Angels Pitcher Ryan Madson May Miss the First Week of the Season

On November 28, 2012, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and General Manager Jerry Dipoto took a big risk by signing free-agent right-hander Ryan Madson.

Sep 20, 2011; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ryan Madson (46) delivers to the plate during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals during game one of a doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals defeated the Phillies 4-3 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Madson, 32, missed the entire 2012 season after having season-ending Tommy John surgery in March, 2012. This was a very risky move by Jerry “JeDi” Dipoto; however, in his eyes… the reward outweighed the risk.

After acquiring Madson, it appeared as though the Halos would use him as their full-time closer. A job which was done relatively well by the hard-throwing Ernesto Frieri in 2012. Many fans — including me — would agree that Madson, when healthy, is the better option to hold a one-run lead in the ninth inning.

Today, Angels beat writer Mike DiGiovanna is reporting that the 32-year-old California native Madson may be sidelined for the first week of the 2013 season.

If Madson doesn’t open season with #Angels, GM Jerry Dipoto said he would probably be ready by second week of regular season.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) January 29, 2013

If Ryan Madson is unable to perform during the first week of the season — or the first week and beyond — expect Angels’ Manager Mike Scioscia to use the “closer-by-comittee” philosophy that Angels fans had learned to love during the 2012 season.

What that philosophy means is that you can expect all four of these pitchers to be used in the later innings if Madson isn’t available by April 1, 2013: Ernesto Frieri, Scott Downs, Sean Burnett, and possibly Kevin Jepsen.

Madson’s injury won’t exactly handicap the Halos, as they did a nice job of adding depth to their bullpen during the off-season. They have plenty of options in the pen, so don’t stress yourself out too much if this injury turns out to be anything serious.