Paul Maholm Has Shoulder Injury, Headed To DL

Pirates starting pitcher Paul Maholm is headed to the disabled list with a shoulder strain. Maholm had never before been placed on the DL in his career.

The Bucs had already planned to have Ross Ohlendorf pick up a start during the Pirates' doubleheader on Monday, so they'll need someone else to pitch on Maholm's next scheduled start. Brad Lincoln and Brian Burres would seem to be the most likely possibility.

Given that the season ends in six weeks, it seems somewhat likely that Maholm's 2011 campaign is over. Shoulder injuries can often be troublesome. Maholm has a 2012 team option that the Pirates would probably exercise if he were healthy, but if they refuse it, he might have to head into free agency with an injury, which would cost him millions of dollars. Let's hope he gets past this as quickly as possible.

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