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2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by proshares,
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Originally Posted by Proshares
Well that was more because Mellon Arena was a dump
they still had terrible support
i bet 70% of their fans don't know anybody on the team besides MAF, Crosby and Malkin
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Originally Posted by Proshares
Well that was more because Mellon Arena was a dump
they still had terrible support
i bet 70% of their fans don't know anybody on the team besides MAF, Crosby and Malkin
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Right-hander Roy Oswalt has left the Philadelphia Phillies for personal reasons, the team announced Wednesday, saying there is no expected date for his return.
Oswalt threw three ineffective innings in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday night and was long gone from the Philadelphia clubhouse when the game ended.
Oswalt
After the game, manager Charlie Manuel said Oswalt said nothing about being injured. Still, Manuel said, his ace right-hander "wasn't right."
A source who was in attendance at Chase Field on Tuesday told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that Oswalt was observed speaking on the phone in the dugout for a long time before the game, suggesting he received news before he pitched that may have precipitated his departure.
Players rarely bring phones onto the field at any point in the day, and many teams actually prohibit that practice.
Oswalt (3-1) allowed five runs on six hits with no strikeouts and one walk. He threw 57 pitches, 36 of them strikes.
"His stuff wasn't good," Manuel said. "His stuff wasn't crisp and his velocity was down. I figured there was no sense in leaving him out there."
Manuel said Oswalt didn't say anything about an injury. Still, the manager said he was a "little concerned."
The right-hander had given up five runs in 24 innings in his first four starts this season and had not been the losing pitcher since a July 30, 2010, outing at Washington.
Catcher Brian Schneider said Oswalt's bullpen session was great and there was no indication anything was physically wrong.
"The Roy we have seen the last couple of outings, all the changes were down," Schneider said. "He had a lot of swings and misses. Guys were chasing with two strikes. Tonight they were still at it, but up in the zone was where they put the ball in play. They found a lot of holes tonight."
tornado hit his hometown
hoping all is well
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Right-hander Roy Oswalt has left the Philadelphia Phillies for personal reasons, the team announced Wednesday, saying there is no expected date for his return.
Oswalt threw three ineffective innings in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday night and was long gone from the Philadelphia clubhouse when the game ended.
Oswalt
After the game, manager Charlie Manuel said Oswalt said nothing about being injured. Still, Manuel said, his ace right-hander "wasn't right."
A source who was in attendance at Chase Field on Tuesday told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that Oswalt was observed speaking on the phone in the dugout for a long time before the game, suggesting he received news before he pitched that may have precipitated his departure.
Players rarely bring phones onto the field at any point in the day, and many teams actually prohibit that practice.
Oswalt (3-1) allowed five runs on six hits with no strikeouts and one walk. He threw 57 pitches, 36 of them strikes.
"His stuff wasn't good," Manuel said. "His stuff wasn't crisp and his velocity was down. I figured there was no sense in leaving him out there."
Manuel said Oswalt didn't say anything about an injury. Still, the manager said he was a "little concerned."
The right-hander had given up five runs in 24 innings in his first four starts this season and had not been the losing pitcher since a July 30, 2010, outing at Washington.
Catcher Brian Schneider said Oswalt's bullpen session was great and there was no indication anything was physically wrong.
"The Roy we have seen the last couple of outings, all the changes were down," Schneider said. "He had a lot of swings and misses. Guys were chasing with two strikes. Tonight they were still at it, but up in the zone was where they put the ball in play. They found a lot of holes tonight."
tornado hit his hometown
hoping all is well
Originally Posted by PhilBalla09
Originally Posted by Proshares
Well that was more because Mellon Arena was a dump
they still had terrible support
i bet 70% of their fans don't know anybody on the team besides MAF, Crosby and Malkin
My memory escapes me right now but were the Jagr/Lemieux/Straka/Lang/Kasper days that far apart from Sid getting drafted?
Originally Posted by PhilBalla09
Originally Posted by Proshares
Well that was more because Mellon Arena was a dump
they still had terrible support
i bet 70% of their fans don't know anybody on the team besides MAF, Crosby and Malkin
My memory escapes me right now but were the Jagr/Lemieux/Straka/Lang/Kasper days that far apart from Sid getting drafted?
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I believe his last season was 2004 or 05? but i think there last winning season was either 99 or 00 because they had like 4 or 5 straight years or straight sucking (like top 2 pick status)
even with those guys (90's) it seemed like the Devils or Flyers took 1st and 2nd of the Division every year.
even with those guys (90's) it seemed like the Devils or Flyers took 1st and 2nd of the Division every year.
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- Joined
- Sep 17, 2008
I believe his last season was 2004 or 05? but i think there last winning season was either 99 or 00 because they had like 4 or 5 straight years or straight sucking (like top 2 pick status)
even with those guys (90's) it seemed like the Devils or Flyers took 1st and 2nd of the Division every year.
even with those guys (90's) it seemed like the Devils or Flyers took 1st and 2nd of the Division every year.
Spoiler [+]
Even as Hanley Ramirez's batting average fell below .200, the Marlins continued to see signs of his maturity. Ramirez seemed to be handling his slump well, not letting his own offensive troubles hover like a dark cloud over the Marlins' strong start. He came to spring training talking about wanting to be a leader, and as one friend said about Ramirez, he's starting to understand how important his reactions are to the young players around him.
Getty ImagesThe Marlins have seen a mature approach from Ramirez this season.
And now, in recent days, the Marlins are seeing progress in Ramirez's swing. Through batting practice, he has been working through a couple of issues with the swing: First, he had struggled to get his front foot down quickly enough in his setup at the plate, and secondly, he had developed something of a hitch. The Marlins think now it's only a matter of time before Ramirez starts to rake again.
Ramirez continues to show signs that he's breaking out of his slump. Mike Stanton got a big hit and the Marlins won again, with more great work from their bullpen; Leo Nunez is 7-for-7 in save chances, Juan Rodriguez writes.
• Justin Masterson, Grady Sizemore and the Indians are not slowing down, Paul Hoynes writes. Masterson is now 5-0 this season, and here are Sizemore's 2011 numbers:
At-bats: 32
Extra-base hits: 9
Slugging percentage: .875
OPS: 1.332
Sizemore is making beautiful noise at the top of the Cleveland lineup.
From Jacob Nitzberg of ESPN Stats & Information, how Masterson won:
A. He kept the sinker away: Masterson threw 43 of his 79 sinkers away to hitters, and the Royals went 0-for-9 with two strikeouts in at-bats ending with a sinker away.
B. He finished in two-strike counts: Masterson threw 78 percent strikes in two-strike counts, and the Royals went 0-for-9, including seven strikeouts, in at-bats ending with two-strike counts. In at-bats in which the count reached two strikes over his past two starts, opponents are 0-for-21 with 10 strikeouts.
C. The Royals swung at bad balls: The Royals chased 17 pitches out of the zone (highest opponent total in last 19 starts), including five of Masterson's seven strikeouts.
From Elias: Indians pitchers to win first five starts of a season with an ERA below 2.20 in the last 65 years are: Masterson, Cliff Lee in 2008, and Bob Lemon in 1955.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Todd Helton mashed a couple of homers for the Rockies, as Troy Renck writes. Those were homers No. 335 and No. 336 for Helton in his career.
• Tom Schieffer wants to help get the Dodgers back to where they've been.
McCourt is set to make a long-shot pitch to the commissioner's office, writes Bill Shaikin. He will be heard, and inevitably dismissed; Major League Baseball wants McCourt out.
• Brent Lillibridge has set a new Web Gem standard, after making back-to-back game-saving plays for outs No. 26 and No. 27 in Chicago's victory over the Yankees. The White Sox got their save from the outfield, writes Daryl Van Schouwen.
• Sam Fuld has been placed on the All-Star ballot.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The timetable for Evan Longoria's return has been set, Marc Topkin writes.
2. Ryan Zimmerman has resumed some baseball activities, Gene Wang writes.
3. Albert Pujols sat out as a precaution.
4. Heard this: A realistic timetable for Johan Santana's return is in August or September.
5. Victor Martinez is making a rapid recovery.
6. Josh Hamilton is hoping for an early return, writes Jeff Wilson.
7. The Jays are dealing with a bunch of injuries.
8. Phil Hughes is undergoing more tests, writes Mark Feinsand.
9. Andrew Bailey will soon start to throw breaking balls, as mentioned within this notebook.
10. Carlos Carrasco's concern about an elbow problem lessened.
11. Jose Contreras could miss a month.
12. Johnny Cueto made progress in his rehab, John Fay writes.
13. Joe Mauer is not ready to come off the disabled list, writes Joe Christensen.
14. Corey Hart was activated by the Brewers.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Chris Getz is in jeopardy of losing his starting job with the Royals.
2. Jonathan Broxton may or may not be in jeopardy of losing his job.
3. Ian Desmond was placed on paternity leave.
4. The Pirates claimed another player on waivers.
5. Terry Francona used Jason Varitek, again.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. Zach Britton was outstanding against Boston, beating the Red Sox with his sinker, writes Jeff Zrebiec. Nobody can remember a lefty comparable to Britton, in his style and velocity.
2. The Cardinals had problems closing out a lead, and it had nothing to do with Ryan Franklin.
3. You can't stop the Mets, you can only hope to contain them: That's five straight wins for New York, and counting. Jason Bay is undefeated this season.
4. Darren Ford stole a win for the Giants, as Henry Schulman writes. His dash home was the stuff of legend, writes Andrew Baggarly.
5. David Ross had a big day, in support of Jair Jurrjens, as David O'Brien writes.
6. An Angels rookie had a big day, Mike DiGiovanna writes.
7. Oakland lost another outfielder to injury, and lost.
8. Roy Oswalt had another bad outing, writes Jim Salisbury. Oswalt didn't stick around to talk with reporters after the game.
9. Ryan Raburn made a play that will be replayed on big screens throughout baseball in the years to come. I watched some of this game and I'd guess that because the Tigers have other options in the minors, Phil Coke will need to pitch better in his next starts.
10. Ryan Roberts continues to have an excellent season for the Diamondbacks.
11. Adam Lind was The Man for the Jays, mashing a couple of homers, Mark Zwolinski writes.
12. Clayton Kershaw had an off night.
13. The Padres lost again, and got shut down again. They've scored 15 runs in their last nine games, and when you watch San Diego, you have no real sense of how the Padres will score, or where their offense will come from. Brad Hawpe's at-bats these days are very ugly.
14. Miguel Olivo was surprised by what happened with a long fly ball, Geoff Baker writes.
15. Watched a lot of the Orioles-Boston game on Tuesday, and Clay Buchholz just never looked comfortable. He reminds me a lot of A.J. Burnett in 2010 these days, because every inning just seems to be a labor and Buchholz doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence in his stuff.
16. The Reds got outslugged.
17. Marco Estrada worked efficiently for the Brewers.
18. Rafael Soriano let one get away, Dave Caldwell writes.
19. The Astros rallied late, Steve Campbell writes.
20. Matt Harrison had a really bad day.
[h3]The Patience Index[/h3]
[h4]Wait Station Stop Required[/h4]
These hitters saw the most pitches per plate appearance on Tuesday.
[table][tr][th=""]Hitter[/th][th=""]PA[/th][th=""]Pitches[/th][th=""]P/PA[/th][/tr][tr][td]Getz, Chris[/td][td]4[/td][td]26[/td][td]6.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Espinosa, Danny[/td][td]5[/td][td]30[/td][td]6.0[/td][/tr][tr][td]Arencibia, J.P.[/td][td]5[/td][td]29[/td][td]5.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sanchez, Gaby[/td][td]4[/td][td]23[/td][td]5.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Inge, Brandon[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][td]5.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Janish, Paul[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][td]5.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Abreu, Bobby[/td][td]5[/td][td]28[/td][td]5.6[/td][/tr][/table]
Getty ImagesThe Marlins have seen a mature approach from Ramirez this season.
And now, in recent days, the Marlins are seeing progress in Ramirez's swing. Through batting practice, he has been working through a couple of issues with the swing: First, he had struggled to get his front foot down quickly enough in his setup at the plate, and secondly, he had developed something of a hitch. The Marlins think now it's only a matter of time before Ramirez starts to rake again.
Ramirez continues to show signs that he's breaking out of his slump. Mike Stanton got a big hit and the Marlins won again, with more great work from their bullpen; Leo Nunez is 7-for-7 in save chances, Juan Rodriguez writes.
• Justin Masterson, Grady Sizemore and the Indians are not slowing down, Paul Hoynes writes. Masterson is now 5-0 this season, and here are Sizemore's 2011 numbers:
At-bats: 32
Extra-base hits: 9
Slugging percentage: .875
OPS: 1.332
Sizemore is making beautiful noise at the top of the Cleveland lineup.
From Jacob Nitzberg of ESPN Stats & Information, how Masterson won:
A. He kept the sinker away: Masterson threw 43 of his 79 sinkers away to hitters, and the Royals went 0-for-9 with two strikeouts in at-bats ending with a sinker away.
B. He finished in two-strike counts: Masterson threw 78 percent strikes in two-strike counts, and the Royals went 0-for-9, including seven strikeouts, in at-bats ending with two-strike counts. In at-bats in which the count reached two strikes over his past two starts, opponents are 0-for-21 with 10 strikeouts.
C. The Royals swung at bad balls: The Royals chased 17 pitches out of the zone (highest opponent total in last 19 starts), including five of Masterson's seven strikeouts.
From Elias: Indians pitchers to win first five starts of a season with an ERA below 2.20 in the last 65 years are: Masterson, Cliff Lee in 2008, and Bob Lemon in 1955.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Todd Helton mashed a couple of homers for the Rockies, as Troy Renck writes. Those were homers No. 335 and No. 336 for Helton in his career.
• Tom Schieffer wants to help get the Dodgers back to where they've been.
McCourt is set to make a long-shot pitch to the commissioner's office, writes Bill Shaikin. He will be heard, and inevitably dismissed; Major League Baseball wants McCourt out.
• Brent Lillibridge has set a new Web Gem standard, after making back-to-back game-saving plays for outs No. 26 and No. 27 in Chicago's victory over the Yankees. The White Sox got their save from the outfield, writes Daryl Van Schouwen.
• Sam Fuld has been placed on the All-Star ballot.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The timetable for Evan Longoria's return has been set, Marc Topkin writes.
2. Ryan Zimmerman has resumed some baseball activities, Gene Wang writes.
3. Albert Pujols sat out as a precaution.
4. Heard this: A realistic timetable for Johan Santana's return is in August or September.
5. Victor Martinez is making a rapid recovery.
6. Josh Hamilton is hoping for an early return, writes Jeff Wilson.
7. The Jays are dealing with a bunch of injuries.
8. Phil Hughes is undergoing more tests, writes Mark Feinsand.
9. Andrew Bailey will soon start to throw breaking balls, as mentioned within this notebook.
10. Carlos Carrasco's concern about an elbow problem lessened.
11. Jose Contreras could miss a month.
12. Johnny Cueto made progress in his rehab, John Fay writes.
13. Joe Mauer is not ready to come off the disabled list, writes Joe Christensen.
14. Corey Hart was activated by the Brewers.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Chris Getz is in jeopardy of losing his starting job with the Royals.
2. Jonathan Broxton may or may not be in jeopardy of losing his job.
3. Ian Desmond was placed on paternity leave.
4. The Pirates claimed another player on waivers.
5. Terry Francona used Jason Varitek, again.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. Zach Britton was outstanding against Boston, beating the Red Sox with his sinker, writes Jeff Zrebiec. Nobody can remember a lefty comparable to Britton, in his style and velocity.
2. The Cardinals had problems closing out a lead, and it had nothing to do with Ryan Franklin.
3. You can't stop the Mets, you can only hope to contain them: That's five straight wins for New York, and counting. Jason Bay is undefeated this season.
4. Darren Ford stole a win for the Giants, as Henry Schulman writes. His dash home was the stuff of legend, writes Andrew Baggarly.
5. David Ross had a big day, in support of Jair Jurrjens, as David O'Brien writes.
6. An Angels rookie had a big day, Mike DiGiovanna writes.
7. Oakland lost another outfielder to injury, and lost.
8. Roy Oswalt had another bad outing, writes Jim Salisbury. Oswalt didn't stick around to talk with reporters after the game.
9. Ryan Raburn made a play that will be replayed on big screens throughout baseball in the years to come. I watched some of this game and I'd guess that because the Tigers have other options in the minors, Phil Coke will need to pitch better in his next starts.
10. Ryan Roberts continues to have an excellent season for the Diamondbacks.
11. Adam Lind was The Man for the Jays, mashing a couple of homers, Mark Zwolinski writes.
12. Clayton Kershaw had an off night.
13. The Padres lost again, and got shut down again. They've scored 15 runs in their last nine games, and when you watch San Diego, you have no real sense of how the Padres will score, or where their offense will come from. Brad Hawpe's at-bats these days are very ugly.
14. Miguel Olivo was surprised by what happened with a long fly ball, Geoff Baker writes.
15. Watched a lot of the Orioles-Boston game on Tuesday, and Clay Buchholz just never looked comfortable. He reminds me a lot of A.J. Burnett in 2010 these days, because every inning just seems to be a labor and Buchholz doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence in his stuff.
16. The Reds got outslugged.
17. Marco Estrada worked efficiently for the Brewers.
18. Rafael Soriano let one get away, Dave Caldwell writes.
19. The Astros rallied late, Steve Campbell writes.
20. Matt Harrison had a really bad day.
[h3]The Patience Index[/h3]
[h4]Wait Station Stop Required[/h4]
These hitters saw the most pitches per plate appearance on Tuesday.
[table][tr][th=""]Hitter[/th][th=""]PA[/th][th=""]Pitches[/th][th=""]P/PA[/th][/tr][tr][td]Getz, Chris[/td][td]4[/td][td]26[/td][td]6.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Espinosa, Danny[/td][td]5[/td][td]30[/td][td]6.0[/td][/tr][tr][td]Arencibia, J.P.[/td][td]5[/td][td]29[/td][td]5.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sanchez, Gaby[/td][td]4[/td][td]23[/td][td]5.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Inge, Brandon[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][td]5.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Janish, Paul[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][td]5.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Abreu, Bobby[/td][td]5[/td][td]28[/td][td]5.6[/td][/tr][/table]
Spoiler [+]
Let's get this out of the way first: I have no bone to pick with either Kansas City Royals fans or their favorite club's first base prospect, Clint Robinson.
However, he's the current example of a prospect over-excitement syndrome that appears every April. Royals fans and bloggers are clamoring for Robinson to be sent to the big leagues in order to shore up a position where the current holder of the job, Kila Ka'aihue, is hitting just .186/.301/.329 in 20 games.
Maybe it's to keep alive the myth of the Kansas City team actually being competitive this year (it's coming soon Royals fans, but not this soon), or maybe it's just that they are sick of getting nothing out of a bat-only position, but it's gotten to the point where Robinson is suddenly the most talked about prospect in baseball's best system, when there are 20-plus players in the organization with better big league futures ahead of them.
First off, what is a Clint Robinson? A 25th-round pick in 2007 as a senior out of Troy University, Robinson was simply seen as an organizational soldier until last year, when he won Texas League MVP honors with a .335/.410/.625 line for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. That led to a bit of attention, and with a sudden focus on the future of the franchise, his .373/.462/.731 start in 18 contests for Triple-A Omaha has the hype train rolling. The numbers are certainly there, but the scouting reports are not, as he's much older (26) than your standard stud prospect and he doesn't offer much room for error as a bat-only player with no speed and poor defense at the only position he's even capable of manning.
In some ways, the calls for Robinson show remarkable maturity on the part of Royals fans, as they are not calling for Eric Hosmer, one of the best offensive prospects in the game and the true "first baseman of the future" at Kauffman Stadium, who is off to a great start of his own for Omaha while moving Robinson to what has become almost solely designated hitter duties. Royals fans seem to understand that Hosmer is just 21 years old and has played fewer than 70 games at the upper levels. They appear to not only trust the process in place for the bigger-name prospects in the system, but understand it.
And yet, there still is more than a bit of Flavor of the Month syndrome here, and it's not about what Robinson has done on the field, it's about what we haven't seen him do yet. Many of the vocal Robinson supporters so insistent on seeing him replace Ka'aihue in the big leagues were the same ones screaming Kila's name 12 months ago while he was putting up his own crazy numbers at Omaha, to the tune of .319/.463/.598 in 94 games.
The difference in talent is measurable, as Ka'aihue gets an edge in terms of both raw power and plate discipline, but he's done the one thing we've yet to see from Robinson: fail in the big leagues. Failure is something most players, even future stars (something Ka'aihue and Robinson are almost assuredly not) encounter when they first get to the big leagues.
But what of players who already have failed and deserve another chance? Where are the calls for them?
[+] Enlarge
Scott W Grau/Icon SMIWill Rhymes was clearly overmatched as the Tigers' starting second baseman.
Based on what was seen by many as a fluky big league debut in which he hit .304/.350/.414 in 54 games, the Detroit Tigers happily handed Will Rhymes the second base job during spring training, and the results have been nothing short of disastrous, as the diminutive 28-year-old has turned back into a pumpkin by hitting .196 in 14 games without an extra-base hit. He's been so bad that manager Jim Leyland has taken to playing Ryan Raburn, who should never be at an up-the-middle position on a big league field, over Rhymes at second base, while Scott Sizemore sits at Triple-A waiting for another shot.
You might remember Sizemore. He got his chance at Detroit's second base job in 2010, and he failed, hitting just .224/.296/.336 in 48 games before Leyland pulled the plug on him. A fifth-round pick in 2006, Sizemore has a long track record of impressing scouts with his bat and filling up a stat sheet, as he's a career .311 hitter at the upper levels who is 23-for-56 (.411) for Toledo this year, but that scarlet letter of two bad months in the big leagues hangs over him until he gets a now-overdue shot at redemption.
Be it two weeks or two months, small sample sizes of failure can lead to hasty, and at times emotional, reactions. You remember that girl or guy that you dated a couple of times and everything seemed perfect? That's where people are with Robinson. They haven't had their first fight yet, or had the meet-the-parents event, or seen the flaws when the reality of life, or in this case, major league baseball, rears it's ugly head.
Flavor of the Month syndrome is nothing more than puppy love, just like it was with Ka'aihue 12 months ago, and in the end, it just doesn't matter much, because neither one of them is marrying material.
However, he's the current example of a prospect over-excitement syndrome that appears every April. Royals fans and bloggers are clamoring for Robinson to be sent to the big leagues in order to shore up a position where the current holder of the job, Kila Ka'aihue, is hitting just .186/.301/.329 in 20 games.
Maybe it's to keep alive the myth of the Kansas City team actually being competitive this year (it's coming soon Royals fans, but not this soon), or maybe it's just that they are sick of getting nothing out of a bat-only position, but it's gotten to the point where Robinson is suddenly the most talked about prospect in baseball's best system, when there are 20-plus players in the organization with better big league futures ahead of them.
First off, what is a Clint Robinson? A 25th-round pick in 2007 as a senior out of Troy University, Robinson was simply seen as an organizational soldier until last year, when he won Texas League MVP honors with a .335/.410/.625 line for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. That led to a bit of attention, and with a sudden focus on the future of the franchise, his .373/.462/.731 start in 18 contests for Triple-A Omaha has the hype train rolling. The numbers are certainly there, but the scouting reports are not, as he's much older (26) than your standard stud prospect and he doesn't offer much room for error as a bat-only player with no speed and poor defense at the only position he's even capable of manning.
In some ways, the calls for Robinson show remarkable maturity on the part of Royals fans, as they are not calling for Eric Hosmer, one of the best offensive prospects in the game and the true "first baseman of the future" at Kauffman Stadium, who is off to a great start of his own for Omaha while moving Robinson to what has become almost solely designated hitter duties. Royals fans seem to understand that Hosmer is just 21 years old and has played fewer than 70 games at the upper levels. They appear to not only trust the process in place for the bigger-name prospects in the system, but understand it.
And yet, there still is more than a bit of Flavor of the Month syndrome here, and it's not about what Robinson has done on the field, it's about what we haven't seen him do yet. Many of the vocal Robinson supporters so insistent on seeing him replace Ka'aihue in the big leagues were the same ones screaming Kila's name 12 months ago while he was putting up his own crazy numbers at Omaha, to the tune of .319/.463/.598 in 94 games.
The difference in talent is measurable, as Ka'aihue gets an edge in terms of both raw power and plate discipline, but he's done the one thing we've yet to see from Robinson: fail in the big leagues. Failure is something most players, even future stars (something Ka'aihue and Robinson are almost assuredly not) encounter when they first get to the big leagues.
But what of players who already have failed and deserve another chance? Where are the calls for them?
[+] Enlarge
Scott W Grau/Icon SMIWill Rhymes was clearly overmatched as the Tigers' starting second baseman.
Based on what was seen by many as a fluky big league debut in which he hit .304/.350/.414 in 54 games, the Detroit Tigers happily handed Will Rhymes the second base job during spring training, and the results have been nothing short of disastrous, as the diminutive 28-year-old has turned back into a pumpkin by hitting .196 in 14 games without an extra-base hit. He's been so bad that manager Jim Leyland has taken to playing Ryan Raburn, who should never be at an up-the-middle position on a big league field, over Rhymes at second base, while Scott Sizemore sits at Triple-A waiting for another shot.
You might remember Sizemore. He got his chance at Detroit's second base job in 2010, and he failed, hitting just .224/.296/.336 in 48 games before Leyland pulled the plug on him. A fifth-round pick in 2006, Sizemore has a long track record of impressing scouts with his bat and filling up a stat sheet, as he's a career .311 hitter at the upper levels who is 23-for-56 (.411) for Toledo this year, but that scarlet letter of two bad months in the big leagues hangs over him until he gets a now-overdue shot at redemption.
Be it two weeks or two months, small sample sizes of failure can lead to hasty, and at times emotional, reactions. You remember that girl or guy that you dated a couple of times and everything seemed perfect? That's where people are with Robinson. They haven't had their first fight yet, or had the meet-the-parents event, or seen the flaws when the reality of life, or in this case, major league baseball, rears it's ugly head.
Flavor of the Month syndrome is nothing more than puppy love, just like it was with Ka'aihue 12 months ago, and in the end, it just doesn't matter much, because neither one of them is marrying material.
Spoiler [+]
Branch Rickey famously said "it's better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late." As sports fans, we're similarly obsessed with pouring dirt on a player's grave. A slump makes us skeptical. An injury makes us fearful. One off year and we're ready to close the book on a player for good.
Thing is, baseball players' careers rarely look like perfect bell curves. A star seemingly in decline can come back strong, well into his 30s. Hot prospects can look like stars early on, fade away, then re-emerge when you don't expect it.
Six players are off to huge starts this season that few people expected. Since we're just three-and-a-half weeks into the season, it's too soon to assume they'll all continue to excel. But these strong beginnings remind us that giving up too soon on a player can -- with apologies to Mr. Rickey -- have its own repercussions.
Russell Martin New York Yankees: $4 million. That's what the Yankees are paying a 28-year-old catcher who is a two-time All-Star and former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. But after posting a combined 10.4 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2007 and 2008, Martin hit .250 with a .329 slugging average in 2009, then hit .248 and slugged .332 last year, causing his price tag to plummet and the Dodgers to lose interest -- despite nothing close to a strong in-house catching option. Martin (.328 AVG/.409 OBP/.690 SLG) is one of the league leaders with six homers -- after hitting just five all last year. Martin's walk and strikeout rates remained the same during his two-year plunge, with his power the most obvious casualty. Going from pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium to a hitter's haven at Yankee Stadium helps, but this might simply be a case of a good player finally picking up where he left off. After all, he's at an age that is typically considered a player's prime.
Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians: A three-game weekend losing streak brought them back to the pack a bit, but the Indians remain in first place in the American League Central and are the biggest surprise team so far this season. Amid a sea of early catalysts, Hafner and Sizemore have led the way, channeling their glory days of yore. Hafner missed 217 games over the past three seasons, while watching his production plummet from a 2006 peak that saw him blast 42 homers and post a .449 weighted on-base average (an all-in-one offensive stat that runs along a similar scale to on-base average but also measures a player's ability to hit for power). Pronk is back in form so far this year, hitting .349/.395/.580. A sky-high batting average on balls in play (.417) suggests that line will come back to earth over time, but the early power (four homers and four doubles) and durability (just two missed games this season) are great signs for an Indians team that will need that big power bat in order to contend all year long.
Meanwhile, Sizemore only recently returned from major knee surgery, after playing just 33 games last season and 106 the year before. The early returns are encouraging, though: Sizemore is hitting .357/.400/.714 through his first 30 plate appearances, showing few signs of rust or diminished ability. Once one of the best players in the game, Sizemore is still just 28 years old. If his knee holds up, a return to star status is possible -- and a tantalizing possibility for the upstart Tribe.
Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals: Berkman was still a very good offensive player in 2009, posting a .386 wOBA. But mounting injuries, coupled with a slow but steady decline in his power, pointed to a player whose best days were behind him. When Berkman hit just .248 with 14 homers in 122 injury-plagued games last year, it seemed he might be done. But the 35-year-old Berkman has been fully healthy for the first time in two years, and the results show he can still produce: His .377/.449/.725 line dwarfs those of star teammates Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols. Berkman has about as much range in the outfield as manager Tony La Russa does at this point. But those who mocked the Cardinals for throwing $8 million at Berkman this offseason look like they will end up eating their words.
Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants: How does a 24-year-old with an above-.300 career batting average and a brand new World Series ring make this list? By dropping from a .350 batting average on balls in play in his breakout 2009 season to .291 last year, being reduced to a part-time player in the playoffs, and causing people to speculate that his corpulence was the cause of his lousy 2010 numbers. Balls are falling again, and Sandoval's power has spiked early this season, adding up to a stellar .319/.382/.565 line. Positive regression and a young player coming into his own might be the primary reasons for Sandoval's bounce-back. But if his massive offseason weight loss helped too, so much the better.
Aaron Harang, San Diego Padres: Fun with numbers:
2008: 6-17, 4.78 ERA
2009: 6-14, 4.21 ERA
2010: 6-7, 5.32 ERA
2011: 4-0, 1.88 ERA
There are a million better ways to evaluate a pitcher than ERA, and a billion better ways than win-loss record. Harang's xFIP wasn't much worse during his three-year swoon than it was when Harang was a better-than-5 WAR pitcher in 2006 and 2007. Still, Great American Ball Park is a terrible place for a fly-ball pitcher like Harang, and he allowed 1.5 homers per nine from 2008 through 2010. Harang is still putting a ton of balls in the air in the early going this year, but not one has cleared the wall in his first four starts. Petco Park is the toughest place for a left-handed batter to hit a home run, making it a perfect place for Harang to pitch. Harang's improved K/BB rate (around 4-to-1) might have something to do with increased confidence, since he knows he can challenge hitters and not have to worry as much about the long ball. Harang, even in his down years, always posted good strikeout-walk ratios, and he may have simply needed a change of scenery and better health to make it work. Matching Martin's $4 million salary, Harang might be the steal of the offseason.
Thing is, baseball players' careers rarely look like perfect bell curves. A star seemingly in decline can come back strong, well into his 30s. Hot prospects can look like stars early on, fade away, then re-emerge when you don't expect it.
Six players are off to huge starts this season that few people expected. Since we're just three-and-a-half weeks into the season, it's too soon to assume they'll all continue to excel. But these strong beginnings remind us that giving up too soon on a player can -- with apologies to Mr. Rickey -- have its own repercussions.
Russell Martin New York Yankees: $4 million. That's what the Yankees are paying a 28-year-old catcher who is a two-time All-Star and former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. But after posting a combined 10.4 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2007 and 2008, Martin hit .250 with a .329 slugging average in 2009, then hit .248 and slugged .332 last year, causing his price tag to plummet and the Dodgers to lose interest -- despite nothing close to a strong in-house catching option. Martin (.328 AVG/.409 OBP/.690 SLG) is one of the league leaders with six homers -- after hitting just five all last year. Martin's walk and strikeout rates remained the same during his two-year plunge, with his power the most obvious casualty. Going from pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium to a hitter's haven at Yankee Stadium helps, but this might simply be a case of a good player finally picking up where he left off. After all, he's at an age that is typically considered a player's prime.
Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians: A three-game weekend losing streak brought them back to the pack a bit, but the Indians remain in first place in the American League Central and are the biggest surprise team so far this season. Amid a sea of early catalysts, Hafner and Sizemore have led the way, channeling their glory days of yore. Hafner missed 217 games over the past three seasons, while watching his production plummet from a 2006 peak that saw him blast 42 homers and post a .449 weighted on-base average (an all-in-one offensive stat that runs along a similar scale to on-base average but also measures a player's ability to hit for power). Pronk is back in form so far this year, hitting .349/.395/.580. A sky-high batting average on balls in play (.417) suggests that line will come back to earth over time, but the early power (four homers and four doubles) and durability (just two missed games this season) are great signs for an Indians team that will need that big power bat in order to contend all year long.
Meanwhile, Sizemore only recently returned from major knee surgery, after playing just 33 games last season and 106 the year before. The early returns are encouraging, though: Sizemore is hitting .357/.400/.714 through his first 30 plate appearances, showing few signs of rust or diminished ability. Once one of the best players in the game, Sizemore is still just 28 years old. If his knee holds up, a return to star status is possible -- and a tantalizing possibility for the upstart Tribe.
Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals: Berkman was still a very good offensive player in 2009, posting a .386 wOBA. But mounting injuries, coupled with a slow but steady decline in his power, pointed to a player whose best days were behind him. When Berkman hit just .248 with 14 homers in 122 injury-plagued games last year, it seemed he might be done. But the 35-year-old Berkman has been fully healthy for the first time in two years, and the results show he can still produce: His .377/.449/.725 line dwarfs those of star teammates Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols. Berkman has about as much range in the outfield as manager Tony La Russa does at this point. But those who mocked the Cardinals for throwing $8 million at Berkman this offseason look like they will end up eating their words.
Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants: How does a 24-year-old with an above-.300 career batting average and a brand new World Series ring make this list? By dropping from a .350 batting average on balls in play in his breakout 2009 season to .291 last year, being reduced to a part-time player in the playoffs, and causing people to speculate that his corpulence was the cause of his lousy 2010 numbers. Balls are falling again, and Sandoval's power has spiked early this season, adding up to a stellar .319/.382/.565 line. Positive regression and a young player coming into his own might be the primary reasons for Sandoval's bounce-back. But if his massive offseason weight loss helped too, so much the better.
Aaron Harang, San Diego Padres: Fun with numbers:
2008: 6-17, 4.78 ERA
2009: 6-14, 4.21 ERA
2010: 6-7, 5.32 ERA
2011: 4-0, 1.88 ERA
There are a million better ways to evaluate a pitcher than ERA, and a billion better ways than win-loss record. Harang's xFIP wasn't much worse during his three-year swoon than it was when Harang was a better-than-5 WAR pitcher in 2006 and 2007. Still, Great American Ball Park is a terrible place for a fly-ball pitcher like Harang, and he allowed 1.5 homers per nine from 2008 through 2010. Harang is still putting a ton of balls in the air in the early going this year, but not one has cleared the wall in his first four starts. Petco Park is the toughest place for a left-handed batter to hit a home run, making it a perfect place for Harang to pitch. Harang's improved K/BB rate (around 4-to-1) might have something to do with increased confidence, since he knows he can challenge hitters and not have to worry as much about the long ball. Harang, even in his down years, always posted good strikeout-walk ratios, and he may have simply needed a change of scenery and better health to make it work. Matching Martin's $4 million salary, Harang might be the steal of the offseason.
Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Room for an OF in Tor?[/h3]
3:52PM ET
[h5]Scott Podsednik | Blue Jays [/h5]
UPDATE: The Jays may need to start checking their roster for potential candidates to ship out pretty soon as Podsednik is close to being ready, as is DeWayne Wise.
...
Scott Podsednik singled and homered in an extended spring training game Thursday as he rehabs from plantar fasciitis. He'll continue his work and eventually move up to Triple-A Las Vegas before the Blue Jays consider activating him from the disabled list.
Rajai Davis is also on the DL, however, so Podsednik is no guarantee to bump someone from the roster and join the big club when he's ready, as Corey Patterson is hitting the ball well.
Once either outfielder is ready, the Jays could go with one more outfielder and one fewer infielder, but once Mike McCoy rejoins the team, the entire dynamic changes because he's capable of playing anywhere on the field.
Basically, Podsednik or Patterson may turn into trade bait unless the Jays look to move Juan Rivera or determine that the struggling Travis Snider needs time in Triple-A, which appears unlikely this early in the year.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Broxton's role in LA[/h3]
3:31PM ET
[h5]Los Angeles Dodgers [/h5]
UPDATE: Kuo won't be closing games anytime soon, as he's still fighting his way back from the DL and did not throw well Tuesday. The lefty retired just one of five batters, putting his expected Friday return in doubt.
Matt Guerrier and Vicente Padilla figure to get most of the chances that Broxton does not, with Padilla picking up the save Wednesday afternoon versus the Marlins.
...
There was ample speculation that Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly had decided to replace Jonathan Broxton as his closer, and the source was his own general manager.
GM Ned Colletti, speaking on his weekly radio interview on Tuesday morning with KABC's Peter Tilden, did not use the term "closer by committee," but said Mattingly would have the additional options of Hong-Chih Kuo and Vicente Padilla. Kuo is expected to come off the disabled list this weekend.
Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com says Mattingly saw one of those media reports, on the MLB Network, while working out on Tuesday morning and immediately decided to meet with Broxton to reassure him that the job was still his. Broxton, who has been inconsistent for the last few years, blew a save against the Marlins on Monday night.
Colletti downplayed the implications of his comments and Mattingly said definitively that Broxton remains the team's closer on those nights when he is available to pitch. At the very least, Broxton may have a reason to be looking over his shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Blake back to the DL?[/h3]
3:22PM ET
[h5]Casey Blake | Dodgers [/h5]
It looks like Casey Blake is headed back to the disabled list, tweets Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers are likely to go back to Juan Uribe and Aaron Miles at third base, with Ivan DeJesus, Jr. and Jamey Carroll handling second and short.
The club lacks options in the minors, leaving Russ Mitchell as the lone infielder on the 40-man roster that is not already on the active roster.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Jackson to start Sunday?[/h3]
2:18PM ET
[h5]Chicago Cubs [/h5]
James Russell has struggled mightily in the starting rotation and could be reinserted into the bullpen this week if the club chooses to go with right-hander Jay Jackson as the starter for Sunday's game against Arizona.
Jackson is throwing the ball in the minors, points out Paul Sullivan, and is lined to start in Triple-A Iowa that day, making such a transition seemless.
The roster casualty in such a scenario could be Marcus Mateo, Justin Berg or Jeff Stevens, but the staff is full of ballooned ERAs and poor appearances.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Baileys ETA[/h3]
2:13PM ET
[h5]Andrew Bailey | Athletics [/h5]
If he does not suffer any setbacks, Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey could return within the next two weeks.
The right-hander is throwing off flat ground, and will even mix in breaking balls next time out if he doesn't experience unexpected soreness after Tuesday's session.
Brian Fuentes is doing fine as the club's closer for now, so there's no need to rush Bailey, and considering his history the club is likely to play it safe on a timetable.
At best, Bailey pitches to live hitters next week and starts a rehab assignment shortly after. That would put his expected return date of sometime in the second week of May, but there is a good chance it's pushed out further than that for precautionary reasons.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]DeRosa to Miami?[/h3]
2:02PM ET
[h5]Mark DeRosa | Giants [/h5]
The Florida Marlins are out looking for a third baseman, reports Juan C. Rodriguez, and one of their targets is San Francisco Giants veteran mark DeRosa.
DeRosa may or may not be a player the Giants wish to part with at this point in the season, especially since he's hitting the ball well right now. DeRosa is making $6 million this season which may be a problem for Florida, but a better trade package could get the Giants to send a little cash along with DeRosa.
A trade seems highly unlikely at this point in the season, at least from the Giants' perspective, but the Fish could also look into names such as Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jose Lopez or Mark Teahen.
Donnie Murphy and Emilio Bonifacio are holding down third base for now, and could relegated to utility duty or potentially lose their roster spot should the Fish acquire a proven third baseman.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cubs options to bat No. 3[/h3]
1:51PM ET
[h5]Chicago Cubs [/h5]
As they search for an internal answer to bat in the No. 3 spot in the lineup, we'll discuss where else the Chicago Cubs might be able to find a hitter that can handle the job.
Making such a trade this early for an impact player of any kind is unlikely, so manager Mike Quade may continue to tinker for the time being, using Marlon Byrd, Aramis Ramirez or even Geovany Soto in the role.
Despite having signed Carlos Pena to a deal that guarantees him $10 million this season, Prince Fielder may be a name the Cubs go after this summer, should the Milwaukee Brewers fall out of contention and shop the slugger. Other bats that could become available include Carlos Beltran and Matt Kemp.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cueto's progress[/h3]
1:42PM ET
[h5]Johnny Cueto | Reds [/h5]
Johnny Cueto could be nearing a return to the Cincinnati Reds' rotation after going 4 2/3 innings and 83 pitches Tuesday in Triple-A. The right-hander tossed 55 strikes and struck out three, leaving without surrendering a run or a base on balls.
Cueto touched 96 with his fastball, sitting 94-95, a sign that his arm strength is just about back to where he needs it to be.
Cueto could make one more reha start before being activated from the DL, but after 83 pitches, he may be ready to go 90-100, which could be good enough for the Reds to insert him the starting five as early as Sunday.
Same Lecure or Mike Leake appear the most likely to lose their jobs once Cueto is back.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]O'Day done for the year?[/h3]
1:32PM ET
[h5]Darren O'Day | Rangers [/h5]
Darren O'Day will be placed on the disabled list with a torn labrum, reports ESPNDallas.com, but it's the hip labrum not the joint in Day's throwing shoulder which mans he could return this season.
In fact, the chances are he will get back this season, barring unforeseen issues during rehab. O'Day first reported the news himself on his Facebook page.
The Rangers, who lost closer Neftali Feliz last week to shoulder inflammation, are likely to call up right-hander Ryan Tucker to take O'Day's place on the roster and Darren Oliver is now even more likely to get the save chances until Feliz returns.- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cust's future in Seattle[/h3]
11:21AM ET
[h5]Jack Cust | Mariners [/h5]
The Seattle Mariners touted Jack Cust as their biggest offensive upgrade of the offseason, but the veteran designated hitter is hitting below the Medndoza Line, has yet to belt a homer and has a mere seven RBI.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times asks if the Mariners' patience with Cust will soon wear thin. The Mariners will have to make a roster move when Franklin Gutierrez returns, which might not be until June. Baker doesn't see Cust lasting that long, particularly since the Mariners have Milton Bradley and Adam Kennedy as options at DH.
"I'd say, at most, that Cust will get until mid-May before he loses his regular spot. After that, he can be used sporadically, then cut loose once Gutierrez is ready," Baker writes.
Cust signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal, so the financial hit would not be drastic. This could all change, of course, if Cust shows his form of 2007 and 2008, when he had 100-RBI seasons for Oakland.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Sox losing faith in Salty?[/h3]
10:58AM ET
[h5]Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Red Sox [/h5]
The http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/bos/boston-red-soxBoston Red Sox are publicly standing behind catcher http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28663/jarrod-saltalamacchiaJarrod Saltalamacchia, but more and more at-bats are going to former No. 1 backstop Jason Varitek.
Varitek has started four of the last six games behind the plate and is expected to be there again Wednesday against the Orioles, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
There are growing concerns about Saltalamacchia's defense, as ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes wrote last week, and the fact that Varitek is in the lineup with an anemic batting average of .100 (3-for-30) says something about the faith in Salty.
If the Red Sox decide to seek a veteran as the trade deadline, they could inquire about the availability of Ivan Rodriguez, who is getting less playing time in Washington.
Our Buster Olney gave his take on Boston's catching situation in Friday's blog:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Buster Olney[/h5]
Will the Red Sox look elsewhere?
3:52PM ET
[h5]Scott Podsednik | Blue Jays [/h5]
UPDATE: The Jays may need to start checking their roster for potential candidates to ship out pretty soon as Podsednik is close to being ready, as is DeWayne Wise.
...
Scott Podsednik singled and homered in an extended spring training game Thursday as he rehabs from plantar fasciitis. He'll continue his work and eventually move up to Triple-A Las Vegas before the Blue Jays consider activating him from the disabled list.
Rajai Davis is also on the DL, however, so Podsednik is no guarantee to bump someone from the roster and join the big club when he's ready, as Corey Patterson is hitting the ball well.
Once either outfielder is ready, the Jays could go with one more outfielder and one fewer infielder, but once Mike McCoy rejoins the team, the entire dynamic changes because he's capable of playing anywhere on the field.
Basically, Podsednik or Patterson may turn into trade bait unless the Jays look to move Juan Rivera or determine that the struggling Travis Snider needs time in Triple-A, which appears unlikely this early in the year.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Broxton's role in LA[/h3]
3:31PM ET
[h5]Los Angeles Dodgers [/h5]
UPDATE: Kuo won't be closing games anytime soon, as he's still fighting his way back from the DL and did not throw well Tuesday. The lefty retired just one of five batters, putting his expected Friday return in doubt.
Matt Guerrier and Vicente Padilla figure to get most of the chances that Broxton does not, with Padilla picking up the save Wednesday afternoon versus the Marlins.
...
There was ample speculation that Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly had decided to replace Jonathan Broxton as his closer, and the source was his own general manager.
GM Ned Colletti, speaking on his weekly radio interview on Tuesday morning with KABC's Peter Tilden, did not use the term "closer by committee," but said Mattingly would have the additional options of Hong-Chih Kuo and Vicente Padilla. Kuo is expected to come off the disabled list this weekend.
Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com says Mattingly saw one of those media reports, on the MLB Network, while working out on Tuesday morning and immediately decided to meet with Broxton to reassure him that the job was still his. Broxton, who has been inconsistent for the last few years, blew a save against the Marlins on Monday night.
Colletti downplayed the implications of his comments and Mattingly said definitively that Broxton remains the team's closer on those nights when he is available to pitch. At the very least, Broxton may have a reason to be looking over his shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Blake back to the DL?[/h3]
3:22PM ET
[h5]Casey Blake | Dodgers [/h5]
It looks like Casey Blake is headed back to the disabled list, tweets Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers are likely to go back to Juan Uribe and Aaron Miles at third base, with Ivan DeJesus, Jr. and Jamey Carroll handling second and short.
The club lacks options in the minors, leaving Russ Mitchell as the lone infielder on the 40-man roster that is not already on the active roster.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Jackson to start Sunday?[/h3]
2:18PM ET
[h5]Chicago Cubs [/h5]
James Russell has struggled mightily in the starting rotation and could be reinserted into the bullpen this week if the club chooses to go with right-hander Jay Jackson as the starter for Sunday's game against Arizona.
Jackson is throwing the ball in the minors, points out Paul Sullivan, and is lined to start in Triple-A Iowa that day, making such a transition seemless.
The roster casualty in such a scenario could be Marcus Mateo, Justin Berg or Jeff Stevens, but the staff is full of ballooned ERAs and poor appearances.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Baileys ETA[/h3]
2:13PM ET
[h5]Andrew Bailey | Athletics [/h5]
If he does not suffer any setbacks, Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey could return within the next two weeks.
The right-hander is throwing off flat ground, and will even mix in breaking balls next time out if he doesn't experience unexpected soreness after Tuesday's session.
Brian Fuentes is doing fine as the club's closer for now, so there's no need to rush Bailey, and considering his history the club is likely to play it safe on a timetable.
At best, Bailey pitches to live hitters next week and starts a rehab assignment shortly after. That would put his expected return date of sometime in the second week of May, but there is a good chance it's pushed out further than that for precautionary reasons.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]DeRosa to Miami?[/h3]
2:02PM ET
[h5]Mark DeRosa | Giants [/h5]
The Florida Marlins are out looking for a third baseman, reports Juan C. Rodriguez, and one of their targets is San Francisco Giants veteran mark DeRosa.
DeRosa may or may not be a player the Giants wish to part with at this point in the season, especially since he's hitting the ball well right now. DeRosa is making $6 million this season which may be a problem for Florida, but a better trade package could get the Giants to send a little cash along with DeRosa.
A trade seems highly unlikely at this point in the season, at least from the Giants' perspective, but the Fish could also look into names such as Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jose Lopez or Mark Teahen.
Donnie Murphy and Emilio Bonifacio are holding down third base for now, and could relegated to utility duty or potentially lose their roster spot should the Fish acquire a proven third baseman.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cubs options to bat No. 3[/h3]
1:51PM ET
[h5]Chicago Cubs [/h5]
As they search for an internal answer to bat in the No. 3 spot in the lineup, we'll discuss where else the Chicago Cubs might be able to find a hitter that can handle the job.
Making such a trade this early for an impact player of any kind is unlikely, so manager Mike Quade may continue to tinker for the time being, using Marlon Byrd, Aramis Ramirez or even Geovany Soto in the role.
Despite having signed Carlos Pena to a deal that guarantees him $10 million this season, Prince Fielder may be a name the Cubs go after this summer, should the Milwaukee Brewers fall out of contention and shop the slugger. Other bats that could become available include Carlos Beltran and Matt Kemp.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cueto's progress[/h3]
1:42PM ET
[h5]Johnny Cueto | Reds [/h5]
Johnny Cueto could be nearing a return to the Cincinnati Reds' rotation after going 4 2/3 innings and 83 pitches Tuesday in Triple-A. The right-hander tossed 55 strikes and struck out three, leaving without surrendering a run or a base on balls.
Cueto touched 96 with his fastball, sitting 94-95, a sign that his arm strength is just about back to where he needs it to be.
Cueto could make one more reha start before being activated from the DL, but after 83 pitches, he may be ready to go 90-100, which could be good enough for the Reds to insert him the starting five as early as Sunday.
Same Lecure or Mike Leake appear the most likely to lose their jobs once Cueto is back.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]O'Day done for the year?[/h3]
1:32PM ET
[h5]Darren O'Day | Rangers [/h5]
Darren O'Day will be placed on the disabled list with a torn labrum, reports ESPNDallas.com, but it's the hip labrum not the joint in Day's throwing shoulder which mans he could return this season.
In fact, the chances are he will get back this season, barring unforeseen issues during rehab. O'Day first reported the news himself on his Facebook page.
The Rangers, who lost closer Neftali Feliz last week to shoulder inflammation, are likely to call up right-hander Ryan Tucker to take O'Day's place on the roster and Darren Oliver is now even more likely to get the save chances until Feliz returns.- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cust's future in Seattle[/h3]
11:21AM ET
[h5]Jack Cust | Mariners [/h5]
The Seattle Mariners touted Jack Cust as their biggest offensive upgrade of the offseason, but the veteran designated hitter is hitting below the Medndoza Line, has yet to belt a homer and has a mere seven RBI.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times asks if the Mariners' patience with Cust will soon wear thin. The Mariners will have to make a roster move when Franklin Gutierrez returns, which might not be until June. Baker doesn't see Cust lasting that long, particularly since the Mariners have Milton Bradley and Adam Kennedy as options at DH.
"I'd say, at most, that Cust will get until mid-May before he loses his regular spot. After that, he can be used sporadically, then cut loose once Gutierrez is ready," Baker writes.
Cust signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal, so the financial hit would not be drastic. This could all change, of course, if Cust shows his form of 2007 and 2008, when he had 100-RBI seasons for Oakland.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Sox losing faith in Salty?[/h3]
10:58AM ET
[h5]Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Red Sox [/h5]
The http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/bos/boston-red-soxBoston Red Sox are publicly standing behind catcher http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28663/jarrod-saltalamacchiaJarrod Saltalamacchia, but more and more at-bats are going to former No. 1 backstop Jason Varitek.
Varitek has started four of the last six games behind the plate and is expected to be there again Wednesday against the Orioles, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
There are growing concerns about Saltalamacchia's defense, as ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes wrote last week, and the fact that Varitek is in the lineup with an anemic batting average of .100 (3-for-30) says something about the faith in Salty.
If the Red Sox decide to seek a veteran as the trade deadline, they could inquire about the availability of Ivan Rodriguez, who is getting less playing time in Washington.
Our Buster Olney gave his take on Boston's catching situation in Friday's blog:
- Doug Mittler
Will the Red Sox look elsewhere?
10:39AM ET
[h5]Evan Longoria | Rays [/h5]
Evan Longoria's long-awaited return to the Tampa Bay Rays' lineup is now set for Tuesday against Toronto, barring any setbacks, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Pete Times.
Longoria, who has been on the disabled list since the first week of the season with a left oblique strain, took batting practice in the cage again Tuesday and will start a short rehab assignment with Double-A Montgomery on Thursday.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=29105http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=29105Sean Rodriguez and http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4254http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4254Felipe Lopez have been sharing third base in Tampa in Longoria's absence. Infielder Elliot Johnson, who is hitting .200, could be a candidate for demotion when Longoria returns.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Contreras could be back in a month[/h3]
10:19AM ET
[h5]Jose Contreras | Phillies [/h5]
UPDATE: GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said an MRI on Contreras revealed a "mild strain" and that the reliever could be pitching for the Phillies in three to four weeks.
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An already thin bullpen for the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/phi/philadelphia-philliesPhiladelphia Phillies took another notable hit Sunday when closer http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5373/jose-contrerasJose Contreras landed on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury. Manager Charlie Manuel has some bruised feelings as well.
While briefing reporters on the injury Sunday, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. did not say Contreras was overused, but did add: "He had been pitching quite a bit," Amaro said.
That apparently didn't go over well with Manuel. "First of all, that there's no way in hell we overused Contreras. That's how I feel. There's no way," Manuel said.
For the record, Contreras appeared in eight games and pitched a total of eight innings, which is far from the lead in any category. What might be an issue is a rift between the manager and the GM.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Getz could be benched[/h3]
10:08AM ET
[h5]Chris Getz | Royals [/h5]
There are more than a handful of quiet bats in the Kansas City Royals' lineup, and the one that could be headed to the bench belongs to second baseman Chris Getz.
Getz is hitting a mere .234 and could give way at second base to Mike Aviles, who would move over from third base. That would open a spot in the order for Wilson Betemit, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Aviles, catcher Matt Treanor, first baseman Kila Ka'aihue and shortstop Alcides Escobar also are off to slow starts, and manager Ned Yost feels he can't carry that many struggling bats in the lineup.
Getz is the Royals' best defensive option at second base, but is batting .128 in his last 12 games with a .277 on-base percentage.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Mauer won't be ready Thursday[/h3]
9:43AM ET
[h5]Joe Mauer | Twins [/h5]
The Minnesota Twins are unsure when Joe Mauer when will be back in the lineup, but GM Bill Smith concedes to Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune the star catcher probably won't be ready when he comes off the disabled list Thursday.
Mauer was placed on the DL because of bilateral leg weakness and lost about a week of recovery time because of a viral infection.
Smith said he isn't sure whether Mauer will be heading on a minor league rehabilitation assignment, but manager Ron Gardenhire has said a rehab stint is a good possibility.
The absence of Mauer has left a gaping hole in the batting order. Drew Butera has had the bulk of the catching duties of late and is hitting a meager .147.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Rapid recovery for V-Mart[/h3]
9:14AM ET
[h5]Victor Martinez | Tigers [/h5]
UPDATE: Tom Gage of the Detroit News reports Wednesday that Martinez is recovering rapidly and expects his stay on the 15-day DL to last only 15 days - meaning he'll be back on May 4 for the third game of a four-game series against the Yankees.
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The http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/det/detroit-tigersDetroit Tigers will be shuffling their lineup for a few weeks after catcher http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5007Victor Martinez aggravated a groin injury Monday that landed him on the disabled list.
As MLB.com?s Jason Beck points out, Miguel Cabrera will lose his protection in the middle of the lineup.
If there is a small silver lining, Martinez's injury will give Magglio Ordonez the chance to spend the next couple of weeks primarily at DH to ease the wear and tear on his surgically repaired right ankle. Ordonez returned over the weekend after missing several days with fluid in the ankle.
Not only will the Tigers miss the potent bat of Martinez in the middle of the lineup, there are issues behind the plate. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=30115Alex Avila was already scheduled to catch the entire series in Seattle this week, leaving utilityman http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=28730Don Kelly as the backup catcher, for now.
Former major leaguer http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=29259Omir Santos, who is hitting .429 at Triple-A Toledo, was called up on Tuesday. If the injury to Martinez is serious, the Tiger could be the latest club to make a pitch to free agent http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3865Bengie Molina.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Quade looks for No. 3 hitter[/h3]
8:42AM ET
[h5]Starlin Castro | Cubs [/h5]
Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade penciled in Starlin Castro as his No. 3 hitter four times in a five-game span this past week, but the shortstop won't necessarily be staying there.
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports Quade is still searching for a No. 3 hitter.
Castro has cooled off after a sizzling start and has one hit in his last 14 at-bats. Castro, who has started in each of the top three spots in the order this season, has just two hits in 17 at-bats in the No. 3 hole.
Marlon Byrd was back in the No. 3 spot in Tuesday's loss to the Rockies, but he has yet to homer this season and has just five RBI.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Hamilton ahead of schedule?[/h3]
8:19AM ET
[h5]Josh Hamilton | Rangers [/h5]
Two weeks after getting hurt diving headfirst into home plate at Detroit, the Rangers? Josh Hamilton went through a workout a workout that included catching flyballs, throwing and running the bases.
Hamilton sustained a non-displaced fracture at the top of his right arm, just below the shoulder. The Rangers said then that Hamilton would be out six to eight weeks and wouldn't be able to swing a bat for a month.
Projecting a target date for a return remains difficult, but Hamilton seems optimistic that he is ahead of the initial timeframe of one month until he can swing.
"I can't say it's going to be four days, five days, but today is the best I've felt as far as my pain since I've been hurt," the AL MVP told the Star Telegram. "It's a lot faster than anybody expected."
Daniel Murphy has received the bulk of the playing time in center field in Hamilton's absence.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Holding on to Beltran[/h3]
8:05AM ET
[h5]Carlos Beltran | Mets [/h5]
The talk of the New York Mets being sellers at the trade deadline has been put on hold, at least temporarily, by a five-game winning streak. But things change quickly, and the Mets might have a decision to make regarding star outfielder Carlos Beltran, who is in the final year of his contract.
In his latest Rumblings & Grumblings, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark talks to a baseball man who says the Mets have no choice but to hold onto Beltran as long as possible because of the club's financial woes.
"Because the last thing they need to do," the baseball man said, "is give people a reason to think they need his $17 million [salary] to pay the bills."
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Is Millwood a viable option?[/h3]
7:48AM ET
[h5]Kevin Millwood | Orioles [/h5]
The New York Yankees have a decision to make regarding Kevin Millwood, who can opt out of his minor league deal with the Yankees on Sunday night if he isn't elevated to the big leagues.
With Phil Hughes still dealing with "dead arm" issues that have landed him on the disabled list, the Yankees could use another starter. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says it will be a tough call because scouts covering the Yankees system continue to report that Millwood "doesn't look very good.?
Millwood is 2-0 record and 1.29 ERA in two minor league starts, but Stark notes that the righthander?s fastball has averaged 85 miles per hour and his strikeout-walk ratio is just 6-to-5 in 14 innings.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Late season return for Johan?[/h3]
7:02AM ET
[h5]Johan Santana | Mets [/h5]
UPDATE: ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney hears that a realistic timetable for Santana's return is August or September.
--
Former Cy Young winner Johan Santana says he's throwing from flat ground at more than 100 feet, which more than halfway to where he says he'd need to be to pitch from a mound.
Santana told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com on March 30 that he'd need to throw from 180 feet without problems before he could get on a mound, so he's obviously still quite a ways from throwing to live hitters or going on a rehab assignment.
The optimistic view is that Santana could return to the Mets sometime in June, but the club is not likely to push it too far, especially if they aren't contending in the National League East.
Spoiler [+]
Even as Hanley Ramirez's batting average fell below .200, the Marlins continued to see signs of his maturity. Ramirez seemed to be handling his slump well, not letting his own offensive troubles hover like a dark cloud over the Marlins' strong start. He came to spring training talking about wanting to be a leader, and as one friend said about Ramirez, he's starting to understand how important his reactions are to the young players around him.
Getty ImagesThe Marlins have seen a mature approach from Ramirez this season.
And now, in recent days, the Marlins are seeing progress in Ramirez's swing. Through batting practice, he has been working through a couple of issues with the swing: First, he had struggled to get his front foot down quickly enough in his setup at the plate, and secondly, he had developed something of a hitch. The Marlins think now it's only a matter of time before Ramirez starts to rake again.
Ramirez continues to show signs that he's breaking out of his slump. Mike Stanton got a big hit and the Marlins won again, with more great work from their bullpen; Leo Nunez is 7-for-7 in save chances, Juan Rodriguez writes.
• Justin Masterson, Grady Sizemore and the Indians are not slowing down, Paul Hoynes writes. Masterson is now 5-0 this season, and here are Sizemore's 2011 numbers:
At-bats: 32
Extra-base hits: 9
Slugging percentage: .875
OPS: 1.332
Sizemore is making beautiful noise at the top of the Cleveland lineup.
From Jacob Nitzberg of ESPN Stats & Information, how Masterson won:
A. He kept the sinker away: Masterson threw 43 of his 79 sinkers away to hitters, and the Royals went 0-for-9 with two strikeouts in at-bats ending with a sinker away.
B. He finished in two-strike counts: Masterson threw 78 percent strikes in two-strike counts, and the Royals went 0-for-9, including seven strikeouts, in at-bats ending with two-strike counts. In at-bats in which the count reached two strikes over his past two starts, opponents are 0-for-21 with 10 strikeouts.
C. The Royals swung at bad balls: The Royals chased 17 pitches out of the zone (highest opponent total in last 19 starts), including five of Masterson's seven strikeouts.
From Elias: Indians pitchers to win first five starts of a season with an ERA below 2.20 in the last 65 years are: Masterson, Cliff Lee in 2008, and Bob Lemon in 1955.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Todd Helton mashed a couple of homers for the Rockies, as Troy Renck writes. Those were homers No. 335 and No. 336 for Helton in his career.
• Tom Schieffer wants to help get the Dodgers back to where they've been.
McCourt is set to make a long-shot pitch to the commissioner's office, writes Bill Shaikin. He will be heard, and inevitably dismissed; Major League Baseball wants McCourt out.
• Brent Lillibridge has set a new Web Gem standard, after making back-to-back game-saving plays for outs No. 26 and No. 27 in Chicago's victory over the Yankees. The White Sox got their save from the outfield, writes Daryl Van Schouwen.
• Sam Fuld has been placed on the All-Star ballot.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The timetable for Evan Longoria's return has been set, Marc Topkin writes.
2. Ryan Zimmerman has resumed some baseball activities, Gene Wang writes.
3. Albert Pujols sat out as a precaution.
4. Heard this: A realistic timetable for Johan Santana's return is in August or September.
5. Victor Martinez is making a rapid recovery.
6. Josh Hamilton is hoping for an early return, writes Jeff Wilson.
7. The Jays are dealing with a bunch of injuries.
8. Phil Hughes is undergoing more tests, writes Mark Feinsand.
9. Andrew Bailey will soon start to throw breaking balls, as mentioned within this notebook.
10. Carlos Carrasco's concern about an elbow problem lessened.
11. Jose Contreras could miss a month.
12. Johnny Cueto made progress in his rehab, John Fay writes.
13. Joe Mauer is not ready to come off the disabled list, writes Joe Christensen.
14. Corey Hart was activated by the Brewers.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Chris Getz is in jeopardy of losing his starting job with the Royals.
2. Jonathan Broxton may or may not be in jeopardy of losing his job.
3. Ian Desmond was placed on paternity leave.
4. The Pirates claimed another player on waivers.
5. Terry Francona used Jason Varitek, again.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. Zach Britton was outstanding against Boston, beating the Red Sox with his sinker, writes Jeff Zrebiec. Nobody can remember a lefty comparable to Britton, in his style and velocity.
2. The Cardinals had problems closing out a lead, and it had nothing to do with Ryan Franklin.
3. You can't stop the Mets, you can only hope to contain them: That's five straight wins for New York, and counting. Jason Bay is undefeated this season.
4. Darren Ford stole a win for the Giants, as Henry Schulman writes. His dash home was the stuff of legend, writes Andrew Baggarly.
5. David Ross had a big day, in support of Jair Jurrjens, as David O'Brien writes.
6. An Angels rookie had a big day, Mike DiGiovanna writes.
7. Oakland lost another outfielder to injury, and lost.
8. Roy Oswalt had another bad outing, writes Jim Salisbury. Oswalt didn't stick around to talk with reporters after the game.
9. Ryan Raburn made a play that will be replayed on big screens throughout baseball in the years to come. I watched some of this game and I'd guess that because the Tigers have other options in the minors, Phil Coke will need to pitch better in his next starts.
10. Ryan Roberts continues to have an excellent season for the Diamondbacks.
11. Adam Lind was The Man for the Jays, mashing a couple of homers, Mark Zwolinski writes.
12. Clayton Kershaw had an off night.
13. The Padres lost again, and got shut down again. They've scored 15 runs in their last nine games, and when you watch San Diego, you have no real sense of how the Padres will score, or where their offense will come from. Brad Hawpe's at-bats these days are very ugly.
14. Miguel Olivo was surprised by what happened with a long fly ball, Geoff Baker writes.
15. Watched a lot of the Orioles-Boston game on Tuesday, and Clay Buchholz just never looked comfortable. He reminds me a lot of A.J. Burnett in 2010 these days, because every inning just seems to be a labor and Buchholz doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence in his stuff.
16. The Reds got outslugged.
17. Marco Estrada worked efficiently for the Brewers.
18. Rafael Soriano let one get away, Dave Caldwell writes.
19. The Astros rallied late, Steve Campbell writes.
20. Matt Harrison had a really bad day.
[h3]The Patience Index[/h3]
[h4]Wait Station Stop Required[/h4]
These hitters saw the most pitches per plate appearance on Tuesday.
[table][tr][th=""]Hitter[/th][th=""]PA[/th][th=""]Pitches[/th][th=""]P/PA[/th][/tr][tr][td]Getz, Chris[/td][td]4[/td][td]26[/td][td]6.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Espinosa, Danny[/td][td]5[/td][td]30[/td][td]6.0[/td][/tr][tr][td]Arencibia, J.P.[/td][td]5[/td][td]29[/td][td]5.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sanchez, Gaby[/td][td]4[/td][td]23[/td][td]5.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Inge, Brandon[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][td]5.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Janish, Paul[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][td]5.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Abreu, Bobby[/td][td]5[/td][td]28[/td][td]5.6[/td][/tr][/table]
Getty ImagesThe Marlins have seen a mature approach from Ramirez this season.
And now, in recent days, the Marlins are seeing progress in Ramirez's swing. Through batting practice, he has been working through a couple of issues with the swing: First, he had struggled to get his front foot down quickly enough in his setup at the plate, and secondly, he had developed something of a hitch. The Marlins think now it's only a matter of time before Ramirez starts to rake again.
Ramirez continues to show signs that he's breaking out of his slump. Mike Stanton got a big hit and the Marlins won again, with more great work from their bullpen; Leo Nunez is 7-for-7 in save chances, Juan Rodriguez writes.
• Justin Masterson, Grady Sizemore and the Indians are not slowing down, Paul Hoynes writes. Masterson is now 5-0 this season, and here are Sizemore's 2011 numbers:
At-bats: 32
Extra-base hits: 9
Slugging percentage: .875
OPS: 1.332
Sizemore is making beautiful noise at the top of the Cleveland lineup.
From Jacob Nitzberg of ESPN Stats & Information, how Masterson won:
A. He kept the sinker away: Masterson threw 43 of his 79 sinkers away to hitters, and the Royals went 0-for-9 with two strikeouts in at-bats ending with a sinker away.
B. He finished in two-strike counts: Masterson threw 78 percent strikes in two-strike counts, and the Royals went 0-for-9, including seven strikeouts, in at-bats ending with two-strike counts. In at-bats in which the count reached two strikes over his past two starts, opponents are 0-for-21 with 10 strikeouts.
C. The Royals swung at bad balls: The Royals chased 17 pitches out of the zone (highest opponent total in last 19 starts), including five of Masterson's seven strikeouts.
From Elias: Indians pitchers to win first five starts of a season with an ERA below 2.20 in the last 65 years are: Masterson, Cliff Lee in 2008, and Bob Lemon in 1955.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Todd Helton mashed a couple of homers for the Rockies, as Troy Renck writes. Those were homers No. 335 and No. 336 for Helton in his career.
• Tom Schieffer wants to help get the Dodgers back to where they've been.
McCourt is set to make a long-shot pitch to the commissioner's office, writes Bill Shaikin. He will be heard, and inevitably dismissed; Major League Baseball wants McCourt out.
• Brent Lillibridge has set a new Web Gem standard, after making back-to-back game-saving plays for outs No. 26 and No. 27 in Chicago's victory over the Yankees. The White Sox got their save from the outfield, writes Daryl Van Schouwen.
• Sam Fuld has been placed on the All-Star ballot.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The timetable for Evan Longoria's return has been set, Marc Topkin writes.
2. Ryan Zimmerman has resumed some baseball activities, Gene Wang writes.
3. Albert Pujols sat out as a precaution.
4. Heard this: A realistic timetable for Johan Santana's return is in August or September.
5. Victor Martinez is making a rapid recovery.
6. Josh Hamilton is hoping for an early return, writes Jeff Wilson.
7. The Jays are dealing with a bunch of injuries.
8. Phil Hughes is undergoing more tests, writes Mark Feinsand.
9. Andrew Bailey will soon start to throw breaking balls, as mentioned within this notebook.
10. Carlos Carrasco's concern about an elbow problem lessened.
11. Jose Contreras could miss a month.
12. Johnny Cueto made progress in his rehab, John Fay writes.
13. Joe Mauer is not ready to come off the disabled list, writes Joe Christensen.
14. Corey Hart was activated by the Brewers.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Chris Getz is in jeopardy of losing his starting job with the Royals.
2. Jonathan Broxton may or may not be in jeopardy of losing his job.
3. Ian Desmond was placed on paternity leave.
4. The Pirates claimed another player on waivers.
5. Terry Francona used Jason Varitek, again.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. Zach Britton was outstanding against Boston, beating the Red Sox with his sinker, writes Jeff Zrebiec. Nobody can remember a lefty comparable to Britton, in his style and velocity.
2. The Cardinals had problems closing out a lead, and it had nothing to do with Ryan Franklin.
3. You can't stop the Mets, you can only hope to contain them: That's five straight wins for New York, and counting. Jason Bay is undefeated this season.
4. Darren Ford stole a win for the Giants, as Henry Schulman writes. His dash home was the stuff of legend, writes Andrew Baggarly.
5. David Ross had a big day, in support of Jair Jurrjens, as David O'Brien writes.
6. An Angels rookie had a big day, Mike DiGiovanna writes.
7. Oakland lost another outfielder to injury, and lost.
8. Roy Oswalt had another bad outing, writes Jim Salisbury. Oswalt didn't stick around to talk with reporters after the game.
9. Ryan Raburn made a play that will be replayed on big screens throughout baseball in the years to come. I watched some of this game and I'd guess that because the Tigers have other options in the minors, Phil Coke will need to pitch better in his next starts.
10. Ryan Roberts continues to have an excellent season for the Diamondbacks.
11. Adam Lind was The Man for the Jays, mashing a couple of homers, Mark Zwolinski writes.
12. Clayton Kershaw had an off night.
13. The Padres lost again, and got shut down again. They've scored 15 runs in their last nine games, and when you watch San Diego, you have no real sense of how the Padres will score, or where their offense will come from. Brad Hawpe's at-bats these days are very ugly.
14. Miguel Olivo was surprised by what happened with a long fly ball, Geoff Baker writes.
15. Watched a lot of the Orioles-Boston game on Tuesday, and Clay Buchholz just never looked comfortable. He reminds me a lot of A.J. Burnett in 2010 these days, because every inning just seems to be a labor and Buchholz doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence in his stuff.
16. The Reds got outslugged.
17. Marco Estrada worked efficiently for the Brewers.
18. Rafael Soriano let one get away, Dave Caldwell writes.
19. The Astros rallied late, Steve Campbell writes.
20. Matt Harrison had a really bad day.
[h3]The Patience Index[/h3]
[h4]Wait Station Stop Required[/h4]
These hitters saw the most pitches per plate appearance on Tuesday.
[table][tr][th=""]Hitter[/th][th=""]PA[/th][th=""]Pitches[/th][th=""]P/PA[/th][/tr][tr][td]Getz, Chris[/td][td]4[/td][td]26[/td][td]6.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Espinosa, Danny[/td][td]5[/td][td]30[/td][td]6.0[/td][/tr][tr][td]Arencibia, J.P.[/td][td]5[/td][td]29[/td][td]5.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sanchez, Gaby[/td][td]4[/td][td]23[/td][td]5.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Inge, Brandon[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][td]5.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Janish, Paul[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][td]5.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Abreu, Bobby[/td][td]5[/td][td]28[/td][td]5.6[/td][/tr][/table]
Spoiler [+]
Let's get this out of the way first: I have no bone to pick with either Kansas City Royals fans or their favorite club's first base prospect, Clint Robinson.
However, he's the current example of a prospect over-excitement syndrome that appears every April. Royals fans and bloggers are clamoring for Robinson to be sent to the big leagues in order to shore up a position where the current holder of the job, Kila Ka'aihue, is hitting just .186/.301/.329 in 20 games.
Maybe it's to keep alive the myth of the Kansas City team actually being competitive this year (it's coming soon Royals fans, but not this soon), or maybe it's just that they are sick of getting nothing out of a bat-only position, but it's gotten to the point where Robinson is suddenly the most talked about prospect in baseball's best system, when there are 20-plus players in the organization with better big league futures ahead of them.
First off, what is a Clint Robinson? A 25th-round pick in 2007 as a senior out of Troy University, Robinson was simply seen as an organizational soldier until last year, when he won Texas League MVP honors with a .335/.410/.625 line for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. That led to a bit of attention, and with a sudden focus on the future of the franchise, his .373/.462/.731 start in 18 contests for Triple-A Omaha has the hype train rolling. The numbers are certainly there, but the scouting reports are not, as he's much older (26) than your standard stud prospect and he doesn't offer much room for error as a bat-only player with no speed and poor defense at the only position he's even capable of manning.
In some ways, the calls for Robinson show remarkable maturity on the part of Royals fans, as they are not calling for Eric Hosmer, one of the best offensive prospects in the game and the true "first baseman of the future" at Kauffman Stadium, who is off to a great start of his own for Omaha while moving Robinson to what has become almost solely designated hitter duties. Royals fans seem to understand that Hosmer is just 21 years old and has played fewer than 70 games at the upper levels. They appear to not only trust the process in place for the bigger-name prospects in the system, but understand it.
And yet, there still is more than a bit of Flavor of the Month syndrome here, and it's not about what Robinson has done on the field, it's about what we haven't seen him do yet. Many of the vocal Robinson supporters so insistent on seeing him replace Ka'aihue in the big leagues were the same ones screaming Kila's name 12 months ago while he was putting up his own crazy numbers at Omaha, to the tune of .319/.463/.598 in 94 games.
The difference in talent is measurable, as Ka'aihue gets an edge in terms of both raw power and plate discipline, but he's done the one thing we've yet to see from Robinson: fail in the big leagues. Failure is something most players, even future stars (something Ka'aihue and Robinson are almost assuredly not) encounter when they first get to the big leagues.
But what of players who already have failed and deserve another chance? Where are the calls for them?
[+] Enlarge
Scott W Grau/Icon SMIWill Rhymes was clearly overmatched as the Tigers' starting second baseman.
Based on what was seen by many as a fluky big league debut in which he hit .304/.350/.414 in 54 games, the Detroit Tigers happily handed Will Rhymes the second base job during spring training, and the results have been nothing short of disastrous, as the diminutive 28-year-old has turned back into a pumpkin by hitting .196 in 14 games without an extra-base hit. He's been so bad that manager Jim Leyland has taken to playing Ryan Raburn, who should never be at an up-the-middle position on a big league field, over Rhymes at second base, while Scott Sizemore sits at Triple-A waiting for another shot.
You might remember Sizemore. He got his chance at Detroit's second base job in 2010, and he failed, hitting just .224/.296/.336 in 48 games before Leyland pulled the plug on him. A fifth-round pick in 2006, Sizemore has a long track record of impressing scouts with his bat and filling up a stat sheet, as he's a career .311 hitter at the upper levels who is 23-for-56 (.411) for Toledo this year, but that scarlet letter of two bad months in the big leagues hangs over him until he gets a now-overdue shot at redemption.
Be it two weeks or two months, small sample sizes of failure can lead to hasty, and at times emotional, reactions. You remember that girl or guy that you dated a couple of times and everything seemed perfect? That's where people are with Robinson. They haven't had their first fight yet, or had the meet-the-parents event, or seen the flaws when the reality of life, or in this case, major league baseball, rears it's ugly head.
Flavor of the Month syndrome is nothing more than puppy love, just like it was with Ka'aihue 12 months ago, and in the end, it just doesn't matter much, because neither one of them is marrying material.
However, he's the current example of a prospect over-excitement syndrome that appears every April. Royals fans and bloggers are clamoring for Robinson to be sent to the big leagues in order to shore up a position where the current holder of the job, Kila Ka'aihue, is hitting just .186/.301/.329 in 20 games.
Maybe it's to keep alive the myth of the Kansas City team actually being competitive this year (it's coming soon Royals fans, but not this soon), or maybe it's just that they are sick of getting nothing out of a bat-only position, but it's gotten to the point where Robinson is suddenly the most talked about prospect in baseball's best system, when there are 20-plus players in the organization with better big league futures ahead of them.
First off, what is a Clint Robinson? A 25th-round pick in 2007 as a senior out of Troy University, Robinson was simply seen as an organizational soldier until last year, when he won Texas League MVP honors with a .335/.410/.625 line for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. That led to a bit of attention, and with a sudden focus on the future of the franchise, his .373/.462/.731 start in 18 contests for Triple-A Omaha has the hype train rolling. The numbers are certainly there, but the scouting reports are not, as he's much older (26) than your standard stud prospect and he doesn't offer much room for error as a bat-only player with no speed and poor defense at the only position he's even capable of manning.
In some ways, the calls for Robinson show remarkable maturity on the part of Royals fans, as they are not calling for Eric Hosmer, one of the best offensive prospects in the game and the true "first baseman of the future" at Kauffman Stadium, who is off to a great start of his own for Omaha while moving Robinson to what has become almost solely designated hitter duties. Royals fans seem to understand that Hosmer is just 21 years old and has played fewer than 70 games at the upper levels. They appear to not only trust the process in place for the bigger-name prospects in the system, but understand it.
And yet, there still is more than a bit of Flavor of the Month syndrome here, and it's not about what Robinson has done on the field, it's about what we haven't seen him do yet. Many of the vocal Robinson supporters so insistent on seeing him replace Ka'aihue in the big leagues were the same ones screaming Kila's name 12 months ago while he was putting up his own crazy numbers at Omaha, to the tune of .319/.463/.598 in 94 games.
The difference in talent is measurable, as Ka'aihue gets an edge in terms of both raw power and plate discipline, but he's done the one thing we've yet to see from Robinson: fail in the big leagues. Failure is something most players, even future stars (something Ka'aihue and Robinson are almost assuredly not) encounter when they first get to the big leagues.
But what of players who already have failed and deserve another chance? Where are the calls for them?
[+] Enlarge
Scott W Grau/Icon SMIWill Rhymes was clearly overmatched as the Tigers' starting second baseman.
Based on what was seen by many as a fluky big league debut in which he hit .304/.350/.414 in 54 games, the Detroit Tigers happily handed Will Rhymes the second base job during spring training, and the results have been nothing short of disastrous, as the diminutive 28-year-old has turned back into a pumpkin by hitting .196 in 14 games without an extra-base hit. He's been so bad that manager Jim Leyland has taken to playing Ryan Raburn, who should never be at an up-the-middle position on a big league field, over Rhymes at second base, while Scott Sizemore sits at Triple-A waiting for another shot.
You might remember Sizemore. He got his chance at Detroit's second base job in 2010, and he failed, hitting just .224/.296/.336 in 48 games before Leyland pulled the plug on him. A fifth-round pick in 2006, Sizemore has a long track record of impressing scouts with his bat and filling up a stat sheet, as he's a career .311 hitter at the upper levels who is 23-for-56 (.411) for Toledo this year, but that scarlet letter of two bad months in the big leagues hangs over him until he gets a now-overdue shot at redemption.
Be it two weeks or two months, small sample sizes of failure can lead to hasty, and at times emotional, reactions. You remember that girl or guy that you dated a couple of times and everything seemed perfect? That's where people are with Robinson. They haven't had their first fight yet, or had the meet-the-parents event, or seen the flaws when the reality of life, or in this case, major league baseball, rears it's ugly head.
Flavor of the Month syndrome is nothing more than puppy love, just like it was with Ka'aihue 12 months ago, and in the end, it just doesn't matter much, because neither one of them is marrying material.
Spoiler [+]
Branch Rickey famously said "it's better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late." As sports fans, we're similarly obsessed with pouring dirt on a player's grave. A slump makes us skeptical. An injury makes us fearful. One off year and we're ready to close the book on a player for good.
Thing is, baseball players' careers rarely look like perfect bell curves. A star seemingly in decline can come back strong, well into his 30s. Hot prospects can look like stars early on, fade away, then re-emerge when you don't expect it.
Six players are off to huge starts this season that few people expected. Since we're just three-and-a-half weeks into the season, it's too soon to assume they'll all continue to excel. But these strong beginnings remind us that giving up too soon on a player can -- with apologies to Mr. Rickey -- have its own repercussions.
Russell Martin New York Yankees: $4 million. That's what the Yankees are paying a 28-year-old catcher who is a two-time All-Star and former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. But after posting a combined 10.4 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2007 and 2008, Martin hit .250 with a .329 slugging average in 2009, then hit .248 and slugged .332 last year, causing his price tag to plummet and the Dodgers to lose interest -- despite nothing close to a strong in-house catching option. Martin (.328 AVG/.409 OBP/.690 SLG) is one of the league leaders with six homers -- after hitting just five all last year. Martin's walk and strikeout rates remained the same during his two-year plunge, with his power the most obvious casualty. Going from pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium to a hitter's haven at Yankee Stadium helps, but this might simply be a case of a good player finally picking up where he left off. After all, he's at an age that is typically considered a player's prime.
Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians: A three-game weekend losing streak brought them back to the pack a bit, but the Indians remain in first place in the American League Central and are the biggest surprise team so far this season. Amid a sea of early catalysts, Hafner and Sizemore have led the way, channeling their glory days of yore. Hafner missed 217 games over the past three seasons, while watching his production plummet from a 2006 peak that saw him blast 42 homers and post a .449 weighted on-base average (an all-in-one offensive stat that runs along a similar scale to on-base average but also measures a player's ability to hit for power). Pronk is back in form so far this year, hitting .349/.395/.580. A sky-high batting average on balls in play (.417) suggests that line will come back to earth over time, but the early power (four homers and four doubles) and durability (just two missed games this season) are great signs for an Indians team that will need that big power bat in order to contend all year long.
Meanwhile, Sizemore only recently returned from major knee surgery, after playing just 33 games last season and 106 the year before. The early returns are encouraging, though: Sizemore is hitting .357/.400/.714 through his first 30 plate appearances, showing few signs of rust or diminished ability. Once one of the best players in the game, Sizemore is still just 28 years old. If his knee holds up, a return to star status is possible -- and a tantalizing possibility for the upstart Tribe.
Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals: Berkman was still a very good offensive player in 2009, posting a .386 wOBA. But mounting injuries, coupled with a slow but steady decline in his power, pointed to a player whose best days were behind him. When Berkman hit just .248 with 14 homers in 122 injury-plagued games last year, it seemed he might be done. But the 35-year-old Berkman has been fully healthy for the first time in two years, and the results show he can still produce: His .377/.449/.725 line dwarfs those of star teammates Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols. Berkman has about as much range in the outfield as manager Tony La Russa does at this point. But those who mocked the Cardinals for throwing $8 million at Berkman this offseason look like they will end up eating their words.
Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants: How does a 24-year-old with an above-.300 career batting average and a brand new World Series ring make this list? By dropping from a .350 batting average on balls in play in his breakout 2009 season to .291 last year, being reduced to a part-time player in the playoffs, and causing people to speculate that his corpulence was the cause of his lousy 2010 numbers. Balls are falling again, and Sandoval's power has spiked early this season, adding up to a stellar .319/.382/.565 line. Positive regression and a young player coming into his own might be the primary reasons for Sandoval's bounce-back. But if his massive offseason weight loss helped too, so much the better.
Aaron Harang, San Diego Padres: Fun with numbers:
2008: 6-17, 4.78 ERA
2009: 6-14, 4.21 ERA
2010: 6-7, 5.32 ERA
2011: 4-0, 1.88 ERA
There are a million better ways to evaluate a pitcher than ERA, and a billion better ways than win-loss record. Harang's xFIP wasn't much worse during his three-year swoon than it was when Harang was a better-than-5 WAR pitcher in 2006 and 2007. Still, Great American Ball Park is a terrible place for a fly-ball pitcher like Harang, and he allowed 1.5 homers per nine from 2008 through 2010. Harang is still putting a ton of balls in the air in the early going this year, but not one has cleared the wall in his first four starts. Petco Park is the toughest place for a left-handed batter to hit a home run, making it a perfect place for Harang to pitch. Harang's improved K/BB rate (around 4-to-1) might have something to do with increased confidence, since he knows he can challenge hitters and not have to worry as much about the long ball. Harang, even in his down years, always posted good strikeout-walk ratios, and he may have simply needed a change of scenery and better health to make it work. Matching Martin's $4 million salary, Harang might be the steal of the offseason.
Thing is, baseball players' careers rarely look like perfect bell curves. A star seemingly in decline can come back strong, well into his 30s. Hot prospects can look like stars early on, fade away, then re-emerge when you don't expect it.
Six players are off to huge starts this season that few people expected. Since we're just three-and-a-half weeks into the season, it's too soon to assume they'll all continue to excel. But these strong beginnings remind us that giving up too soon on a player can -- with apologies to Mr. Rickey -- have its own repercussions.
Russell Martin New York Yankees: $4 million. That's what the Yankees are paying a 28-year-old catcher who is a two-time All-Star and former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. But after posting a combined 10.4 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2007 and 2008, Martin hit .250 with a .329 slugging average in 2009, then hit .248 and slugged .332 last year, causing his price tag to plummet and the Dodgers to lose interest -- despite nothing close to a strong in-house catching option. Martin (.328 AVG/.409 OBP/.690 SLG) is one of the league leaders with six homers -- after hitting just five all last year. Martin's walk and strikeout rates remained the same during his two-year plunge, with his power the most obvious casualty. Going from pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium to a hitter's haven at Yankee Stadium helps, but this might simply be a case of a good player finally picking up where he left off. After all, he's at an age that is typically considered a player's prime.
Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians: A three-game weekend losing streak brought them back to the pack a bit, but the Indians remain in first place in the American League Central and are the biggest surprise team so far this season. Amid a sea of early catalysts, Hafner and Sizemore have led the way, channeling their glory days of yore. Hafner missed 217 games over the past three seasons, while watching his production plummet from a 2006 peak that saw him blast 42 homers and post a .449 weighted on-base average (an all-in-one offensive stat that runs along a similar scale to on-base average but also measures a player's ability to hit for power). Pronk is back in form so far this year, hitting .349/.395/.580. A sky-high batting average on balls in play (.417) suggests that line will come back to earth over time, but the early power (four homers and four doubles) and durability (just two missed games this season) are great signs for an Indians team that will need that big power bat in order to contend all year long.
Meanwhile, Sizemore only recently returned from major knee surgery, after playing just 33 games last season and 106 the year before. The early returns are encouraging, though: Sizemore is hitting .357/.400/.714 through his first 30 plate appearances, showing few signs of rust or diminished ability. Once one of the best players in the game, Sizemore is still just 28 years old. If his knee holds up, a return to star status is possible -- and a tantalizing possibility for the upstart Tribe.
Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals: Berkman was still a very good offensive player in 2009, posting a .386 wOBA. But mounting injuries, coupled with a slow but steady decline in his power, pointed to a player whose best days were behind him. When Berkman hit just .248 with 14 homers in 122 injury-plagued games last year, it seemed he might be done. But the 35-year-old Berkman has been fully healthy for the first time in two years, and the results show he can still produce: His .377/.449/.725 line dwarfs those of star teammates Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols. Berkman has about as much range in the outfield as manager Tony La Russa does at this point. But those who mocked the Cardinals for throwing $8 million at Berkman this offseason look like they will end up eating their words.
Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants: How does a 24-year-old with an above-.300 career batting average and a brand new World Series ring make this list? By dropping from a .350 batting average on balls in play in his breakout 2009 season to .291 last year, being reduced to a part-time player in the playoffs, and causing people to speculate that his corpulence was the cause of his lousy 2010 numbers. Balls are falling again, and Sandoval's power has spiked early this season, adding up to a stellar .319/.382/.565 line. Positive regression and a young player coming into his own might be the primary reasons for Sandoval's bounce-back. But if his massive offseason weight loss helped too, so much the better.
Aaron Harang, San Diego Padres: Fun with numbers:
2008: 6-17, 4.78 ERA
2009: 6-14, 4.21 ERA
2010: 6-7, 5.32 ERA
2011: 4-0, 1.88 ERA
There are a million better ways to evaluate a pitcher than ERA, and a billion better ways than win-loss record. Harang's xFIP wasn't much worse during his three-year swoon than it was when Harang was a better-than-5 WAR pitcher in 2006 and 2007. Still, Great American Ball Park is a terrible place for a fly-ball pitcher like Harang, and he allowed 1.5 homers per nine from 2008 through 2010. Harang is still putting a ton of balls in the air in the early going this year, but not one has cleared the wall in his first four starts. Petco Park is the toughest place for a left-handed batter to hit a home run, making it a perfect place for Harang to pitch. Harang's improved K/BB rate (around 4-to-1) might have something to do with increased confidence, since he knows he can challenge hitters and not have to worry as much about the long ball. Harang, even in his down years, always posted good strikeout-walk ratios, and he may have simply needed a change of scenery and better health to make it work. Matching Martin's $4 million salary, Harang might be the steal of the offseason.
Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Room for an OF in Tor?[/h3]
3:52PM ET
[h5]Scott Podsednik | Blue Jays [/h5]
UPDATE: The Jays may need to start checking their roster for potential candidates to ship out pretty soon as Podsednik is close to being ready, as is DeWayne Wise.
...
Scott Podsednik singled and homered in an extended spring training game Thursday as he rehabs from plantar fasciitis. He'll continue his work and eventually move up to Triple-A Las Vegas before the Blue Jays consider activating him from the disabled list.
Rajai Davis is also on the DL, however, so Podsednik is no guarantee to bump someone from the roster and join the big club when he's ready, as Corey Patterson is hitting the ball well.
Once either outfielder is ready, the Jays could go with one more outfielder and one fewer infielder, but once Mike McCoy rejoins the team, the entire dynamic changes because he's capable of playing anywhere on the field.
Basically, Podsednik or Patterson may turn into trade bait unless the Jays look to move Juan Rivera or determine that the struggling Travis Snider needs time in Triple-A, which appears unlikely this early in the year.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Broxton's role in LA[/h3]
3:31PM ET
[h5]Los Angeles Dodgers [/h5]
UPDATE: Kuo won't be closing games anytime soon, as he's still fighting his way back from the DL and did not throw well Tuesday. The lefty retired just one of five batters, putting his expected Friday return in doubt.
Matt Guerrier and Vicente Padilla figure to get most of the chances that Broxton does not, with Padilla picking up the save Wednesday afternoon versus the Marlins.
...
There was ample speculation that Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly had decided to replace Jonathan Broxton as his closer, and the source was his own general manager.
GM Ned Colletti, speaking on his weekly radio interview on Tuesday morning with KABC's Peter Tilden, did not use the term "closer by committee," but said Mattingly would have the additional options of Hong-Chih Kuo and Vicente Padilla. Kuo is expected to come off the disabled list this weekend.
Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com says Mattingly saw one of those media reports, on the MLB Network, while working out on Tuesday morning and immediately decided to meet with Broxton to reassure him that the job was still his. Broxton, who has been inconsistent for the last few years, blew a save against the Marlins on Monday night.
Colletti downplayed the implications of his comments and Mattingly said definitively that Broxton remains the team's closer on those nights when he is available to pitch. At the very least, Broxton may have a reason to be looking over his shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Blake back to the DL?[/h3]
3:22PM ET
[h5]Casey Blake | Dodgers [/h5]
It looks like Casey Blake is headed back to the disabled list, tweets Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers are likely to go back to Juan Uribe and Aaron Miles at third base, with Ivan DeJesus, Jr. and Jamey Carroll handling second and short.
The club lacks options in the minors, leaving Russ Mitchell as the lone infielder on the 40-man roster that is not already on the active roster.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Jackson to start Sunday?[/h3]
2:18PM ET
[h5]Chicago Cubs [/h5]
James Russell has struggled mightily in the starting rotation and could be reinserted into the bullpen this week if the club chooses to go with right-hander Jay Jackson as the starter for Sunday's game against Arizona.
Jackson is throwing the ball in the minors, points out Paul Sullivan, and is lined to start in Triple-A Iowa that day, making such a transition seemless.
The roster casualty in such a scenario could be Marcus Mateo, Justin Berg or Jeff Stevens, but the staff is full of ballooned ERAs and poor appearances.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Baileys ETA[/h3]
2:13PM ET
[h5]Andrew Bailey | Athletics [/h5]
If he does not suffer any setbacks, Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey could return within the next two weeks.
The right-hander is throwing off flat ground, and will even mix in breaking balls next time out if he doesn't experience unexpected soreness after Tuesday's session.
Brian Fuentes is doing fine as the club's closer for now, so there's no need to rush Bailey, and considering his history the club is likely to play it safe on a timetable.
At best, Bailey pitches to live hitters next week and starts a rehab assignment shortly after. That would put his expected return date of sometime in the second week of May, but there is a good chance it's pushed out further than that for precautionary reasons.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]DeRosa to Miami?[/h3]
2:02PM ET
[h5]Mark DeRosa | Giants [/h5]
The Florida Marlins are out looking for a third baseman, reports Juan C. Rodriguez, and one of their targets is San Francisco Giants veteran mark DeRosa.
DeRosa may or may not be a player the Giants wish to part with at this point in the season, especially since he's hitting the ball well right now. DeRosa is making $6 million this season which may be a problem for Florida, but a better trade package could get the Giants to send a little cash along with DeRosa.
A trade seems highly unlikely at this point in the season, at least from the Giants' perspective, but the Fish could also look into names such as Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jose Lopez or Mark Teahen.
Donnie Murphy and Emilio Bonifacio are holding down third base for now, and could relegated to utility duty or potentially lose their roster spot should the Fish acquire a proven third baseman.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cubs options to bat No. 3[/h3]
1:51PM ET
[h5]Chicago Cubs [/h5]
As they search for an internal answer to bat in the No. 3 spot in the lineup, we'll discuss where else the Chicago Cubs might be able to find a hitter that can handle the job.
Making such a trade this early for an impact player of any kind is unlikely, so manager Mike Quade may continue to tinker for the time being, using Marlon Byrd, Aramis Ramirez or even Geovany Soto in the role.
Despite having signed Carlos Pena to a deal that guarantees him $10 million this season, Prince Fielder may be a name the Cubs go after this summer, should the Milwaukee Brewers fall out of contention and shop the slugger. Other bats that could become available include Carlos Beltran and Matt Kemp.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cueto's progress[/h3]
1:42PM ET
[h5]Johnny Cueto | Reds [/h5]
Johnny Cueto could be nearing a return to the Cincinnati Reds' rotation after going 4 2/3 innings and 83 pitches Tuesday in Triple-A. The right-hander tossed 55 strikes and struck out three, leaving without surrendering a run or a base on balls.
Cueto touched 96 with his fastball, sitting 94-95, a sign that his arm strength is just about back to where he needs it to be.
Cueto could make one more reha start before being activated from the DL, but after 83 pitches, he may be ready to go 90-100, which could be good enough for the Reds to insert him the starting five as early as Sunday.
Same Lecure or Mike Leake appear the most likely to lose their jobs once Cueto is back.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]O'Day done for the year?[/h3]
1:32PM ET
[h5]Darren O'Day | Rangers [/h5]
Darren O'Day will be placed on the disabled list with a torn labrum, reports ESPNDallas.com, but it's the hip labrum not the joint in Day's throwing shoulder which mans he could return this season.
In fact, the chances are he will get back this season, barring unforeseen issues during rehab. O'Day first reported the news himself on his Facebook page.
The Rangers, who lost closer Neftali Feliz last week to shoulder inflammation, are likely to call up right-hander Ryan Tucker to take O'Day's place on the roster and Darren Oliver is now even more likely to get the save chances until Feliz returns.- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cust's future in Seattle[/h3]
11:21AM ET
[h5]Jack Cust | Mariners [/h5]
The Seattle Mariners touted Jack Cust as their biggest offensive upgrade of the offseason, but the veteran designated hitter is hitting below the Medndoza Line, has yet to belt a homer and has a mere seven RBI.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times asks if the Mariners' patience with Cust will soon wear thin. The Mariners will have to make a roster move when Franklin Gutierrez returns, which might not be until June. Baker doesn't see Cust lasting that long, particularly since the Mariners have Milton Bradley and Adam Kennedy as options at DH.
"I'd say, at most, that Cust will get until mid-May before he loses his regular spot. After that, he can be used sporadically, then cut loose once Gutierrez is ready," Baker writes.
Cust signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal, so the financial hit would not be drastic. This could all change, of course, if Cust shows his form of 2007 and 2008, when he had 100-RBI seasons for Oakland.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Sox losing faith in Salty?[/h3]
10:58AM ET
[h5]Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Red Sox [/h5]
The http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/bos/boston-red-soxBoston Red Sox are publicly standing behind catcher http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28663/jarrod-saltalamacchiaJarrod Saltalamacchia, but more and more at-bats are going to former No. 1 backstop Jason Varitek.
Varitek has started four of the last six games behind the plate and is expected to be there again Wednesday against the Orioles, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
There are growing concerns about Saltalamacchia's defense, as ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes wrote last week, and the fact that Varitek is in the lineup with an anemic batting average of .100 (3-for-30) says something about the faith in Salty.
If the Red Sox decide to seek a veteran as the trade deadline, they could inquire about the availability of Ivan Rodriguez, who is getting less playing time in Washington.
Our Buster Olney gave his take on Boston's catching situation in Friday's blog:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Buster Olney[/h5]
Will the Red Sox look elsewhere?
3:52PM ET
[h5]Scott Podsednik | Blue Jays [/h5]
UPDATE: The Jays may need to start checking their roster for potential candidates to ship out pretty soon as Podsednik is close to being ready, as is DeWayne Wise.
...
Scott Podsednik singled and homered in an extended spring training game Thursday as he rehabs from plantar fasciitis. He'll continue his work and eventually move up to Triple-A Las Vegas before the Blue Jays consider activating him from the disabled list.
Rajai Davis is also on the DL, however, so Podsednik is no guarantee to bump someone from the roster and join the big club when he's ready, as Corey Patterson is hitting the ball well.
Once either outfielder is ready, the Jays could go with one more outfielder and one fewer infielder, but once Mike McCoy rejoins the team, the entire dynamic changes because he's capable of playing anywhere on the field.
Basically, Podsednik or Patterson may turn into trade bait unless the Jays look to move Juan Rivera or determine that the struggling Travis Snider needs time in Triple-A, which appears unlikely this early in the year.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Broxton's role in LA[/h3]
3:31PM ET
[h5]Los Angeles Dodgers [/h5]
UPDATE: Kuo won't be closing games anytime soon, as he's still fighting his way back from the DL and did not throw well Tuesday. The lefty retired just one of five batters, putting his expected Friday return in doubt.
Matt Guerrier and Vicente Padilla figure to get most of the chances that Broxton does not, with Padilla picking up the save Wednesday afternoon versus the Marlins.
...
There was ample speculation that Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly had decided to replace Jonathan Broxton as his closer, and the source was his own general manager.
GM Ned Colletti, speaking on his weekly radio interview on Tuesday morning with KABC's Peter Tilden, did not use the term "closer by committee," but said Mattingly would have the additional options of Hong-Chih Kuo and Vicente Padilla. Kuo is expected to come off the disabled list this weekend.
Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com says Mattingly saw one of those media reports, on the MLB Network, while working out on Tuesday morning and immediately decided to meet with Broxton to reassure him that the job was still his. Broxton, who has been inconsistent for the last few years, blew a save against the Marlins on Monday night.
Colletti downplayed the implications of his comments and Mattingly said definitively that Broxton remains the team's closer on those nights when he is available to pitch. At the very least, Broxton may have a reason to be looking over his shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Blake back to the DL?[/h3]
3:22PM ET
[h5]Casey Blake | Dodgers [/h5]
It looks like Casey Blake is headed back to the disabled list, tweets Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers are likely to go back to Juan Uribe and Aaron Miles at third base, with Ivan DeJesus, Jr. and Jamey Carroll handling second and short.
The club lacks options in the minors, leaving Russ Mitchell as the lone infielder on the 40-man roster that is not already on the active roster.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Jackson to start Sunday?[/h3]
2:18PM ET
[h5]Chicago Cubs [/h5]
James Russell has struggled mightily in the starting rotation and could be reinserted into the bullpen this week if the club chooses to go with right-hander Jay Jackson as the starter for Sunday's game against Arizona.
Jackson is throwing the ball in the minors, points out Paul Sullivan, and is lined to start in Triple-A Iowa that day, making such a transition seemless.
The roster casualty in such a scenario could be Marcus Mateo, Justin Berg or Jeff Stevens, but the staff is full of ballooned ERAs and poor appearances.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Baileys ETA[/h3]
2:13PM ET
[h5]Andrew Bailey | Athletics [/h5]
If he does not suffer any setbacks, Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey could return within the next two weeks.
The right-hander is throwing off flat ground, and will even mix in breaking balls next time out if he doesn't experience unexpected soreness after Tuesday's session.
Brian Fuentes is doing fine as the club's closer for now, so there's no need to rush Bailey, and considering his history the club is likely to play it safe on a timetable.
At best, Bailey pitches to live hitters next week and starts a rehab assignment shortly after. That would put his expected return date of sometime in the second week of May, but there is a good chance it's pushed out further than that for precautionary reasons.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]DeRosa to Miami?[/h3]
2:02PM ET
[h5]Mark DeRosa | Giants [/h5]
The Florida Marlins are out looking for a third baseman, reports Juan C. Rodriguez, and one of their targets is San Francisco Giants veteran mark DeRosa.
DeRosa may or may not be a player the Giants wish to part with at this point in the season, especially since he's hitting the ball well right now. DeRosa is making $6 million this season which may be a problem for Florida, but a better trade package could get the Giants to send a little cash along with DeRosa.
A trade seems highly unlikely at this point in the season, at least from the Giants' perspective, but the Fish could also look into names such as Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jose Lopez or Mark Teahen.
Donnie Murphy and Emilio Bonifacio are holding down third base for now, and could relegated to utility duty or potentially lose their roster spot should the Fish acquire a proven third baseman.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cubs options to bat No. 3[/h3]
1:51PM ET
[h5]Chicago Cubs [/h5]
As they search for an internal answer to bat in the No. 3 spot in the lineup, we'll discuss where else the Chicago Cubs might be able to find a hitter that can handle the job.
Making such a trade this early for an impact player of any kind is unlikely, so manager Mike Quade may continue to tinker for the time being, using Marlon Byrd, Aramis Ramirez or even Geovany Soto in the role.
Despite having signed Carlos Pena to a deal that guarantees him $10 million this season, Prince Fielder may be a name the Cubs go after this summer, should the Milwaukee Brewers fall out of contention and shop the slugger. Other bats that could become available include Carlos Beltran and Matt Kemp.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cueto's progress[/h3]
1:42PM ET
[h5]Johnny Cueto | Reds [/h5]
Johnny Cueto could be nearing a return to the Cincinnati Reds' rotation after going 4 2/3 innings and 83 pitches Tuesday in Triple-A. The right-hander tossed 55 strikes and struck out three, leaving without surrendering a run or a base on balls.
Cueto touched 96 with his fastball, sitting 94-95, a sign that his arm strength is just about back to where he needs it to be.
Cueto could make one more reha start before being activated from the DL, but after 83 pitches, he may be ready to go 90-100, which could be good enough for the Reds to insert him the starting five as early as Sunday.
Same Lecure or Mike Leake appear the most likely to lose their jobs once Cueto is back.
- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]O'Day done for the year?[/h3]
1:32PM ET
[h5]Darren O'Day | Rangers [/h5]
Darren O'Day will be placed on the disabled list with a torn labrum, reports ESPNDallas.com, but it's the hip labrum not the joint in Day's throwing shoulder which mans he could return this season.
In fact, the chances are he will get back this season, barring unforeseen issues during rehab. O'Day first reported the news himself on his Facebook page.
The Rangers, who lost closer Neftali Feliz last week to shoulder inflammation, are likely to call up right-hander Ryan Tucker to take O'Day's place on the roster and Darren Oliver is now even more likely to get the save chances until Feliz returns.- Jason A. Churchill
http://[h3]Cust's future in Seattle[/h3]
11:21AM ET
[h5]Jack Cust | Mariners [/h5]
The Seattle Mariners touted Jack Cust as their biggest offensive upgrade of the offseason, but the veteran designated hitter is hitting below the Medndoza Line, has yet to belt a homer and has a mere seven RBI.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times asks if the Mariners' patience with Cust will soon wear thin. The Mariners will have to make a roster move when Franklin Gutierrez returns, which might not be until June. Baker doesn't see Cust lasting that long, particularly since the Mariners have Milton Bradley and Adam Kennedy as options at DH.
"I'd say, at most, that Cust will get until mid-May before he loses his regular spot. After that, he can be used sporadically, then cut loose once Gutierrez is ready," Baker writes.
Cust signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal, so the financial hit would not be drastic. This could all change, of course, if Cust shows his form of 2007 and 2008, when he had 100-RBI seasons for Oakland.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Sox losing faith in Salty?[/h3]
10:58AM ET
[h5]Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Red Sox [/h5]
The http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/bos/boston-red-soxBoston Red Sox are publicly standing behind catcher http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28663/jarrod-saltalamacchiaJarrod Saltalamacchia, but more and more at-bats are going to former No. 1 backstop Jason Varitek.
Varitek has started four of the last six games behind the plate and is expected to be there again Wednesday against the Orioles, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
There are growing concerns about Saltalamacchia's defense, as ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes wrote last week, and the fact that Varitek is in the lineup with an anemic batting average of .100 (3-for-30) says something about the faith in Salty.
If the Red Sox decide to seek a veteran as the trade deadline, they could inquire about the availability of Ivan Rodriguez, who is getting less playing time in Washington.
Our Buster Olney gave his take on Boston's catching situation in Friday's blog:
- Doug Mittler
Will the Red Sox look elsewhere?
10:39AM ET
[h5]Evan Longoria | Rays [/h5]
Evan Longoria's long-awaited return to the Tampa Bay Rays' lineup is now set for Tuesday against Toronto, barring any setbacks, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Pete Times.
Longoria, who has been on the disabled list since the first week of the season with a left oblique strain, took batting practice in the cage again Tuesday and will start a short rehab assignment with Double-A Montgomery on Thursday.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=29105http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=29105Sean Rodriguez and http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4254http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4254Felipe Lopez have been sharing third base in Tampa in Longoria's absence. Infielder Elliot Johnson, who is hitting .200, could be a candidate for demotion when Longoria returns.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Contreras could be back in a month[/h3]
10:19AM ET
[h5]Jose Contreras | Phillies [/h5]
UPDATE: GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said an MRI on Contreras revealed a "mild strain" and that the reliever could be pitching for the Phillies in three to four weeks.
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An already thin bullpen for the http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/phi/philadelphia-philliesPhiladelphia Phillies took another notable hit Sunday when closer http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/5373/jose-contrerasJose Contreras landed on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury. Manager Charlie Manuel has some bruised feelings as well.
While briefing reporters on the injury Sunday, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. did not say Contreras was overused, but did add: "He had been pitching quite a bit," Amaro said.
That apparently didn't go over well with Manuel. "First of all, that there's no way in hell we overused Contreras. That's how I feel. There's no way," Manuel said.
For the record, Contreras appeared in eight games and pitched a total of eight innings, which is far from the lead in any category. What might be an issue is a rift between the manager and the GM.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Getz could be benched[/h3]
10:08AM ET
[h5]Chris Getz | Royals [/h5]
There are more than a handful of quiet bats in the Kansas City Royals' lineup, and the one that could be headed to the bench belongs to second baseman Chris Getz.
Getz is hitting a mere .234 and could give way at second base to Mike Aviles, who would move over from third base. That would open a spot in the order for Wilson Betemit, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Aviles, catcher Matt Treanor, first baseman Kila Ka'aihue and shortstop Alcides Escobar also are off to slow starts, and manager Ned Yost feels he can't carry that many struggling bats in the lineup.
Getz is the Royals' best defensive option at second base, but is batting .128 in his last 12 games with a .277 on-base percentage.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Mauer won't be ready Thursday[/h3]
9:43AM ET
[h5]Joe Mauer | Twins [/h5]
The Minnesota Twins are unsure when Joe Mauer when will be back in the lineup, but GM Bill Smith concedes to Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune the star catcher probably won't be ready when he comes off the disabled list Thursday.
Mauer was placed on the DL because of bilateral leg weakness and lost about a week of recovery time because of a viral infection.
Smith said he isn't sure whether Mauer will be heading on a minor league rehabilitation assignment, but manager Ron Gardenhire has said a rehab stint is a good possibility.
The absence of Mauer has left a gaping hole in the batting order. Drew Butera has had the bulk of the catching duties of late and is hitting a meager .147.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Rapid recovery for V-Mart[/h3]
9:14AM ET
[h5]Victor Martinez | Tigers [/h5]
UPDATE: Tom Gage of the Detroit News reports Wednesday that Martinez is recovering rapidly and expects his stay on the 15-day DL to last only 15 days - meaning he'll be back on May 4 for the third game of a four-game series against the Yankees.
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The http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/det/detroit-tigersDetroit Tigers will be shuffling their lineup for a few weeks after catcher http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5007Victor Martinez aggravated a groin injury Monday that landed him on the disabled list.
As MLB.com?s Jason Beck points out, Miguel Cabrera will lose his protection in the middle of the lineup.
If there is a small silver lining, Martinez's injury will give Magglio Ordonez the chance to spend the next couple of weeks primarily at DH to ease the wear and tear on his surgically repaired right ankle. Ordonez returned over the weekend after missing several days with fluid in the ankle.
Not only will the Tigers miss the potent bat of Martinez in the middle of the lineup, there are issues behind the plate. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=30115Alex Avila was already scheduled to catch the entire series in Seattle this week, leaving utilityman http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=28730Don Kelly as the backup catcher, for now.
Former major leaguer http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=29259Omir Santos, who is hitting .429 at Triple-A Toledo, was called up on Tuesday. If the injury to Martinez is serious, the Tiger could be the latest club to make a pitch to free agent http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3865Bengie Molina.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Quade looks for No. 3 hitter[/h3]
8:42AM ET
[h5]Starlin Castro | Cubs [/h5]
Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade penciled in Starlin Castro as his No. 3 hitter four times in a five-game span this past week, but the shortstop won't necessarily be staying there.
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports Quade is still searching for a No. 3 hitter.
Castro has cooled off after a sizzling start and has one hit in his last 14 at-bats. Castro, who has started in each of the top three spots in the order this season, has just two hits in 17 at-bats in the No. 3 hole.
Marlon Byrd was back in the No. 3 spot in Tuesday's loss to the Rockies, but he has yet to homer this season and has just five RBI.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Hamilton ahead of schedule?[/h3]
8:19AM ET
[h5]Josh Hamilton | Rangers [/h5]
Two weeks after getting hurt diving headfirst into home plate at Detroit, the Rangers? Josh Hamilton went through a workout a workout that included catching flyballs, throwing and running the bases.
Hamilton sustained a non-displaced fracture at the top of his right arm, just below the shoulder. The Rangers said then that Hamilton would be out six to eight weeks and wouldn't be able to swing a bat for a month.
Projecting a target date for a return remains difficult, but Hamilton seems optimistic that he is ahead of the initial timeframe of one month until he can swing.
"I can't say it's going to be four days, five days, but today is the best I've felt as far as my pain since I've been hurt," the AL MVP told the Star Telegram. "It's a lot faster than anybody expected."
Daniel Murphy has received the bulk of the playing time in center field in Hamilton's absence.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Holding on to Beltran[/h3]
8:05AM ET
[h5]Carlos Beltran | Mets [/h5]
The talk of the New York Mets being sellers at the trade deadline has been put on hold, at least temporarily, by a five-game winning streak. But things change quickly, and the Mets might have a decision to make regarding star outfielder Carlos Beltran, who is in the final year of his contract.
In his latest Rumblings & Grumblings, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark talks to a baseball man who says the Mets have no choice but to hold onto Beltran as long as possible because of the club's financial woes.
"Because the last thing they need to do," the baseball man said, "is give people a reason to think they need his $17 million [salary] to pay the bills."
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Is Millwood a viable option?[/h3]
7:48AM ET
[h5]Kevin Millwood | Orioles [/h5]
The New York Yankees have a decision to make regarding Kevin Millwood, who can opt out of his minor league deal with the Yankees on Sunday night if he isn't elevated to the big leagues.
With Phil Hughes still dealing with "dead arm" issues that have landed him on the disabled list, the Yankees could use another starter. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says it will be a tough call because scouts covering the Yankees system continue to report that Millwood "doesn't look very good.?
Millwood is 2-0 record and 1.29 ERA in two minor league starts, but Stark notes that the righthander?s fastball has averaged 85 miles per hour and his strikeout-walk ratio is just 6-to-5 in 14 innings.
- Doug Mittler
http://[h3]Late season return for Johan?[/h3]
7:02AM ET
[h5]Johan Santana | Mets [/h5]
UPDATE: ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney hears that a realistic timetable for Santana's return is August or September.
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Former Cy Young winner Johan Santana says he's throwing from flat ground at more than 100 feet, which more than halfway to where he says he'd need to be to pitch from a mound.
Santana told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com on March 30 that he'd need to throw from 180 feet without problems before he could get on a mound, so he's obviously still quite a ways from throwing to live hitters or going on a rehab assignment.
The optimistic view is that Santana could return to the Mets sometime in June, but the club is not likely to push it too far, especially if they aren't contending in the National League East.
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tornado hit his hometown
hoping all is well
Hope all is well.
Not to offend anyone, but why not move your family to a safer area. This is the second time, last time his home or his mothers home got destroyed by a tornado. There are natural disasters everywhere, but some places are safer than others. Roots are hard to ditch, but damn, it's Mississippi.
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tornado hit his hometown
hoping all is well
Hope all is well.
Not to offend anyone, but why not move your family to a safer area. This is the second time, last time his home or his mothers home got destroyed by a tornado. There are natural disasters everywhere, but some places are safer than others. Roots are hard to ditch, but damn, it's Mississippi.
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- Nov 18, 2007
Originally Posted by CP1708
Yeah, exactly, he needs others to make him better. Albert Pujols makes others around him better. Ichiro on a damn crappy team and instead of sacrificing slap singles to drive some guys in, or go deep, or even take walks, he refuses and stays in his little leadoff spot getting 750 plate appearances. And ya'll call him great and make excuses for him.
Didnt see this last night.
CP, your idea that Ichiro needs other people to make him better is downright silly. When I said that for you to see Ichiro's true value, he needs to have a respectable Major League lineup behind him, I meant that if he had a good lineup around him you would see him as an irreplaceable player who is one of the best tablesetters in recent history. You interpreted that as he only produces as a result of the others around him (i.e. Rich Aurilia hitting 37 homeruns batting in front of Barry Bonds)....which isnt the case at all.
Hitting .330 and stealing 50+ bases is EXTREMELY valuable if he had people to knock him in. The idea that he is just a singles hitter that wont adjust to his team is silly. Its not his game. Why should he try to hit gappers and homeruns if it isnt his game? Why should he have to adjust his game because the Mariners front office's inability to get a serviceable lineup around him? I know this is an extreme example but if Adam Dunn was asked to leadoff, would you say he isnt very good because he only hits homeruns and doesnt get enough base hits? Extreme case, but exact same situation.
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Originally Posted by CP1708
Yeah, exactly, he needs others to make him better. Albert Pujols makes others around him better. Ichiro on a damn crappy team and instead of sacrificing slap singles to drive some guys in, or go deep, or even take walks, he refuses and stays in his little leadoff spot getting 750 plate appearances. And ya'll call him great and make excuses for him.
Didnt see this last night.
CP, your idea that Ichiro needs other people to make him better is downright silly. When I said that for you to see Ichiro's true value, he needs to have a respectable Major League lineup behind him, I meant that if he had a good lineup around him you would see him as an irreplaceable player who is one of the best tablesetters in recent history. You interpreted that as he only produces as a result of the others around him (i.e. Rich Aurilia hitting 37 homeruns batting in front of Barry Bonds)....which isnt the case at all.
Hitting .330 and stealing 50+ bases is EXTREMELY valuable if he had people to knock him in. The idea that he is just a singles hitter that wont adjust to his team is silly. Its not his game. Why should he try to hit gappers and homeruns if it isnt his game? Why should he have to adjust his game because the Mariners front office's inability to get a serviceable lineup around him? I know this is an extreme example but if Adam Dunn was asked to leadoff, would you say he isnt very good because he only hits homeruns and doesnt get enough base hits? Extreme case, but exact same situation.
Is he paid like a leadoff hitter, or a franchise player? And people speak of him as a guy that COULD hit with power and could bat third to drive in runs, he won't do it. He refuses. And why on earth would such a supreme leadoff hitter not take walks? Know why? Because he wants a few extra slaps to get his meaningless 200 hits a year. NOT help his team win or even compete.
Is he paid like a leadoff hitter, or a franchise player? And people speak of him as a guy that COULD hit with power and could bat third to drive in runs, he won't do it. He refuses. And why on earth would such a supreme leadoff hitter not take walks? Know why? Because he wants a few extra slaps to get his meaningless 200 hits a year. NOT help his team win or even compete.
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Have you heard him say this? Is there any source that shows him saying he doesnt want to take walks so he can just accumulate hits? Or are you just assuming this? He doesnt want to help his team win? So he moves into the 3 hole, and say he adds 15 more doubles and 10 more homeruns a year. Is this all of a sudden going to make his team a winner? The idea that he doesnt want to help his team win is nothing more than an absurd assumption.
And he should be penalized for being paid like a franchise player? He is one of the better leadoff hitters in recent history (in spite of his low walk totals), and thats not good enough because he is being paid as a franchise player? I dont follow that logic at all.
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Have you heard him say this? Is there any source that shows him saying he doesnt want to take walks so he can just accumulate hits? Or are you just assuming this? He doesnt want to help his team win? So he moves into the 3 hole, and say he adds 15 more doubles and 10 more homeruns a year. Is this all of a sudden going to make his team a winner? The idea that he doesnt want to help his team win is nothing more than an absurd assumption.
And he should be penalized for being paid like a franchise player? He is one of the better leadoff hitters in recent history (in spite of his low walk totals), and thats not good enough because he is being paid as a franchise player? I dont follow that logic at all.
There are some media folks here that have mentioned his reluctance to walk or move in the order. And how else do explain a guy with 800 plate appearances and 50 walks?
I'm not the only one that thinks this of him, but I am in the minority, I understand that. But I ask you, it clearly isn't helping his team, so why not switch it up? Why not try batting third? Hit for more power, take more walks? 200 singles ain't doin nothin.
There are some media folks here that have mentioned his reluctance to walk or move in the order. And how else do explain a guy with 800 plate appearances and 50 walks?
I'm not the only one that thinks this of him, but I am in the minority, I understand that. But I ask you, it clearly isn't helping his team, so why not switch it up? Why not try batting third? Hit for more power, take more walks? 200 singles ain't doin nothin.
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I totally hear you that even though he is dominating the game in one facet, its not working. But I really dont see the idea of him hitting third (lower average, higher walk rate, a few more homeruns and doubles) doing anything to make the Mariners better. Put Ichiro on a contender.Originally Posted by CP1708
There are some media folks here that have mentioned his reluctance to walk or move in the order. And how else do explain a guy with 800 plate appearances and 50 walks?I'm not the only one that thinks this of him, but I am in the minority, I understand that. But I ask you, it clearly isn't helping his team, so why not switch it up? Why not try batting third? Hit for more power, take more walks? 200 singles ain't doin nothin.
Plus, if your theory of him refusing to adjust his game is indeed true, I think age has a lot to do with his reluctance. His game has been his game probably for 20+ years. Kind of hard to change now right? Whats that saying? Cant teach old dogs new something rather?
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I totally hear you that even though he is dominating the game in one facet, its not working. But I really dont see the idea of him hitting third (lower average, higher walk rate, a few more homeruns and doubles) doing anything to make the Mariners better. Put Ichiro on a contender.Originally Posted by CP1708
There are some media folks here that have mentioned his reluctance to walk or move in the order. And how else do explain a guy with 800 plate appearances and 50 walks?I'm not the only one that thinks this of him, but I am in the minority, I understand that. But I ask you, it clearly isn't helping his team, so why not switch it up? Why not try batting third? Hit for more power, take more walks? 200 singles ain't doin nothin.
Plus, if your theory of him refusing to adjust his game is indeed true, I think age has a lot to do with his reluctance. His game has been his game probably for 20+ years. Kind of hard to change now right? Whats that saying? Cant teach old dogs new something rather?
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