Open Thread: 3/24 Camp Notes

March 24, 2014 by Mike Axisa

The Yankees were off on Monday and it was a full day off with no workouts scheduled at big league camp. It has been raining in Tampa for a good part of the day anyway, so even if they were scheduled to play, they likely would have been rained out. Here’s a recap of what did happen in camp today.

Ivan Nova went eight scoreless innings in an intrasquad minor league game before the rain, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out ten. He threw 91 pitches. Frankie Cervelli caught Nova and homered. [Chad Jennings]
The upcoming rotation: TBA (Tuesday), Chris Leroux (Wednesday), CC Sabathia (Thursday), Hiroki Kuroda (Friday), and either Nova or Masahiro Tanaka (Saturday, final spring game). David Phelps is lined up for tomorrow, for what it’s worth. Whoever doesn’t start Saturday’s game will likely pitch in a minor league game. Sabathia, Kuroda, and Nova will start the first three games of the regular season based on how they line up. [Jennings]
More from Jennings: The fifth starter decision has been made and will likely be announced tomorrow, after Girardi talks to the players. I’m pretty sure Phelps is not listed as tomorrow’s starter because he’s about to be moved into the bullpen, but we’ll see. The bullpen and bench decisions have not been made and those situations may not be resolved until the very end of camp.
Jacoby Ellsbury (calf) will DH in a minor league game tomorrow and get six or seven at-bats. If that goes well, he could return to regular Grapefruit League play on Wednesday. [Wally Matthews]
Tyler Austin (wrist) hit in a simulated game and could play in a minor league game tomorrow. He’s been working out at third and right field. Greg Bird (back) and Ty Hensley (hernia) will not start the season on time. Hensley is 3-4 weeks from throwing, so he might be out until midseason. It begins. Ronnie Mustelier has a hamstring injury and has not played at all this spring. [Jennings]
Donnie Collins has some more notes from minor league camp. Looks like Bruce Billings will get the ball on Opening Day for Triple-A Scranton, if you care about such things.

This is your open thread for the night. MLB Network will re-air two games tonight plus both the Nets and (hockey) Rangers are playing. Talk about whatever you like here.

Yankee$ (Formerly Pseudoyanks)

Holy crap. A hernia? Hensley? Geez.
- The Guns of Navarone
  
  Those things aren’t fun either. That sucks. I bet he can’t work out at all and keep in shape while it’s healing. I could barely laugh let alone do anything physical when I had one.
  - Yankee$ (Formerly Pseudoyanks)
    
    I’ve never had one but a friend recently described his experience with one and I’m hoping to never deal with one of those.
Jorge Steinbrenner

Hensley’s plan to be in the majors by 21 is in need of an adjustment, methinks.
- JMK
  
  A plan of making it to the majors by 31 might even need an adjustment.
  - Jorge Steinbrenner
    
    If the talent is there, none of this seems like something that would be assumed to lead to long-term injury risk. Other than having a freak shoulder structure, the parts that need to be healthy are healthy.
    
    The question, to me, would be lost development time at this point.
Mr. Roth

LoHud has a pretty great post about some of the minor league guys, I’d definitely suggest giving it a read. Tons of info from Mark Newman about minor league assignments, prospects, injuries, etc…
- Jorge Steinbrenner
  
  Chad Jennings is an American treasure.
  
  Agreed that it was a fabulous write-up.
- CountryClub
  
  · The final player Newman singled out as a spring standout was Low-A catcher Luis Torrens. He’s the 17-year-old I mentioned who was facing off against Nova. The kid had two hits! Granted, he struck out flailing at a breaking ball in his third at-bat, but Torrens shouldn’t have stood a chance again against a guy at Nova’s level. Pretty impressive. “This kid Luis Torrens looks like a stud,” Newman said.
  - Mr. Roth
    
    That was definitely an encouraging bit to read.
- Mr. Roth
  
  I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this guy before, but it’s always nice to read about big promising lefties.
  
  While I was talking to Contreras, he pointed to the end of the bench where a big guy was sitting and talking to some teammates. Contreras told me to remember the name Rony Bautista, who’s been nicknamed “CC” around the complex. He’s a big lefty with a slider, changeup and mid-90s fastball. Apparently he’s looked good this spring.
  - Yankee$ (Formerly Pseudoyanks)
    
    Going to date myself but I remember when Gene Michael was quoted as saying something very similar about a big tall lefty pitcher … “remember the name Andy Pettitte” in an interview when Andy was in A ball. I remember it because I followed Andy in the minors after reading that (Baseball America) and then never forgot that because Andy’s career was what it was.
    - Mr. Roth
      
      I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on Rony and hoping he goes on to have even a quarter as much success as Pettitte.
      - Yankee$ (Formerly Pseudoyanks)
        
        Geez. Rony is 22 already, never pitched above GCL Rookie ball. But 165 K in 146 Innings in 4 pro seasons. Takes longer for tall guys to develop…yada yada.
- OB/GYN Kenobi
  
  Great write up. Love stuff like this. Thanks for pointing me there.
http://www.twitter.com/_swarlesbarkley Mark Teixeira – Ghostbuster (formerly Drew) RIP Egon

My God Tyler, get it together buddy. You’re not making it to the majors by 21 at this rate. If you are out until midseason I am defending you on Xbox Live.
- Wicomico Pinstripes
  
  Did he say this somewhere again recently or is this from when he was drafted a couple of years ago?
  - http://www.twitter.com/_swarlesbarkley Mark Teixeira – Ghostbuster (formerly Drew) RIP Egon
    
    He said it when he got drafted.
The Guns of Navarone

Cervelli with another dinger… even if it is a minor league spring training game. Dude needs to stay healthy this season so we can see if some of this new-found power is for real. He was killing it last season too before he got hurt/suspended. That would be a welcome surprise for a player like him to come out of nowhere with a new tool. He’s always been known for having little to no power.
- Alkaline
  
  I really hope he stays healthy and mashes for a BUC. Love the enthusiasm. Only Shelly Duncan beats him out.
  - The Guns of Navarone
    
    I loved the enthusiasm when he was hitting, and it annoyed the shit out of me when he wasn’t hitting. So it goes…
Alkaline

Yikes. Sucks for Ty.
forensic

Keeper league, who wins:

Trout and Hosmer for Votto and Starling Marte?

Would the Trout side even consider that? What if it was McCutchen instead of Trout?
- Alkaline
  
  McCitchen I might do. I wouldn’t do it if it was Trout.
  - forensic
    
    Yeah, I’m on the Marte side, but he keeps trying to pry him away from me. Trout and Cutch are upgrades on him, but Hosmer could be way down from Votto, and that’s concerning.
    - Cool Lester Smooth
      
      I’d want Trout.
      - forensic
        
        Yeah, he turned it down with Trout included. Now I have to decide if it’s worth offering it with McCutchen instead.
        
        Cool Lester Smooth
        
        I’d still do it if I were you, but I’m relatively low on Marte and I love Hosmer.
        
        Hell, you probably won’t even lose 10 steals, considering how Hosmer moves.
qwerty

That hensley kid is a real winner!
dkidd

rooting extra hard for hensley ever since his mom stopped by a thread last year to clarify his medicals
mustang

Hensley sorry and ouch.

Well lets look at the bright side at least the Yankees will have the youngest most cost effective reliever core in the league.
Cool Lester Smooth

God dammit Ty!
Tanuki Tanaka (Formerly Bob Buttons)

For a good laugh at how ridiculous the Toronto media is.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/23/blue-jays-batters-pack-a-punch

My favorite part:
“It is expected to be one of the more consistent groups one through nine…”

Their second base is a giant black hole that can make Ryan look better , their DH can’t hit lefties to save his life, their catcher haven’t had a full good season in years, and their LF’s career years were linked to PEDs. Their lineup is one of the most inconsistent groups, if anything.
- The Guns of Navarone
  
  Hey, if they don’t have optimism, what do they have?
  - Chip Rodriguez
    
    the 2013 offseason championship!
TWTR

I don’t believe Ronnie Mustelier actually exists.
- Jorge Steinbrennee
  
  I think he was simply repackaged as Zelous Wheeler.
  - The Great Gonzo
    
    It was a deliberate effort at re-branding, kinda like Dodge.
    - Jorge Steinbrenner
      
      It’s like when they take a wrestler, give him a new haircut, theme music, and name, and put him out there like you’ve never seen him before.
mustang

“I’m pretty sure Phelps is not listed as tomorrow’s starter because he’s about to be moved into the bullpen, but we’ll see.’

Or He is getting traded we’ll see.
- The Great Gonzo
  
  Well… Patrick Corbin is going for TJS, so there continues to be a fit for the ‘pieces fit for a D-Backs trade’ narrative…