The Phillies signed right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez to a three-year, $12 million contract last August after he defected from his native Cuba and were hoping that he would be prepared to join their active major league roster — preferably as a member of the starting rotation — during the early part of the 2014 season. But it’s almost June and Gonzalez seems only to be taking steps backward.
The hard-throwing 27-year-old did not look very effective this spring in Phillies camp and then came down with shoulder problems in late March. Now, according to Matt Gelb at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Gonzalez is experiencing a bout of dead arm on his minor league rehab assignment with the High-A Clearwater Threshers. He had allowed seven earned runs in 9 1/3 innings over three appearances at Clearwater, so the whole effectiveness things remains an issue beyond the injury stuff.
Gonzalez is heading to Philadelphia this week to meet with club physicians. “Hopefully it’s nothing serious,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told the Inquirier on Tuesday afternoon.
