Jenrry Mejia to miss six weeks with elbow inflammation

Already out of action for the last two weeks due to forearm tendinitis, further examination of Jenrry Mejia's right arm has revealed elbow inflammation that will keep him out for six weeks according to Jorge Castillo. Mejia made only two appearances this spring and had to deal with a suspected thyroid issue before his recent arm woes. Although not necessarily linked to his 2011 Tommy John surgery, Mejia's issues are a good reminder that prompt recovery from the procedure is not always a given.

This might be the final nail in the coffin for Mejia as a starter in the majors. He was likely to start the year in the Las Vegas rotation before this latest bout of arm trouble. However, there will soon be a lot of upper minors arms nipping at his heels, and this is the fourth consecutive year that he'll miss time due to injury. Last year he managed just 55 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings across three minor league levels and struggled in 16 major league innings in September. Like Jeurys Familia, Mejia may now be destined for the major league bullpen.