Boardwalk Empire - 2043.6 - Down Goes Delgado

[Joshua Biddle]

Freddy Delgado Goes Down Amidst Career Resurgence

In what has been a magnificent season for 35-year old Freddy Delgado in his first season in Atlantic City, Delgado was pulled in the first inning of his May 19th start versus the New Orleans Crawdads after one pitch - a leadoff double hit by Crawdads second baseman José Sánchez. Delgado winced in pain, holding his right elbow as teammates rushed to the mound and motioned for head trainer Silas Ashley.

The MRI results revealed a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), which will sideline Delgado for the remainder of the 2043 season. It is expected that he will be ready for the 2044 season, although whether that will be in a Gamblers uniform is now in serious doubt, with the decision looming in the offseason as to whether the organization will pick up his $6 million team option.

Delgado, who has been a journeyman in recent years, had settled into the Gamblers rotation nicely, recording a 5-1 record with a 1.90 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, a 3.33 FIP, 34 strikeouts, and a 1.2 WAR in 47 1/3 innings pitched (9 starts). A small sample size, perhaps, but Delgado had won five of past six starts, and provided six quality starts in nine starts, which counts the game he was lifted due to the partially torn UCL and another start he was lifted for injury. Nobody knows if he would've maintained the sustained quality pitching he had provided, but manager Bruce Frank at the very least believes he would've continued to be an asset on the mound and in the clubhouse.

"It's just sad to see Freddy's season end like this," said manager Bruce Frank, "he put a ton of effort into spring training. Won a spot in the rotation, and just provided us with a spark on the mound. We know he'd struggled over the past several years, and there was a ton of support from his teammates, so happy for him. You could tell he was very encouraged with the way he was pitching and the team was feeding off of it. It's a solemn time right now in that clubhouse."

The questions that remain now are how Delgado's recovery will fare, and whether he will return to Atlantic City in 2044.