Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Juan Nicasio won't take the mound again this season, but he still hopes to pitch this fall in the Arizona Instructional League, as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. Nicasio has been out of action since injuring his left knee while trying to field a grounder on June 2.
Over the past year or so, Nicasio has battled through some pretty nasty luck. His career nearly looked over after a line drive broke the C-1 vertebrae in his neck during a game in August of last year, but he managed to make a shockingly quick return to the majors this spring.
That return lasted just 11 starts before the knee injury, which actually appeared to be minor at first. Microfracture surgery was eventually required in mid-June, though, and now Nicasio is simply hoping to be fully healthy for the beginning of the 2013 season.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more in-depth coverage of this series, visit Rockies blog Purple Row and Reds blog Red Reporter. And for more news from around baseball, check out Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish.