Mat Latos has a 9.00 ERA in four spring training starts and also got knocked around in a minor-league game that doesn’t officially count in those totals, and now he’s been scratched from tomorrow’s scheduled outing because of shoulder soreness.
Latos started Monday, allowing three runs in four innings, but according to manager Bud Black the soreness “just sort of popped up” Wednesday and kept him from the usual between-starts throwing session.
Shoulder problems would explain Latos’ struggles all spring, although certainly having a handful of bad outings in exhibition games doesn’t necessarily require an explanation. Still, prior to news of the arm problems Black and Latos both blamed his poor results on a lack of composure and similar, non-physical factors.
Latos was excellent overall in 2010, throwing 185 innings with a 2.92 ERA and 189/50 K/BB ratio as a 22-year-old, but he did tire down the stretch while going 0-5 with an 8.18 ERA. Combine that September fade with spring struggles and perhaps the shoulder problems date back further than Wednesday.
