Bartolo Colon Is Already Hurt

Sox hurler to miss part of spring training thanks to elbow surgery

Over the last few years it's been a constant battle for White Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon to stay off the disabled list. Ever since Big Bart made 33 starts for the Los Angeles Angels back in 2005, going 21-8 that year, he hasn't been able to manage a full season. In 2006 he made only ten starts, went for 18 in 2007, and was only able to get seven starts out of his arm last season with the Red Sox.

Which is why you have to wonder if Kenny Williams is losing his mind if he actually thinks that Colon is going to be able to give the Sox a full season as the team's fourth starter. In fact, Bartolo hasn't even thrown a single pitch for the White Sox this year and he's already going to have to miss some time.

General manager Ken Williams revealed Wednesday that Colon underwent surgery in the fall to remove bone chips from his right elbow, a procedure that will keep the big right-hander off the mound when the Sox open spring training Feb. 15 in Glendale, Ariz.

''We'll bring him along in the second half of spring training,'' Williams said.

It's the second time that Bartolo has had to have surgery to remove chips from his throwing elbow, as he underwent the same surgery back in 1995 when he was still in the Cleveland Indians minor league system.  He recovered from that surgery rather nicely, but he was only 22 years old at the time.  It probably wouldn't be prudent to expect the same kind of speedy recovery at 35.

Let's just hope Big Bart doesn't get confused and eat the chips they removed from his elbow, or else we'll just have to go through all of this again.

When not fighting crime or writing for NBCCHICAGO.com, Tom Fornelli can be found contributing at FanHouse, SPORTSbyBROOKS, and his own Chicago sports blog Foul Balls.  He is nowhere near as confident about the White Sox this season as Kenny Williams is.

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