Cliff Lee diagnosis leaves Phillies "not terribly optimistic"

Dr. James Andrews' jagged, bony fingers wrapped around a phone this morning and a skeletal finger dialed the Phillies' number. A cloud of toxic air burst from his mouth as he conveyed the news they had been waiting for on Cliff Lee's elbow soreness:

"No change."

There has in fact been no change in Lee's elbow issues that surfaced last July 31, meaning that the tear in his left flexor tendon is still there - "The injury is still there, no changes at all," Ruben Amaro said. The news has left he and the Phillies "not terribly optimistic." The current plan is to let Lee keep throwing.

If he should require surgery, it would not be Tommy John, but as previously explained, Lee would lose 6-8 months, and as he sees it, he may have to rethink the remainder of his career. He's not the only one to be looking ahead to a future without him.

While Lee isn't in pain, more discomfort than anything, the Phillies are hoping he can just keep doing what he's doing until everything, I don't know, just slides back into place. As Ben Davis mentioned on the CSN broadcast, Lee just had how many months off, and his injury is exactly the same?

I CAN'T LOOK pic.twitter.com/FUGemdo4rG

— Zoo With Roy (@zoowithroy) March 10, 2015