Brad Wieck has been limited to 59 2/3 innings over his four big league seasons, as the Cubs left-hander has been hampered by a series of concerning health problems. After being treated for testicular cancer in 2019, Wieck has faced heart issues in each of the last two years — a cardiac ablation in 2020, and then surgery last year to address an atrial fibrillation. “I’ve had to deal with a lot in my career, but it’s one more thing that’s made me who I am,” Wieck told Mark Gonzales of The Daily Herald. “I take pride in what’s made me, and all I can do is continue to work.”
The good news is that Wieck was cleared for baseball activity, and said “as of now, I feel great” as he ramps up for the 2022 season with a series of bullpen sessions. Despite a 14.1% walk rate last season, Wieck didn’t allow a single earned run over 17 innings of work, and the southpaw has an impressive 35.9% strikeout rate over his brief MLB career. In a Cubs bullpen that is lacking in surefire options, Wieck certainly looks like a candidate to win a job, and perhaps serve as the Cubs’ top left-handed reliever.
More from around the National League….
- Multiple teams have approached Brandon Gomes with interview requests over his five years with the Dodgers, but Gomes consistently turned down those other opportunities to remain in Los Angeles. Speaking with Jack Harris of The L.A. Times and other reporters, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman noted that Gomes was being sought after for several different roles, and “there aren’t a lot of people that you can say that about, that really are qualified to do so many different things.” This versatility will continue to apply to Gomes’ new position as the Dodgers’ general manager, as Friedman said that Gomes’ specific day-to-day duties will evolve and “we’ll figure out what makes the most sense at any given time.”
- “Given their roster construction, no team wants the designated hitter in the National League in 2022 as much as the Phillies,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman writes. The Phillies aren’t a strong defensive team, and they have several veterans who battled injuries in 2021 and could benefit from the partial off-day provided by a DH spot. However, the universal DH might also lessen the chances of a reunion between the Phils and Brad Miller, as Miller will have even more job opportunities open to him in free agency should the 14 other NL teams all have need for extra position player depth.
The Angels are probably the only team rightly disadvantaged if the DH becomes part of the NL too. Ohtani and Lorenzen give them such a great advantage.
The Angels main disadvantage is Anthony Rendon.
Nope. It’s been their bullpen
The starting rotation over the years say hello…
The Angels are in the American League so they don’t play many NL games to begin with, let alone how their starting rotation lines up when they do play an NL team on the road. Pitchers only hit in inter-league games when playing in the NL stadiums, so given all of these factors there might 5-6 games (max) all season long where having Ohtani or Lorenzen would give them an advantage at the plate, and that assumes they aren’t pitching against Bumgartner or another good hitting NL pitcher. Keep in mind the Angels can opt to forfeit using the DH on days when Ohtani pitches (not so much Lorenzen because he rarely goes past 5 innings). Ohtani would be a better hitter than most of the NL DH candidates, but it will be interesting to see if Maddon ever chooses to do this.
Let Ohtani pitch on the days he’s pitching? He was doing it last season.
Isn’t atrial fibrillation a disease that comes with age, and isn’t cardiac ablation one of the treatments for it? I’ve never heard of someone younger than their fifties getting a-fib. Is Wieck a real-life Benjamin Button? But, honestly, good luck to you young man; it is impressive that you can overcome these serious setback and meet the demands of a professional athlete.
No, it can affect you at any age. I battled it on and off in my 20s, not knowing what it was. It got worse in my 30s and I had an ablation in my mid 30s when Meds didn’t work. The ablation fixed the issue.
It’s more common than people think and not always life threatening. It is however very uncomfortable.
bucket, it can absolutely be life threatening. Not the rhythm itself, but the massive risk of clot formation leading to stroke or pulmonary embolism. which is why most people with chronic afib are on blood thinners.
@atlbraves – that is why Bucket said it is not ALWAYS life threatening (meaning it is in some cases). It sure sounds like he knows what he’s talking about after going through it himself.
I treat afib everyday I work. someone who works a physically high stress job, such as a professional athlete, runs a much higher risk of consistent exacerbation of afib, meaning the rhythm doesn’t go in and out. When someone is in a constant afib rhythm, their risk of developing clots is substantially higher, thus the chance of having a stroke is much higher. Treating that stroke risk in a professional athlete runs another set of issues, as being placed on Coumadin as an athlete is not ideal either.
all that said, I’m glad both Wieck and the above poster are doing well and don’t seem to be experiencing the above issues.
bucket: Hope you are doing well now. All the best to you. Heart issues are always scary.
Atrial fibrillation does occur more often in older adults. It’s the most minor of dysthymias but can still be serious. Heart dysrhythmias sometimes occur in younger people but are rare.
Tragically, a few young athletes have died to what was described as a heart murmur (or some time dysthymia).Hank Gathers is one I will always remember as his future was so bright and was on pace to shatter NCAA basketball scoring records. He died shortly after a game or practice, if my memory serves correctly.
He died during a game. Then his team dedicated the tournament to him, they blew out Michigan. His best friend Bo Kimble scored 61 in that game.
That was so awful…I was looking forward to see how Gather’s career would pan out in the NBA. To see him collapse on the floor and then find out that he was dead a couple hours later was beyond shocking. Those were the pre-internet days so many people were glued to ESPN to find out what happened to Gathers; it was such a tragedy. If I recall, people were jumping to the wrong conclusions too (pointing to Lenny Bias) when the poor kid just had a pre-existing condition that cost him his life…so sad.
Glad to hear Wieck has conquered all the health problems he’s faced! Hoping he has a great season in 2022 and continues to stay healthy!
Phillies should hope Miller goes elsewhere. He had a few good games but in general he was awful and his defense was atrocious.
that’s because he was overused.
He was one of the team’s most clutch hitters with RISP. Certainly the best of any non regular by a large margin.
Best of luck Brad! I got A-Fib at 41, it can hit younger people as well. Try and stay away from too much caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and you can still have a good life with medication. Let the games begin!
The Mets have so many DHs they may need to apply for American League entrance if the rule doesn’t change. Dom Smith/Alonso, JD Davis, and Cano would all be better off burning their gloves.
Miller did just enough in 2021 to earn another one year contract, but with which club? Even my beloved Pirates can do just as well or better with a top prospect, and that would be for about $600k. Miller hit 20 HR in 2021 playing his home games at Citizens Bank Park. He would need to go to another prolific hitters park to come close to that. DH in the NL buys him another year or two with the right club. He’s still useful. I hope he gets signed somewhere.
I personally think Miller is one of the most underappreciated FA’s currently on the market. He’s not an all-star or anything, but he gives a team a guy who can hit for power, get on base at a respectable rate, and play multiple positions adequatley. Pretty much a platoon only guy, but you’re still getting a hitter who can put up above average numbers in 300-400 plate appearances with versatility.
He may be able to play multiple positions but he does none of them well. I loved watching his 3 homer game though.
Brad Wieck is a really exciting piece for the Cubs bullpen. Before he was shut down, he was playing at his ceiling, using his tall body and extension to create a heavy, downward fastball that was tough for opponents to put in the air (albeit, difficult to locate). Here’s to hoping he can recreate that magic, and a hearty cheer for his full recovery!
Miller could be a guy the Yankees look at as LH hitter who could platoon at 1B with Voit. Toronto is another team that could use the lefty bat with some versatility
I thought Brad Miller was a huge disappointment last year. Considering him for the DH role is to accept more mediocrity.
Brad Miller answered the bell each time he was called upon in 2021. Probably played more than he should have, but injuries and poor performances by others made that necessary. Supposedly a great clubhouse guy. Guy wears his heart on his sleeve. can play on my team anytime.