down to post an overall solid 2014 campaign, though it was far from what the Reds were expecting when they handed him a nine figure deal. In 145.2 innings, the 28-year-old had a 3.71 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 7.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and 1.4 WAR.
The Reds have been riddled by injuries to star players such as Bailey, Mat Latos, Jay Bruce, and Joey Votto this season, leading to what has been somewhat of a lost year. Cincinnati currently holds a 66-73 record, and has been all but mathematically eliminated for a playoff spot, as they sit 10 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central, and seven out of a Wild Card spot.