Now I'm not saying Percival's fat, J.P. Howell did that, and Percival Fats has little to do with Percival other than both being on my mind as of late. My problem with Percival is not him being around or on the roster, but rather his stubbornness and relentless desire to prove his toughness by pitching through injury. I know I've beat the hell out of this topic and yet recent comments suggest Percival still doesn't get it.
All players will come across aches and minor strains. That's just a natural part of athletic activities. The problem persists when Percival pitches through pain that hampers his ability to do so effectively. June 18th and June 24th pop to mind. Percival would pitch one inning in both, but allowed five walks combined, a hit, and two earned runs while only striking two out all while limping, hopping around the infield, and scolding Joe Maddon on the mound for daring to take him out of the game.
As much as I dislike the idea of having a set closer, it may as well be Percival or Dan Wheeler, allowing Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell to rover and cover the behinds of other pitchers in case the situation arises. At the same time, I beg Joe Maddon to treat Percival equal to other pitchers. At times Maddon was hesitant to pull Percival from games last year despite obvious pain and struggles. The history and sense of friendship has to be put aside when the best interests of the team lay in the balance. I'm not asking for a shorter leash from Maddon, I'm asking for equality.
And for Percival, I'm not asking for toughness, grit, or acts of absorption. I know you care about the team and you want to win, which is why you need to be honest with the team and yourself. Not being able to pitch because of a brittle body is hardly something to be ashamed of, and hiding it damages the team.
You've got one more contract year, probably your last, don't go out on the disabled list because you didn't take time off to properly heal in June.