After injuring his elbow during the 2014 season, Cliff Lee has yet to see an MLB inning since then. He sat out the rest of 2014, staring just 13 games before sitting out the entire 2015 season. It’s not apparent that he’s likely to never step foot on an MLB mound and pitch in the big leagues again.
Cliff Lee is currently a free agent, but is still getting paid from the Philadelphia Phillies, who are paying his $12.5 million buyout. The Phillies signed Lee in 2011 to a five-year, $120 million contract that might be one of the more regrettable signings in recent years considering how bad the Phillies have been lately.
While he threw to a 2.40 ERA in that 2011 season, he never really threw for a contending team like the Phillies were in 2010. His stats as a member of the Phillies include a 41-30 record and a 2.89 ERA.
Lee’s current battle is still with his elbow. His agent has said recently that he likely won’t pitch in 2016, meaning when will he pitch? It’s this kind of injury that makes teams shy away.
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