Archive for Injuries
Kennedy throws a simulated game
Posted by: | CommentsA few hours ago, Joe examined the recent spate of arm injuries currently plaguing the Yankee farm system. One of those pitchers is on the mend. Ian Kennedy, five months removed from an aneurysm in his throwing arm, tossed a simulated game yesterday in Tampa. He threw 22 of 33 pitches for strikes and said afterward that he felt good. While Kennedy doesn’t expect to pitch in any of the Minor League playoff games, he will throw a 50-pitch simulated game on Saturday and plans to pitch in both an instructional league this month and the Arizona Fall League starting in October. With a strong fall and a solid spring, Kennedy will be in the mix for a spot on the Big League club next year.
Open Thread: Mo feels good
Posted by: | CommentsThe most important groin in the history of the universe was tested today, as Mariano Rivera took to the Rogers Centre bullpen mound before this afternoon’s game for a 20-pitch bullpen session. Marc Carig reports that there were no ill effects, and Mo could be available as soon as tomorrow.
“Feels good,” Rivera said. “No problems at all.”
“I have to make sure to keep up with my things, keep up with that,” Rivera said of his treatment regimen.
Manager Joe Girardi said he will manage Rivera’s outings a little more carefully the rest of the month to make sure he’s good to go in the playoffs. With an 8.5 game lead in the division (thanks, Gavin Floyd) and the magic number sitting pretty at 19 (notice the counter in the sidebar) with just 26 games to go, that shouldn’t too tough.
Thank goodness Mo will be back soon, I don’t know how much longer I can stomach these “four batters faced, three strikeouts” performances I can handle from Phil Hughes.
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Here’s your open thread for the evening. The Tigers and Rays are on MLB Network, and there’s more college football than you’d know what to do with on TV. You can also come chill with me at MLBTR. Anything goes here, just be nice.
A-Rod may not need second hip surgery
Posted by: | CommentsWhen word got out in March that Alex Rodriguez had a torn labrum in his right hip, it was just another pile-on moment in a forgettable offseason for the beleaguered star. Rumor had it that he could miss most of the 2009 season as he rehabbed from surgery, and of course all the “he’ll never be the same” talk got started. Then came the news that an alternative, hybrid procedure could be performed to minimize the recovery time and get the Yanks’ cleanup hitter back in the lineup sooner rather than later.
This hybrid procedure came with the caveat that Alex would eventually have to undergo the more extensive surgery this coming offseason, and everybody was pretty much fine with that because Alex would be back sooner. They were also watching Chase Utley OPS over 1.000 early in the season after he had the same procedure last winter. As it turns out, A-Rod might not need that second surgery after all. To quote Bryan Hoch’s report:
“I don’t want to jinx us, but there is a very good chance we can use conservative treatment,” Dr. Marc Philippon told the New York Post. “We will take our time and look at all the variables, but I am very optimistic and happy.”
. . .
Rodriguez, who has benefited from regularly scheduled days off this season, told The Post on Monday that it was “80 percent no; 20 percent yes” that he’d need offseason surgery.
Obviously, avoiding surgery is the preferable path. You don’t just cut into a world class athlete, especially a major joint of a super expensive athlete, unless you really have to. Yeah, it stinks that he needs more rest now than he did before, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. He’s been hitting like his old self for over two months now (.310-.423-.548 since the end of June), and his defense – which has certainly declined post-hip injury – is tolerable. If the options going forward are a) have the second surgery and hope it heals well, and if not who knows what, or b) not have the second surgery and give him some extra rest every week or two, I’d take the latter every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
After all that we’ve witnessed and all that he’s been through in his five plus years in pinstripes, it’s almost hard to believe that something like this could actually be going A-Rod’s way. I’m certain Dr. Phillippon and the team will do whatever is in the best interest of Alex Rodriguez now and his career going forward, and if that doesn’t require another surgery, then fantastic.
Kennedy: ‘It doesn’t feel like anything ever happened’
Posted by: | CommentsChad Jennings checks in with a report on rehabbing hurler Ian Kennedy, who made a brief cameo in the Triple-A Scranton clubhouse yesterday. “It feels good,” Kennedy said. “It doesn’t feel like anything ever happened. It’s a long process, but I understand we have to be on the cautious side because if something did happen, I’d be pretty upset at myself for pushing it.” IPK has been throwing 35-pitch bullpen sessions in Tampa, working on all four pitches to both sides of the dish.
He’s not going to make it into a game before the minor league season ends in a little over a week, so instead Kennedy will head to instructional league at the end of September before reporting to the Arizona Fall League. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to seeing him at full strength next spring.
Yanks just need a couple more solid weeks from Posada
Posted by: | CommentsThere was a collective cringe — or at least I hope there was — last night when Jorge Posada took a foul ball off the glove and came up in pain. It was the second time in just a few weeks that Posada took one off the left ring finger, though I could have sworn the worst one a few weeks ago hit his (exposed*) throwing hand. In any case, Posada says he re-aggravated the injury, and that it might not “heal until the season is over.” Unfortunately, the Yanks aren’t quite in a position where they can give Jorge an extended break. Which is why they need to rally the troops in the next two weeks. Putting just a little more distance between them and the Red Sox at this point could afford Jorge some rest.
* Sorry for the Posterisk, but it amazes me that Jorge has continued to leave his throwing hand exposed on nearly every pitch, and hasn’t broken his hand yet. We’re taught in Little League to stash that throwing hand behind our backs or directly behind the glove. By high school we’re taught to hide it behind our thigh. Posada learned how to be a catcher in the minors. I thought they would have taught him that there.
One thing Joe Girardi has stressed recently is resting his pitchers down the stretch. Andy Pettitte expressed excitement for this, saying that a fresh pitching staff will really help boost these guys. Now the Yankees have one more reason to extend that lead and play a comfortable September, and that’s Jorge. Maybe his finger won’t completely heal until the off-season, but they can mitigate some of the swelling and pain if they can give him two days off in a row, and can generally keep him out from behind the plate just about every other day.
Even now, the Yanks could give him some extended rest, but they probably can’t/don’t want to fit Francisco Cervelli onto the roster. They’re already playing short a position player because of Damaso Marte’s return, so it looks like they’ll have to suck it up for the next five games. Jorge will play in only three of those — day game after a night game on Sunday, though I’d give him Saturday off — so his exposure will be limited.
If the Yanks are concerned about giving their pitchers a rest down the stretch, they should feel the same for Jorge. The guy is an incredible contributor to the team’s high-octane offense, and while Molina and Cervelli are better defenders, they don’t even come close to Jorge’s bat. They’ll need him come playoff time, meaning it’s of the utmost importance to keep him fresh in the season’s final month.
Jorge Posada and A-Rod injury updates
Posted by: | CommentsWe have an update on Jorge Posada. The Yankee catcher left the game in the top of the 8th when a foul ball hit his glove hand, and Yankee fans everywhere held their collective breath. Reports from the clubhouse are cautiously optimistic. Posada aggravated a ring finger injury from a few weeks ago, according to Yankee skipper Joe Girardi. X-Rays were negative, and he is day-to-day. Posada was scheduled to take tomorrow off as the Yanks play a day game after a night game. We’ll see how he’s feeling this weekend, but with the Yanks enjoying a six-game lead, I would expect Posada to miss a few games as he heals.
Meanwhile, while Joe Girardi originally said that A-Rod would have an x-ray on his foot, subsequent reports indicated that he would not go for the x-ray but is suffering from a bruised right foot. A-Rod apparently hurt his foot when he fouled a ball off it during the 7th inning. He played the 8th inning, and Girardi said he pulled A-Rod due to the score. Girardi does not expect A-Rod to miss time but repeatedly noted how “worried [he] was about Jorgie.” We’ll report more as we know more.
Gardner out longer than expected
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier this week, the Yanks updated the world with their plans on Brett Gardner, and we overlooked that news. Basically, Gardner is going to be out for longer than originally expected. The doctor told him this week to keep his splint on for another seven days. With this delay, it is unlikely that the Yanks’ speedster will see action prior to September 1 but should be back by Labor Day. In reality, though, as long as Gardner is healthy enough to run for the Yankees in October, he’ll be available to play a big role for the team in the playoffs.
Kennedy to pitch in fall league
Posted by: | CommentsIan Kennedy, rehabbing his way back from an arm aneurysm, spoke to reporters about his rehab plans today. The Yankees’ right-hander said that he probably won’t pitch in a Minor League game this season but will return to competitive action next month in one of the fall instructional leagues. Kennedy has been throwing his fastball and changeup during recent mound sessions, and while the AP says he will pitch in the Arizona Fall League this year, based on the eligibility requirements, Kennedy shouldn’t be able to play there. While he fits the service time requirement, he will not be off the Minor League DL 45 days prior to the end of the season. Rosters for the AzFL teams will be released soon.
Lack of lefties makes Matsui’s loss easier to stomach
Posted by: | CommentsOne concern for the Yankees offense heading into the season was the condition of Hideki Matsui’s knees. He had an operation his right knee following the 2007 season, and then missed significant time in 2008 with left knee problems, which led to another surgery in September. This relegated Matsui to DH-only status, as the Yanks fear that playing him in the field could further aggravate his fragile joints. After Matsui had his left knee drained in April, it appears those fears were well-founded.
The latest news is that Matsui has again had his knee drained and will miss the series opener in Oakland. For Hideki to miss any time at this point is a bummer. He’s been on fire since the All-Star Break, hitting .267/.344/.488 with four doubles and five homers in 96 plate appearances (counting Saturday’s 0 for 4, when his knee was clearly bothering him). But considering the timing, it might not be that big an issue.
What’s worked most in Matsui’s favor this year is his ability to hit lefties well. He’s posted a .258/.336/.619 line against them in 110 plate appearances, and has his 10 of his 19 home runs against pitchers of the same handedness. His BABIP is a mere .211, which explains away the low average, but his power against lefties is undeniable. It would appear that there aren’t many lefty starters on the horizon for the Yanks.
Oakland will feature righties Brett Tomko and Vin Mazzaro Monday and Tuesday, so the wise move would be to hold Hideki out of both of these contests, opting to use Eric Hinske in the DH spot instead. While his splits also favor lefties this year, it’s in a small 40 PA sample against them. Over his career Hinske has hit righties far better than lefties, a .804 OPS vs. a .673 mark. Might as well let him face the righties in Oakland’s rotation.
Then on Wednesday, if he’s able, Matsui can enter the lineup against Brett Anderson and the A’s. The day off will help, as the Yanks travel to Boston on Thursday. They will then have a three-game series, in which none of the Sox starters will be lefties — Jon Lester will start Thursday against Toronto. This gives the Yanks flexibility to give Matsui another two straight days off. Or perhaps they’ll opt to give Matsui the entire A’s series off, in hopes that five idle days will clear up all issues with the knee.
In any case, the Yanks have the flexibility to deal with Matsui’s current malady. They can give him as much time off as he needs, because they have a bench deep enough to mask his absence. That they’re playing the last-place A’s helps even further. Losing Matsui’s bat would be a detriment to this offense. Thankfully, it appears that they’ll be able to get him back in the lineup in due time.
Marte likely not coming back soon
Posted by: | CommentsOn Thursday, we wondered when Damaso Marte would return. His rehab began on July 16, meaning his 30 days are just about up. By my count, it was up last night, as today is Day 31. As Mike noted, Marte pitched another scoreless inning, striking out one while allowing two hits. Yet it doesn’t appear Marte will be back today. Tyler Kepner has a quote from Joe Girardi on the matter: “We’re not sure if he’s going to get there.” Marte still hasn’t gotten his velocity back up to 93, the apparent target, and apparently still has inflammation in his shoulder. So I guess it’s a shut down for now. Look for Marte to appear in a minor league game again sometime next week (I suppose).
