Archive for Michael Pineda
Update: Yankees recall Wise and Eppley, option Mitchell
Posted by: | CommentsVia Pete Caldera, the Yankees are going to recall outfielder Dewayne Wise from Triple-A. He’s on his way to Kansas City and may even already be there. I assume Mariano Rivera was placed on the 15-day DL to clear a roster spot for Wise while either Michael Pineda or Cesar Cabral was transferred to the 60-day DL to open a 40-man roster.
Wise, 34, posted a .459 wOBA in 19 Triple-A games but hitting his not his forte. He’s a defensive stud capable of manning all three outfield spots with aplomb. Nick Swisher took batting practice on the field today according to Erik Boland, but perhaps the Wise move indicates that Swisher’s hamstring is still giving him a problem. He got hurt last Sunday and the Yankees have been playing with a short bench ever since.
Update (4:39pm): Via Boland, right-hander Cody Eppley has been recalled as well. That makes me think Swisher might be headed to the DL.
Update (5:41pm): The Yankees announced that right-hander D.J. Mitchell was optioned back to Triple-A, so Swisher avoids the DL. Pineda was transferred to the 60-day DL to clear a 40-man spot for Wise. Just to quickly recap: Wise and Eppley up, Mitchell down, and Mo to the DL.
Injury Update: Gardner & Pineda
Posted by: | CommentsVia Mark Feinsand, it’s unlikely Gardner will be able to come off the DL when eligible on Thursday. “We’re going to see where he’s at after today,” said Joe Girardi. “We’re starting to get to a point where Thursday might be a little doubtful just because he has to go play a (rehab) game or two.” Gardner was scheduled to take batting practice today for the first time since being put on the shelf. Meanwhile, the Yankees will continue to employ a 13-man pitching staff and a two-man bench.
In other news, Girardi told Marc Carig said that Michael Pineda‘s labrum surgery went well today. We’re at the point that it’s newsworthy only if the surgery doesn’t go well. Hope to see you next May, Mike.
Losing Michael Pineda
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(REUTERS/Steve Nesius)
I can’t help but wonder if the anterior labral tear in Michael Pineda‘s right shoulder could have been avoided had he spoken up sooner about the soreness in camp, but what can you do. When you tell the kid he needs to compete for a rotation spot in Spring Training one year after he made the All-Star Team, you can’t be surprised when you find out he’s been hiding an injury. He’s going to do whatever he has to do to keep his job.
People like to assign blame in situations like this, but it really doesn’t help matters any. Blame Brian Cashman, blame the medical staff, blame Pineda, blame the Mariners, blame whoever you want. It won’t make Pineda’s shoulder any healthier. If you think this whole episode is a fireable offense, I won’t disagree with you. I don’t think you can have a trade of this magnitude go sour this quickly without someone being held accountable, I just don’t know who and neither do you.
When you boil it all down, the Yankees made the trade for Pineda because they’ve been completely unable to develop their own starting pitchers in recent years. Joba Chamberlain was the team’s best hope for a homegrown ace in quite some time, but he was forced to jump through some mind-numbingly stupid player development hoops. Phil Hughes hasn’t worked out for a number of reasons and Ian Kennedy was traded away before getting an extended audition. The IPK thing doesn’t bother me nearly as much as Joba and Hughes because at least he brought back an MVP-caliber player in the trade. That Ivan Nova has lasted as long as he has is a minor miracle.
As far as 2012 is concerned, the trade is a disaster. A complete and unmitigated disaster. The Yankees basically forfeited whatever Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi could have given them and instead won’t get anything out of Pineda or Jose Campos, who is in Low-A. I suppose they could always trade Campos for a big leaguer and extract 2012 value that way, but that’s another matter entirely. Given their recent track record of developing young arms, maybe they should trade him before they ruin him too. Okay, now I’m just trollin’.
Anyway, the Yankees made the trade for both short and long-term reasons. They thought Pineda would be a rotation upgrade in the immediate future and an ace-caliber hurler down the line. Pineda came with five years of team control before qualifying for free agency, but now the Yankees are going to get four of those five years in the absolute best case scenario. That means no setbacks, no performance decline, no further injuries, no nothing. One-fifth of their expected return has already been wiped away and they can’t get it back. They’ll be lucky if they only lose that much.
Pitchers are inherently risky, but unfortunately you actually need them to win. Good ones too, and Michael Pineda most certainly was very good last year. You don’t strike out a quarter of the batters you face with a 3.15 K/BB ratio because of good luck or because you play in a big home ballpark. I said that I thought the trade was fair on our podcast right after the deal went down, but I also said I would have rather kept Montero. This whole thing just sucks. I feel bad for Pineda as a person, I really do, but I’m also furious that there’s a really good chance the Yankees will get absolutely nothing out of Montero other than those 69 plate appearances last September. Mistakes are unavoidable in baseball, but not all are forgivable.
Pineda has anterior labral tear, will have surgery next week
Posted by: | CommentsVia Mark Feinsand, right-hander Michael Pineda has an anterior labral tear and will undergo arthroscopic surgery at Dr. David Altchek’s office next Tuesday. I suppose the good news is that they can use a scope and won’t have to cut him open, plus it’s not the rotator cuff or capsule. We’ll update with more info as we get it, but the Google tells me anywhere from 3-6 months recovery.
Update: On a conference call with reporters, Brian Cashman said Pineda will miss the rest of the season. I don’t think that’s terribly surprising at this point. “We believe this took place on the last pitch of his rehab outing,” said the GM.
Update Part II: Team physician Dr. Ahmad called it a “discrete tear,” which is why they’re going to use a scope and not an incision. The target date for Pineda’s return is one year out from surgery, so May 1st of next season. The doctors are optimistic about his recovery because his rotator cuff is unaffected.
Pineda headed for second opinion following MRI
Posted by: | CommentsVia Marc Carig, Chad Jennings & Bryan Hoch, right-hander Michael Pineda is going to see Dr. David Altchek for a second opinion on his right shoulder following today’s MRI. It’s very important to note that Pineda’s agent requested the second opinion before he even went for the initial test today. The Yankees won’t announce he results of today’s MRI until after the second opinion tomorrow.
Pineda’s MRI pushed back to tomorrow
Posted by: | CommentsVia Marc Carig, right-hander Michael Pineda had his dye-contract MRI and any other tests pushed back to the tomorrow due to some kind of scheduling conflict. Pineda suffered a setback in an Extended Spring Training game this weekend when he felt some weakness in his shoulder. He’s been on the DL all season with shoulder tendinitis. So we wait another day…
Pineda suffers setback in Extended Spring Training
Posted by: | CommentsUpdate (3:05pm): Via Sherman, Pineda was examined in Tampa and they decided to send him back to New York for a dye-contrast MRI to see if the initial examine missed anything.
1:15pm: Via Joel Sherman and Marc Carig, right-hander Michael Pineda felt some weakness in his shoulder during his Extended Spring Training outing today. The Yankees shut him right down and he will go see the team doctor before they determine how to proceed.
Pineda threw one inning today, his first game action since hitting the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis about three weeks ago. An MRI showed no structural damage to his labrum or rotator cuff at the time. He reported no problems while playing catch and throwing bullpen sessions over the last two weeks or so.
Pineda scheduled for two innings in minor league game tomorrow
Posted by: | CommentsVia Erik Boland, manager Joe Girardi said before today’s game that right-hander Michael Pineda is scheduled to throw two innings in an Extended Spring Training game tomorrow. It will be his first game action since landing on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. Pineda threw a series of bullpen sessions over the last week, and apparently now he’s ready to get back on the mound and into game action. He’ll need a handful of minor league rehab starts before we see him in the big leagues, obviously.
Update: Yanks to make decision after Pineda’s next bullpen session
Posted by: | CommentsTuesday, 5:30pm: Via Carig, the Yankees will decide whether or not Pineda is ready for a game after his next bullpen session in a few days. If all goes well, I suppose there’s a chance we could see him in a minor league game before the end of the weekend.
Monday, 10:32pm: Via Carig, Joe Girardi said after tonight’s game that Pineda will throw another bullpen session in two or three days. I wonder if they’ll let him get in a minor league game after that. I suppose it depends on how things go in a few days.
Monday, 8:30pm: Via Mark Carig, Brian Cashman confirmed that Michael Pineda threw a 26-pitch bullpen session earlier today and that everything was “all good.” I can only assume that means he didn’t have any sort of issue with the right shoulder tendinitis that currently has him on the DL. It was originally reported that Pineda would throw the bullpen session tomorrow, but I guess he felt good enough that they bumped him up a day. Either day or someone got their days confused. Either way … I’m rambling.
Pineda set to throw bullpen session
Posted by: | CommentsVia George King, right-hander Michael Pineda will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday. It appears that it will be his first time on a mound since being placed on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. Pineda threw a bunch of long toss last week and has been throwing off flat ground for a while. Joe Girardi recently said that he doesn’t expect him back this month.
In other news, King reports that Andy Pettitte will pitch for High-A Tampa tomorrow, his second minor league appearance. He threw three innings and 32 pitches for Tampa on Monday, so he got an extra day of rest between starts.
