MLB Bullets wishes Chris Archer a speedy recovery

Even the most casual baseball fan knows what a disaster the words “Tommy John surgery” can mean for a season, but at least with Tommy John, the return to play outlook is good, and the turnaround of 12-18 months is well-established.

Thoracic outlet syndrome, on the other hand, a surgery which Pirates pitcher Chris Archer is about to undergo, has a much more uncertain outlook. Jay Jaffe digs into what it might mean for Archer — and looks at his brief 33 start career with the Pirates since being traded by the Rays.

But while the numbers on the page suggest Archer should be back to business in the 2021 season, TOS has marked the end of many careers, or at least a downward trend from once very promising pitchers. Alex Cobb had it, so did Matt Harvey. But Phil Hughes is the story spotlighted by Jaffe in another FanGraphs post, and it’s a stark reminder that sometimes this can mean the end of the line for some pitchers.

Many suggest it likely marks the end of Archer’s time with the Pirates, which makes the trade look awfully smart in retrospect for the Rays.

• Over at our Rays sister site DRaysBay, Jim Turvey celebrates the sheer joy of Ji-Man Choi.
• And at our Tigers counterpart Bless You Boys, I myself drafted a little missive about giving Armando Galarraga his due.
• With the minor league season all but doomed and many players released by teams, coaches are wondering just how to develop their players, in a story by Eno Sarris. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Derrick Goold reports on the first Cardinals reporting for training at Busch Stadium.
• Marc Carig and Jake Kaplan share the story of an All-Star barnstorming team. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Twitter has some opinions on who is to blame for the current hold up with MLB.

• The Dodgers know the risks of coronavirus better than anyone, with an immunocompromised player and reporter in their clubhouse, story by Howard Cole.
• Last month we reported that two people died at a party at Carl Crawford’s home, and now the former Dodger has been arrested for domestic violence, according to TMZ.
• Sarah R. Ingber, Davy Andrews, and Roger Cormier continue their deep dive into the threatened teams of MiLB with a feature on the Grand Junction Rockies.
• And a Wrigleyville institution has returned!

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.