After five solid starts to open the season, in which he gave up 10 earned runs on 29 hits and only one homer in 32 innings, Valdes has been rocked for 12 runs on 19 hits, including four homers, in 12 innings of his last two starts.
The Angel bullpen was dealt a severe blow Saturday when setup man Shigetoshi Hasegawa was diagnosed with a partial tear of the rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder, an injury that will sideline him indefinitely.
No surgery is planned, but if the right-hander doesn't respond favorably to therapy in the next few weeks, he could need surgery that would knock him out for the season.
Al Levine (2-2, 2.00 ERA) and Ben Weber (2-0, 2.61 ERA) are capable setup men, but Hasegawa's loss reduces the bullpen's depth.
TB starter Rekar has the longest current losing streak--six games--in the American League. The right-hander also has the second-lowest run support in the major leagues, an average of 2.45 runs per nine innings.
The Angel bullpen was dealt a severe blow Saturday when setup man Shigetoshi Hasegawa was diagnosed with a partial tear of the rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder, an injury that will sideline him indefinitely.
No surgery is planned, but if the right-hander doesn't respond favorably to therapy in the next few weeks, he could need surgery that would knock him out for the season.
Al Levine (2-2, 2.00 ERA) and Ben Weber (2-0, 2.61 ERA) are capable setup men, but Hasegawa's loss reduces the bullpen's depth.
TB starter Rekar has the longest current losing streak--six games--in the American League. The right-hander also has the second-lowest run support in the major leagues, an average of 2.45 runs per nine innings.
