It is official, Nathan is done for the year!

[Outdoors Junkie]

Nathan is going to have "Tommy John" surgery on his elbow.

See link below for full story.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2010/news/story?id=5015108

[MTCOMMER]

          

That will make the season pretty tough unless we can find a decent guy to replace him, or somone like Rauch closes successfully.  There are countless numbers of close games that we won because of Nathan, those 3-2 or 7-6 games. 
LETS CROSS OUR FINGERS THAT WE CAN GET A GOOD REPLACEMENT!

[Outdoors Junkie]

       

That will make the season pretty tough unless we can find a decent guy to replace him, or somone like Rauch closes successfully.  There are countless numbers of close games that we won because of Nathan, those 3-2 or 7-6 games.  
LETS CROSS OUR FINGERS THAT WE CAN GET A GOOD REPLACEMENT!

I am hoping with the additional offense added this offseason (Hudson, Hardy and Thome) we won't have so many close games.  But we still need someone quality at the end of the game.  Maybe one of our existing relievers will rise to the occassion.

[Bobby Bass]

The loss of Nathan will show how important he is to the team. You always need a good closer, we get one piece of the puzzle back and we lose another, such is any team game.

[thunderpout]

Im afraid this may be the end for Joe...   I'm hoping they can talk Liriano into being the closer... We could use him as a starter as well, BUT, I think if he can stay healthy, he could be an awesome closer!  He has always had the nastiest stuff for the first innings of his outings, even last year when he wasnt himself coming back from surgery he was double nasty the first inning or two!  He's got the heat, the slider and more... if he wont accept the role, they will have to go outside the club... no one else on the team has the velocity a typical closer needs... Rauch is pretty darn imposing, but doesnt he throw in the low 90's?  Nathan threw in the mid to sometimes upper 90's... thats what a closer needs,  I heard Liriano was up there in winter ball, he must be stronger than last season.... I hope he's able to or will grab the role and run with it!