Jered Weaver out 4-6 weeks with broken left elbow

The Angels came into the 2013 season with questions about their starting rotation, and now have much bigger questions with the news that their ace Jered Weaver will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a broken left elbow. He suffered the injury trying to protect himself from a line drive hit up the middle in Sunday night's game vs the Rangers.

The injury is a freak kind of injury, but you knew right away from his reaction to falling on the mound in his attempt to dodge the line drive that he suffered a serious injury. The Angels are now in a tough spot with Weaver out till mid to late May. Their rotation now consists of C.J. Wilson, Joe Blanton, Jason Vargas and Tommy Hanson.

The team called up Dane de la Rosa to replace Weaver on their 25 man roster, but will insert Garrett Richards into their rotation. A trade is unlikely at this point, but their cross-town rival Dodgers have two starters on the trade block in Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly.

The Marlins could be a trade partner as Ricky Nolasco was rumored to be available during the offseason, so maybe he gets dealt to shore up the Angels rotation while Weaver is out.

The injury could be a blessing for Weaver owners as he has lost some velocity in his fastball this season, and he has been hit around as a result. His ERA currently sits at 4.91, and while you may think he has been unlucky in his first two starts, his FIP states that he has pitched worse than his surface stats indicate, as it currently sits at a robust 6.21.

For more on the injury, and reaction from the Angels fans perspective, check out Halos Heaven.