With Spring Training well underway, there have already been several serious injuries. Some of them were unexpected as in the cases of Mike Williams, Jeff Kent, Corey Koskie, and Mark Quinn. Others were more predictable.

Chicago closer Tom Gordon was only a year removed from Tommy John surgery last season. Gordon had to be shut down at the end of 2001 with tendinitis in the repaired elbow, so he's no stranger to arm troubles. In fact he missed the beginning of last season after straining a triceps muscle lifting weights. During a Spring Training outing last Tuesday he felt a problem when facing his first hitter, but he remained in through six total batters.

Catcher Joe Girardi made comments after the incident regarding the look of pain on Gordon's face every time he threw a pitch but made no move to discover what was bothering the pitcher during the game. Manager Don Baylor and pitching coach Larry Rothschild, only aware of that he was struggling to get batters out and not that he was in pain, wanted to give Gordon a chance to work through his troubles.

Gordon confessed to a pain in his shoulder afterwards and had an MRI done to discover the source of the pain. While awaiting the results, Gordon and the Cubs thought that it would likely only be a minor setback. Unfortunately, the tests revealed a tear in his teres muscle.

The injury has been compared to a severe hamstring tear and will not require surgery, but similar to a hamstring problem, will require an extended rehab program. Three months is the shortest amount of time estimated for his recovery and it is possible that he could miss the entire season, though this is not something that should end his career.

It's unknown whether or not the injury would have been less severe if Gordon had immediately left the game rather than attempting to continue to pitch; however it certainly couldn't have helped matters to remain in the game. Girardi has a lot of fans, but you have to question the quality of a catcher who notices his pitcher is in pain and doesn't react in any way.

Gordon's past experience with injury should have taught him to stop when he first felt the pain, but he was likely motivated by a fear of losing some of his save opportunities. The weekend before the injury occurred, Gordon expressed very vocal displeasure over a rumor that Kyle Farnsworth might share the closing duties with him. He went so far as to comment that Chicago should trade him if that were the case and complained that Robb Nen and Billy Wagner were not disrespected in this manner, lamenting the support given to him by his Boston manager Jimy Williams. He eventually calmed after learning that Baylor simply meant that he'd give save opportunities to other pitchers if Gordon were injured or had pitched two days in a row without rest.

Baylor only intended to attempt to avoid further injuries to Gordon's arm by insuring he received proper rest. However, I'm certain that on Tuesday it was likely the little voice in Gordon's head warning him that this might cost him his full-time closer's position and his chance at $300K in incentives, which led him to try to ignore the pain. I have no patience for players whose macho attitudes lead to their own destruction.

In the wake of Gordon's shoulder injury, the Cubs will need to find someone else to cover the 9th inning. Kyle Farnsworth is the candidate that first comes to mind. The hard-throwing righty has been steadily improving since he broke into the majors in 1999 as a 24-year-old and had a real breakout season last year with a K:BB of 107:29. Many suspected that the Cubs would choose not to re-sign Gordon when his contract expires at the end of this season and Farnsworth would then inherit the closer's position.

Jeff Fassero was given the majority of the save opportunities when Gordon was injured last season. However, the 39-year-old showed definite signs of fatigue in the later portion of the season likely due to the unusually heavy early workload. Lefties aren't commonly given closing jobs anyway, and the idea reportedly sprang from a conversation between Fassero's wife and the wife of Manager Don Baylor. Given Fassero's age, fatigue, and handedness, as well as Farnsworth's recent dominance, Fassero isn't likely to again be chosen to fill in for Gordon.

Since the seriousness of Gordon's injury has been discovered, the Cubs have confirmed that they have inquired into the availability of free agent closer Jeff Shaw. Shaw left LA as a free agent this winter and has shown no real interest in pitching for any team that is not the Cincinnati Reds, as he desires to play for an organization near his Ohio home. The Reds are relatively happy with the relievers they have and only have minimal interest in spending money on Shaw. Shaw was reportedly willing to work at a very low cost this season provided they sign him to a two year deal that includes a considerable pay raise in 2003. However, he also seems completely comfortable with the idea of retiring if he can't pitch on his own terms.

There has been no word yet as to whether Shaw considers Chicago to be an acceptable option. Living near Chicago, he immediately came to mind as a possibility when we heard of Gordon's injury, although I still think that letting Farnsworth step up is likely the most intelligent option. My only fear in that department is what it will cost the Cubs to re-sign Farnsworth at the end of the year, considering they were holding off on long-term contract negotiations until after this season, against our advice in "Good Chicago Sports" from a few months ago.

A legitimate point has been made by Baylor in that the bullpen as a whole was much stronger last season when they could use Farnsworth in the 8th and Fassero in the 7th, rather than when they needed them later in the game. Possessing that kind of quality relief depth takes pressure off the starters and allows the team to go to the bullpen sooner. With Farnsworth closing, the roles of the other relievers change.

Pitching prospect Scott Chiasson, who has been discussed as a potential closer of the future in the past, has been very impressive in Spring Training so far and Baylor has already indicated that he may have made a place for himself when the team breaks camp. Chiasson has the minor league equivalencies to back up his spring performance. His MLEs for last season show a K:BB of 63:20 with only 61 H in 73 IP.

Carlos Zambrano has also been discussed in a similar role but hasn't demonstrated his skills in camp like Chiasson. Zambrano is also currently on track to become a starter, although a year of bullpen work in the majors might be just as beneficial to him at this point as a return to AAA. His MLE's for last season show a K:BB of 153:57 with 117 H in 150 IP.

Although neither is presently prepared to close, the inclusion of either one in the bullpen should do a lot to compensate for the loss of moving Farnsworth into the closer's role. Even the presence of Courtney Duncan in the bullpen will add to their success. Although his hits and walks allowed currently prevent him from being a solid closer option, Duncan struck out over a batter per inning last season.

There is no weight behind the rumor that the Cubs might trade for White Sox reliever Bobby Howry. That speculation came as a result of a Chicago Tribune article written by Sam Smith, who more frequently reports on the Chicago Bulls than on baseball matters.