Tim Collins to have MRI on Left Elbow

It may have been only one Spring Training game, but it certainly looked great to see the Kansas City Royals jump out and take a 13-2 victory over the Texas Rangers. However, even the joy of seeing the Royals back on the diamond in game action, even if it is just a Cactus League game, was tempered when Tim Collins left after facing only four batters.

It turns out that Collins felt tightness in his left elbow while pitching, hence the short outing. He was scheduled to have an MRI this morning, but was optimistic that his elbow was fine, as his elbow was not swollen Wednesday night.

“I hope it’s good news,” Collins said. “We’ll just have to see.”

Even if this elbow tightness is just a normal part of Spring Training and getting back into pitching shape as Tim Collins believes, any missed time could be a problem for the tiny pitcher. While he is expected to make the Royals bullpen out of Spring Training, his place is not a given. In fact, based on comments that Ned Yost made earlier in the week about Brandon Finnegan, Collins being a lefty may not be the advantage it would seem.

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Yet, it would certainly be great for the Royals to have two lefty relievers in the bullpen, allowing Yost to play matchups if he so desires. If Collins is just sore and needs a day or two of rest, then the probability of that scenario likely increases. Otherwise, the Royals may find themselves needing to keep Finnegan on the major league roster just to have that left handed reliever, even if they determine that he would be better off in the minors.

Even more than that, the possibility of Tim Collins missing extended time would certainly create a hole in the Royals bullpen. Despite his struggles last year, Collins was solid against lefty hitters. The .273/.346/.364 batting line that lefties had against Collins is a bit deceiving, as he held lefties to only two doubles among their six hits. Collins walked only two lefties, striking out seven, as opposed to the nine walks he allowed to right handed hitters.

Those numbers also do not accurately reflect how Collins has typically performed against left handed hitters. Over his career, Collins has held lefties to a .224/.341/.362 batting line, striking out 97 batters against 61 walks. When his control has been there, Collins has been a weapon against lefty hitters.

Hopefully, Tim Collins will not miss a significant amount of time with his elbow tightness. If so, he may prove to be a bit more difficult to replace than one would have thought.

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