Angels’ right-hander Matt Shoemaker hit another bump in the road to recovery this week and is facing a shutdown period of 7-10 days after team doctors diagnosed him with posterior interosseous nerve syndrome in his right forearm. He was treated with a cortisone shot on Thursday and officially recalled from his rehab assignment in High-A Inland Empire, per a team announcement on Friday.
Shoemaker, 30, is currently serving his fifth run with the Angels. He was initially placed on the 10-day disabled list in mid-June with a right forearm strain and was expected back in the Angels’ rotation sometime after the All-Star break. Prior to his setback, he was riding a 6-3 record through 14 starts, with a 4.52 ERA, 3.2 BB/9 and 8.0 SO/9 over his first 77 2/3 innings of the year.
While Shoemaker’s first rehab start looked promising, incurring only two hits and striking out five batters in three scoreless innings, the righty felt discomfort in his pitching arm following the outing. According to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, he likely won’t rejoin the team for another 3-4 weeks, putting his estimated return date somewhere around the beginning of August.
