It was announced today that Matt Harrison is going to have surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, and will be out until at least the All-Star break. This is bad news for the Texas Rangers, who were counting on Matt as one of their top two starters going into the season. It is also bad news for Matt. This is a painful injury (I just had back surgery for a ruptured disc in the exact same location as Matt’s herniated disc). I don’t mean to sound heartless, I am worried about Matt as well as the Rangers, but this is a big blow to the club. It is time to see if those young arms are ready for the grind of a major league season. Justin Grimm and Nick Tepesch are going to be used more than we thought they were, at least until Colby Lewis can return. I feel like they will be able to hold their own for the most part, but there is a reason that they were last-minute call ups and Matt Harrison was the opening day starter. I wish Matt the best in his surgery and in his recovery and I hope that Justin and Nick can exceed all of out expectations and pitch really well over the next few months.
