Archive for February 2013

The Chicago Cubs were active sellers at the trade deadline last season, and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told reporters, including Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, that the team could find itself in a similar situation this year if the struggles continue.

"That's part of the business," Sveum said. "If your team is out of it, to start building and getting a healthier organization, unfortunately or fortunately, that's part of the business. Hopefully, we don't have to worry about that. Hopefully, we're buying people."

New York Mets’ Daniel Murphy has been sidelined due to a strained intercostal muscle, but manager Terry Collins told reporters, including Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, that the second baseman is roughly seven to 10 days aware from getting back into a spring training lineup.

New York Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes was diagnosed with a bulging disk in his back last week, an injury that manager Joe Girardi says could cause the pitcher to begin the season on the disabled list, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Girardi said "it's possible" Phil Hughes won't be ready to start the season.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 27, 2013

The New York Mets scratched right-hander Zack Wheeler from yesterday’s scheduled start because he strained his oblique while hitting in the cage, according to Andy Martino of The New York Daily News.

Hearing that Zack Wheeler will be scratched from his start today because of an oblique injury that happened while hitting in cage....
— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) February 27, 2013

Chicago Cubs right-hander Matt Garza has been sidelined due to a mild lat strain, but he’s been cleared by the team to resume his throwing program, according to Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago.

#Cubs expect Garza to begin light throwing tomorrow, don't seem too concerned about Castro.
— Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney) February 28, 2013

Ron Gardenhire has become a staple in Minnesota.  He has been the Twins manager since 2002.  In his time as the club's skipper, the Twins have gone 932-851.  They've been to the postseason six times under his supervision.  Yet, Gardenhire is in the final year of his contract with no guarantees of an extension.

That's what happens when a team goes a combined 129-195 over the past two seasons.  The Twins' fall from grace was fast, and it was hard.  In 2010, they won 94 games and took the American League Central crown.  The next year, they struggled to avoid 100 losses.  Much of this has to do with injuries, but with the team healthy this year, Gardenhire will have to find a way to pull off the impossible.  He'll have to finish with a winning record.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly doesn’t view veteran pitcher Aaron Harang as a candidate for the team’s bullpen, meaning he could quickly become a trade candidate this spring, according to Steve Dilbeck of The Los Angeles Times.

“Aaron Harang doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that pitches out of the pen,” Mattingly told reporters. “To me he’s more of a guy that paints. He keeps you in the game. He’s just not that guy that’s going in and overpower you.”

It seems he's alright, but Will Middlebrooks left last night's game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox in pain and favoring his previously fractured wrist.  Middlebrooks checked his swing in the first inning of the game and immediately felt pain in the wrist.  Fortunately, it seems there wasn't any damage done.

According to Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald, Middlebrooks leaving the game was more precautionary than anything.  The Red Sox third baseman definitely felt pain in his wrist, and he definitely thought the worst at first, but the pain subsided and it doesn't seem like there is any lingering issues.

“I was just frustrated because I’ve been busting my ass to get this thing back to where I can play,” said Middlebrooks, who left the game against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning and then screamed an expletive as he headed to the clubhouse clutching his wrist. “In my head I was worried that there might be a setback. I don’t think there’s going to be.”

Hope you’re all enjoying having baseball back on your TVs with spring training contests in full swing!

• Autographed Nolan Ryan 8x10 Photo
• Autographed Nick Markakis MLB Baseball
• Autographed Tom Glavine 8x10 Photo
• Autographed Tim Hudson MLB Baseball
• Autographed Ivan Rodriguez Baseball
• Autographed Phil Niekro 8x10 Photo

Free agent Javier Vazquez was hoping to return to the major league ranks this season, but his comeback attempt has been cut short due to a knee injury. The veteran right-hander will not pitch in 2013 as he recovers from meniscus surgery on his right knee, according to James Wagner of The Washington Post.

It's always interesting and nerve-racking to watch a pitcher return and throw for the first time since Tommy John surgery.  That's exactly what Mike Pelfrey did yesterday.  The Minnesota Twins' pitcher made his first start since undergoing surgery May of 2012.

Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com says Pelfrey looked solid in his return and had decent fastball velocity.

Pelfrey, making his first start since Tommy John surgery on May 1, was sitting at about 88 mph. Avg fastball velocity for career is 92.6 mph
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) February 26, 2013

Things continue to look up for Wilson Ramos.  He has long been expected to be ready for Opening Day, but yesterday he gave a status update on his knee and it was all good news.  The Washington Nationals catcher is progressing well and nearing 100 percent health.

When Ramos arrived in camp, he said his knee was about 80 percent healthy.  Now after a couple weeks of drills and game action, Ramos says he is at about 95 percent, says Amanda Comak of the Washington Times.  This is indicative of the possibility that Ramos could be back to 100 percent by Opening Day.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are human after all.  The team, built like an All-Star team designed to dominate the league all the way to the world series, could easily be mistaken for something more than human.  They have so much talent, it's easy to forget these are normal ball players.  As proven yesterday by Luis Cruz's and Tony Gwynn Jr.'s absences.

The two players missed yesterday's game for illness and injury.  According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, Cruz was scratched from the lineup and replaced by Juan Uribe because of a stomach flu.  Gwynn is nursing a sore groin and could not go.

The St. Louis Cardinals have the payroll flexibility to afford signing Adam Wainwright to a contract extension, according to Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. They’ll now have to decide if extending Wainwright is the correct move to make.

It looks like Michael Brantley's injury from Monday afternoon is slightly more serious than originally expected.  The Cleveland Indians outfielder was spike accidentally while sliding into third base on monday.  He had to exit the game and received stitches.

According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Brantley had to get 15 stitches in his left arm after being spiked by the Oakland Athletics' Josh Donaldson.  Yesterday, the injury looked bad.  Brantley's arm was wrapped heavily and completely immobilized to keep the stitches from popping.  However, Brantley is expected to return in about 10 days.

Free agent outfielder Johnny Damon has said he’d be very open to a reunion with the New York Yankees. However, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters, including Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York, yesterday that the Yankees will not pursue Damon.

"He's just not going to fit our needs," Cashman said. "It's the same reason we didn't bring him in last year. We need somebody who can play the outfield every day."

The Cleveland Indians could trade outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, who’s out of minor league options, this spring, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

There have been a lot of firsts for Tsuyoshi Wada since he underwent Tommy John surgery last year.  The Baltimore Orioles pitcher threw a bullpen session yesterday.  It was the first time he has done so since undergoing the surgery back in May of 2012.

Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com says the club was encouraged by Wada's bullpen session.  Wada said after the session that he felt good and he was glad to be pitching again.  The Japanese pitcher hopes to make his Major League debut soon.

"I haven't thrown in a long time on the mound, so I was actually very happy and it was very fun. I have been throwing on the half-mound, so it didn't feel awkward. It wasn't much of a difference, but it was very fun."

Entering the offseason, one of the New York Mets’ top priorities was improving their outfield. This ultimately didn’t happen, but there was a time in January when general manager Sandy Alderson expected to acquire Justin Upton or Michael Bourn, according to John Harper of The New York Daily News.

Miguel Montero is expected to rejoin the Arizona Diamondbacks today.  The newly-extended Diamondbacks' catcher had missed time due a splinter in his thumb.  The injury prevented him from swinging the bat like he normally would.

According to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, Montero should be back in the lineup today.

#Dbacks Miguel Montero was scheduled to start Monday, but had a sliver in his right thumb. Should be back Tuesday.
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) February 25, 2013

The Oakland Athletics' will likely have their closer back sooner than expected.  Grant Balfour underwent arthroscopic knee surgery 12 days ago.  However, he was already back on the field throwing from flat ground.  The surgery was minor, but Balfour is still ahead of schedule in his recovery.

According to Jane Lee of MLB.com, Balfour could start playing in Cactus League games in two weeks.  Barring any setbacks, he should be able to get plenty of appearances in before the regular season starts.

"The way I feel now is really encouraging," he said. "I told myself I wanted to be ready for the season, so I'm going to continue doing whatever it takes to get ready."

The Cleveland Indians got a scare yesterday afternoon when Michael Brantley was injured.  He was spiked during the Indians' spring contest against the Oakland Athletics.  The injury resulted in stitches, and the team will monitor his wound and decide when it is best for him to get back into games.

Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 in Cleveland says Brantley is listed as day-to-day.

#Indians LF Michael Brantley was spiked sliding into 3B today on his left forearm. Received stitches in Phoenix. He is day-to-day.
— Nick Camino (@CaminoTribe) February 25, 2013

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke told Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that his decision on where to sign this offseason was all about the money. Greinke also led Heyman to believe he gave the Texas Rangers a chance to beat the Dodgers’ offer before he ultimately signed with LA.

“It's obviously the No. 1 thing,'' Greinke said. “I could play for the worst team if they paid the most … If the last place team offers $200 million and the first-place team offers $10, I'm going to go for the $200-million no matter what team it was.''

The Minnesota Twins expressed interest in free agent designated hitter Jim Thome earlier this offseason, and discussions could pick up where they left off later in the spring, according to La Velle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune.

It was not a good start for the D-Train.  Dontrelle Willis' comeback attempt was de-railed yesterday when he had to leave his spring debut.  The Chicago Cubs' pitcher threw seven pitches before having to leave the game withs holder fatigue.

Carie Muskat of MLB.com says Willis felt his shoulder tighten up, and when the trainer came out to check on him, it was decided that the safe move would be to yank Willis from the game.  Willis is understandably frustrated by the shoulder fatigue.  He had worked all offseason on getting himself game-ready, but his shoulder just couldn't hold up in the game.

“It’s frustrating,” Willis said. “I worked real hard to get back and finally get in a groove and this happens. I’ll overcome it. I’ve done it before. Just go back to the drawing board.”

The New York Yankees are currently seeking a fill in for injured outfielder Curtis Granderson, and two names that have come up in trade talks are Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano. While both appeared to be early candidates to replace Granderson during his stay on the disabled list, it’s unlikely that the Yankees will acquire either player.

J.A. Happ has been a regular starting pitcher in the majors since 2009, but right now Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says he’s the “odd man out,” according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.

"Happ really deserves to be starting on a major-league club out there, here he's the odd man out," said Gibbons. "We're built differently, especially via the trades. He can still help us in the 'pen, he can be valuable down there, and the thinking is if that's going to help us more, we'll leave him in the bullpen. If for some reason no, he can go back down to triple-A and at least get some innings in.”

Being hit by a pitch is part of the game, but it doesn't always result in an injury.  When being hit by a pitch does result in an injury, it can be devastating to a team and a player.  Just ask Curtis Granderson.  However, there is nothing more frightening than a pitch that rides up and in and hits a player in the head.  That's what happened to Elian Herrera of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yesterday as the Dodgers took on the Chicago White Sox, Herrera was hit in the helmet by a pitch.  It was a scary moment, but Herrera appeared to be fine.

New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson fractured his forearm yesterday and will miss 10 weeks of action. The club is left searching for options to replace the slugger, and it will look both within and outside the organization for potential candidates.

Whether the rumors are all media inspired or not, the New York Yankees may be willing to trade for an outfielder to replace the injured Curtis Granderson.  Granderson was hit by a pitch by Toronto's J.A. Happ in his first at-bat of the spring.  It's one of those things that happens in every sport.  Injuries happen in meaningless games.  But to dwell on that fact and say that these games are pointless is a mistake.  The injury could have happened at any point in spring or in he regular season.

What the Yankees must do now is react.  However, they need to react after thinking things through.  They need to make a logical decision, not an emotional one.  New York wants to win.  We all know that.  While the sons of George Steinbrenner have not shown that same intensity the Boss always did, they have shown they're commitment to winning.  But such a commitment can lead to bad moves - like trading to get an outfielder to replace Granderson.

The Detroit Tigers continue to look for a right-handed bat to platoon with Andy Dirks in left field, but for the time being they are going to attempt to fill this void with an internal candidate and not a trade or signing, according to James Schmehl of MLive.com.

"We like our team the way it is," Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila said. "We think internally, as we sit today, that's the best option."

The Oakland Athletics got a scare yesterday when their center fielder had to leave the game.  Chris Young exited the game with what appeared to be an injury.  However, it was later confirmed that he was just experiencing some cramps.

Casey Pratt of CSN Bay Area confirmed Young was pulled from the game because of cramping.  According to the A's manager Bob Melvin, Young will have the day off today, but he was already scheduled for an off day.  This is good news for Oakland as an injury to their new outfielder could be devastating.

As soon as he went down, the New York Yankees were searching for another outfielder.  Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch yesterday and eventually diagnosed with a fractured forearm.  While the front office may not actually have reacted that quickly, it seems certain the team will try to fill the void as Granderson heals.  Two players have already been mentioned as trade targets: Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano.

While either player may eventually land in New York, it seems that neither is too eager to go now.

V.Wells didn't think about Granderson injury in terms of a chance for him: "I'm wearing an #Angels uniform and I want to win in this unif."
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) February 24, 2013

It remains unclear where free agent Kyle Lohse will ultimately land this offseason, but one American League general manager tells Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe that the Texas Rangers “seem to be the most motivated to get a deal done with him.”

An AL GM predicted, “The Rangers probably have the best shot at obtaining him. They missed out on a couple of guys. While you don’t want to overpay or give him an extended contract, they seem to be the most motivated to get a deal done with him.”