jumpmanfromdabay
Banned
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- Jan 25, 2008
The White Sox tv announcer is so annoying. Imagine having to hear him for 162 games
no thanks
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,
- Start date
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Some facts behind Pineda's injury.
Concern for struggling prospects.
Rumors.
Tags:
Matt Thornton, Hector Santiago, Chicago White Sox
http://[h3]Another replacement for Fister[/h3]
9:45AM ET
[h5]Detroit Tigers [/h5]
There may finally be signs of progress regarding Tigers righthander Doug Fister, who has been sidelined since the first weekend of the season with a strained left rib cage muscle.
Fister played catch on Wednesday and is scheduled to have a mound session on Thursday morning. While it might be a reach to say Fister will be back by the end of the month, Thursday's mound session at least puts a return in sight, says MLB.com's Jason Beck.
In the meantime, the Tigers will need another temporary replacement for Fister after Adam Wilk was sent back to the minor leagues following another rocky outing Wednesday night.
The Tigers have called up right-handed reliever Brayan Villarreal to take Wilk's roster spot, but will need a fifth starter on Monday against Kansas City. John Lowe of the Free Press say the Tigers could move lefthander Duane Below into the rotation. Below pitched two more scoreless innings Wednesday and hasn't allowed a run in his 12 relief innings this season.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Adam Wilk, Duane Below, Doug Fister, Detroit Tigers
http://[h3]A cozier Petco Park?[/h3]
9:21AM ET
[h5]San Diego Padres [/h5]
The New York Mets decided to bring in the fences at their cavernous home park. The San Diego Padres may look to follow suit.
Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel tells Bill Center of the Union Tribune. the club is officially considering moving in the fences at Petco Park before the 2013 season. Garfinkel wants Petco to remain a pitcher's park, but wouldn't mind if the expansive dimensions were a little less extreme.
In an update story, Center writes the idea of moving in the fences has the support of manager Bud Black and Padres' players.
The Mets brought in the fences at Citi Field this season and already have some tangible results. Last week, Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the Mets' first left-handed hitter to clear the left-field fence in the three-plus seasons at Citi Field. It took 250 games for a New York lefty to clear the fence formerly known as The Great Wall of Flushing.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Diego Padres
http://[h3]Hacker to start Friday for SFO?[/h3]
9:13AM ET
[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]
While the San Francisco Giants have not officially announced a starter for Friday's series opener against the Padres, it looks like it will be 29-year-old Eric Hacker.
Hacker's agent, Matt Sosnick, announced on his Twitter account that Hacker's contract will be purchased from Triple-A Fresno. Hacker, who is not on the 40-man roster, is 4-0 this season for the Grizzlies with a 2.19 ERA in 24.2 innings.
The Giants are in need of a spot starter due to a rainout last weekend in New York.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Francisco Giants
http://[h3]Could Reyes bat second?[/h3]
8:49AM ET
[h5]Jose Reyes | Marlins [/h5]
Could the Miami Marlins move their $106 million shortstop out of the leadoff spot?
Manager Ozzie Guillen said he has given "thought" to flip-flopping his one-two hitters - Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio - but intends to keep things the way they are, at least for the time being, reports Clark Spencer of Miami Herald.
The move would be a bold one given Reyes' status as one of baseball's elite leadoff hitters, even if he is hitting just .217 in his first 17 games for the Fish. Reyes has batted second in a lineup just 44 times in his career.
"Let's keep them there a few more days, to see if it works [out]," Guillen said.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Emilio Bonifacio, Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins
http://[h3]No plans to promote Trout[/h3]
8:27AM ET
[h5]Mike Trout | Angels [/h5]
When the Los Angeles Angels sent Mike Trout to the minors near the end of spring training, the baseball world understood the move. The top prospect had a sore shoulder and was coming back from an illness, suggesting he needed some time in the minors to get back on track health-wise -- not to mention the idea that he needed a little more seasoning.
The Pacific Coast League is a notorious hitter's haven, but Trout is proving he's back to full health -- and will be ready to help the Angels this year. The question, of course, is when.
Despite the Halos' recent offensive woes, the Halos are not planning on promoting Trout at this time."I don't believe anything is imminent," manager Mike Scioscia tells the Los Angeles Times Wednesday.
We speculated earlier this week that Trout could reach the majors by June due to the struggles of center fielder Peter Bourjos (.186) and left fielder Vernon Wells (.239). Scioscia insists the Angels will promote Trout only if there is a significant role for him.
Through Wednesday's games. the phenom is batting .419/.483/.649.
- Jason Catania and Doug Mittler
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Trout will make an impact in 2012
Tags:
Los Angeles Angels, Peter Bourjos, Vernon Wells, Mike Trout
http://[h3]No ETA for Sizemore[/h3]
8:08AM ET
[h5]Grady Sizemore | Indians [/h5]
Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore worked out at Progressive Field Wednesday for the first time since undergoing surgery for a herniated disc on March 1, but the team does not have a concrete timetable for his return, reports Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer.
When Sizemore underwent back surgery, his timetable to return was put at eight to 12 weeks. He is expected to begin swinging a bat over the weekend.
Manager Manny Acta has been forced to juggle his outfield in recent days due to a hamstring injury to Shin-Soo Choo. Hoynes reports that the injury will not prompt the Tribe to fast-track the debut of Johnny Damon, who is playing in extended spring-training games after going unsigned this winter.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Johnny Damon, Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
http://[h3]DL still possible for Zimmerman[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals [/h5]
The Washington Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman exhaled Wednesday after receiving the results from the MRI that revealed no structural damage to the third baseman's ailing shoulder. While Zimmerman will not miss extended time, a trip to the disabled list remains a possibility, reports Adam Kilgore.
Zimmerman, who has not played in close to a week, will try again to swing the bat on Thursday. If the inflammation persists, Zimmerman could serve a backdated trip to the disabled list, allowing him to return for a Sunday night ESPN broadcast against the Phillies on May 6.
If Zimmerman lands on the disabled list, manager Davey Johnson said he would use Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi to replace Zimmerman at third base. As for possible call-ups, the Nats could chose from Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels and Mark Teahen. Kilgore also mentions Tyler Moore, who has six homers in 17 career games at Triple-A.
The Nats can only cross their fingers that the injury to Zimmerman, who agreed to a lucrative six-year extension earlier this year, is nothing serious. In his seven-plus seasons, Zimmerman already has had lengthy stints on the DL due to an abdominal strain and a labral tear in the left shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Washington Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy
http://[h3]More trades for the Red Sox?[/h3]
7:28AM ET
[h5]Carl Crawford | Red Sox [/h5]
It's looking more and more like the Boston Red Sox will be without Carl Crawford for an extended period of time, as the outfielder is set to see Dr. James Andrews to have his elbow examined, and that visit rarely results in good news.
Crawford had wrist surgery but began feeling pain and discomfort in his elbow while rehabbing, and now there's a chance he misses most or all of 2012.
Manager Bobby Valentine called the visit to Andrews "a fact-finding mission" and not a precursor to surgery.
The Reds Sox are 7-10 and sit 3 1/2 games back of the rest of the division, but if they remain in the race there's a chance Marlon Byrd is not the last trade acquisition GM Ben Cherington makes this season. Among those the club could target include Baltimore's Adam Jones, Minnesota's Denard Span, Indians right fielder Shin-soo Choo and Alex Rios, the Chicago White sox right fielder.
- Jason A. Churchill
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Cutting your losses on Crawford
Tags:
Denard Span, Adam Jones, Shin-Soo Choo, Alex Rios, Carl Crawford, Cody Ross, Ryan Sweeney, Darnell McDonald, Marlon Byrd, Boston Red Sox
http://[h3]Pettitte back by middle of May?[/h3]
7:17AM ET
[h5]Andy Pettitte | Yankees [/h5]
With Michael Pineda lost for the season, the return of Andy Pettitte to the New York Yankees' rotation is more necessity than luxury. The lefthander moved a step closer to the Bronx Wednesday Yankees by pitching five innings for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
Pettitte, who decided in spring training to end his year-long retirement, is expected to make at least two more minor league starts before he could be ready for the big leagues, possibly by May 10, says Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
Pettitte allowed four runs -- three earned -- against the Erie SeaWolves. The Yankees have not yet decided when and where Pettitte will make his next minor league start.
Pineda will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder and will be out for the rest of the season. The Yankees already were preparing to be without Pineda for the near term and Pettitte is being counted on to bolster a rotation that has endured rocky starts from Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees
http://[h3]Season-ending surgery for Pelfrey?[/h3]
6:53AM ET
[h5]Mike Pelfrey | Mets [/h5]
Even if Mike Pelfrey has not reached the expectations the Mets had for him when they make him a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, they could always count on his durability. That changed Tuesday when the righthander landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The Mets, for now, says Pelfrey is diagnosed only with right elbow inflammation, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says team officials are aware Pelfrey has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and are bracing to lose him to season-ending surgery.
A Daily News report said there was a "feeling among teammates" that Pelfrey could be headed to Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey, who has averaged close to 200 innings in each of his last four seasons, had a stellar 2.29 ERA in his first three starts.
Pelfrey told reporters he expects to find out his MRI results on Thursday.
The Mets are leaning toward promoting Chris Schwinden from Buffalo to take Pelfrey's spot in the rotation, beginning Friday in Colorado.
Pelfrey could be tempted to have surgery sooner rather than later. He is a free agent after next season and needs to get back as soon as possible to restore his market value.
- Doug Mittler
Spoiler [+]
The explosion of social media has fueled the desire to identify incompetence, to illuminate failure, to expose the cheaters. Within seconds that news broke that Michael Pineda will miss the rest of the year with a labrum tear, Twitter was flooded with theories -- that the New York Yankees blew it, that the Seattle Mariners knew that Pineda was hurt, that there were idiots and schemers.
It's worth reviewing some facts:
1. At the time of the deal, the overwhelming majority of rival executives thought this was a great trade for the Yankees. Not a good trade, but a great trade. A lot of the same executives understood the rationale of the Mariners and liked Jesus Montero as a prospect, but they loved the Yankees' end of the trade.
2. The Yankees had full and total access to do medical examinations of Pineda, and they took advantage of it; if you recall, there was a delay in the official announcement of the deal because the players involved had to go through doctors' reviews. Pineda had an MRI on his pitching shoulder, and it came back clean. With a trade of this significance, the Yankees would not have hesitated to blow up the deal if the MRI had revealed a tear. (Keep in mind that the Mariners had blown up a proposed deal of Cliff Lee to the Yankees two years ago because of medical information; the Yankees would not have been shy to do the same.)
3. Pineda was given an MRI at the end of spring training, and again, there was no tear revealed.
4. Then, earlier this week -- after Pineda's rehabilitation outing -- there was a tear. Yankees GM Brian Cashman said at the time of the Pineda trade that there are inherent risks with pitchers, no matter how good they've been. Ask Mark Prior about that or Stephen Strasburg.
The Yankees made a trade for an elite young pitcher based on all the information available to them, including full medical reports. Then he got hurt.
It happens.
The Mariners didn't cheat, the Yankees weren't idiots. It just didn't work out.
So much for the Yankees' great starting pitching depth. Freddy Garcia is struggling, Phil Hughes had another rough outing Wednesday, and Pineda is gone. All of that means that Andy Pettitte's return to form is absolutely essential for the Yankees.
Pettitte didn't look great on Tuesday, writes Bob Klapisch.
Cashman said flatly: The Mariners did not trade damaged goods.
Cashman is in an unfair position with the Pineda news, writes John Harper. This is a major blow to the Yankees' pitching plans.
The Yankees are hopeful that Pineda will be able to come back and be a factor in 2013, and presumably, he'll show up in better physical condition than he did this year. There's also a chance that Pineda will never be what the Yankees hoped they were acquiring.
[h3]Bonderman eyes return[/h3]
Jeremy Bonderman, who last pitched in the big leagues in 2010, had successful reconstructive elbow surgery Tuesday with the intent of working his way back to the big leagues in 2013. Bonderman, 29, is 67-77 in his eight-year career, with a 4.89 ERA.
Bonderman is a father to young children, and after waiting about a year while knowing he probably needed elbow surgery, he decided he wants to come back and have the chance to pitch in front of his kids.
[h3]Royals snap losing streak[/h3]
The Kansas City Royals lost their first 10 home games of the season, and this is nothing short of embarrassing for everyone in the organization, from the owners to the players to the folks who work for the team to their families. Expectations for Kansas City are ratcheted up this season, and immediately the Royals are in a deep hole. The bullpen -- which was expected to be a strength for Kansas City -- has been hurt in a big way by injuries to closer Joakim Soria (he is out for the year) and set-up man Greg Holland.
GM Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost continue to evaluate how the Royals are going about their daily work and preparation, and Moore said Wednesday all of that continues to be good. "The energy is good, guys are working well," Moore said over the phone Wednesday. "At some point, everybody in baseball -- in every business, in every job, in every industry -- goes through some adversity, and you have to work your way through it. This is our turn."
The Royals should be getting a lot of players back from the disabled list in the weeks ahead. Lorenzo Cain had a setback in his rehabilitation but is expected back in a month. Holland should be back in a few weeks, and the Royals are looking forward to getting catcher Salvador Perez back from his knee surgery by mid-to-late June.
"A lot of good things are happening in this organization," Moore said. "We just have to weather the storm."
It wasn't long after Moore spoke that the Royals put on a home run barrage and ended the losing streak. The Royals promoted a reliever.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The Padres' players support the idea of bringing in the fences at Petco Park, writes Bill Center. Bud Black is in favor of it, too.
• When teams agree to massive, nine-figure contracts, the executives who are honest with themselves do so with the expectation that there will probably be some erosion in players' performance near the end of the deals. Carl Crawford is in Year 2 of a seven-year, $142 million deal, and it appears that he will be lost for at least a significant portion of this season -- with no guarantee that he'll play at all -- and this means Boston has essentially gotten little in the two years in which it had the best chance for return on the deal.
Crawford is going to visit Dr. James Andrews this week to have his sore elbow checked.
This all started after he picked up a ball to throw it, says Bobby Valentine.
• Mike Aviles had a big hit Wednesday, and between his performance on the field and his showing off the field -- he was one of the few players who stuck around after last Saturday's crushing loss to the Yankees -- it is evident that he has become one of the most important clubhouse guys on the Red Sox.
• The Tampa Bay Rays did what they continue to do: They pitched effectively, played some solid defense and hung on against the Los Angeles Angels while getting some help from a newcomer.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Ozzie Guillen has thought about making changes at the top of his lineup, writes Clark Spencer.
2. Jair Jurrjens figures he has nobody to blame but himself for his demotion.
3. Adam Wilk was demoted to the minors after getting blasted.
4. Hector Santiago will remain the closer for the Chicago White Sox, says Robin Ventura. Knowing Ventura's personality, he'll keep saying that up until the instant he calls for another guy.
5. Eric Hacker is getting called up to pitch for the San Francisco Giants.
6. Neftali Feliz will be skipped in the Texas rotation.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Jim Johnson is still hospitalized.
2. Kerry Wood is hurting.
3. Aubrey Huff is dealing with an anxiety disorder.
4. Ryan Zimmerman was pleased with the MRI results he was given, writes Adam Kilgore.
5. Nick Masset of the Cincinnati Reds had an MRI.
6. Grady Sizemore is making progress.
[h3]Wednesday's games[/h3]
1. The Red Sox pulled out a win. Watched a lot of this game and Clay Buchholz was in trouble repeatedly, and again, he struggled to get the ball down in the strike zone. On the Boston list of concerns, he'd be somewhere close to the top. Buchholz was right in this: His curveball was better.
Baby steps it seems, as Scott Lauber writes.
2. At the time of the Jeremy Guthrie deal, rival officials could not see what the Baltimore Orioles saw in Jason Hammel and thought it was a bad deal for Baltimore. But Hammel has been terrific so far, and he pitched shutout ball against the Toronto Blue Jays, as Eduardo Encina writes.
3. The Colorado Rockies performed mental gymnastics after splitting a doubleheader, writes Troy Renck.
4. The Jays were shut down, even with a newly constructed lineup.
5. The offensively challenged Miami Marlins wasted a solid effort by Mark Buehrle.
6. The Atlanta Braves rallied in a big way to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, as David O'Brien writes.
7. Jim Leyland was blunt after the Tigers' latest loss: They are getting beat up on.
8. On the same day that Paul Konerko mashed his 400th career homer, the White Sox had their guts ripped out.
Yoenis Cespedes continues to show he's got game-changing ability. Jarrod Parker had a nice outing in his Oakland debut.
[h4]Two-strike hitting[/h4]
How Yoenis Cespedes has fared at the plate in two-strike counts this season.
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
First 17 G
[/th][th=""]
Wednesday
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Hits-AB
[/td][td]
2-32
[/td][td]
3-3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Home runs
[/td][td]
1
[/td][td]
1
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Strikeouts
[/td][td]
22
[/td][td]
0
[/td][/tr][/table]
From ESPN Stats and Info: Cespedes went 3-for-5 Wednesday, including a game-tying, two-run homer in the 14th inning. All three of Cespedes' hits came with two strikes, which is notable because he has struggled to make contact this season. Entering Wednesday, Cespedes was striking out in 63 percent of at-bats that reached two strikes. He didn't strike out once Wednesday for just the third game this season, and he had more two-strike hits than he did in his first 17 games.
9. Barry Zito pitched well, but the Giants couldn't hang on for the win.
10. The Padres were shut down.
11. Pedro Alvarez did damage in both ends of a doubleheader, writes Michael Sanserino.
12. Cole Hamels was The Man.
13. Jordan Zimmermann got some run support.
14. The Reds got a jolt from Scott Rolen.
15. Home runs took down the Cleveland Indians, as Paul Hoynes writes.
16. Lance Lynn continues to be writes. <a href=/www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/lynn-steadies-the-ship/article_83a535af-92fa-5df0-bee3-a18770ea1438.html">http://www.stltoday.com/s...0-bee3-a18770ea1438.html" target=new>The Man for the St. Louis Cardinals, as Derrick Goold writes.
From ESPN Stats and Info, how Lynn beat the Cubs:
A) Cubs hitters were 3-for-21 (.143) in at-bats ending with a Lynn fastball, continuing an early season trend. Opponents are hitting .119 against Lynn's fastball this season, tied for the lowest in baseball among qualified starters.
B) Lynn induced 14 swings and misses on his fastball, the most by any starter in a game this season. Lynn has induced 32 swings and misses on his fastball this season, the most in baseball.
C) Forty-four of Lynn's 75 fastballs were outside (58.7 percent); entering Wednesday, 42.6 percent of Lynn's fastballs were outside. Nine of his 14 swings and misses on his fastball were outside; he had six there in his first three starts combined.
17. The Milwaukee Brewers lost again, but they're still hovering near .500 in spite of all that has not gone well.
18. The Minnesota Twins rallied, and it didn't matter, as Brian Murphy writes. The Twins look like something from the late '90s, writes Patrick Reusse.
19. Felix Hernandez rolled against Detroit.
20. Albert Pujols' hitless streak continued against the Rays.
From ESPN Stats and Info:
Pujols went 0-for-3 Wednesday to extend his hitless at-bat streak to 19, the longest of his career. Three of Pujols' four plate appearances went to two strikes, continuing an early trend. He's come to bat 78 times this season; 40 of those plate appearances have ended in two-strike counts (51.3 percent). From 2009-11, 41.3 percent of Pujols' plate appearances went to two strikes. What does this increase equate to?
During the previous three seasons, 183 players had at least 1,200 plate appearances. Only 20 of them went to a two-strike count less often than Pujols. Most of these players are free-swingers, ending at-bats early in the count. Pujols was one of only three to have a walk rate higher 10 percent.
[h4]Albert's struggles[/h4]
What Albert Pujols has done against pitches in the strike zone in non-two strike counts (in last four seasons).
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
2009-11
[/th][th=""]
2012
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
In play %
[/td][td]
53.3
[/td][td]
48.3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Foul ball %
[/td][td]
36.4
[/td][td]
45.0
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Well-hit avg.
[/td][td]
.399
[/td][td]
.241
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
OPS
[/td][td]
1.149
[/td][td]
.552
[/td][/tr][/table]
This season, 171 hitters have at least 60 plate appearances; 107 of them have gone to a two-strike count less often than Pujols. From 2009-11, Pujols had the second-highest two-strike OPS in baseball (.752). This season, his two-strike OPS (.482) ranks 117th. So how is Pujols getting to two strikes more often? He's putting himself there.
In non-two-strike counts, Pujols is seeing more pitches to hit in the strike zone and swinging more often than in previous years. But instead of putting the ball in play, he's fouling the ball off at an increased rate (see chart). Pitches that he used to hit -- and hit for power -- he's fouling off or hitting weakly.
Pujols appears to be lost, writes Bill Plunkett.
21. The Rangers continue to be unstoppable. Their lead over the Angels is now at 8½ games. A rookie is thriving in his cowboy get-up.
22. The Houston Astros won a close one.
23. David Wright got a boost.
24. Javy Guerra blew a lead.
ESPN Stats & Info, By The Numbers
4: Games in which Cole Hamels has induced 10-plus swings and misses on changeups this season; the rest of MLB has combined for two.
18: Pablo Sandoval's hitting streak, tied for the longest to start a season by a Giant since 1900.
It's worth reviewing some facts:
1. At the time of the deal, the overwhelming majority of rival executives thought this was a great trade for the Yankees. Not a good trade, but a great trade. A lot of the same executives understood the rationale of the Mariners and liked Jesus Montero as a prospect, but they loved the Yankees' end of the trade.
2. The Yankees had full and total access to do medical examinations of Pineda, and they took advantage of it; if you recall, there was a delay in the official announcement of the deal because the players involved had to go through doctors' reviews. Pineda had an MRI on his pitching shoulder, and it came back clean. With a trade of this significance, the Yankees would not have hesitated to blow up the deal if the MRI had revealed a tear. (Keep in mind that the Mariners had blown up a proposed deal of Cliff Lee to the Yankees two years ago because of medical information; the Yankees would not have been shy to do the same.)
3. Pineda was given an MRI at the end of spring training, and again, there was no tear revealed.
4. Then, earlier this week -- after Pineda's rehabilitation outing -- there was a tear. Yankees GM Brian Cashman said at the time of the Pineda trade that there are inherent risks with pitchers, no matter how good they've been. Ask Mark Prior about that or Stephen Strasburg.
The Yankees made a trade for an elite young pitcher based on all the information available to them, including full medical reports. Then he got hurt.
It happens.
The Mariners didn't cheat, the Yankees weren't idiots. It just didn't work out.
So much for the Yankees' great starting pitching depth. Freddy Garcia is struggling, Phil Hughes had another rough outing Wednesday, and Pineda is gone. All of that means that Andy Pettitte's return to form is absolutely essential for the Yankees.
Pettitte didn't look great on Tuesday, writes Bob Klapisch.
Cashman said flatly: The Mariners did not trade damaged goods.
Cashman is in an unfair position with the Pineda news, writes John Harper. This is a major blow to the Yankees' pitching plans.
The Yankees are hopeful that Pineda will be able to come back and be a factor in 2013, and presumably, he'll show up in better physical condition than he did this year. There's also a chance that Pineda will never be what the Yankees hoped they were acquiring.
[h3]Bonderman eyes return[/h3]
Jeremy Bonderman, who last pitched in the big leagues in 2010, had successful reconstructive elbow surgery Tuesday with the intent of working his way back to the big leagues in 2013. Bonderman, 29, is 67-77 in his eight-year career, with a 4.89 ERA.
Bonderman is a father to young children, and after waiting about a year while knowing he probably needed elbow surgery, he decided he wants to come back and have the chance to pitch in front of his kids.
[h3]Royals snap losing streak[/h3]
The Kansas City Royals lost their first 10 home games of the season, and this is nothing short of embarrassing for everyone in the organization, from the owners to the players to the folks who work for the team to their families. Expectations for Kansas City are ratcheted up this season, and immediately the Royals are in a deep hole. The bullpen -- which was expected to be a strength for Kansas City -- has been hurt in a big way by injuries to closer Joakim Soria (he is out for the year) and set-up man Greg Holland.
GM Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost continue to evaluate how the Royals are going about their daily work and preparation, and Moore said Wednesday all of that continues to be good. "The energy is good, guys are working well," Moore said over the phone Wednesday. "At some point, everybody in baseball -- in every business, in every job, in every industry -- goes through some adversity, and you have to work your way through it. This is our turn."
The Royals should be getting a lot of players back from the disabled list in the weeks ahead. Lorenzo Cain had a setback in his rehabilitation but is expected back in a month. Holland should be back in a few weeks, and the Royals are looking forward to getting catcher Salvador Perez back from his knee surgery by mid-to-late June.
"A lot of good things are happening in this organization," Moore said. "We just have to weather the storm."
It wasn't long after Moore spoke that the Royals put on a home run barrage and ended the losing streak. The Royals promoted a reliever.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The Padres' players support the idea of bringing in the fences at Petco Park, writes Bill Center. Bud Black is in favor of it, too.
• When teams agree to massive, nine-figure contracts, the executives who are honest with themselves do so with the expectation that there will probably be some erosion in players' performance near the end of the deals. Carl Crawford is in Year 2 of a seven-year, $142 million deal, and it appears that he will be lost for at least a significant portion of this season -- with no guarantee that he'll play at all -- and this means Boston has essentially gotten little in the two years in which it had the best chance for return on the deal.
Crawford is going to visit Dr. James Andrews this week to have his sore elbow checked.
This all started after he picked up a ball to throw it, says Bobby Valentine.
• Mike Aviles had a big hit Wednesday, and between his performance on the field and his showing off the field -- he was one of the few players who stuck around after last Saturday's crushing loss to the Yankees -- it is evident that he has become one of the most important clubhouse guys on the Red Sox.
• The Tampa Bay Rays did what they continue to do: They pitched effectively, played some solid defense and hung on against the Los Angeles Angels while getting some help from a newcomer.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Ozzie Guillen has thought about making changes at the top of his lineup, writes Clark Spencer.
2. Jair Jurrjens figures he has nobody to blame but himself for his demotion.
3. Adam Wilk was demoted to the minors after getting blasted.
4. Hector Santiago will remain the closer for the Chicago White Sox, says Robin Ventura. Knowing Ventura's personality, he'll keep saying that up until the instant he calls for another guy.
5. Eric Hacker is getting called up to pitch for the San Francisco Giants.
6. Neftali Feliz will be skipped in the Texas rotation.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Jim Johnson is still hospitalized.
2. Kerry Wood is hurting.
3. Aubrey Huff is dealing with an anxiety disorder.
4. Ryan Zimmerman was pleased with the MRI results he was given, writes Adam Kilgore.
5. Nick Masset of the Cincinnati Reds had an MRI.
6. Grady Sizemore is making progress.
[h3]Wednesday's games[/h3]
1. The Red Sox pulled out a win. Watched a lot of this game and Clay Buchholz was in trouble repeatedly, and again, he struggled to get the ball down in the strike zone. On the Boston list of concerns, he'd be somewhere close to the top. Buchholz was right in this: His curveball was better.
Baby steps it seems, as Scott Lauber writes.
2. At the time of the Jeremy Guthrie deal, rival officials could not see what the Baltimore Orioles saw in Jason Hammel and thought it was a bad deal for Baltimore. But Hammel has been terrific so far, and he pitched shutout ball against the Toronto Blue Jays, as Eduardo Encina writes.
3. The Colorado Rockies performed mental gymnastics after splitting a doubleheader, writes Troy Renck.
4. The Jays were shut down, even with a newly constructed lineup.
5. The offensively challenged Miami Marlins wasted a solid effort by Mark Buehrle.
6. The Atlanta Braves rallied in a big way to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, as David O'Brien writes.
7. Jim Leyland was blunt after the Tigers' latest loss: They are getting beat up on.
8. On the same day that Paul Konerko mashed his 400th career homer, the White Sox had their guts ripped out.
Yoenis Cespedes continues to show he's got game-changing ability. Jarrod Parker had a nice outing in his Oakland debut.
[h4]Two-strike hitting[/h4]
How Yoenis Cespedes has fared at the plate in two-strike counts this season.
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
First 17 G
[/th][th=""]
Wednesday
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Hits-AB
[/td][td]
2-32
[/td][td]
3-3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Home runs
[/td][td]
1
[/td][td]
1
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Strikeouts
[/td][td]
22
[/td][td]
0
[/td][/tr][/table]
From ESPN Stats and Info: Cespedes went 3-for-5 Wednesday, including a game-tying, two-run homer in the 14th inning. All three of Cespedes' hits came with two strikes, which is notable because he has struggled to make contact this season. Entering Wednesday, Cespedes was striking out in 63 percent of at-bats that reached two strikes. He didn't strike out once Wednesday for just the third game this season, and he had more two-strike hits than he did in his first 17 games.
9. Barry Zito pitched well, but the Giants couldn't hang on for the win.
10. The Padres were shut down.
11. Pedro Alvarez did damage in both ends of a doubleheader, writes Michael Sanserino.
12. Cole Hamels was The Man.
13. Jordan Zimmermann got some run support.
14. The Reds got a jolt from Scott Rolen.
15. Home runs took down the Cleveland Indians, as Paul Hoynes writes.
16. Lance Lynn continues to be writes. <a href=/www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/lynn-steadies-the-ship/article_83a535af-92fa-5df0-bee3-a18770ea1438.html">http://www.stltoday.com/s...0-bee3-a18770ea1438.html" target=new>The Man for the St. Louis Cardinals, as Derrick Goold writes.
From ESPN Stats and Info, how Lynn beat the Cubs:
A) Cubs hitters were 3-for-21 (.143) in at-bats ending with a Lynn fastball, continuing an early season trend. Opponents are hitting .119 against Lynn's fastball this season, tied for the lowest in baseball among qualified starters.
B) Lynn induced 14 swings and misses on his fastball, the most by any starter in a game this season. Lynn has induced 32 swings and misses on his fastball this season, the most in baseball.
C) Forty-four of Lynn's 75 fastballs were outside (58.7 percent); entering Wednesday, 42.6 percent of Lynn's fastballs were outside. Nine of his 14 swings and misses on his fastball were outside; he had six there in his first three starts combined.
17. The Milwaukee Brewers lost again, but they're still hovering near .500 in spite of all that has not gone well.
18. The Minnesota Twins rallied, and it didn't matter, as Brian Murphy writes. The Twins look like something from the late '90s, writes Patrick Reusse.
19. Felix Hernandez rolled against Detroit.
20. Albert Pujols' hitless streak continued against the Rays.
From ESPN Stats and Info:
Pujols went 0-for-3 Wednesday to extend his hitless at-bat streak to 19, the longest of his career. Three of Pujols' four plate appearances went to two strikes, continuing an early trend. He's come to bat 78 times this season; 40 of those plate appearances have ended in two-strike counts (51.3 percent). From 2009-11, 41.3 percent of Pujols' plate appearances went to two strikes. What does this increase equate to?
During the previous three seasons, 183 players had at least 1,200 plate appearances. Only 20 of them went to a two-strike count less often than Pujols. Most of these players are free-swingers, ending at-bats early in the count. Pujols was one of only three to have a walk rate higher 10 percent.
[h4]Albert's struggles[/h4]
What Albert Pujols has done against pitches in the strike zone in non-two strike counts (in last four seasons).
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
2009-11
[/th][th=""]
2012
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
In play %
[/td][td]
53.3
[/td][td]
48.3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Foul ball %
[/td][td]
36.4
[/td][td]
45.0
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Well-hit avg.
[/td][td]
.399
[/td][td]
.241
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
OPS
[/td][td]
1.149
[/td][td]
.552
[/td][/tr][/table]
This season, 171 hitters have at least 60 plate appearances; 107 of them have gone to a two-strike count less often than Pujols. From 2009-11, Pujols had the second-highest two-strike OPS in baseball (.752). This season, his two-strike OPS (.482) ranks 117th. So how is Pujols getting to two strikes more often? He's putting himself there.
In non-two-strike counts, Pujols is seeing more pitches to hit in the strike zone and swinging more often than in previous years. But instead of putting the ball in play, he's fouling the ball off at an increased rate (see chart). Pitches that he used to hit -- and hit for power -- he's fouling off or hitting weakly.
Pujols appears to be lost, writes Bill Plunkett.
21. The Rangers continue to be unstoppable. Their lead over the Angels is now at 8½ games. A rookie is thriving in his cowboy get-up.
22. The Houston Astros won a close one.
23. David Wright got a boost.
24. Javy Guerra blew a lead.
ESPN Stats & Info, By The Numbers
4: Games in which Cole Hamels has induced 10-plus swings and misses on changeups this season; the rest of MLB has combined for two.
18: Pablo Sandoval's hitting streak, tied for the longest to start a season by a Giant since 1900.
Concern for struggling prospects.
Spoiler [+]
As we approach the three-week point of the minor league season, there are a few prospects who entered the year with high expectations yet are falling well below that. It's easy to just say it's a small sample size -- and chances are that plays a huge role -- but the question remains: Are there reasons to be concerned?
Here's a look at a sextet of slow starts and why you should be concerned … or not.
[h3]Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals[/h3]
Entering 2012: Arguably the best prospect, and certainly the most hyped, Nationals manager Davey Johnson lobbied to break camp with Harper in the big leagues, but it was ultimately agreed upon that the outfielder would begin the year at Triple-A with the expectation of hitting the big leagues before his 20th birthday.
The situation: It took 16 games for Harper to finally connect on his first home run of the season, and after 17 games, he's hitting just .234/.300/.375.
Why it's not a big deal: He's 19, folks. Nineteen. There are players older than him who are off to good starts that have fans excited, but they are playing three levels below Harper. The fact he's merely holding his own at Triple-A is a tribute to his remarkable talent, and he's a player with a history of initial struggles at new levels.
Why you should be concerned: Harper has struggled against Triple-A veterans who can hit their spots while delivering him a steady diet of off-speed stuff, especially left-handers -- against whom he's hitting just .190. Some of his struggles have come from pressing and over-swinging, as at times he seems to be trying to hit three home runs per at-bat.
[h3]Dellin Betances, RHP, New York Yankees[/h3]
Entering 2012: One of the top pitching prospects in the Yankees' system, Betances' career took off after he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He made his big league debut in 2011 and began the 2012 season with a career rate of 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The situation: Control has never been Betances' strong suit, and after a strong debut, he's reeled off three straight bad starts, giving him an 8.83 ERA in 17⅓ innings with more walks (17) than strikeouts and the International League hitting .296 against him after a .208 mark last year. Because of his struggles to keep the ball in the strike zone, he's averaging nearly 21 pitches per inning.
Why it's not a big deal: Betances remains a physical beast at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds, and he still has two plus power pitches in a low-to-mid 90s fastball and power curve, while his changeup projects as at least average.
Why you should be concerned: While Betances had impressive numbers this spring, scouts noticed him struggling to finish a delivery that was already anything but athletic. Because of his injury history and inefficiency, many see a move to the bullpen in his future, but even then, a high walk rate would keep him out of late-inning situations.
[h3]Gary Brown, OF, San Francisco Giants[/h3]
Entering 2012: The 24th overall selection in the 2011 draft, Brown had an incredible full-season debut in 2011, batting .336/.407/.519 for High-A San Jose with 14 home runs and 53 stolen bases. Many were surprised that he did not move up to Double-A during the season, and with him starting there this year, the general assumption was that he could be pushing for a big league job by next spring.
The situation: Thanks to a two-hit game on Tuesday, Brown is finally comfortably above the Mendoza Line, batting a paltry .219/.333/.266 in 17 games.
Why it's not a big deal: Brown is a bit of a streaky hitter, and despite those impressive 2011 totals, he hit just .196 during a 25-game stretch in June. This could just be his June. His top-of-the-scale speed should help him leg out some singles eventually, and there has been no atrophy in his walk and strikeout ratios.
Why you should be concerned: Prospect history is littered with the names of those who put up huge numbers in the Cal League only to never come close to matching them again.
[h3]Travis d'Arnaud, C, Toronto Blue Jays[/h3]
Entering 2012: With Jesus Montero beginning the year in the big leagues, many saw d'Arnaud as the top catching prospect in the minors. Acquired from Philadelphia in the Roy Halladay deal, d'Arnaud's athleticism always offered plenty of promise, and it looked like it was paying off after he won Eastern League MVP honors last season with a .311/.371/.542 year at Double-A New Hampshire.
The situation: Playing at Triple-A Las Vegas, one of the best places to hit in all of baseball, d'Arnaud has managed just one home run in 15 games and needed a five-game hitting streak to get his averages to .222/.306/.333.
Why it's not a big deal: There are good signs in d'Arnaud's line if one looks hard enough, as he's walking more than ever to go with an extremely low BABIP that suggests that some of this might just be bad luck. He had offseason surgery to repair torn ligaments in his thumb and might still be feeling the effects in his swing mechanics.
Why you should be concerned: D'Arnaud's 2011 season created tremendous hype, but there are scouts out there who, while impressed, saw him as playing above his head and projected him to be more of a good future everyday catcher than a future All-Star. Others saw him as a mistake hitter, and while the veteran arms that fill up Triple-A often lack stuff, they do make far fewer mistakes than the young guns at Double-A.
[h3]Robbie Grossman, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates[/h3]
Entering 2012: Grossman became a statistical darling in 2011 when he hit .294/.418/.451 in 134 games at High-A Bradenton and led the minor leagues with 104 walks. He followed that up with a big showing in the Arizona Fall League during his first exposure to upper-level pitching.
The situation: Currently mired in a 1-for-17 slump, Grossman is now batting just .194/.296/.290 at Double-A Altoona with one home run in 16 games.
Why it's not a big deal: Grossman's showing in Arizona was ended in November when he required surgery for a fractured hamate bone. While the procedure allows for a quick return to action, it often takes months for a player to be fully comfortable in letting the bat fly, and power can take up to a full season to return. He's still walking, so the approach is still there.
Why you should be concerned: Grossman's 2011 breakout came while repeating a level, which is always a bit of a red flag. There has always been a bit too much swing-and-miss in his game for some scouts, and he's whiffed in more than a quarter of his at-bats.
Kevin Goldstein covers baseball for ESPN Insider. He has worked for Baseball Prospectus since 2006, where he is a national writer, and has covered the sport for a decade, with a focus on scouting, prospects and player development. He has previously worked for Baseball America and the self-started The Prospect Report. You can find his ESPN archives here, and follow him on Twitter here.
Here's a look at a sextet of slow starts and why you should be concerned … or not.
[h3]Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals[/h3]
Entering 2012: Arguably the best prospect, and certainly the most hyped, Nationals manager Davey Johnson lobbied to break camp with Harper in the big leagues, but it was ultimately agreed upon that the outfielder would begin the year at Triple-A with the expectation of hitting the big leagues before his 20th birthday.
The situation: It took 16 games for Harper to finally connect on his first home run of the season, and after 17 games, he's hitting just .234/.300/.375.
Why it's not a big deal: He's 19, folks. Nineteen. There are players older than him who are off to good starts that have fans excited, but they are playing three levels below Harper. The fact he's merely holding his own at Triple-A is a tribute to his remarkable talent, and he's a player with a history of initial struggles at new levels.
Why you should be concerned: Harper has struggled against Triple-A veterans who can hit their spots while delivering him a steady diet of off-speed stuff, especially left-handers -- against whom he's hitting just .190. Some of his struggles have come from pressing and over-swinging, as at times he seems to be trying to hit three home runs per at-bat.
[h3]Dellin Betances, RHP, New York Yankees[/h3]
Entering 2012: One of the top pitching prospects in the Yankees' system, Betances' career took off after he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He made his big league debut in 2011 and began the 2012 season with a career rate of 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The situation: Control has never been Betances' strong suit, and after a strong debut, he's reeled off three straight bad starts, giving him an 8.83 ERA in 17⅓ innings with more walks (17) than strikeouts and the International League hitting .296 against him after a .208 mark last year. Because of his struggles to keep the ball in the strike zone, he's averaging nearly 21 pitches per inning.
Why it's not a big deal: Betances remains a physical beast at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds, and he still has two plus power pitches in a low-to-mid 90s fastball and power curve, while his changeup projects as at least average.
Why you should be concerned: While Betances had impressive numbers this spring, scouts noticed him struggling to finish a delivery that was already anything but athletic. Because of his injury history and inefficiency, many see a move to the bullpen in his future, but even then, a high walk rate would keep him out of late-inning situations.
[h3]Gary Brown, OF, San Francisco Giants[/h3]
Entering 2012: The 24th overall selection in the 2011 draft, Brown had an incredible full-season debut in 2011, batting .336/.407/.519 for High-A San Jose with 14 home runs and 53 stolen bases. Many were surprised that he did not move up to Double-A during the season, and with him starting there this year, the general assumption was that he could be pushing for a big league job by next spring.
The situation: Thanks to a two-hit game on Tuesday, Brown is finally comfortably above the Mendoza Line, batting a paltry .219/.333/.266 in 17 games.
Why it's not a big deal: Brown is a bit of a streaky hitter, and despite those impressive 2011 totals, he hit just .196 during a 25-game stretch in June. This could just be his June. His top-of-the-scale speed should help him leg out some singles eventually, and there has been no atrophy in his walk and strikeout ratios.
Why you should be concerned: Prospect history is littered with the names of those who put up huge numbers in the Cal League only to never come close to matching them again.
[h3]Travis d'Arnaud, C, Toronto Blue Jays[/h3]
Entering 2012: With Jesus Montero beginning the year in the big leagues, many saw d'Arnaud as the top catching prospect in the minors. Acquired from Philadelphia in the Roy Halladay deal, d'Arnaud's athleticism always offered plenty of promise, and it looked like it was paying off after he won Eastern League MVP honors last season with a .311/.371/.542 year at Double-A New Hampshire.
The situation: Playing at Triple-A Las Vegas, one of the best places to hit in all of baseball, d'Arnaud has managed just one home run in 15 games and needed a five-game hitting streak to get his averages to .222/.306/.333.
Why it's not a big deal: There are good signs in d'Arnaud's line if one looks hard enough, as he's walking more than ever to go with an extremely low BABIP that suggests that some of this might just be bad luck. He had offseason surgery to repair torn ligaments in his thumb and might still be feeling the effects in his swing mechanics.
Why you should be concerned: D'Arnaud's 2011 season created tremendous hype, but there are scouts out there who, while impressed, saw him as playing above his head and projected him to be more of a good future everyday catcher than a future All-Star. Others saw him as a mistake hitter, and while the veteran arms that fill up Triple-A often lack stuff, they do make far fewer mistakes than the young guns at Double-A.
[h3]Robbie Grossman, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates[/h3]
Entering 2012: Grossman became a statistical darling in 2011 when he hit .294/.418/.451 in 134 games at High-A Bradenton and led the minor leagues with 104 walks. He followed that up with a big showing in the Arizona Fall League during his first exposure to upper-level pitching.
The situation: Currently mired in a 1-for-17 slump, Grossman is now batting just .194/.296/.290 at Double-A Altoona with one home run in 16 games.
Why it's not a big deal: Grossman's showing in Arizona was ended in November when he required surgery for a fractured hamate bone. While the procedure allows for a quick return to action, it often takes months for a player to be fully comfortable in letting the bat fly, and power can take up to a full season to return. He's still walking, so the approach is still there.
Why you should be concerned: Grossman's 2011 breakout came while repeating a level, which is always a bit of a red flag. There has always been a bit too much swing-and-miss in his game for some scouts, and he's whiffed in more than a quarter of his at-bats.
Kevin Goldstein covers baseball for ESPN Insider. He has worked for Baseball Prospectus since 2006, where he is a national writer, and has covered the sport for a decade, with a focus on scouting, prospects and player development. He has previously worked for Baseball America and the self-started The Prospect Report. You can find his ESPN archives here, and follow him on Twitter here.
Rumors.
Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Santiago still the South Side closer[/h3]
10:08AM ET
[h5]Chicago White Sox [/h5]
White Sox rookie manager Robin Ventura remains committed to rookie closer Hector Santiago -- at least for now.
Santiago surrendered his fourth home run in 6 1/3 innings and allowed five consecutive hits in Chicago's 5-4 loss to the A's in 14 innings Wednesday. Moments after a tough loss is never a good time to make a move, and Ventura stayed the course. "He's going to be fine," Ventura said.
The White Sox have a readily available replacement in Matt Thornton, who has 20 career saves and a 0.93 ERA in 11 appearances this season. If Ventura does consider a switch, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney doesn't expect any hints:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Buster Olney[/h5]
Who closes on the South Side?
10:08AM ET
[h5]Chicago White Sox [/h5]
White Sox rookie manager Robin Ventura remains committed to rookie closer Hector Santiago -- at least for now.
Santiago surrendered his fourth home run in 6 1/3 innings and allowed five consecutive hits in Chicago's 5-4 loss to the A's in 14 innings Wednesday. Moments after a tough loss is never a good time to make a move, and Ventura stayed the course. "He's going to be fine," Ventura said.
The White Sox have a readily available replacement in Matt Thornton, who has 20 career saves and a 0.93 ERA in 11 appearances this season. If Ventura does consider a switch, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney doesn't expect any hints:
- Doug Mittler
Who closes on the South Side?
Matt Thornton, Hector Santiago, Chicago White Sox
http://[h3]Another replacement for Fister[/h3]
9:45AM ET
[h5]Detroit Tigers [/h5]
There may finally be signs of progress regarding Tigers righthander Doug Fister, who has been sidelined since the first weekend of the season with a strained left rib cage muscle.
Fister played catch on Wednesday and is scheduled to have a mound session on Thursday morning. While it might be a reach to say Fister will be back by the end of the month, Thursday's mound session at least puts a return in sight, says MLB.com's Jason Beck.
In the meantime, the Tigers will need another temporary replacement for Fister after Adam Wilk was sent back to the minor leagues following another rocky outing Wednesday night.
The Tigers have called up right-handed reliever Brayan Villarreal to take Wilk's roster spot, but will need a fifth starter on Monday against Kansas City. John Lowe of the Free Press say the Tigers could move lefthander Duane Below into the rotation. Below pitched two more scoreless innings Wednesday and hasn't allowed a run in his 12 relief innings this season.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Adam Wilk, Duane Below, Doug Fister, Detroit Tigers
http://[h3]A cozier Petco Park?[/h3]
9:21AM ET
[h5]San Diego Padres [/h5]
The New York Mets decided to bring in the fences at their cavernous home park. The San Diego Padres may look to follow suit.
Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel tells Bill Center of the Union Tribune. the club is officially considering moving in the fences at Petco Park before the 2013 season. Garfinkel wants Petco to remain a pitcher's park, but wouldn't mind if the expansive dimensions were a little less extreme.
In an update story, Center writes the idea of moving in the fences has the support of manager Bud Black and Padres' players.
The Mets brought in the fences at Citi Field this season and already have some tangible results. Last week, Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the Mets' first left-handed hitter to clear the left-field fence in the three-plus seasons at Citi Field. It took 250 games for a New York lefty to clear the fence formerly known as The Great Wall of Flushing.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Diego Padres
http://[h3]Hacker to start Friday for SFO?[/h3]
9:13AM ET
[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]
While the San Francisco Giants have not officially announced a starter for Friday's series opener against the Padres, it looks like it will be 29-year-old Eric Hacker.
Hacker's agent, Matt Sosnick, announced on his Twitter account that Hacker's contract will be purchased from Triple-A Fresno. Hacker, who is not on the 40-man roster, is 4-0 this season for the Grizzlies with a 2.19 ERA in 24.2 innings.
The Giants are in need of a spot starter due to a rainout last weekend in New York.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Francisco Giants
http://[h3]Could Reyes bat second?[/h3]
8:49AM ET
[h5]Jose Reyes | Marlins [/h5]
Could the Miami Marlins move their $106 million shortstop out of the leadoff spot?
Manager Ozzie Guillen said he has given "thought" to flip-flopping his one-two hitters - Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio - but intends to keep things the way they are, at least for the time being, reports Clark Spencer of Miami Herald.
The move would be a bold one given Reyes' status as one of baseball's elite leadoff hitters, even if he is hitting just .217 in his first 17 games for the Fish. Reyes has batted second in a lineup just 44 times in his career.
"Let's keep them there a few more days, to see if it works [out]," Guillen said.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Emilio Bonifacio, Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins
http://[h3]No plans to promote Trout[/h3]
8:27AM ET
[h5]Mike Trout | Angels [/h5]
When the Los Angeles Angels sent Mike Trout to the minors near the end of spring training, the baseball world understood the move. The top prospect had a sore shoulder and was coming back from an illness, suggesting he needed some time in the minors to get back on track health-wise -- not to mention the idea that he needed a little more seasoning.
The Pacific Coast League is a notorious hitter's haven, but Trout is proving he's back to full health -- and will be ready to help the Angels this year. The question, of course, is when.
Despite the Halos' recent offensive woes, the Halos are not planning on promoting Trout at this time."I don't believe anything is imminent," manager Mike Scioscia tells the Los Angeles Times Wednesday.
We speculated earlier this week that Trout could reach the majors by June due to the struggles of center fielder Peter Bourjos (.186) and left fielder Vernon Wells (.239). Scioscia insists the Angels will promote Trout only if there is a significant role for him.
Through Wednesday's games. the phenom is batting .419/.483/.649.
- Jason Catania and Doug Mittler
Trout will make an impact in 2012
Tags:
Los Angeles Angels, Peter Bourjos, Vernon Wells, Mike Trout
http://[h3]No ETA for Sizemore[/h3]
8:08AM ET
[h5]Grady Sizemore | Indians [/h5]
Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore worked out at Progressive Field Wednesday for the first time since undergoing surgery for a herniated disc on March 1, but the team does not have a concrete timetable for his return, reports Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer.
When Sizemore underwent back surgery, his timetable to return was put at eight to 12 weeks. He is expected to begin swinging a bat over the weekend.
Manager Manny Acta has been forced to juggle his outfield in recent days due to a hamstring injury to Shin-Soo Choo. Hoynes reports that the injury will not prompt the Tribe to fast-track the debut of Johnny Damon, who is playing in extended spring-training games after going unsigned this winter.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Johnny Damon, Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
http://[h3]DL still possible for Zimmerman[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals [/h5]
The Washington Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman exhaled Wednesday after receiving the results from the MRI that revealed no structural damage to the third baseman's ailing shoulder. While Zimmerman will not miss extended time, a trip to the disabled list remains a possibility, reports Adam Kilgore.
Zimmerman, who has not played in close to a week, will try again to swing the bat on Thursday. If the inflammation persists, Zimmerman could serve a backdated trip to the disabled list, allowing him to return for a Sunday night ESPN broadcast against the Phillies on May 6.
If Zimmerman lands on the disabled list, manager Davey Johnson said he would use Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi to replace Zimmerman at third base. As for possible call-ups, the Nats could chose from Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels and Mark Teahen. Kilgore also mentions Tyler Moore, who has six homers in 17 career games at Triple-A.
The Nats can only cross their fingers that the injury to Zimmerman, who agreed to a lucrative six-year extension earlier this year, is nothing serious. In his seven-plus seasons, Zimmerman already has had lengthy stints on the DL due to an abdominal strain and a labral tear in the left shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Washington Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy
http://[h3]More trades for the Red Sox?[/h3]
7:28AM ET
[h5]Carl Crawford | Red Sox [/h5]
It's looking more and more like the Boston Red Sox will be without Carl Crawford for an extended period of time, as the outfielder is set to see Dr. James Andrews to have his elbow examined, and that visit rarely results in good news.
Crawford had wrist surgery but began feeling pain and discomfort in his elbow while rehabbing, and now there's a chance he misses most or all of 2012.
Manager Bobby Valentine called the visit to Andrews "a fact-finding mission" and not a precursor to surgery.
The Reds Sox are 7-10 and sit 3 1/2 games back of the rest of the division, but if they remain in the race there's a chance Marlon Byrd is not the last trade acquisition GM Ben Cherington makes this season. Among those the club could target include Baltimore's Adam Jones, Minnesota's Denard Span, Indians right fielder Shin-soo Choo and Alex Rios, the Chicago White sox right fielder.
- Jason A. Churchill
Cutting your losses on Crawford
Tags:
Denard Span, Adam Jones, Shin-Soo Choo, Alex Rios, Carl Crawford, Cody Ross, Ryan Sweeney, Darnell McDonald, Marlon Byrd, Boston Red Sox
http://[h3]Pettitte back by middle of May?[/h3]
7:17AM ET
[h5]Andy Pettitte | Yankees [/h5]
With Michael Pineda lost for the season, the return of Andy Pettitte to the New York Yankees' rotation is more necessity than luxury. The lefthander moved a step closer to the Bronx Wednesday Yankees by pitching five innings for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
Pettitte, who decided in spring training to end his year-long retirement, is expected to make at least two more minor league starts before he could be ready for the big leagues, possibly by May 10, says Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
Pettitte allowed four runs -- three earned -- against the Erie SeaWolves. The Yankees have not yet decided when and where Pettitte will make his next minor league start.
Pineda will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder and will be out for the rest of the season. The Yankees already were preparing to be without Pineda for the near term and Pettitte is being counted on to bolster a rotation that has endured rocky starts from Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees
http://[h3]Season-ending surgery for Pelfrey?[/h3]
6:53AM ET
[h5]Mike Pelfrey | Mets [/h5]
Even if Mike Pelfrey has not reached the expectations the Mets had for him when they make him a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, they could always count on his durability. That changed Tuesday when the righthander landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The Mets, for now, says Pelfrey is diagnosed only with right elbow inflammation, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says team officials are aware Pelfrey has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and are bracing to lose him to season-ending surgery.
A Daily News report said there was a "feeling among teammates" that Pelfrey could be headed to Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey, who has averaged close to 200 innings in each of his last four seasons, had a stellar 2.29 ERA in his first three starts.
Pelfrey told reporters he expects to find out his MRI results on Thursday.
The Mets are leaning toward promoting Chris Schwinden from Buffalo to take Pelfrey's spot in the rotation, beginning Friday in Colorado.
Pelfrey could be tempted to have surgery sooner rather than later. He is a free agent after next season and needs to get back as soon as possible to restore his market value.
- Doug Mittler
Some facts behind Pineda's injury.
Concern for struggling prospects.
Rumors.
Tags:
Matt Thornton, Hector Santiago, Chicago White Sox
http://[h3]Another replacement for Fister[/h3]
9:45AM ET
[h5]Detroit Tigers [/h5]
There may finally be signs of progress regarding Tigers righthander Doug Fister, who has been sidelined since the first weekend of the season with a strained left rib cage muscle.
Fister played catch on Wednesday and is scheduled to have a mound session on Thursday morning. While it might be a reach to say Fister will be back by the end of the month, Thursday's mound session at least puts a return in sight, says MLB.com's Jason Beck.
In the meantime, the Tigers will need another temporary replacement for Fister after Adam Wilk was sent back to the minor leagues following another rocky outing Wednesday night.
The Tigers have called up right-handed reliever Brayan Villarreal to take Wilk's roster spot, but will need a fifth starter on Monday against Kansas City. John Lowe of the Free Press say the Tigers could move lefthander Duane Below into the rotation. Below pitched two more scoreless innings Wednesday and hasn't allowed a run in his 12 relief innings this season.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Adam Wilk, Duane Below, Doug Fister, Detroit Tigers
http://[h3]A cozier Petco Park?[/h3]
9:21AM ET
[h5]San Diego Padres [/h5]
The New York Mets decided to bring in the fences at their cavernous home park. The San Diego Padres may look to follow suit.
Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel tells Bill Center of the Union Tribune. the club is officially considering moving in the fences at Petco Park before the 2013 season. Garfinkel wants Petco to remain a pitcher's park, but wouldn't mind if the expansive dimensions were a little less extreme.
In an update story, Center writes the idea of moving in the fences has the support of manager Bud Black and Padres' players.
The Mets brought in the fences at Citi Field this season and already have some tangible results. Last week, Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the Mets' first left-handed hitter to clear the left-field fence in the three-plus seasons at Citi Field. It took 250 games for a New York lefty to clear the fence formerly known as The Great Wall of Flushing.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Diego Padres
http://[h3]Hacker to start Friday for SFO?[/h3]
9:13AM ET
[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]
While the San Francisco Giants have not officially announced a starter for Friday's series opener against the Padres, it looks like it will be 29-year-old Eric Hacker.
Hacker's agent, Matt Sosnick, announced on his Twitter account that Hacker's contract will be purchased from Triple-A Fresno. Hacker, who is not on the 40-man roster, is 4-0 this season for the Grizzlies with a 2.19 ERA in 24.2 innings.
The Giants are in need of a spot starter due to a rainout last weekend in New York.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Francisco Giants
http://[h3]Could Reyes bat second?[/h3]
8:49AM ET
[h5]Jose Reyes | Marlins [/h5]
Could the Miami Marlins move their $106 million shortstop out of the leadoff spot?
Manager Ozzie Guillen said he has given "thought" to flip-flopping his one-two hitters - Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio - but intends to keep things the way they are, at least for the time being, reports Clark Spencer of Miami Herald.
The move would be a bold one given Reyes' status as one of baseball's elite leadoff hitters, even if he is hitting just .217 in his first 17 games for the Fish. Reyes has batted second in a lineup just 44 times in his career.
"Let's keep them there a few more days, to see if it works [out]," Guillen said.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Emilio Bonifacio, Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins
http://[h3]No plans to promote Trout[/h3]
8:27AM ET
[h5]Mike Trout | Angels [/h5]
When the Los Angeles Angels sent Mike Trout to the minors near the end of spring training, the baseball world understood the move. The top prospect had a sore shoulder and was coming back from an illness, suggesting he needed some time in the minors to get back on track health-wise -- not to mention the idea that he needed a little more seasoning.
The Pacific Coast League is a notorious hitter's haven, but Trout is proving he's back to full health -- and will be ready to help the Angels this year. The question, of course, is when.
Despite the Halos' recent offensive woes, the Halos are not planning on promoting Trout at this time."I don't believe anything is imminent," manager Mike Scioscia tells the Los Angeles Times Wednesday.
We speculated earlier this week that Trout could reach the majors by June due to the struggles of center fielder Peter Bourjos (.186) and left fielder Vernon Wells (.239). Scioscia insists the Angels will promote Trout only if there is a significant role for him.
Through Wednesday's games. the phenom is batting .419/.483/.649.
- Jason Catania and Doug Mittler
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Trout will make an impact in 2012
Tags:
Los Angeles Angels, Peter Bourjos, Vernon Wells, Mike Trout
http://[h3]No ETA for Sizemore[/h3]
8:08AM ET
[h5]Grady Sizemore | Indians [/h5]
Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore worked out at Progressive Field Wednesday for the first time since undergoing surgery for a herniated disc on March 1, but the team does not have a concrete timetable for his return, reports Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer.
When Sizemore underwent back surgery, his timetable to return was put at eight to 12 weeks. He is expected to begin swinging a bat over the weekend.
Manager Manny Acta has been forced to juggle his outfield in recent days due to a hamstring injury to Shin-Soo Choo. Hoynes reports that the injury will not prompt the Tribe to fast-track the debut of Johnny Damon, who is playing in extended spring-training games after going unsigned this winter.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Johnny Damon, Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
http://[h3]DL still possible for Zimmerman[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals [/h5]
The Washington Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman exhaled Wednesday after receiving the results from the MRI that revealed no structural damage to the third baseman's ailing shoulder. While Zimmerman will not miss extended time, a trip to the disabled list remains a possibility, reports Adam Kilgore.
Zimmerman, who has not played in close to a week, will try again to swing the bat on Thursday. If the inflammation persists, Zimmerman could serve a backdated trip to the disabled list, allowing him to return for a Sunday night ESPN broadcast against the Phillies on May 6.
If Zimmerman lands on the disabled list, manager Davey Johnson said he would use Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi to replace Zimmerman at third base. As for possible call-ups, the Nats could chose from Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels and Mark Teahen. Kilgore also mentions Tyler Moore, who has six homers in 17 career games at Triple-A.
The Nats can only cross their fingers that the injury to Zimmerman, who agreed to a lucrative six-year extension earlier this year, is nothing serious. In his seven-plus seasons, Zimmerman already has had lengthy stints on the DL due to an abdominal strain and a labral tear in the left shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Washington Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy
http://[h3]More trades for the Red Sox?[/h3]
7:28AM ET
[h5]Carl Crawford | Red Sox [/h5]
It's looking more and more like the Boston Red Sox will be without Carl Crawford for an extended period of time, as the outfielder is set to see Dr. James Andrews to have his elbow examined, and that visit rarely results in good news.
Crawford had wrist surgery but began feeling pain and discomfort in his elbow while rehabbing, and now there's a chance he misses most or all of 2012.
Manager Bobby Valentine called the visit to Andrews "a fact-finding mission" and not a precursor to surgery.
The Reds Sox are 7-10 and sit 3 1/2 games back of the rest of the division, but if they remain in the race there's a chance Marlon Byrd is not the last trade acquisition GM Ben Cherington makes this season. Among those the club could target include Baltimore's Adam Jones, Minnesota's Denard Span, Indians right fielder Shin-soo Choo and Alex Rios, the Chicago White sox right fielder.
- Jason A. Churchill
[h5]Eric Karabell[/h5]
Cutting your losses on Crawford
Tags:
Denard Span, Adam Jones, Shin-Soo Choo, Alex Rios, Carl Crawford, Cody Ross, Ryan Sweeney, Darnell McDonald, Marlon Byrd, Boston Red Sox
http://[h3]Pettitte back by middle of May?[/h3]
7:17AM ET
[h5]Andy Pettitte | Yankees [/h5]
With Michael Pineda lost for the season, the return of Andy Pettitte to the New York Yankees' rotation is more necessity than luxury. The lefthander moved a step closer to the Bronx Wednesday Yankees by pitching five innings for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
Pettitte, who decided in spring training to end his year-long retirement, is expected to make at least two more minor league starts before he could be ready for the big leagues, possibly by May 10, says Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
Pettitte allowed four runs -- three earned -- against the Erie SeaWolves. The Yankees have not yet decided when and where Pettitte will make his next minor league start.
Pineda will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder and will be out for the rest of the season. The Yankees already were preparing to be without Pineda for the near term and Pettitte is being counted on to bolster a rotation that has endured rocky starts from Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees
http://[h3]Season-ending surgery for Pelfrey?[/h3]
6:53AM ET
[h5]Mike Pelfrey | Mets [/h5]
Even if Mike Pelfrey has not reached the expectations the Mets had for him when they make him a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, they could always count on his durability. That changed Tuesday when the righthander landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The Mets, for now, says Pelfrey is diagnosed only with right elbow inflammation, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says team officials are aware Pelfrey has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and are bracing to lose him to season-ending surgery.
A Daily News report said there was a "feeling among teammates" that Pelfrey could be headed to Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey, who has averaged close to 200 innings in each of his last four seasons, had a stellar 2.29 ERA in his first three starts.
Pelfrey told reporters he expects to find out his MRI results on Thursday.
The Mets are leaning toward promoting Chris Schwinden from Buffalo to take Pelfrey's spot in the rotation, beginning Friday in Colorado.
Pelfrey could be tempted to have surgery sooner rather than later. He is a free agent after next season and needs to get back as soon as possible to restore his market value.
- Doug Mittler
Spoiler [+]
The explosion of social media has fueled the desire to identify incompetence, to illuminate failure, to expose the cheaters. Within seconds that news broke that Michael Pineda will miss the rest of the year with a labrum tear, Twitter was flooded with theories -- that the New York Yankees blew it, that the Seattle Mariners knew that Pineda was hurt, that there were idiots and schemers.
It's worth reviewing some facts:
1. At the time of the deal, the overwhelming majority of rival executives thought this was a great trade for the Yankees. Not a good trade, but a great trade. A lot of the same executives understood the rationale of the Mariners and liked Jesus Montero as a prospect, but they loved the Yankees' end of the trade.
2. The Yankees had full and total access to do medical examinations of Pineda, and they took advantage of it; if you recall, there was a delay in the official announcement of the deal because the players involved had to go through doctors' reviews. Pineda had an MRI on his pitching shoulder, and it came back clean. With a trade of this significance, the Yankees would not have hesitated to blow up the deal if the MRI had revealed a tear. (Keep in mind that the Mariners had blown up a proposed deal of Cliff Lee to the Yankees two years ago because of medical information; the Yankees would not have been shy to do the same.)
3. Pineda was given an MRI at the end of spring training, and again, there was no tear revealed.
4. Then, earlier this week -- after Pineda's rehabilitation outing -- there was a tear. Yankees GM Brian Cashman said at the time of the Pineda trade that there are inherent risks with pitchers, no matter how good they've been. Ask Mark Prior about that or Stephen Strasburg.
The Yankees made a trade for an elite young pitcher based on all the information available to them, including full medical reports. Then he got hurt.
It happens.
The Mariners didn't cheat, the Yankees weren't idiots. It just didn't work out.
So much for the Yankees' great starting pitching depth. Freddy Garcia is struggling, Phil Hughes had another rough outing Wednesday, and Pineda is gone. All of that means that Andy Pettitte's return to form is absolutely essential for the Yankees.
Pettitte didn't look great on Tuesday, writes Bob Klapisch.
Cashman said flatly: The Mariners did not trade damaged goods.
Cashman is in an unfair position with the Pineda news, writes John Harper. This is a major blow to the Yankees' pitching plans.
The Yankees are hopeful that Pineda will be able to come back and be a factor in 2013, and presumably, he'll show up in better physical condition than he did this year. There's also a chance that Pineda will never be what the Yankees hoped they were acquiring.
[h3]Bonderman eyes return[/h3]
Jeremy Bonderman, who last pitched in the big leagues in 2010, had successful reconstructive elbow surgery Tuesday with the intent of working his way back to the big leagues in 2013. Bonderman, 29, is 67-77 in his eight-year career, with a 4.89 ERA.
Bonderman is a father to young children, and after waiting about a year while knowing he probably needed elbow surgery, he decided he wants to come back and have the chance to pitch in front of his kids.
[h3]Royals snap losing streak[/h3]
The Kansas City Royals lost their first 10 home games of the season, and this is nothing short of embarrassing for everyone in the organization, from the owners to the players to the folks who work for the team to their families. Expectations for Kansas City are ratcheted up this season, and immediately the Royals are in a deep hole. The bullpen -- which was expected to be a strength for Kansas City -- has been hurt in a big way by injuries to closer Joakim Soria (he is out for the year) and set-up man Greg Holland.
GM Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost continue to evaluate how the Royals are going about their daily work and preparation, and Moore said Wednesday all of that continues to be good. "The energy is good, guys are working well," Moore said over the phone Wednesday. "At some point, everybody in baseball -- in every business, in every job, in every industry -- goes through some adversity, and you have to work your way through it. This is our turn."
The Royals should be getting a lot of players back from the disabled list in the weeks ahead. Lorenzo Cain had a setback in his rehabilitation but is expected back in a month. Holland should be back in a few weeks, and the Royals are looking forward to getting catcher Salvador Perez back from his knee surgery by mid-to-late June.
"A lot of good things are happening in this organization," Moore said. "We just have to weather the storm."
It wasn't long after Moore spoke that the Royals put on a home run barrage and ended the losing streak. The Royals promoted a reliever.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The Padres' players support the idea of bringing in the fences at Petco Park, writes Bill Center. Bud Black is in favor of it, too.
• When teams agree to massive, nine-figure contracts, the executives who are honest with themselves do so with the expectation that there will probably be some erosion in players' performance near the end of the deals. Carl Crawford is in Year 2 of a seven-year, $142 million deal, and it appears that he will be lost for at least a significant portion of this season -- with no guarantee that he'll play at all -- and this means Boston has essentially gotten little in the two years in which it had the best chance for return on the deal.
Crawford is going to visit Dr. James Andrews this week to have his sore elbow checked.
This all started after he picked up a ball to throw it, says Bobby Valentine.
• Mike Aviles had a big hit Wednesday, and between his performance on the field and his showing off the field -- he was one of the few players who stuck around after last Saturday's crushing loss to the Yankees -- it is evident that he has become one of the most important clubhouse guys on the Red Sox.
• The Tampa Bay Rays did what they continue to do: They pitched effectively, played some solid defense and hung on against the Los Angeles Angels while getting some help from a newcomer.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Ozzie Guillen has thought about making changes at the top of his lineup, writes Clark Spencer.
2. Jair Jurrjens figures he has nobody to blame but himself for his demotion.
3. Adam Wilk was demoted to the minors after getting blasted.
4. Hector Santiago will remain the closer for the Chicago White Sox, says Robin Ventura. Knowing Ventura's personality, he'll keep saying that up until the instant he calls for another guy.
5. Eric Hacker is getting called up to pitch for the San Francisco Giants.
6. Neftali Feliz will be skipped in the Texas rotation.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Jim Johnson is still hospitalized.
2. Kerry Wood is hurting.
3. Aubrey Huff is dealing with an anxiety disorder.
4. Ryan Zimmerman was pleased with the MRI results he was given, writes Adam Kilgore.
5. Nick Masset of the Cincinnati Reds had an MRI.
6. Grady Sizemore is making progress.
[h3]Wednesday's games[/h3]
1. The Red Sox pulled out a win. Watched a lot of this game and Clay Buchholz was in trouble repeatedly, and again, he struggled to get the ball down in the strike zone. On the Boston list of concerns, he'd be somewhere close to the top. Buchholz was right in this: His curveball was better.
Baby steps it seems, as Scott Lauber writes.
2. At the time of the Jeremy Guthrie deal, rival officials could not see what the Baltimore Orioles saw in Jason Hammel and thought it was a bad deal for Baltimore. But Hammel has been terrific so far, and he pitched shutout ball against the Toronto Blue Jays, as Eduardo Encina writes.
3. The Colorado Rockies performed mental gymnastics after splitting a doubleheader, writes Troy Renck.
4. The Jays were shut down, even with a newly constructed lineup.
5. The offensively challenged Miami Marlins wasted a solid effort by Mark Buehrle.
6. The Atlanta Braves rallied in a big way to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, as David O'Brien writes.
7. Jim Leyland was blunt after the Tigers' latest loss: They are getting beat up on.
8. On the same day that Paul Konerko mashed his 400th career homer, the White Sox had their guts ripped out.
Yoenis Cespedes continues to show he's got game-changing ability. Jarrod Parker had a nice outing in his Oakland debut.
[h4]Two-strike hitting[/h4]
How Yoenis Cespedes has fared at the plate in two-strike counts this season.
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
First 17 G
[/th][th=""]
Wednesday
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Hits-AB
[/td][td]
2-32
[/td][td]
3-3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Home runs
[/td][td]
1
[/td][td]
1
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Strikeouts
[/td][td]
22
[/td][td]
0
[/td][/tr][/table]
From ESPN Stats and Info: Cespedes went 3-for-5 Wednesday, including a game-tying, two-run homer in the 14th inning. All three of Cespedes' hits came with two strikes, which is notable because he has struggled to make contact this season. Entering Wednesday, Cespedes was striking out in 63 percent of at-bats that reached two strikes. He didn't strike out once Wednesday for just the third game this season, and he had more two-strike hits than he did in his first 17 games.
9. Barry Zito pitched well, but the Giants couldn't hang on for the win.
10. The Padres were shut down.
11. Pedro Alvarez did damage in both ends of a doubleheader, writes Michael Sanserino.
12. Cole Hamels was The Man.
13. Jordan Zimmermann got some run support.
14. The Reds got a jolt from Scott Rolen.
15. Home runs took down the Cleveland Indians, as Paul Hoynes writes.
16. Lance Lynn continues to be writes. <a href=/www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/lynn-steadies-the-ship/article_83a535af-92fa-5df0-bee3-a18770ea1438.html">http://www.stltoday.com/s...0-bee3-a18770ea1438.html" target=new>The Man for the St. Louis Cardinals, as Derrick Goold writes.
From ESPN Stats and Info, how Lynn beat the Cubs:
A) Cubs hitters were 3-for-21 (.143) in at-bats ending with a Lynn fastball, continuing an early season trend. Opponents are hitting .119 against Lynn's fastball this season, tied for the lowest in baseball among qualified starters.
B) Lynn induced 14 swings and misses on his fastball, the most by any starter in a game this season. Lynn has induced 32 swings and misses on his fastball this season, the most in baseball.
C) Forty-four of Lynn's 75 fastballs were outside (58.7 percent); entering Wednesday, 42.6 percent of Lynn's fastballs were outside. Nine of his 14 swings and misses on his fastball were outside; he had six there in his first three starts combined.
17. The Milwaukee Brewers lost again, but they're still hovering near .500 in spite of all that has not gone well.
18. The Minnesota Twins rallied, and it didn't matter, as Brian Murphy writes. The Twins look like something from the late '90s, writes Patrick Reusse.
19. Felix Hernandez rolled against Detroit.
20. Albert Pujols' hitless streak continued against the Rays.
From ESPN Stats and Info:
Pujols went 0-for-3 Wednesday to extend his hitless at-bat streak to 19, the longest of his career. Three of Pujols' four plate appearances went to two strikes, continuing an early trend. He's come to bat 78 times this season; 40 of those plate appearances have ended in two-strike counts (51.3 percent). From 2009-11, 41.3 percent of Pujols' plate appearances went to two strikes. What does this increase equate to?
During the previous three seasons, 183 players had at least 1,200 plate appearances. Only 20 of them went to a two-strike count less often than Pujols. Most of these players are free-swingers, ending at-bats early in the count. Pujols was one of only three to have a walk rate higher 10 percent.
[h4]Albert's struggles[/h4]
What Albert Pujols has done against pitches in the strike zone in non-two strike counts (in last four seasons).
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
2009-11
[/th][th=""]
2012
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
In play %
[/td][td]
53.3
[/td][td]
48.3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Foul ball %
[/td][td]
36.4
[/td][td]
45.0
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Well-hit avg.
[/td][td]
.399
[/td][td]
.241
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
OPS
[/td][td]
1.149
[/td][td]
.552
[/td][/tr][/table]
This season, 171 hitters have at least 60 plate appearances; 107 of them have gone to a two-strike count less often than Pujols. From 2009-11, Pujols had the second-highest two-strike OPS in baseball (.752). This season, his two-strike OPS (.482) ranks 117th. So how is Pujols getting to two strikes more often? He's putting himself there.
In non-two-strike counts, Pujols is seeing more pitches to hit in the strike zone and swinging more often than in previous years. But instead of putting the ball in play, he's fouling the ball off at an increased rate (see chart). Pitches that he used to hit -- and hit for power -- he's fouling off or hitting weakly.
Pujols appears to be lost, writes Bill Plunkett.
21. The Rangers continue to be unstoppable. Their lead over the Angels is now at 8½ games. A rookie is thriving in his cowboy get-up.
22. The Houston Astros won a close one.
23. David Wright got a boost.
24. Javy Guerra blew a lead.
ESPN Stats & Info, By The Numbers
4: Games in which Cole Hamels has induced 10-plus swings and misses on changeups this season; the rest of MLB has combined for two.
18: Pablo Sandoval's hitting streak, tied for the longest to start a season by a Giant since 1900.
It's worth reviewing some facts:
1. At the time of the deal, the overwhelming majority of rival executives thought this was a great trade for the Yankees. Not a good trade, but a great trade. A lot of the same executives understood the rationale of the Mariners and liked Jesus Montero as a prospect, but they loved the Yankees' end of the trade.
2. The Yankees had full and total access to do medical examinations of Pineda, and they took advantage of it; if you recall, there was a delay in the official announcement of the deal because the players involved had to go through doctors' reviews. Pineda had an MRI on his pitching shoulder, and it came back clean. With a trade of this significance, the Yankees would not have hesitated to blow up the deal if the MRI had revealed a tear. (Keep in mind that the Mariners had blown up a proposed deal of Cliff Lee to the Yankees two years ago because of medical information; the Yankees would not have been shy to do the same.)
3. Pineda was given an MRI at the end of spring training, and again, there was no tear revealed.
4. Then, earlier this week -- after Pineda's rehabilitation outing -- there was a tear. Yankees GM Brian Cashman said at the time of the Pineda trade that there are inherent risks with pitchers, no matter how good they've been. Ask Mark Prior about that or Stephen Strasburg.
The Yankees made a trade for an elite young pitcher based on all the information available to them, including full medical reports. Then he got hurt.
It happens.
The Mariners didn't cheat, the Yankees weren't idiots. It just didn't work out.
So much for the Yankees' great starting pitching depth. Freddy Garcia is struggling, Phil Hughes had another rough outing Wednesday, and Pineda is gone. All of that means that Andy Pettitte's return to form is absolutely essential for the Yankees.
Pettitte didn't look great on Tuesday, writes Bob Klapisch.
Cashman said flatly: The Mariners did not trade damaged goods.
Cashman is in an unfair position with the Pineda news, writes John Harper. This is a major blow to the Yankees' pitching plans.
The Yankees are hopeful that Pineda will be able to come back and be a factor in 2013, and presumably, he'll show up in better physical condition than he did this year. There's also a chance that Pineda will never be what the Yankees hoped they were acquiring.
[h3]Bonderman eyes return[/h3]
Jeremy Bonderman, who last pitched in the big leagues in 2010, had successful reconstructive elbow surgery Tuesday with the intent of working his way back to the big leagues in 2013. Bonderman, 29, is 67-77 in his eight-year career, with a 4.89 ERA.
Bonderman is a father to young children, and after waiting about a year while knowing he probably needed elbow surgery, he decided he wants to come back and have the chance to pitch in front of his kids.
[h3]Royals snap losing streak[/h3]
The Kansas City Royals lost their first 10 home games of the season, and this is nothing short of embarrassing for everyone in the organization, from the owners to the players to the folks who work for the team to their families. Expectations for Kansas City are ratcheted up this season, and immediately the Royals are in a deep hole. The bullpen -- which was expected to be a strength for Kansas City -- has been hurt in a big way by injuries to closer Joakim Soria (he is out for the year) and set-up man Greg Holland.
GM Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost continue to evaluate how the Royals are going about their daily work and preparation, and Moore said Wednesday all of that continues to be good. "The energy is good, guys are working well," Moore said over the phone Wednesday. "At some point, everybody in baseball -- in every business, in every job, in every industry -- goes through some adversity, and you have to work your way through it. This is our turn."
The Royals should be getting a lot of players back from the disabled list in the weeks ahead. Lorenzo Cain had a setback in his rehabilitation but is expected back in a month. Holland should be back in a few weeks, and the Royals are looking forward to getting catcher Salvador Perez back from his knee surgery by mid-to-late June.
"A lot of good things are happening in this organization," Moore said. "We just have to weather the storm."
It wasn't long after Moore spoke that the Royals put on a home run barrage and ended the losing streak. The Royals promoted a reliever.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The Padres' players support the idea of bringing in the fences at Petco Park, writes Bill Center. Bud Black is in favor of it, too.
• When teams agree to massive, nine-figure contracts, the executives who are honest with themselves do so with the expectation that there will probably be some erosion in players' performance near the end of the deals. Carl Crawford is in Year 2 of a seven-year, $142 million deal, and it appears that he will be lost for at least a significant portion of this season -- with no guarantee that he'll play at all -- and this means Boston has essentially gotten little in the two years in which it had the best chance for return on the deal.
Crawford is going to visit Dr. James Andrews this week to have his sore elbow checked.
This all started after he picked up a ball to throw it, says Bobby Valentine.
• Mike Aviles had a big hit Wednesday, and between his performance on the field and his showing off the field -- he was one of the few players who stuck around after last Saturday's crushing loss to the Yankees -- it is evident that he has become one of the most important clubhouse guys on the Red Sox.
• The Tampa Bay Rays did what they continue to do: They pitched effectively, played some solid defense and hung on against the Los Angeles Angels while getting some help from a newcomer.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Ozzie Guillen has thought about making changes at the top of his lineup, writes Clark Spencer.
2. Jair Jurrjens figures he has nobody to blame but himself for his demotion.
3. Adam Wilk was demoted to the minors after getting blasted.
4. Hector Santiago will remain the closer for the Chicago White Sox, says Robin Ventura. Knowing Ventura's personality, he'll keep saying that up until the instant he calls for another guy.
5. Eric Hacker is getting called up to pitch for the San Francisco Giants.
6. Neftali Feliz will be skipped in the Texas rotation.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Jim Johnson is still hospitalized.
2. Kerry Wood is hurting.
3. Aubrey Huff is dealing with an anxiety disorder.
4. Ryan Zimmerman was pleased with the MRI results he was given, writes Adam Kilgore.
5. Nick Masset of the Cincinnati Reds had an MRI.
6. Grady Sizemore is making progress.
[h3]Wednesday's games[/h3]
1. The Red Sox pulled out a win. Watched a lot of this game and Clay Buchholz was in trouble repeatedly, and again, he struggled to get the ball down in the strike zone. On the Boston list of concerns, he'd be somewhere close to the top. Buchholz was right in this: His curveball was better.
Baby steps it seems, as Scott Lauber writes.
2. At the time of the Jeremy Guthrie deal, rival officials could not see what the Baltimore Orioles saw in Jason Hammel and thought it was a bad deal for Baltimore. But Hammel has been terrific so far, and he pitched shutout ball against the Toronto Blue Jays, as Eduardo Encina writes.
3. The Colorado Rockies performed mental gymnastics after splitting a doubleheader, writes Troy Renck.
4. The Jays were shut down, even with a newly constructed lineup.
5. The offensively challenged Miami Marlins wasted a solid effort by Mark Buehrle.
6. The Atlanta Braves rallied in a big way to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, as David O'Brien writes.
7. Jim Leyland was blunt after the Tigers' latest loss: They are getting beat up on.
8. On the same day that Paul Konerko mashed his 400th career homer, the White Sox had their guts ripped out.
Yoenis Cespedes continues to show he's got game-changing ability. Jarrod Parker had a nice outing in his Oakland debut.
[h4]Two-strike hitting[/h4]
How Yoenis Cespedes has fared at the plate in two-strike counts this season.
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
First 17 G
[/th][th=""]
Wednesday
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Hits-AB
[/td][td]
2-32
[/td][td]
3-3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Home runs
[/td][td]
1
[/td][td]
1
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Strikeouts
[/td][td]
22
[/td][td]
0
[/td][/tr][/table]
From ESPN Stats and Info: Cespedes went 3-for-5 Wednesday, including a game-tying, two-run homer in the 14th inning. All three of Cespedes' hits came with two strikes, which is notable because he has struggled to make contact this season. Entering Wednesday, Cespedes was striking out in 63 percent of at-bats that reached two strikes. He didn't strike out once Wednesday for just the third game this season, and he had more two-strike hits than he did in his first 17 games.
9. Barry Zito pitched well, but the Giants couldn't hang on for the win.
10. The Padres were shut down.
11. Pedro Alvarez did damage in both ends of a doubleheader, writes Michael Sanserino.
12. Cole Hamels was The Man.
13. Jordan Zimmermann got some run support.
14. The Reds got a jolt from Scott Rolen.
15. Home runs took down the Cleveland Indians, as Paul Hoynes writes.
16. Lance Lynn continues to be writes. <a href=/www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/lynn-steadies-the-ship/article_83a535af-92fa-5df0-bee3-a18770ea1438.html">http://www.stltoday.com/s...0-bee3-a18770ea1438.html" target=new>The Man for the St. Louis Cardinals, as Derrick Goold writes.
From ESPN Stats and Info, how Lynn beat the Cubs:
A) Cubs hitters were 3-for-21 (.143) in at-bats ending with a Lynn fastball, continuing an early season trend. Opponents are hitting .119 against Lynn's fastball this season, tied for the lowest in baseball among qualified starters.
B) Lynn induced 14 swings and misses on his fastball, the most by any starter in a game this season. Lynn has induced 32 swings and misses on his fastball this season, the most in baseball.
C) Forty-four of Lynn's 75 fastballs were outside (58.7 percent); entering Wednesday, 42.6 percent of Lynn's fastballs were outside. Nine of his 14 swings and misses on his fastball were outside; he had six there in his first three starts combined.
17. The Milwaukee Brewers lost again, but they're still hovering near .500 in spite of all that has not gone well.
18. The Minnesota Twins rallied, and it didn't matter, as Brian Murphy writes. The Twins look like something from the late '90s, writes Patrick Reusse.
19. Felix Hernandez rolled against Detroit.
20. Albert Pujols' hitless streak continued against the Rays.
From ESPN Stats and Info:
Pujols went 0-for-3 Wednesday to extend his hitless at-bat streak to 19, the longest of his career. Three of Pujols' four plate appearances went to two strikes, continuing an early trend. He's come to bat 78 times this season; 40 of those plate appearances have ended in two-strike counts (51.3 percent). From 2009-11, 41.3 percent of Pujols' plate appearances went to two strikes. What does this increase equate to?
During the previous three seasons, 183 players had at least 1,200 plate appearances. Only 20 of them went to a two-strike count less often than Pujols. Most of these players are free-swingers, ending at-bats early in the count. Pujols was one of only three to have a walk rate higher 10 percent.
[h4]Albert's struggles[/h4]
What Albert Pujols has done against pitches in the strike zone in non-two strike counts (in last four seasons).
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
2009-11
[/th][th=""]
2012
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
In play %
[/td][td]
53.3
[/td][td]
48.3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Foul ball %
[/td][td]
36.4
[/td][td]
45.0
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Well-hit avg.
[/td][td]
.399
[/td][td]
.241
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
OPS
[/td][td]
1.149
[/td][td]
.552
[/td][/tr][/table]
This season, 171 hitters have at least 60 plate appearances; 107 of them have gone to a two-strike count less often than Pujols. From 2009-11, Pujols had the second-highest two-strike OPS in baseball (.752). This season, his two-strike OPS (.482) ranks 117th. So how is Pujols getting to two strikes more often? He's putting himself there.
In non-two-strike counts, Pujols is seeing more pitches to hit in the strike zone and swinging more often than in previous years. But instead of putting the ball in play, he's fouling the ball off at an increased rate (see chart). Pitches that he used to hit -- and hit for power -- he's fouling off or hitting weakly.
Pujols appears to be lost, writes Bill Plunkett.
21. The Rangers continue to be unstoppable. Their lead over the Angels is now at 8½ games. A rookie is thriving in his cowboy get-up.
22. The Houston Astros won a close one.
23. David Wright got a boost.
24. Javy Guerra blew a lead.
ESPN Stats & Info, By The Numbers
4: Games in which Cole Hamels has induced 10-plus swings and misses on changeups this season; the rest of MLB has combined for two.
18: Pablo Sandoval's hitting streak, tied for the longest to start a season by a Giant since 1900.
Concern for struggling prospects.
Spoiler [+]
As we approach the three-week point of the minor league season, there are a few prospects who entered the year with high expectations yet are falling well below that. It's easy to just say it's a small sample size -- and chances are that plays a huge role -- but the question remains: Are there reasons to be concerned?
Here's a look at a sextet of slow starts and why you should be concerned … or not.
[h3]Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals[/h3]
Entering 2012: Arguably the best prospect, and certainly the most hyped, Nationals manager Davey Johnson lobbied to break camp with Harper in the big leagues, but it was ultimately agreed upon that the outfielder would begin the year at Triple-A with the expectation of hitting the big leagues before his 20th birthday.
The situation: It took 16 games for Harper to finally connect on his first home run of the season, and after 17 games, he's hitting just .234/.300/.375.
Why it's not a big deal: He's 19, folks. Nineteen. There are players older than him who are off to good starts that have fans excited, but they are playing three levels below Harper. The fact he's merely holding his own at Triple-A is a tribute to his remarkable talent, and he's a player with a history of initial struggles at new levels.
Why you should be concerned: Harper has struggled against Triple-A veterans who can hit their spots while delivering him a steady diet of off-speed stuff, especially left-handers -- against whom he's hitting just .190. Some of his struggles have come from pressing and over-swinging, as at times he seems to be trying to hit three home runs per at-bat.
[h3]Dellin Betances, RHP, New York Yankees[/h3]
Entering 2012: One of the top pitching prospects in the Yankees' system, Betances' career took off after he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He made his big league debut in 2011 and began the 2012 season with a career rate of 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The situation: Control has never been Betances' strong suit, and after a strong debut, he's reeled off three straight bad starts, giving him an 8.83 ERA in 17⅓ innings with more walks (17) than strikeouts and the International League hitting .296 against him after a .208 mark last year. Because of his struggles to keep the ball in the strike zone, he's averaging nearly 21 pitches per inning.
Why it's not a big deal: Betances remains a physical beast at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds, and he still has two plus power pitches in a low-to-mid 90s fastball and power curve, while his changeup projects as at least average.
Why you should be concerned: While Betances had impressive numbers this spring, scouts noticed him struggling to finish a delivery that was already anything but athletic. Because of his injury history and inefficiency, many see a move to the bullpen in his future, but even then, a high walk rate would keep him out of late-inning situations.
[h3]Gary Brown, OF, San Francisco Giants[/h3]
Entering 2012: The 24th overall selection in the 2011 draft, Brown had an incredible full-season debut in 2011, batting .336/.407/.519 for High-A San Jose with 14 home runs and 53 stolen bases. Many were surprised that he did not move up to Double-A during the season, and with him starting there this year, the general assumption was that he could be pushing for a big league job by next spring.
The situation: Thanks to a two-hit game on Tuesday, Brown is finally comfortably above the Mendoza Line, batting a paltry .219/.333/.266 in 17 games.
Why it's not a big deal: Brown is a bit of a streaky hitter, and despite those impressive 2011 totals, he hit just .196 during a 25-game stretch in June. This could just be his June. His top-of-the-scale speed should help him leg out some singles eventually, and there has been no atrophy in his walk and strikeout ratios.
Why you should be concerned: Prospect history is littered with the names of those who put up huge numbers in the Cal League only to never come close to matching them again.
[h3]Travis d'Arnaud, C, Toronto Blue Jays[/h3]
Entering 2012: With Jesus Montero beginning the year in the big leagues, many saw d'Arnaud as the top catching prospect in the minors. Acquired from Philadelphia in the Roy Halladay deal, d'Arnaud's athleticism always offered plenty of promise, and it looked like it was paying off after he won Eastern League MVP honors last season with a .311/.371/.542 year at Double-A New Hampshire.
The situation: Playing at Triple-A Las Vegas, one of the best places to hit in all of baseball, d'Arnaud has managed just one home run in 15 games and needed a five-game hitting streak to get his averages to .222/.306/.333.
Why it's not a big deal: There are good signs in d'Arnaud's line if one looks hard enough, as he's walking more than ever to go with an extremely low BABIP that suggests that some of this might just be bad luck. He had offseason surgery to repair torn ligaments in his thumb and might still be feeling the effects in his swing mechanics.
Why you should be concerned: D'Arnaud's 2011 season created tremendous hype, but there are scouts out there who, while impressed, saw him as playing above his head and projected him to be more of a good future everyday catcher than a future All-Star. Others saw him as a mistake hitter, and while the veteran arms that fill up Triple-A often lack stuff, they do make far fewer mistakes than the young guns at Double-A.
[h3]Robbie Grossman, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates[/h3]
Entering 2012: Grossman became a statistical darling in 2011 when he hit .294/.418/.451 in 134 games at High-A Bradenton and led the minor leagues with 104 walks. He followed that up with a big showing in the Arizona Fall League during his first exposure to upper-level pitching.
The situation: Currently mired in a 1-for-17 slump, Grossman is now batting just .194/.296/.290 at Double-A Altoona with one home run in 16 games.
Why it's not a big deal: Grossman's showing in Arizona was ended in November when he required surgery for a fractured hamate bone. While the procedure allows for a quick return to action, it often takes months for a player to be fully comfortable in letting the bat fly, and power can take up to a full season to return. He's still walking, so the approach is still there.
Why you should be concerned: Grossman's 2011 breakout came while repeating a level, which is always a bit of a red flag. There has always been a bit too much swing-and-miss in his game for some scouts, and he's whiffed in more than a quarter of his at-bats.
Kevin Goldstein covers baseball for ESPN Insider. He has worked for Baseball Prospectus since 2006, where he is a national writer, and has covered the sport for a decade, with a focus on scouting, prospects and player development. He has previously worked for Baseball America and the self-started The Prospect Report. You can find his ESPN archives here, and follow him on Twitter here.
Here's a look at a sextet of slow starts and why you should be concerned … or not.
[h3]Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals[/h3]
Entering 2012: Arguably the best prospect, and certainly the most hyped, Nationals manager Davey Johnson lobbied to break camp with Harper in the big leagues, but it was ultimately agreed upon that the outfielder would begin the year at Triple-A with the expectation of hitting the big leagues before his 20th birthday.
The situation: It took 16 games for Harper to finally connect on his first home run of the season, and after 17 games, he's hitting just .234/.300/.375.
Why it's not a big deal: He's 19, folks. Nineteen. There are players older than him who are off to good starts that have fans excited, but they are playing three levels below Harper. The fact he's merely holding his own at Triple-A is a tribute to his remarkable talent, and he's a player with a history of initial struggles at new levels.
Why you should be concerned: Harper has struggled against Triple-A veterans who can hit their spots while delivering him a steady diet of off-speed stuff, especially left-handers -- against whom he's hitting just .190. Some of his struggles have come from pressing and over-swinging, as at times he seems to be trying to hit three home runs per at-bat.
[h3]Dellin Betances, RHP, New York Yankees[/h3]
Entering 2012: One of the top pitching prospects in the Yankees' system, Betances' career took off after he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He made his big league debut in 2011 and began the 2012 season with a career rate of 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The situation: Control has never been Betances' strong suit, and after a strong debut, he's reeled off three straight bad starts, giving him an 8.83 ERA in 17⅓ innings with more walks (17) than strikeouts and the International League hitting .296 against him after a .208 mark last year. Because of his struggles to keep the ball in the strike zone, he's averaging nearly 21 pitches per inning.
Why it's not a big deal: Betances remains a physical beast at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds, and he still has two plus power pitches in a low-to-mid 90s fastball and power curve, while his changeup projects as at least average.
Why you should be concerned: While Betances had impressive numbers this spring, scouts noticed him struggling to finish a delivery that was already anything but athletic. Because of his injury history and inefficiency, many see a move to the bullpen in his future, but even then, a high walk rate would keep him out of late-inning situations.
[h3]Gary Brown, OF, San Francisco Giants[/h3]
Entering 2012: The 24th overall selection in the 2011 draft, Brown had an incredible full-season debut in 2011, batting .336/.407/.519 for High-A San Jose with 14 home runs and 53 stolen bases. Many were surprised that he did not move up to Double-A during the season, and with him starting there this year, the general assumption was that he could be pushing for a big league job by next spring.
The situation: Thanks to a two-hit game on Tuesday, Brown is finally comfortably above the Mendoza Line, batting a paltry .219/.333/.266 in 17 games.
Why it's not a big deal: Brown is a bit of a streaky hitter, and despite those impressive 2011 totals, he hit just .196 during a 25-game stretch in June. This could just be his June. His top-of-the-scale speed should help him leg out some singles eventually, and there has been no atrophy in his walk and strikeout ratios.
Why you should be concerned: Prospect history is littered with the names of those who put up huge numbers in the Cal League only to never come close to matching them again.
[h3]Travis d'Arnaud, C, Toronto Blue Jays[/h3]
Entering 2012: With Jesus Montero beginning the year in the big leagues, many saw d'Arnaud as the top catching prospect in the minors. Acquired from Philadelphia in the Roy Halladay deal, d'Arnaud's athleticism always offered plenty of promise, and it looked like it was paying off after he won Eastern League MVP honors last season with a .311/.371/.542 year at Double-A New Hampshire.
The situation: Playing at Triple-A Las Vegas, one of the best places to hit in all of baseball, d'Arnaud has managed just one home run in 15 games and needed a five-game hitting streak to get his averages to .222/.306/.333.
Why it's not a big deal: There are good signs in d'Arnaud's line if one looks hard enough, as he's walking more than ever to go with an extremely low BABIP that suggests that some of this might just be bad luck. He had offseason surgery to repair torn ligaments in his thumb and might still be feeling the effects in his swing mechanics.
Why you should be concerned: D'Arnaud's 2011 season created tremendous hype, but there are scouts out there who, while impressed, saw him as playing above his head and projected him to be more of a good future everyday catcher than a future All-Star. Others saw him as a mistake hitter, and while the veteran arms that fill up Triple-A often lack stuff, they do make far fewer mistakes than the young guns at Double-A.
[h3]Robbie Grossman, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates[/h3]
Entering 2012: Grossman became a statistical darling in 2011 when he hit .294/.418/.451 in 134 games at High-A Bradenton and led the minor leagues with 104 walks. He followed that up with a big showing in the Arizona Fall League during his first exposure to upper-level pitching.
The situation: Currently mired in a 1-for-17 slump, Grossman is now batting just .194/.296/.290 at Double-A Altoona with one home run in 16 games.
Why it's not a big deal: Grossman's showing in Arizona was ended in November when he required surgery for a fractured hamate bone. While the procedure allows for a quick return to action, it often takes months for a player to be fully comfortable in letting the bat fly, and power can take up to a full season to return. He's still walking, so the approach is still there.
Why you should be concerned: Grossman's 2011 breakout came while repeating a level, which is always a bit of a red flag. There has always been a bit too much swing-and-miss in his game for some scouts, and he's whiffed in more than a quarter of his at-bats.
Kevin Goldstein covers baseball for ESPN Insider. He has worked for Baseball Prospectus since 2006, where he is a national writer, and has covered the sport for a decade, with a focus on scouting, prospects and player development. He has previously worked for Baseball America and the self-started The Prospect Report. You can find his ESPN archives here, and follow him on Twitter here.
Rumors.
Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Santiago still the South Side closer[/h3]
10:08AM ET
[h5]Chicago White Sox [/h5]
White Sox rookie manager Robin Ventura remains committed to rookie closer Hector Santiago -- at least for now.
Santiago surrendered his fourth home run in 6 1/3 innings and allowed five consecutive hits in Chicago's 5-4 loss to the A's in 14 innings Wednesday. Moments after a tough loss is never a good time to make a move, and Ventura stayed the course. "He's going to be fine," Ventura said.
The White Sox have a readily available replacement in Matt Thornton, who has 20 career saves and a 0.93 ERA in 11 appearances this season. If Ventura does consider a switch, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney doesn't expect any hints:
- Doug Mittler
[h5]Buster Olney[/h5]
Who closes on the South Side?
10:08AM ET
[h5]Chicago White Sox [/h5]
White Sox rookie manager Robin Ventura remains committed to rookie closer Hector Santiago -- at least for now.
Santiago surrendered his fourth home run in 6 1/3 innings and allowed five consecutive hits in Chicago's 5-4 loss to the A's in 14 innings Wednesday. Moments after a tough loss is never a good time to make a move, and Ventura stayed the course. "He's going to be fine," Ventura said.
The White Sox have a readily available replacement in Matt Thornton, who has 20 career saves and a 0.93 ERA in 11 appearances this season. If Ventura does consider a switch, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney doesn't expect any hints:
- Doug Mittler
Who closes on the South Side?
Matt Thornton, Hector Santiago, Chicago White Sox
http://[h3]Another replacement for Fister[/h3]
9:45AM ET
[h5]Detroit Tigers [/h5]
There may finally be signs of progress regarding Tigers righthander Doug Fister, who has been sidelined since the first weekend of the season with a strained left rib cage muscle.
Fister played catch on Wednesday and is scheduled to have a mound session on Thursday morning. While it might be a reach to say Fister will be back by the end of the month, Thursday's mound session at least puts a return in sight, says MLB.com's Jason Beck.
In the meantime, the Tigers will need another temporary replacement for Fister after Adam Wilk was sent back to the minor leagues following another rocky outing Wednesday night.
The Tigers have called up right-handed reliever Brayan Villarreal to take Wilk's roster spot, but will need a fifth starter on Monday against Kansas City. John Lowe of the Free Press say the Tigers could move lefthander Duane Below into the rotation. Below pitched two more scoreless innings Wednesday and hasn't allowed a run in his 12 relief innings this season.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Adam Wilk, Duane Below, Doug Fister, Detroit Tigers
http://[h3]A cozier Petco Park?[/h3]
9:21AM ET
[h5]San Diego Padres [/h5]
The New York Mets decided to bring in the fences at their cavernous home park. The San Diego Padres may look to follow suit.
Padres interim CEO Tom Garfinkel tells Bill Center of the Union Tribune. the club is officially considering moving in the fences at Petco Park before the 2013 season. Garfinkel wants Petco to remain a pitcher's park, but wouldn't mind if the expansive dimensions were a little less extreme.
In an update story, Center writes the idea of moving in the fences has the support of manager Bud Black and Padres' players.
The Mets brought in the fences at Citi Field this season and already have some tangible results. Last week, Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the Mets' first left-handed hitter to clear the left-field fence in the three-plus seasons at Citi Field. It took 250 games for a New York lefty to clear the fence formerly known as The Great Wall of Flushing.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Diego Padres
http://[h3]Hacker to start Friday for SFO?[/h3]
9:13AM ET
[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]
While the San Francisco Giants have not officially announced a starter for Friday's series opener against the Padres, it looks like it will be 29-year-old Eric Hacker.
Hacker's agent, Matt Sosnick, announced on his Twitter account that Hacker's contract will be purchased from Triple-A Fresno. Hacker, who is not on the 40-man roster, is 4-0 this season for the Grizzlies with a 2.19 ERA in 24.2 innings.
The Giants are in need of a spot starter due to a rainout last weekend in New York.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
San Francisco Giants
http://[h3]Could Reyes bat second?[/h3]
8:49AM ET
[h5]Jose Reyes | Marlins [/h5]
Could the Miami Marlins move their $106 million shortstop out of the leadoff spot?
Manager Ozzie Guillen said he has given "thought" to flip-flopping his one-two hitters - Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio - but intends to keep things the way they are, at least for the time being, reports Clark Spencer of Miami Herald.
The move would be a bold one given Reyes' status as one of baseball's elite leadoff hitters, even if he is hitting just .217 in his first 17 games for the Fish. Reyes has batted second in a lineup just 44 times in his career.
"Let's keep them there a few more days, to see if it works [out]," Guillen said.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Emilio Bonifacio, Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins
http://[h3]No plans to promote Trout[/h3]
8:27AM ET
[h5]Mike Trout | Angels [/h5]
When the Los Angeles Angels sent Mike Trout to the minors near the end of spring training, the baseball world understood the move. The top prospect had a sore shoulder and was coming back from an illness, suggesting he needed some time in the minors to get back on track health-wise -- not to mention the idea that he needed a little more seasoning.
The Pacific Coast League is a notorious hitter's haven, but Trout is proving he's back to full health -- and will be ready to help the Angels this year. The question, of course, is when.
Despite the Halos' recent offensive woes, the Halos are not planning on promoting Trout at this time."I don't believe anything is imminent," manager Mike Scioscia tells the Los Angeles Times Wednesday.
We speculated earlier this week that Trout could reach the majors by June due to the struggles of center fielder Peter Bourjos (.186) and left fielder Vernon Wells (.239). Scioscia insists the Angels will promote Trout only if there is a significant role for him.
Through Wednesday's games. the phenom is batting .419/.483/.649.
- Jason Catania and Doug Mittler
Trout will make an impact in 2012
Tags:
Los Angeles Angels, Peter Bourjos, Vernon Wells, Mike Trout
http://[h3]No ETA for Sizemore[/h3]
8:08AM ET
[h5]Grady Sizemore | Indians [/h5]
Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore worked out at Progressive Field Wednesday for the first time since undergoing surgery for a herniated disc on March 1, but the team does not have a concrete timetable for his return, reports Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer.
When Sizemore underwent back surgery, his timetable to return was put at eight to 12 weeks. He is expected to begin swinging a bat over the weekend.
Manager Manny Acta has been forced to juggle his outfield in recent days due to a hamstring injury to Shin-Soo Choo. Hoynes reports that the injury will not prompt the Tribe to fast-track the debut of Johnny Damon, who is playing in extended spring-training games after going unsigned this winter.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Johnny Damon, Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
http://[h3]DL still possible for Zimmerman[/h3]
7:44AM ET
[h5]Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals [/h5]
The Washington Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman exhaled Wednesday after receiving the results from the MRI that revealed no structural damage to the third baseman's ailing shoulder. While Zimmerman will not miss extended time, a trip to the disabled list remains a possibility, reports Adam Kilgore.
Zimmerman, who has not played in close to a week, will try again to swing the bat on Thursday. If the inflammation persists, Zimmerman could serve a backdated trip to the disabled list, allowing him to return for a Sunday night ESPN broadcast against the Phillies on May 6.
If Zimmerman lands on the disabled list, manager Davey Johnson said he would use Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi to replace Zimmerman at third base. As for possible call-ups, the Nats could chose from Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels and Mark Teahen. Kilgore also mentions Tyler Moore, who has six homers in 17 career games at Triple-A.
The Nats can only cross their fingers that the injury to Zimmerman, who agreed to a lucrative six-year extension earlier this year, is nothing serious. In his seven-plus seasons, Zimmerman already has had lengthy stints on the DL due to an abdominal strain and a labral tear in the left shoulder.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Washington Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark DeRosa, Chad Tracy
http://[h3]More trades for the Red Sox?[/h3]
7:28AM ET
[h5]Carl Crawford | Red Sox [/h5]
It's looking more and more like the Boston Red Sox will be without Carl Crawford for an extended period of time, as the outfielder is set to see Dr. James Andrews to have his elbow examined, and that visit rarely results in good news.
Crawford had wrist surgery but began feeling pain and discomfort in his elbow while rehabbing, and now there's a chance he misses most or all of 2012.
Manager Bobby Valentine called the visit to Andrews "a fact-finding mission" and not a precursor to surgery.
The Reds Sox are 7-10 and sit 3 1/2 games back of the rest of the division, but if they remain in the race there's a chance Marlon Byrd is not the last trade acquisition GM Ben Cherington makes this season. Among those the club could target include Baltimore's Adam Jones, Minnesota's Denard Span, Indians right fielder Shin-soo Choo and Alex Rios, the Chicago White sox right fielder.
- Jason A. Churchill
Cutting your losses on Crawford
Tags:
Denard Span, Adam Jones, Shin-Soo Choo, Alex Rios, Carl Crawford, Cody Ross, Ryan Sweeney, Darnell McDonald, Marlon Byrd, Boston Red Sox
http://[h3]Pettitte back by middle of May?[/h3]
7:17AM ET
[h5]Andy Pettitte | Yankees [/h5]
With Michael Pineda lost for the season, the return of Andy Pettitte to the New York Yankees' rotation is more necessity than luxury. The lefthander moved a step closer to the Bronx Wednesday Yankees by pitching five innings for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
Pettitte, who decided in spring training to end his year-long retirement, is expected to make at least two more minor league starts before he could be ready for the big leagues, possibly by May 10, says Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
Pettitte allowed four runs -- three earned -- against the Erie SeaWolves. The Yankees have not yet decided when and where Pettitte will make his next minor league start.
Pineda will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder and will be out for the rest of the season. The Yankees already were preparing to be without Pineda for the near term and Pettitte is being counted on to bolster a rotation that has endured rocky starts from Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes.
- Doug Mittler
Tags:
Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees
http://[h3]Season-ending surgery for Pelfrey?[/h3]
6:53AM ET
[h5]Mike Pelfrey | Mets [/h5]
Even if Mike Pelfrey has not reached the expectations the Mets had for him when they make him a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, they could always count on his durability. That changed Tuesday when the righthander landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The Mets, for now, says Pelfrey is diagnosed only with right elbow inflammation, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com says team officials are aware Pelfrey has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and are bracing to lose him to season-ending surgery.
A Daily News report said there was a "feeling among teammates" that Pelfrey could be headed to Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey, who has averaged close to 200 innings in each of his last four seasons, had a stellar 2.29 ERA in his first three starts.
Pelfrey told reporters he expects to find out his MRI results on Thursday.
The Mets are leaning toward promoting Chris Schwinden from Buffalo to take Pelfrey's spot in the rotation, beginning Friday in Colorado.
Pelfrey could be tempted to have surgery sooner rather than later. He is a free agent after next season and needs to get back as soon as possible to restore his market value.
- Doug Mittler
How Much Trouble Are the Angels In?
Is There Hope for Gordon Beckham?
Michael Pineda Diagnosed With Torn Labrum.
Spoiler [+]
It’s April 26th, so it’s just too early to jump to any conclusions based on what has happened thus far in 2012. There are 140+ games still to go in the season, and as we’ve seen before, the standings at the end of April often don’t look like the standings at the end of September. Three weeks of baseball shouldn’t have changed our minds too much about what we believed to be true before the season began. That the Angels are 6-12, and that Albert Pujols has yet to hit a home run, should not lead us to believe that the Angels are a bad team or that Pujols run as an elite hitter has come to an end.
However, April counts too, and it couldn’t have gone much worse for Anaheim than it did. Not only have they struggled out of the gates, but Texas has blitzed through the American League, and currently hold an 8 1/2 game lead over the Angels in the American League West. Even if we still believe that the Angels are capable of outplaying the Rangers over the rest of the season – and we should – the hole they have to dig out of has become so large that winning their division has become significantly less likely.
For instance, here’s a few examples of what it would take for the Angels to win the AL West by a margin of one game, with all of these scenarios needing to begin immediately:
Angels play .600 baseball (97 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 92 wins. Rangers play .531 baseball (86 win pace), finish with 91 wins.
Angels play .575 baseball (93 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with with 89 wins. Rangers play .510 baseball (83 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 88 wins.
Angels play .550 baseball (89 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 85 wins. Rangers play .483 baseball (78 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 84 wins.
Before the season began, most projections had the Angels as an 89-93 win team, so if we assume that April has taught us nothing more than what we knew about their roster than we knew at the end of March, then we’d probably expect the Angels to play somewhere between scenario B and C, finishing with a win total in the mid-80s. It’s possible that they could catch fire and end up with 90+ wins, but that’s an unlikely bet at this point.
For some recent historical perspective, here are the teams who posted a winning percentage below .400 in their first 18 games of the season last year, followed by their rest-of-season winning percentage and end-of-year win totals:
Boston: 7-11 (.389), 83-61 (.576) in next 144, 90-72 overall
Houston: 7-11 (.389), 49-95 (.340) in next 144, 56-106 overall
Minnesota: 6-12 (.333), 57-87 (.396) in next 144, 63-99 overall
Seattle: 6-12 (.333), 61-83 (.424) in next 144, 67-95 overall
NY Mets: 5-13 (.27
, 72-72 (.500) in next 144, 77-85 overall
Boston is the example that the Angels are hoping to follow, minus the whole September collapse thing. As they showed last year, a slow start doesn’t have to end your season, and can be overcome with strong play throughout the summer. However, that slow start also didn’t leave the Red Sox with enough margin for error, and having another slump later in the season proved to be too much to overcome.
What if we look back two years?
Chicago White Sox: 7-11 (.389), 81-63 (.563) over next 144, 88-74 overall
Cincinnati Reds: 7-11 (.389), 84-60 (.583) over next 144, 91-71 overall
Pittsburgh: 7-11 (.389), 50-94 (.347) over next 144, 57-105 overall
Kansas City: 7-11 (.399), 60-84 (.417) over next 144, 67-95 overall
Baltimore: 2-16 (.111), 64-80 (.444) over next 144, 66-96 overall
Perhaps we should amend the paragraph above and note that Cincinnati is really the example that the Angels are hoping to follow, as they turned their season around and ended up winning the NL Central. In fact, they made up exactly 8.5 games over their final 144 over St. Louis, so even had the Cardinals gotten off to a Rangers-like start to the season, the Reds still would have been able to run them down and take the division. On the other hand, though, the White Sox season shows the perils of an early hole, as they played well over their final 144 games but didn’t gain any ground on Minnesota – the difference in the final standings turned out to be exactly the size of the gap they built over their first 18 games.
However, things are a bit different this year, as the addition of a second wild card lowers the barrier to entry for post-season baseball. The 2010 White Sox would have finished just one game behind Boston for that second wild card spot had the system been in place then, and likely would have adjusted their end-of-season strategy to try and make up that small difference. At the very least, they’d have been in contention all year, even after their slow start.
And, of course, last year’s Red Sox would have won the second wild card, and their season would not have ended after Game 162. Under the current system, at least two and possibly three of the teams that started slow over the last two years would have ended up playing post-season baseball. Given the hole that the Angels have dug for themselves, a 20-30% chance of at least getting into the one game playoff should be encouraging.
The Angels have played poorly, but not as poorly as their record would indicate. In fact, the next time someone tells you that that their offensive struggles to this point in the season show that they don’t have the bats to be a legitimate contender, point out that their offensive batting line (.252/.303/.376) is nearly identical to that of the vaunted Tigers offense (.244/.305/.389). Once Ervin Santana stops giving up home runs at a record pace and Albert Pujols remembers how to hit balls over the fence, the Angels will start winning games. Can they win enough to overcome the early lead they’ve given the Rangers? Probably not, but the new playoff structure should give them at least a fighting chance to still get into the post-season.
However, April counts too, and it couldn’t have gone much worse for Anaheim than it did. Not only have they struggled out of the gates, but Texas has blitzed through the American League, and currently hold an 8 1/2 game lead over the Angels in the American League West. Even if we still believe that the Angels are capable of outplaying the Rangers over the rest of the season – and we should – the hole they have to dig out of has become so large that winning their division has become significantly less likely.
For instance, here’s a few examples of what it would take for the Angels to win the AL West by a margin of one game, with all of these scenarios needing to begin immediately:
Angels play .600 baseball (97 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 92 wins. Rangers play .531 baseball (86 win pace), finish with 91 wins.
Angels play .575 baseball (93 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with with 89 wins. Rangers play .510 baseball (83 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 88 wins.
Angels play .550 baseball (89 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 85 wins. Rangers play .483 baseball (78 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 84 wins.
Before the season began, most projections had the Angels as an 89-93 win team, so if we assume that April has taught us nothing more than what we knew about their roster than we knew at the end of March, then we’d probably expect the Angels to play somewhere between scenario B and C, finishing with a win total in the mid-80s. It’s possible that they could catch fire and end up with 90+ wins, but that’s an unlikely bet at this point.
For some recent historical perspective, here are the teams who posted a winning percentage below .400 in their first 18 games of the season last year, followed by their rest-of-season winning percentage and end-of-year win totals:
Boston: 7-11 (.389), 83-61 (.576) in next 144, 90-72 overall
Houston: 7-11 (.389), 49-95 (.340) in next 144, 56-106 overall
Minnesota: 6-12 (.333), 57-87 (.396) in next 144, 63-99 overall
Seattle: 6-12 (.333), 61-83 (.424) in next 144, 67-95 overall
NY Mets: 5-13 (.27
, 72-72 (.500) in next 144, 77-85 overallBoston is the example that the Angels are hoping to follow, minus the whole September collapse thing. As they showed last year, a slow start doesn’t have to end your season, and can be overcome with strong play throughout the summer. However, that slow start also didn’t leave the Red Sox with enough margin for error, and having another slump later in the season proved to be too much to overcome.
What if we look back two years?
Chicago White Sox: 7-11 (.389), 81-63 (.563) over next 144, 88-74 overall
Cincinnati Reds: 7-11 (.389), 84-60 (.583) over next 144, 91-71 overall
Pittsburgh: 7-11 (.389), 50-94 (.347) over next 144, 57-105 overall
Kansas City: 7-11 (.399), 60-84 (.417) over next 144, 67-95 overall
Baltimore: 2-16 (.111), 64-80 (.444) over next 144, 66-96 overall
Perhaps we should amend the paragraph above and note that Cincinnati is really the example that the Angels are hoping to follow, as they turned their season around and ended up winning the NL Central. In fact, they made up exactly 8.5 games over their final 144 over St. Louis, so even had the Cardinals gotten off to a Rangers-like start to the season, the Reds still would have been able to run them down and take the division. On the other hand, though, the White Sox season shows the perils of an early hole, as they played well over their final 144 games but didn’t gain any ground on Minnesota – the difference in the final standings turned out to be exactly the size of the gap they built over their first 18 games.
However, things are a bit different this year, as the addition of a second wild card lowers the barrier to entry for post-season baseball. The 2010 White Sox would have finished just one game behind Boston for that second wild card spot had the system been in place then, and likely would have adjusted their end-of-season strategy to try and make up that small difference. At the very least, they’d have been in contention all year, even after their slow start.
And, of course, last year’s Red Sox would have won the second wild card, and their season would not have ended after Game 162. Under the current system, at least two and possibly three of the teams that started slow over the last two years would have ended up playing post-season baseball. Given the hole that the Angels have dug for themselves, a 20-30% chance of at least getting into the one game playoff should be encouraging.
The Angels have played poorly, but not as poorly as their record would indicate. In fact, the next time someone tells you that that their offensive struggles to this point in the season show that they don’t have the bats to be a legitimate contender, point out that their offensive batting line (.252/.303/.376) is nearly identical to that of the vaunted Tigers offense (.244/.305/.389). Once Ervin Santana stops giving up home runs at a record pace and Albert Pujols remembers how to hit balls over the fence, the Angels will start winning games. Can they win enough to overcome the early lead they’ve given the Rangers? Probably not, but the new playoff structure should give them at least a fighting chance to still get into the post-season.
Is There Hope for Gordon Beckham?
Spoiler [+]
Gordon Beckham has not lived up to expectations. After being selected eighth overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2008, Beckham was expected to be one of the team’s future stars. And after a strong rookie season, it looked like Beckham might achieve that goal. Since then, however, Beckham was struggled mightily. For the 25-year-old, 2012 is a make-or-break year. The early signs do not look encouraging.
While it’s still early, Beckham has been terrible this season. Through 55 plate appearances, Beckham is hitting just .188/.255/.240. He’s also struck out at a 23.6% clip, the worst rate of his career. Since his promising debut, Beckham has turned into one of the worst regulars in the game. On any other team, Beckham’s job security would be in jeopardy.
Problem is, the White Sox don’t have a strong in-house replacement. Brent Lillibridge posted a higher WAR than Beckham last season despite receiving 300 fewer plate appearances, but his breakout isn’t sustainable. Considering Lillibridge struck out 28.7% of the time last year, it was a miracle he hit .258. And while he slugged .505, he had never approached that level of power in his professional career. Marc Hulet may have ranked Eduardo Escobar eighth on the White Sox top prospect list, but his bat won’t play in the majors. He would likely be a non-prospect on any other team. Since the White Sox have no immediate replacements, Beckham should continue to get opportunities to prove himself.
Considering his track record, Beckham may struggle to produce much value. Very few second basemen go on to have strong careers after struggling as much as Beckham has early in his career. Using our age filters, I looked at second basemen over the past forty years who produced similar value to Beckham between their age-22 and age-24 seasons.
[table][tr][th=""]Name[/th][th=""]PA[/th][th=""]BB%[/th][th=""]K%[/th][th=""]AVG[/th][th=""]OBP[/th][th=""]SLG[/th][th=""]wOBA[/th][th=""]WAR[/th][/tr][tr][td]Asdrubal Cabrera[/td][td]1424[/td][td]8.10%[/td][td]15.90%[/td][td]0.284[/td][td]0.346[/td][td]0.390[/td][td]0.327[/td][td]5.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Glenn Hubbard[/td][td]1505[/td][td]9.40%[/td][td]12.60%[/td][td]0.245[/td][td]0.318[/td][td]0.357[/td][td]0.306[/td][td]4.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rickie Weeks[/td][td]1333[/td][td]11.10%[/td][td]22.80%[/td][td]0.250[/td][td]0.357[/td][td]0.411[/td][td]0.347[/td][td]4.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Gordon Beckham[/td][td]1485[/td][td]7.60%[/td][td]18.00%[/td][td]0.249[/td][td]0.318[/td][td]0.386[/td][td]0.311[/td][td]4.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Aaron Hill[/td][td]1013[/td][td]7.50%[/td][td]10.60%[/td][td]0.284[/td][td]0.346[/td][td]0.386[/td][td]0.322[/td][td]4.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jose Lopez[/td][td]1903[/td][td]3.80%[/td][td]11.10%[/td][td]0.278[/td][td]0.310[/td][td]0.404[/td][td]0.309[/td][td]3.4[/td][/tr][/table]
That’s not a very encouraging list. Aside from Weeks, the other players on the list don’t inspire a ton of confidence. When healthy, Weeks has proven that he’s one of the better second basemen in the game. Hubbard and Lopez had lengthy careers, but neither can be considered great full-time options at the position. And the juries are still out on Hill and Cabrera. Both players have experienced success in the past, but have failed to sustain it. After a strong 2009 — in which he posted a 4.1 WAR — Hill has been an awful everyday player. After a strong 2009, Cabrera collapsed in 2010. While he rebounded back to a 3.6 WAR last year, he’ll have to prove that it wasn’t a fluke.
But Beckham may even be able to reach that level of success in the majors. By their age-25 seasons, Weeks and Cabrera had each posted one season with a 3+ WAR. While Hill wasn’t that good early on, he didn’t reach the majors until he was 23-years-old. Even though he played one fewer season, Hill still managed to post as much WAR as Beckham.
Beckham just hasn’t shown those same flashes of potential throughout his career. There aren’t many players who go on to have successful major league careers after scuffling as like Beckham. Unless Beckham can defy recent history, his time as a full-time player will be coming to an end very soon.
While it’s still early, Beckham has been terrible this season. Through 55 plate appearances, Beckham is hitting just .188/.255/.240. He’s also struck out at a 23.6% clip, the worst rate of his career. Since his promising debut, Beckham has turned into one of the worst regulars in the game. On any other team, Beckham’s job security would be in jeopardy.
Problem is, the White Sox don’t have a strong in-house replacement. Brent Lillibridge posted a higher WAR than Beckham last season despite receiving 300 fewer plate appearances, but his breakout isn’t sustainable. Considering Lillibridge struck out 28.7% of the time last year, it was a miracle he hit .258. And while he slugged .505, he had never approached that level of power in his professional career. Marc Hulet may have ranked Eduardo Escobar eighth on the White Sox top prospect list, but his bat won’t play in the majors. He would likely be a non-prospect on any other team. Since the White Sox have no immediate replacements, Beckham should continue to get opportunities to prove himself.
Considering his track record, Beckham may struggle to produce much value. Very few second basemen go on to have strong careers after struggling as much as Beckham has early in his career. Using our age filters, I looked at second basemen over the past forty years who produced similar value to Beckham between their age-22 and age-24 seasons.
[table][tr][th=""]Name[/th][th=""]PA[/th][th=""]BB%[/th][th=""]K%[/th][th=""]AVG[/th][th=""]OBP[/th][th=""]SLG[/th][th=""]wOBA[/th][th=""]WAR[/th][/tr][tr][td]Asdrubal Cabrera[/td][td]1424[/td][td]8.10%[/td][td]15.90%[/td][td]0.284[/td][td]0.346[/td][td]0.390[/td][td]0.327[/td][td]5.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Glenn Hubbard[/td][td]1505[/td][td]9.40%[/td][td]12.60%[/td][td]0.245[/td][td]0.318[/td][td]0.357[/td][td]0.306[/td][td]4.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rickie Weeks[/td][td]1333[/td][td]11.10%[/td][td]22.80%[/td][td]0.250[/td][td]0.357[/td][td]0.411[/td][td]0.347[/td][td]4.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Gordon Beckham[/td][td]1485[/td][td]7.60%[/td][td]18.00%[/td][td]0.249[/td][td]0.318[/td][td]0.386[/td][td]0.311[/td][td]4.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Aaron Hill[/td][td]1013[/td][td]7.50%[/td][td]10.60%[/td][td]0.284[/td][td]0.346[/td][td]0.386[/td][td]0.322[/td][td]4.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jose Lopez[/td][td]1903[/td][td]3.80%[/td][td]11.10%[/td][td]0.278[/td][td]0.310[/td][td]0.404[/td][td]0.309[/td][td]3.4[/td][/tr][/table]
That’s not a very encouraging list. Aside from Weeks, the other players on the list don’t inspire a ton of confidence. When healthy, Weeks has proven that he’s one of the better second basemen in the game. Hubbard and Lopez had lengthy careers, but neither can be considered great full-time options at the position. And the juries are still out on Hill and Cabrera. Both players have experienced success in the past, but have failed to sustain it. After a strong 2009 — in which he posted a 4.1 WAR — Hill has been an awful everyday player. After a strong 2009, Cabrera collapsed in 2010. While he rebounded back to a 3.6 WAR last year, he’ll have to prove that it wasn’t a fluke.
But Beckham may even be able to reach that level of success in the majors. By their age-25 seasons, Weeks and Cabrera had each posted one season with a 3+ WAR. While Hill wasn’t that good early on, he didn’t reach the majors until he was 23-years-old. Even though he played one fewer season, Hill still managed to post as much WAR as Beckham.
Beckham just hasn’t shown those same flashes of potential throughout his career. There aren’t many players who go on to have successful major league careers after scuffling as like Beckham. Unless Beckham can defy recent history, his time as a full-time player will be coming to an end very soon.
Michael Pineda Diagnosed With Torn Labrum.
Spoiler [+]
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, Michael Pineda has been diagnosed with an “anterior labral tear
How Much Trouble Are the Angels In?
Is There Hope for Gordon Beckham?
Michael Pineda Diagnosed With Torn Labrum.
Spoiler [+]
It’s April 26th, so it’s just too early to jump to any conclusions based on what has happened thus far in 2012. There are 140+ games still to go in the season, and as we’ve seen before, the standings at the end of April often don’t look like the standings at the end of September. Three weeks of baseball shouldn’t have changed our minds too much about what we believed to be true before the season began. That the Angels are 6-12, and that Albert Pujols has yet to hit a home run, should not lead us to believe that the Angels are a bad team or that Pujols run as an elite hitter has come to an end.
However, April counts too, and it couldn’t have gone much worse for Anaheim than it did. Not only have they struggled out of the gates, but Texas has blitzed through the American League, and currently hold an 8 1/2 game lead over the Angels in the American League West. Even if we still believe that the Angels are capable of outplaying the Rangers over the rest of the season – and we should – the hole they have to dig out of has become so large that winning their division has become significantly less likely.
For instance, here’s a few examples of what it would take for the Angels to win the AL West by a margin of one game, with all of these scenarios needing to begin immediately:
Angels play .600 baseball (97 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 92 wins. Rangers play .531 baseball (86 win pace), finish with 91 wins.
Angels play .575 baseball (93 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with with 89 wins. Rangers play .510 baseball (83 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 88 wins.
Angels play .550 baseball (89 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 85 wins. Rangers play .483 baseball (78 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 84 wins.
Before the season began, most projections had the Angels as an 89-93 win team, so if we assume that April has taught us nothing more than what we knew about their roster than we knew at the end of March, then we’d probably expect the Angels to play somewhere between scenario B and C, finishing with a win total in the mid-80s. It’s possible that they could catch fire and end up with 90+ wins, but that’s an unlikely bet at this point.
For some recent historical perspective, here are the teams who posted a winning percentage below .400 in their first 18 games of the season last year, followed by their rest-of-season winning percentage and end-of-year win totals:
Boston: 7-11 (.389), 83-61 (.576) in next 144, 90-72 overall
Houston: 7-11 (.389), 49-95 (.340) in next 144, 56-106 overall
Minnesota: 6-12 (.333), 57-87 (.396) in next 144, 63-99 overall
Seattle: 6-12 (.333), 61-83 (.424) in next 144, 67-95 overall
NY Mets: 5-13 (.27, 72-72 (.500) in next 144, 77-85 overall
Boston is the example that the Angels are hoping to follow, minus the whole September collapse thing. As they showed last year, a slow start doesn’t have to end your season, and can be overcome with strong play throughout the summer. However, that slow start also didn’t leave the Red Sox with enough margin for error, and having another slump later in the season proved to be too much to overcome.
What if we look back two years?
Chicago White Sox: 7-11 (.389), 81-63 (.563) over next 144, 88-74 overall
Cincinnati Reds: 7-11 (.389), 84-60 (.583) over next 144, 91-71 overall
Pittsburgh: 7-11 (.389), 50-94 (.347) over next 144, 57-105 overall
Kansas City: 7-11 (.399), 60-84 (.417) over next 144, 67-95 overall
Baltimore: 2-16 (.111), 64-80 (.444) over next 144, 66-96 overall
Perhaps we should amend the paragraph above and note that Cincinnati is really the example that the Angels are hoping to follow, as they turned their season around and ended up winning the NL Central. In fact, they made up exactly 8.5 games over their final 144 over St. Louis, so even had the Cardinals gotten off to a Rangers-like start to the season, the Reds still would have been able to run them down and take the division. On the other hand, though, the White Sox season shows the perils of an early hole, as they played well over their final 144 games but didn’t gain any ground on Minnesota – the difference in the final standings turned out to be exactly the size of the gap they built over their first 18 games.
However, things are a bit different this year, as the addition of a second wild card lowers the barrier to entry for post-season baseball. The 2010 White Sox would have finished just one game behind Boston for that second wild card spot had the system been in place then, and likely would have adjusted their end-of-season strategy to try and make up that small difference. At the very least, they’d have been in contention all year, even after their slow start.
And, of course, last year’s Red Sox would have won the second wild card, and their season would not have ended after Game 162. Under the current system, at least two and possibly three of the teams that started slow over the last two years would have ended up playing post-season baseball. Given the hole that the Angels have dug for themselves, a 20-30% chance of at least getting into the one game playoff should be encouraging.
The Angels have played poorly, but not as poorly as their record would indicate. In fact, the next time someone tells you that that their offensive struggles to this point in the season show that they don’t have the bats to be a legitimate contender, point out that their offensive batting line (.252/.303/.376) is nearly identical to that of the vaunted Tigers offense (.244/.305/.389). Once Ervin Santana stops giving up home runs at a record pace and Albert Pujols remembers how to hit balls over the fence, the Angels will start winning games. Can they win enough to overcome the early lead they’ve given the Rangers? Probably not, but the new playoff structure should give them at least a fighting chance to still get into the post-season.
However, April counts too, and it couldn’t have gone much worse for Anaheim than it did. Not only have they struggled out of the gates, but Texas has blitzed through the American League, and currently hold an 8 1/2 game lead over the Angels in the American League West. Even if we still believe that the Angels are capable of outplaying the Rangers over the rest of the season – and we should – the hole they have to dig out of has become so large that winning their division has become significantly less likely.
For instance, here’s a few examples of what it would take for the Angels to win the AL West by a margin of one game, with all of these scenarios needing to begin immediately:
Angels play .600 baseball (97 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 92 wins. Rangers play .531 baseball (86 win pace), finish with 91 wins.
Angels play .575 baseball (93 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with with 89 wins. Rangers play .510 baseball (83 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 88 wins.
Angels play .550 baseball (89 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 85 wins. Rangers play .483 baseball (78 win pace) over remainder of season, finish with 84 wins.
Before the season began, most projections had the Angels as an 89-93 win team, so if we assume that April has taught us nothing more than what we knew about their roster than we knew at the end of March, then we’d probably expect the Angels to play somewhere between scenario B and C, finishing with a win total in the mid-80s. It’s possible that they could catch fire and end up with 90+ wins, but that’s an unlikely bet at this point.
For some recent historical perspective, here are the teams who posted a winning percentage below .400 in their first 18 games of the season last year, followed by their rest-of-season winning percentage and end-of-year win totals:
Boston: 7-11 (.389), 83-61 (.576) in next 144, 90-72 overall
Houston: 7-11 (.389), 49-95 (.340) in next 144, 56-106 overall
Minnesota: 6-12 (.333), 57-87 (.396) in next 144, 63-99 overall
Seattle: 6-12 (.333), 61-83 (.424) in next 144, 67-95 overall
NY Mets: 5-13 (.27
, 72-72 (.500) in next 144, 77-85 overallBoston is the example that the Angels are hoping to follow, minus the whole September collapse thing. As they showed last year, a slow start doesn’t have to end your season, and can be overcome with strong play throughout the summer. However, that slow start also didn’t leave the Red Sox with enough margin for error, and having another slump later in the season proved to be too much to overcome.
What if we look back two years?
Chicago White Sox: 7-11 (.389), 81-63 (.563) over next 144, 88-74 overall
Cincinnati Reds: 7-11 (.389), 84-60 (.583) over next 144, 91-71 overall
Pittsburgh: 7-11 (.389), 50-94 (.347) over next 144, 57-105 overall
Kansas City: 7-11 (.399), 60-84 (.417) over next 144, 67-95 overall
Baltimore: 2-16 (.111), 64-80 (.444) over next 144, 66-96 overall
Perhaps we should amend the paragraph above and note that Cincinnati is really the example that the Angels are hoping to follow, as they turned their season around and ended up winning the NL Central. In fact, they made up exactly 8.5 games over their final 144 over St. Louis, so even had the Cardinals gotten off to a Rangers-like start to the season, the Reds still would have been able to run them down and take the division. On the other hand, though, the White Sox season shows the perils of an early hole, as they played well over their final 144 games but didn’t gain any ground on Minnesota – the difference in the final standings turned out to be exactly the size of the gap they built over their first 18 games.
However, things are a bit different this year, as the addition of a second wild card lowers the barrier to entry for post-season baseball. The 2010 White Sox would have finished just one game behind Boston for that second wild card spot had the system been in place then, and likely would have adjusted their end-of-season strategy to try and make up that small difference. At the very least, they’d have been in contention all year, even after their slow start.
And, of course, last year’s Red Sox would have won the second wild card, and their season would not have ended after Game 162. Under the current system, at least two and possibly three of the teams that started slow over the last two years would have ended up playing post-season baseball. Given the hole that the Angels have dug for themselves, a 20-30% chance of at least getting into the one game playoff should be encouraging.
The Angels have played poorly, but not as poorly as their record would indicate. In fact, the next time someone tells you that that their offensive struggles to this point in the season show that they don’t have the bats to be a legitimate contender, point out that their offensive batting line (.252/.303/.376) is nearly identical to that of the vaunted Tigers offense (.244/.305/.389). Once Ervin Santana stops giving up home runs at a record pace and Albert Pujols remembers how to hit balls over the fence, the Angels will start winning games. Can they win enough to overcome the early lead they’ve given the Rangers? Probably not, but the new playoff structure should give them at least a fighting chance to still get into the post-season.
Is There Hope for Gordon Beckham?
Spoiler [+]
Gordon Beckham has not lived up to expectations. After being selected eighth overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2008, Beckham was expected to be one of the team’s future stars. And after a strong rookie season, it looked like Beckham might achieve that goal. Since then, however, Beckham was struggled mightily. For the 25-year-old, 2012 is a make-or-break year. The early signs do not look encouraging.
While it’s still early, Beckham has been terrible this season. Through 55 plate appearances, Beckham is hitting just .188/.255/.240. He’s also struck out at a 23.6% clip, the worst rate of his career. Since his promising debut, Beckham has turned into one of the worst regulars in the game. On any other team, Beckham’s job security would be in jeopardy.
Problem is, the White Sox don’t have a strong in-house replacement. Brent Lillibridge posted a higher WAR than Beckham last season despite receiving 300 fewer plate appearances, but his breakout isn’t sustainable. Considering Lillibridge struck out 28.7% of the time last year, it was a miracle he hit .258. And while he slugged .505, he had never approached that level of power in his professional career. Marc Hulet may have ranked Eduardo Escobar eighth on the White Sox top prospect list, but his bat won’t play in the majors. He would likely be a non-prospect on any other team. Since the White Sox have no immediate replacements, Beckham should continue to get opportunities to prove himself.
Considering his track record, Beckham may struggle to produce much value. Very few second basemen go on to have strong careers after struggling as much as Beckham has early in his career. Using our age filters, I looked at second basemen over the past forty years who produced similar value to Beckham between their age-22 and age-24 seasons.
[table][tr][th=""]Name[/th][th=""]PA[/th][th=""]BB%[/th][th=""]K%[/th][th=""]AVG[/th][th=""]OBP[/th][th=""]SLG[/th][th=""]wOBA[/th][th=""]WAR[/th][/tr][tr][td]Asdrubal Cabrera[/td][td]1424[/td][td]8.10%[/td][td]15.90%[/td][td]0.284[/td][td]0.346[/td][td]0.390[/td][td]0.327[/td][td]5.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Glenn Hubbard[/td][td]1505[/td][td]9.40%[/td][td]12.60%[/td][td]0.245[/td][td]0.318[/td][td]0.357[/td][td]0.306[/td][td]4.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rickie Weeks[/td][td]1333[/td][td]11.10%[/td][td]22.80%[/td][td]0.250[/td][td]0.357[/td][td]0.411[/td][td]0.347[/td][td]4.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Gordon Beckham[/td][td]1485[/td][td]7.60%[/td][td]18.00%[/td][td]0.249[/td][td]0.318[/td][td]0.386[/td][td]0.311[/td][td]4.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Aaron Hill[/td][td]1013[/td][td]7.50%[/td][td]10.60%[/td][td]0.284[/td][td]0.346[/td][td]0.386[/td][td]0.322[/td][td]4.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jose Lopez[/td][td]1903[/td][td]3.80%[/td][td]11.10%[/td][td]0.278[/td][td]0.310[/td][td]0.404[/td][td]0.309[/td][td]3.4[/td][/tr][/table]
That’s not a very encouraging list. Aside from Weeks, the other players on the list don’t inspire a ton of confidence. When healthy, Weeks has proven that he’s one of the better second basemen in the game. Hubbard and Lopez had lengthy careers, but neither can be considered great full-time options at the position. And the juries are still out on Hill and Cabrera. Both players have experienced success in the past, but have failed to sustain it. After a strong 2009 — in which he posted a 4.1 WAR — Hill has been an awful everyday player. After a strong 2009, Cabrera collapsed in 2010. While he rebounded back to a 3.6 WAR last year, he’ll have to prove that it wasn’t a fluke.
But Beckham may even be able to reach that level of success in the majors. By their age-25 seasons, Weeks and Cabrera had each posted one season with a 3+ WAR. While Hill wasn’t that good early on, he didn’t reach the majors until he was 23-years-old. Even though he played one fewer season, Hill still managed to post as much WAR as Beckham.
Beckham just hasn’t shown those same flashes of potential throughout his career. There aren’t many players who go on to have successful major league careers after scuffling as like Beckham. Unless Beckham can defy recent history, his time as a full-time player will be coming to an end very soon.
While it’s still early, Beckham has been terrible this season. Through 55 plate appearances, Beckham is hitting just .188/.255/.240. He’s also struck out at a 23.6% clip, the worst rate of his career. Since his promising debut, Beckham has turned into one of the worst regulars in the game. On any other team, Beckham’s job security would be in jeopardy.
Problem is, the White Sox don’t have a strong in-house replacement. Brent Lillibridge posted a higher WAR than Beckham last season despite receiving 300 fewer plate appearances, but his breakout isn’t sustainable. Considering Lillibridge struck out 28.7% of the time last year, it was a miracle he hit .258. And while he slugged .505, he had never approached that level of power in his professional career. Marc Hulet may have ranked Eduardo Escobar eighth on the White Sox top prospect list, but his bat won’t play in the majors. He would likely be a non-prospect on any other team. Since the White Sox have no immediate replacements, Beckham should continue to get opportunities to prove himself.
Considering his track record, Beckham may struggle to produce much value. Very few second basemen go on to have strong careers after struggling as much as Beckham has early in his career. Using our age filters, I looked at second basemen over the past forty years who produced similar value to Beckham between their age-22 and age-24 seasons.
[table][tr][th=""]Name[/th][th=""]PA[/th][th=""]BB%[/th][th=""]K%[/th][th=""]AVG[/th][th=""]OBP[/th][th=""]SLG[/th][th=""]wOBA[/th][th=""]WAR[/th][/tr][tr][td]Asdrubal Cabrera[/td][td]1424[/td][td]8.10%[/td][td]15.90%[/td][td]0.284[/td][td]0.346[/td][td]0.390[/td][td]0.327[/td][td]5.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Glenn Hubbard[/td][td]1505[/td][td]9.40%[/td][td]12.60%[/td][td]0.245[/td][td]0.318[/td][td]0.357[/td][td]0.306[/td][td]4.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rickie Weeks[/td][td]1333[/td][td]11.10%[/td][td]22.80%[/td][td]0.250[/td][td]0.357[/td][td]0.411[/td][td]0.347[/td][td]4.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Gordon Beckham[/td][td]1485[/td][td]7.60%[/td][td]18.00%[/td][td]0.249[/td][td]0.318[/td][td]0.386[/td][td]0.311[/td][td]4.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Aaron Hill[/td][td]1013[/td][td]7.50%[/td][td]10.60%[/td][td]0.284[/td][td]0.346[/td][td]0.386[/td][td]0.322[/td][td]4.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jose Lopez[/td][td]1903[/td][td]3.80%[/td][td]11.10%[/td][td]0.278[/td][td]0.310[/td][td]0.404[/td][td]0.309[/td][td]3.4[/td][/tr][/table]
That’s not a very encouraging list. Aside from Weeks, the other players on the list don’t inspire a ton of confidence. When healthy, Weeks has proven that he’s one of the better second basemen in the game. Hubbard and Lopez had lengthy careers, but neither can be considered great full-time options at the position. And the juries are still out on Hill and Cabrera. Both players have experienced success in the past, but have failed to sustain it. After a strong 2009 — in which he posted a 4.1 WAR — Hill has been an awful everyday player. After a strong 2009, Cabrera collapsed in 2010. While he rebounded back to a 3.6 WAR last year, he’ll have to prove that it wasn’t a fluke.
But Beckham may even be able to reach that level of success in the majors. By their age-25 seasons, Weeks and Cabrera had each posted one season with a 3+ WAR. While Hill wasn’t that good early on, he didn’t reach the majors until he was 23-years-old. Even though he played one fewer season, Hill still managed to post as much WAR as Beckham.
Beckham just hasn’t shown those same flashes of potential throughout his career. There aren’t many players who go on to have successful major league careers after scuffling as like Beckham. Unless Beckham can defy recent history, his time as a full-time player will be coming to an end very soon.
Michael Pineda Diagnosed With Torn Labrum.
Spoiler [+]
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, Michael Pineda has been diagnosed with an “anterior labral tear
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Originally Posted by JumpmanFromDaBay
The White Sox tv announcer is so annoying. Imagine having to hear him for 162 gamesno thanks
Na, he's great if you don't take him serious
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Originally Posted by JumpmanFromDaBay
The White Sox tv announcer is so annoying. Imagine having to hear him for 162 gamesno thanks
Na, he's great if you don't take him serious
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- Dec 29, 2002
Would've handed dude a blank check if never signed that deal and made it to FA.
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Would've handed dude a blank check if never signed that deal and made it to FA.
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Phillip Humber...not so perfect tonight
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Phillip Humber...not so perfect tonight
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More to this...
NEW YORK -- Detroit Tigers left fielder Delmon Young has been arrested on a hate crime assault charge after police say he attacked a group of men and yelled anti-Semitic epithets.
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...delmon-young-faces-hate-crime-charge-new-york
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- Mar 13, 2004
More to this...
NEW YORK -- Detroit Tigers left fielder Delmon Young has been arrested on a hate crime assault charge after police say he attacked a group of men and yelled anti-Semitic epithets.
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...delmon-young-faces-hate-crime-charge-new-york
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Damn.
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Damn.
dacomeup
Supporter
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Idiot.
dacomeup
Supporter
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Idiot.
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Dem Young boys and dat booze
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Dem Young boys and dat booze
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Watching the marlins is so damn frustrating. New team, new stadium, new location, same ol bull
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Watching the marlins is so damn frustrating. New team, new stadium, new location, same ol bull
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Patience, my friend. Rome wasn't built in a day. Mets will be in the cellar by the end of the season. Bell does look alarmingly bad early on.
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Patience, my friend. Rome wasn't built in a day. Mets will be in the cellar by the end of the season. Bell does look alarmingly bad early on.
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