Jenifer Langosch reports that Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm will visit Dr. James Andrews on Monday. That’s never a good sign when a pitcher has arm trouble. David Todd of the Pirates’ postgame show says that Maholm thinks his injury isn’t a big deal, so the trip to Andrews might be a precaution.
If his doctor’s visit turns up something, though, or even if it doesn’t, it’s possible that Maholm has already pitched for the Pirates for the last time. He has an option for 2012, but the Pirates won’t pick it up if he’s not healthy. That would make him a free agent. He could re-sign with the Bucs, of course, or he might go elsewhere. It would be an anti-climactic end to the Pirates career of a player who’s been with the organization since he was a first-round draft pick in 2003.
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