Trade candidate Rich Hill exits after only five pitches with ongoing blister issue
Hill has battling nagging blister and groin problems this season
By
Mike Axisa
•
2 min read
Rich Hill's return to the Athletics rotation did not last long. Hill made his first start since July 7 on Sunday afternoon, and he lasted only five pitches due to an ongoing blister issue on his pitching hand.
Looks like that blister popped. Hill coming out. Lots of scouts here for not even one AB.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 17, 2016
Although he was not placed on the DL, the blister forced Hill to miss final start of the first half last Friday. He missed a little more than a month with a groin strain earlier this season as well. All told, Hill has made two starts (12 innings) since May 29 due to the groin and blister problems.
Hill, 36, went into Friday's start with a 2.25 ERA (185 ERA+) and 90 strikeouts in 76 innings this season. He's on a one-year deal worth $6 million, and with the A's out of contention, Hill figured to be a prime piece of trade bait at the deadline. Heck, he might be the top pitcher on the market now that Drew Pomeranz has been dealt.
It goes without saying the injury problems will cut into Hill's trade value, which is bad news for the A's. Scouts simply haven't been able to see much of the left-hander the last several weeks. The numbers are great, but this guy seemingly came out of nowhere last year following some mechanical changes, so teams are going to want to see him to make sure those mechanical adjustments remain intact. There are two pieces of good news for the A's.
Neither injury was to Hill's arm
Well, I suppose a blister qualifies as an arm injury, but I'm talking about a structural problem to his elbow or shoulder. Don't get me wrong, blister's are not to be taken lightly. Hill's a rental and if he can't pitch for his new team, the cause doesn't really matter. It could be the elbow, the shoulder, a blister, a stubbed toe, whatever.
Unlike elbow and shoulder trouble though, at least blisters don't come with the fear of velocity loss or a decline in stuff. Once the blister heals up, you can feel a bit more confident in Hill returning to his early season form. Same with the groin injury. The important thing is his arm and mechanics are sound. Blister and groin injuries won't compromise him as much as elbow or shoulder woes.
Pitching help is scarce
If you're a contender looking for rotation help at the deadline, your options are limited right now. Pomeranz is off the board, leaving Padres righty Andrew Cashner, Rays lefty Matt Moore, and Yankees righty Nathan Eovaldi as the most talked about starting pitcher trade candidates. Hill's been better than all of those guys this season, at least when healthy.
Hill's value is down, but when push comes to shove, some team will be willing to take a chance on him down the stretch give his effectiveness since returning to MLB last year. There are way more teams in need of pitching than pitchers available. At some point taking a shot on Hill despite his blister problem will be more appealing that trading for some other pitcher having a disappointing year.
There is still time for Hill to make two more starts before the trade deadline, though that assume the blister heals in a timely fashion. To ensure two starts before the deadline, the absolutely latest Hill could take the mound next is next Tuesday, July 26. That gives him eight days to get over the blister. Will that be enough time? Who knows. These things can be tricky. The A's certainly hope so.
