Mark Mulder’s comeback bid with the Los Angeles Angeles has come to an unfortunate end.
During agility drills on Saturday morning, the veteran left-hander suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, according to multiple reports.
After more than five years away from the game, Mulder was staging a return to the mound. The 36-year-old signed a minor league contract with the Angels in January that included an invitation to the team’s major league spring training camp.
Plagued with shoulder issues throughout his career, Mulder hasn’t pitched since 2008. He has been working as an analyst for ESPN since 2011 but was encouraged to get back on the diamond when he saw something in the delivery of Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Paco Rodriguez that he thought he could emulate.
The two-time All Star began his comeback in November, trying out for the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and numerous other clubs before inking a deal with the Angels. Mulder was hoping to compete for a spot in the starting rotation this year, and the Angels were reportedly very impressed with what they briefly saw from him in bullpen sessions and simulated games prior to spring training.
After receiving the devastating news, Mulder took to Twitter to share the toughest part about his injury.
[tweet https://twitter.com/markmulder20/status/434835380177625088 align=’center’]
