Archive for Asides
Chavez awaits MLB evaluation before being activated
Posted by: | CommentsVia Marc Carig, infielder Eric Chavez took a concussion test today and is waiting for MLB clearance before he can be activated off the 7-day DL. He’s eligible to come off today but he’ll likely have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest.
Chavez suffered whiplash and a possible concussion last week diving for a ground ball at third base. He was hitting (.372 wOBA) during the little bit of playing time he received, but it’s tough to miss a bench player when he’s only been out a week. Brett Gardner‘s setback preserves Dewayne Wise‘s roster spot for the foreseeable future, so the Jayson Nix era is likely to come to an end tomorrow.
Now welcome at Yankee Stadium: Technology
Posted by: | CommentsJust a heads up, the Yankees confirmed that they are now allowing tablet devices into Yankee Stadium. That means iPads, Kindles, eReaders, stuff like that. I hope the Yankees provide enough entertainment on the field this season that you don’t need to play Angry Birds during the game though.
Rivera has blood clot in right calf
Posted by: | CommentsWe have finally learned the nature of Mariano’s complication, to which his agent cryptically referred yesterday. Via basically every beat writer, he has a blood clot in his right calf. He stayed overnight in the hospital to get it taken care of, and is on blood thinners currently. This doesn’t change much in the long run; it just pushes back his surgery date a bit.
In other news, Mo revealed that he was leaning towards coming back in 2013, even before the injury. So much for all his actions being those of a man set on retirement.
Must-click link: Reggie Jackson in No-Man’s Land
Posted by: | CommentsI never got to see Reggie Jackson play for the Yankees and frankly I don’t remember seeing him play for any team ever. Such is the curse of being a 1980s baby. Reggie is still with the team as a special assistant on what feels like an everyday basis, but the current version is a little more subdued than the Mr. October who played for 21 years.
I’m about ten days late on this, but it’s worth posting nonetheless. Alex Belth of Bronx Banter recently re-published Robert Ward’s celebrated “Reggie Jackson in No-Man’s Land” article from the June 1977 issue of Sport magazine, the first time the article has appeared online in its entirety. This is the infamous “I’m the straw that stirs the drink” article, and it’s absolutely amazing. It’s a pretty long read, but make sure you check it out.
Joba Update: No more boot, workouts continue in Tampa
Posted by: | CommentsLess than seven weeks after suffering an open dislocation of his right ankle, Joba Chamberlain is walking without a boot and continuing his rehab both from the ankle injury and Tommy John surgery in Tampa. He says he’s currently using a basketball ankle brace (one of these?) and apparently nothing more.
Brian Cashman recently said it’s “definitely possible” we’ll see Joba back on a mound this year, though I still think that’s pretty optimistic. These are two pretty serious injuries suffered at basically the exact same time. Rehabbing from one is hard enough, but both simultaneously? Getting back to the team this year would really be miraculous. Joba has been playing catch since the injury though, so who knows. I’m hoping for the best and expecting the worst.
Pettitte will start for Yankees on Sunday
Posted by: | CommentsVia Marc Carig, left-hander Andy Pettitte will officially return to the Yankees this weekend and start against the Mariners on Sunday. Brian Cashman made the announcement this afternoon.
Pettitte, 40 next month, had mixed results in his various minor league tune-up starts, including five runs in five Triple-A innings this past weekend. For what it’s worth, Ken Rosenthal spoke to a scout who said Andy’s stuff “lacked crispness” in his latest minor league outing. Pettitte got his pitch count up to 95 in his last two starts, so stamina isn’t a huge concern. Obviously there will be quite a bit of rust to shake off after a year away from the game.
Ivan Nova is currently lined up to start Sunday, but that doesn’t really mean anything. Phil Hughes is scheduled to start Saturday and David Phelps on Monday, and I would count on one of them moving to the bullpen to accommodate Pettitte. The smart money’s on Phelps.
“Complications” delay setting of Rivera’s surgery date
Posted by: | CommentsUpdate (10:38 a.m.): ESPN’s Buster Olney has a source who says that these complications “will have no bearing on Mariano Rivera‘s ability to come back from his ACL injury.” And exhale.
9:24 a.m.: This does not sound good. Yesterday Mariano Rivera met with a pair of doctors to determine the course of action for surgery to repair his torn ACL. Unfortunately, they were not able to do so. “We ran into complications,” Rivera’s agent, Fernando Cuza, told the NY Post. “I am referring to Dr. Ahmad and Brian Cashman for further information.” For what it’s worth, ESPN NY’s Andrew Marchand spoke with a “high-ranking team official” who said the complications are not serious. We’ll keep you updated when further information becomes available.
The Mariano Rivera Fact Sheet
Posted by: | CommentsForgive the self-promotion, but I wrote this FanGraphs post about Mariano Rivera today. It’s basically just a list of facts about the greatest reliever ever, most of them weird and interesting and not the typical banter. At least I hope so. Check it out.
Gardner set to begin rehab assignment tomorrow
Posted by: | CommentsVia Erik Boland, outfielder Brett Gardner will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Empire State tomorrow. He’s been on the DL for nearly three weeks with a bone bruise and a strain in his right elbow after landing awkwardly during a sliding catch. Depending on how he feels and stuff, Gardner could be back as soon as Tuesday I suppose. A two or three game rehab assignment is more likely, however.
Pettitte allows five runs in latest minor league start
Posted by: | CommentsAndy Pettitte allowed five runs (three earned) in five innings for Triple-A Empire State today, his latest minor league tune-up start. There was a little defensive funny business going on in the first and second innings — Steve Pearce dropped a pop-up and Brandon Laird booted a grounder — but five runs is five runs. Andy walked two (including the certifiably awful Jose Iglesias) and struck out five, throwing 62 of his 95 pitches for strikes. The stadium gun had him at 85-87 with the cutter, which is normal.
The Yankees said they wanted Pettitte to throw ~100 pitches in two minor league starts before considering him for a call-up, and he’s now done that. Whether or not his command is big league ready is another matter. With Phil Hughes pitching not terribly this afternoon, the Yankees could have Andy throw one more minor league start just to fine tune things some things if they want.
