The Philadelphia Phillies have placed right-handed pitcher Aaron Harang on the 15-day disabled list with plantar fasciitis, the team announced today:
#Phillies have placed RHP Aaron Harang on the 15-day DL with left foot plantar fasciitis and activated RHP Chad Billingsley from the DL.
— Phillies (@Phillies) July 2, 2015
Harang had started the season fairly well, with a 4.08 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 106 innings and 17 starts, walking 27 and striking out 73. Chad Billingsley will replace Harang in the Phillies rotation.
Given is production and his contract, a one-year, $5 million deal, Harang was a likely trade candidate for the Phillies as the deadline approaches at the end of the month.
An injury that can linger, such as plantar fasciitis, could hurt Harang's trade value and if severe enough could remove him from the market completely. For the Phillies, that would mean one less player to trade as part of a fire sale and for the rest of the league that is one less mid-market arm available for trade.
The trade market was already shaping up to be a seller's market at the deadline, and if there is one less veteran pitcher available, it could be even more so. If Harang isn't moved, it could marginally increase the value of the other pitchers of his caliber on the market.
That seller's market also means that the Phillies might be losing out on a decent haul for Harang, though they might still get one if he recovers quickly, which he and the Phillies are obviously hoping for. Meanwhile, Billingsley could pitch his way into being a trade chip in the next month.
Whatever the Phillies decide to do with Harang, the injury certainly throws a wrench into their approach to what looked to be an easy decision.