5 reasons why Joe Nathan should ride off into the sunset

Joe Nathan’s career as a big-leaguer might be over as the Detroit Tigers’ closer will undergo season-ending elbow surgery to repair a torn UCL.

Joe Nathan has had a pretty full career. He has been in the league for 14 years and most every one of those years has been a success. However, news that he will need season-ending surgery, likely to be Tommy John, has been devastating to him as well as the rest of the Detroit Tigers‘ organization.

It seems like this will be the end of the 40-year-old closer’s career as it’s nearly impossible to come back and be the same pitcher after a major elbow surgery such as this one.

The news broke after Nathan was making a Triple-A Toledo rehab appearance and he threw just 10 pitches before leaving the mound in pain, claiming that it felt like his arm was breaking.

Nathan was in his second year with the Tigers and he was coming off one of the worst seasons of his life in 2014, posting a 4.81 ERA with a career-high seven blown saves.

Why should the veteran closer just ride off into the sunset and call it quits for a career?

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