The end came for “The Professional” Wednesday.
Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer will have season-ending surgery after tearing muscles in his groin and lower abdomen.
Moyer was injured on his final pitch in the seventh inning of the Phillies' 7-4 win over Houston on Tuesday night. He almost immediately keeled over in obvious pain. He attempted to walk off the field under his own power but catch Paul Bako came over to assist Moyer into the dugout.
An MRI Wednesday revealed that he tore two tendons in his left groin and one in his lower abdominal region.
The 46-year-old left-hander was 12-10 with a 4.94 ERA in 30 games, including 25 starts. He lost his spot in the starting rotation to Pedro Martinez in August.
Moyer wasn't happy about the demotion at the time. But always the good teammate, he still celebrated with Pedro and the rest of the Phils after the team clinched their third-straight NL East title on the same day that Moyer was shelved.
The only good that could be taken from Moyer’s injury was that it prevented the potentially awkward situation of The Professional being left off the Phillies postseason roster.
Sports
In partnership with NBC Sports Philadelphia
But he might have actually helped the team as a long reliever.
He might have earned his way onto the postseason roster because of his relief duties. In five relief appearances Moyer was 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA, 16 strikeouts and only three walks in 18.2 innings.
Moyer has another year remaining on his contract and he was expected to be ready for spring training.
But the question remained if he would still be a Philly come next season. Teams with young pitching staffs like the Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers or Baltimore Orioles could be interested in bringing in Moyer to tutor their pitchers. And the Phillies price for Moyer could be very low considering that he is owed millions and doesn’t factor into the team’s long-term plans.
Even if Tuesday’s pitch was Moyer’s last in Phillies pinstripes he will forever be remembered as the local guy who came home to help his team win a World Series.
