MLB FanHouse

Vicente Padilla Shot by Instructor

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Injuries, MLB Rumors

UPDATE: It seems that Padilla did not shoot himself, but was in fact shot by a shooting instructor. Full details here.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Vicente Padilla is back home in his native Nicaragua now his team's season has ended, and while there he's decided to do some hunting. Unfortunately for Vicente it seems his aim with a gun is a lot like his aim with his fastball. Sometimes he loses control of the thing and ends up hitting somebody.

Though this time it was himself.

Padilla was treated in a hospital on Tuesday after suffering what is being called a "minor" gunshot wound to his right leg.

[Padilla's agent Adam] Katz described the incident as a "hunting accident," saying that Padilla was grazed in his right thigh by a bullet. Katz said that Padilla spent 30 to 40 minutes at a hospital and was discharged.

"He's fine," Katz said.

News reports out of Nicaragua stated that Padilla was hurt at a shooting range. At least two news outlets reported that Padilla was accidentally shot by his "escort," who was trying to fix Padilla's malfunctioning gun.

Now Padilla is a free agent this winter, and there's no telling how this little accident may affect that. He has said he'd like to return to the Dodgers, who gave him a chance after he was released by the Texas Rangers in August. He went 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA for Los Angeles to help them get to the postseason, and he started three games in the playoffs going 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said that he'd have to find out the extent of the injury before making any decisions on whether or not the team will bring him back.

Whether they do or not, Padilla should just be grateful he was hunting in Nicaragua and not a night club in New York. You end up in prison when you shoot yourself there. Just ask Plaxico.

Vicente Padilla Shot by Instructor originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Sox Plan to Pick Up Tim Wakefield's Option Pending Surgery Results

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:22:00 EST

Filed under: Red Sox, MLB Injuries

Knuckleballer and longtime Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is set to undergo surgery on his back Wednesday to relieve pressure on the nerves in a herniated disc that is pressing against in his lower back. The disc caused Wakefield to feel weakness in his right leg, and limited him to only four starts following the All-Star break and kept him off the team's ALDS roster.

It could turn out to be an expensive operation for Wakefield, and not because he has a bad health care plan. No, the reason is that if the surgery turns out to be successful, which it's expected to, then the Red Sox have said they plan on picking up his $4 million option to return next season.

It is expected if the surgery goes as planned that the Red Sox will pick up the pitcher's $4 million team option. "Wake is someone that is in our plans and we hope makes starts for us next year and is a member of the rotation," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein during his Monday press conference. "We haven't sat down and finalized anything. Obviously we want to see how the surgery goes and then both sides will sit down and talk."

The 43-year-old veteran has been very useful for the Red Sox during his time there, as both a starter and a reliever, and was having one of the best seasons of his career before the back problems sidelined him. He was named to his first All-Star team after going 11-3 before the break.

If he does return to Boston next season it will be his 16th year in a Red Sox uniform.

Red Sox Plan to Pick Up Tim Wakefield's Option Pending Surgery Results originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A-Rod's Surgeon: 2nd Operation Unlikely

Ed Price — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:07:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Injuries

NEW YORK -- The surgeon who repaired Alex Rodriguez's right hip in March said A-Rod is now at 95 percent strength, and the Yankees clean-up hitter may not need a follow-up procedure, as originally planned.

Marc J. Philippon of the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo., was in New York on Friday for a meeting and stopped by Yankee Stadium to examine his famous patient.

"I need a little more tests," Philippon said, "but so far I don't think he will need surgery."

Instead of doing the full hip-labrum repair -- as others such as Mike Lowell, Chase Utley and Alex Gordon have had -- Philippon did a modified procedure on Rodriguez since it was so close to the start of the season. That was intended to allow A-Rod to come back faster but also left open the possibility of a second operation after the season.

"I just watched him in batting practice," Philippon said of Rodriguez, "and examined him. And clinically, he certainly doesn't need any intervention at this time. It's very difficult to make a formal, definite statement right now.

"His power is excellent and his rotation in his hip is excellent."

Rodriguez, 34, returned to the Yankees lineup on May 8, and, despite playing in just 124 games, hit 30 homers and drove in 100 runs.

But at one point in June, Philippon had to remind the Yankees to rest Rodriguez about once a week. He was the Yankees' DH three times in July and three times in August and then started 40 of the final 46 games at third.

"I have to really thank the Yankees organization," Philippon said, "because that was a very important part of our plan and I have to really respect the organization for fulfilling the plan."

Philippon said Rodriguez was at about 75-80 percent strength when he went in for surgery, is at about 95 percent now and should be 100 percent by spring training.

"What I'm impressed with is his dedication in his rehab after surgery, how focused he was," Philippon said. "And obviously that showed.

"I have to say I'm impressed with his progression. ... I wouldn't say I'm surprised, because you're dealing with a world-class athlete."

A-Rod's Surgeon: 2nd Operation Unlikely originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rockies' Jorge De La Rosa Out of Division Series With Groin Injury

Pat Lackey — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:39:00 EST

Filed under: Rockies, NL West, MLB Injuries, National League Division Series

The Rockies announced Tuesday that starter Jorge de la Rosa will miss the NLDS with a sore groin. He suffered the injury on Saturday and manager Jim Tracy said before Colorado's workout day that the training staff informed him that de la Rosa's injury isn't progressing, though his season isn't necessarily over if the Rockies play deeper into October.

"He was scheduled to throw a bullpen today. We're not even going to take that chance. We're not going to have him do that. We're going to continue working with him," Tracy said. "If we're fortunate to advance beyond here, could he end up in the mix and be a guy that could be considered for a League Championship Series if we're fortunate enough to get there? I think that's definitely a viable possibility."

Without De La Rosa, the Rockies will go with Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, and either Jason Hammel or Jason Marquis in De La Rosa's spot as their third and fourth starters (if they choose to go four deep). Losing De La Rosa is a big blow; since he dropped to 2-7 on June 16th, he's been dominant. Over his final 20 appearances (19 starts) he went 14-2 with a 3.51 ERA, striking out 117 hitters in 115 1/3 innings against 50 walks. His turnaround was a big part of the Rockies' team turnaround.

Marquis, on the other hand, has struggled since the beginning of September and while Hammel's been fairly solid most of the year, the Rockies will certainly miss their De La Rosa, both because of his dominant second half and because he's left-handed, a big advantage against a lineup featuring Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. In Cook and Jimenez the Rockies probably still have enough starting pitching to at least challenge the defending champions, but they're starting in a big hole now without their southpaw.

Rockies' Jorge De La Rosa Out of Division Series With Groin Injury originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hiroki Kuroda to Miss Division Series

Andrew Johnson — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:18:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Injuries, MLB Playoffs, National League Division Series

The slumping Los Angeles Dodgers will not have Hiroki Kuroda on their roster when they open the National League Division Series this Wednesday.

Kuroda has been ruled out of the first round by mananger Joe Torre after "a small herniation of the cervical spine" was discovered following an MRI on his ailing neck.

The Dodgers have struggled mightily over the last week, losing five straight entering play Saturday and watching their lead in the NL West dwindle to one game as Colorado matched their skid with a five-game winning streak of its own. In other words, Los Angeles wasn't exactly steamrolling toward the postseason to begin with; now it will be without Kuroda, who probably would have started for Torre in Game 2 or 3.

More From MLB FanHouse: Chamberlain to Work Out of Bullpen

The Dodgers training staff indicated that Kuroda's neck troubles did not have anything to do with the line drive he took off of his head in mid-August that resulted in a concussion, an assessment the right-hander couldn't entirely confirm.

"It's hard to say, but ever since I got hit by the line drive I've had discomfort in my neck and also in my upper back," Kuroda said through interpreter Kenji Nimura. "It could be related but I don't really know the details."

Kuroda has not been ruled out of later rounds.

"It's not surgical; it's not something they need to work on," Torre said. "It's a matter of having the pain be relieved and being able to throw. If we get to go on in the postseason, we're still looking at him to still be a part of it."

The injury does open the door for another one of the Dodgers' six starting pitchers to be in the playoff rotation. Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw are almost certain to start Games 1 and 2 in some order. That leaves two spots open to three potential starters -- Chad Billingsley, Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla.

Hiroki Kuroda to Miss Division Series originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Josh Beckett Scratched From Start

Matt Snyder — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Red Sox, AL East, MLB Injuries

According to reports from the Boston area, Josh Beckett will miss his scheduled start Monday night with mild back spasms. Beckett was set to face the Blue Jays, looking to help play the stopper and end the Red Sox' three-game losing streak.

While it would be nice to run Beckett out there and get a win, the game likely bears little consequence for the Red Sox on the whole. The Yankees have already clinched the AL East, and the Red Sox hold a six-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the wild-card race with just seven games to play.

Beckett is 16-6 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.17 WHIP this season. He's struck out 194 batters and walked just 52 in 207 1/3 innings. If he really has back issues that will linger into the postseason, this is worrisome for the Red Sox. With the phrasing "mild" back spasms and considering the standing of the team, it's likely the Red Sox are just being careful here and making sure Beckett is 100 percent healthy for October.

Michael Bowden will get the start in Beckett's place.

Josh Beckett Scratched From Start originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Sox' Lester Leaves Game With Bruised Right Leg

Ed Price — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:53:00 EST

Filed under: Red Sox, MLB Injuries

NEW YORK -- The Red Sox seem to have survived a scare Friday when lefty Jon Lester was diagnosed with a bruised quadricep after taking a line drive off his right leg.

With Lester and Josh Beckett, the Sox looked to have the top 1-2 starting punch in the AL playoffs and the deepest starting corps. The Boston Herald reported Friday that Boston had already chosen Lester to start Game 1 of the AL Division Series, so losing him would be a major blow.

Lester was hit by a Melky Cabrera shot, just above the knee. After staying on the ground for a few minutes, Lester was able to hobble off the field and into the clubhouse.
X-rays taken at the stadium were negative, the team said, and Lester was said to be "day-to-day."

Before Cabrera's liner, Lester was already on his way to his first loss since July 19, having allowed eight hits, four stolen bases and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. Alex Rodriguez, who had been just 2-for-14 against Lester in his career, had an RBI single in the first inning and a two-run homer in the third.

The five runs charged to Lester were his most allowed since May 26.

Game 2 of the AL Division Series would be two weeks from Friday, and if Lester -- Boston's hottest starter before Friday -- is out for an extended period, young Clay Buchholz would presumably become the No. 2 and Daisuke Matsuzaka the No. 3.

Matsuzaka has made just two starts since a layoff to help his shoulder, and manager Terry Francona admitted he doesn't yet know if Matsuzaka is all the way back. And the candidates for the No. 4 spot are Paul Byrd (1-2, 6.04 ERA) and Tim Wakefield, who is dealing with a bad back and sore calf and has pitched just three times since July 8.

Red Sox' Lester Leaves Game With Bruised Right Leg originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Washington Won't Be Only Century City

Ed Price — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Indians, Mariners, Nationals, Orioles, Pirates, Red Sox, Rockies, Royals, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
One team has 100 defeats, two more could follow -- and there could even be a record-tying four 100-loss teams.

The Nationals on Thursday fell to 52-100 with their 7-6 loss to the Dodgers. And the Pirates are 56-95 after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Reds.

Anyone want to bet Pittsburgh -- 3-23 since Aug. 28 -- goes better than 6-5 in its final three series against Los Angeles, Chicago and Cincinnati?

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

The other two candidates to hit the century mark are Baltimore (60-92) and Cleveland (61-91). The Orioles have lost seven straight while the Indians have dropped 11 in a row, one off the team-record skid set in 1931.

We'd bet on both teams to reach 100 losses but for one small detail: They play each other this weekend.

Which means someone's losing streak ends tonight. And the only way for both teams to lose 100 is if Baltimore wins two of three this weekend and both teams then drop their final seven games.

Which, considering how these teams are going, isn't out of the realm of possibility.

The only time four teams lost 100 games in the same season was 2002 -- Detroit, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. There have been seven other seasons with three 100-loss teams, but only once (1985) since it happened four times in five years after the 1961 expansion.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez -- who has hit .297 with a .601 slugging percentage since Aug. 7 -- has missed two straight games with a tight left hamstring.

"We are backing off," [manager Jim] Tracy said. "He will be available to hit. But I wouldn't put him out there where he has to run. The injury is near the bottom of the hamstring so we have to be very careful."

Numbers Game ...
Boston's Clay Buchholz allowed fewer than two runs for the fourth straight start, pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a win at Kansas City. Since Sept. 8, Buchholz is 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA, 18 hits allowed (one homer) and 19 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

In Their Own Words ...
"I'd vote for Greinke, he's doing a great job. He's tough, he's nasty." -- Seattle ace Felix Hernandez (who improved to 17-5 Thursday with a win in Toronto) on the debate over whether he or Kansas City's Zack Greinke should win the AL Cy Young Award

Advance Scouting ...
If the Braves are going to make a dramatic charge to the playoffs, this is the weekend to gain major ground. Atlanta -- 3 1/2 games behind Colorado -- opens a three-game series in Washington Friday night (7:05 PM ET), while the Rockies host the NL Central-leading Cardinals for three (8:10 PM ET). The Braves passed the Giants, who stayed four back of the Rockies with Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

Starting Five: Washington Won't Be Only Century City originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Phils No Closer to Solving Closer Problem

Ed Price — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Phillies, Rangers, Twins, White Sox, AL Central, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Brad Lidge problem is back again.

Lidge on Wednesday blew a save for the 11th time -- most in the NL in 11 years -- as the Phillies lost 7-6 to the Marlins.

He entered for the bottom of the ninth, after Ross Gload's leadoff double, got two outs. But Hanley Ramirez walked, Jorge Cantu singled and Brett Carroll singled to hand Lidge the loss.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Manager Charlie Manuel acknowledged the Phils' dilemma: With so many other contingency plans thwarted by injuries, [Ryan] Madson and Lidge are forced into the setup and closer roles. If those two succeed, the Phillies are a dangerous team. If they perform as they did last night, the team will not win another World Series.

"It's hard for us to close a game out," said Manuel, who conceded that the Madson-Lidge combination "is kind of what we've got."

Lidge spoke with a flat voice and glassy eyes. "It's incredibly frustrating," he said, clearly struggling to explain another loss. "I'm disappointed."

Lidge, who didn't blow a save all last season, has failed on five of his past 15 save chances. He has eight losses and a 7.48 ERA, worst ever for a closer (20 or more saves).

Only one pitcher ever, according to STATS LLC, has had 11 blown saves, eight relief losses and an ERA greater than 7.00: Norm Charlton for the 1997 Mariners (11 blown saves, eight relief losses, 7.27 ERA).

From the Trainer's Room ...
Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, who has made 97 starts this season, was found to have no structural damage in his sore left wrist, but he will sit out another three-five days after receiving an anti-inflammatory injection. Philadelphia needs Ruiz in the postseason; 37-year-old backup Paul Bako is a career .230 hitter with a .194 average in 17 playoff games.

Numbers Game ...
Milwaukee's Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer to take sole possession of the major-league lead in RBI, with 131. He can become the first Brewer to lead the NL in RBI and the first Brewer to lead the majors outright since Cecil Cooper in 1980. Another Cecil and another Fielder -- Prince's father, Cecil Fielder -- led the majors in RBI in 1990-92 for Detroit.

In Their Own Words ...
"We won our ballgames, but we also got a couple of guys hot so they can go play Detroit. I think Dye, we put him on the right track. Maybe he can take care of the Motown boys." -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, whose team (2 1/2 games out in the AL Central) overcame two Jermaine Dye homers for an 8-6 victory over the White Sox, who face the first-place Tigers this weekend

Advance Scouting ...
Scott Feldman needs a win this afternoon at Oakland (3:35 PM ET) if he is to become Texas' first 20-game winner in 11 years. Feldman is 17-5 with, likely, three starts left. The Rangers' three 20-game winners were Ferguson Jenkins in 1974 (25-12), Kevin Brown in 1992 (21-11) and Rick Helling in 1998 (20-7). With a 12-1 road record, Feldman can become the first pitcher with 13 wins away from home since CC Sabathia in 2001.

Starting Five: Phils No Closer to Solving Closer Problem originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kershaw Ready to Pitch for Dodgers

Andrew Johnson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Injuries

WASHINGTON -- Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, sidelined since Sept. 4 with a bruised right shoulder, will pitch in relief either Tuesday or Wednesday, manager Joe Torre said before Los Angeles opened its mid-week series against the Nationals.

Kershaw originally injured his non-throwing shoulder when he ran into a fence while shagging flies during batting practice at Dodger Stadium.

Torre indicated that the 21-year-old southpaw was available to him over the weekend when the Dodgers hosted the Giants.

"If we had a situation where we needed him ... we would have used him," he said.

That situation didn't arise, though, so Torre will look to get him some game action in Washington, setting him up for a start this coming weekend in Pittsburgh and a second one before the Dodgers open the postseason.

"[We'll schedule him] somewhere where we can fit in two [starts] before the end [of the season]," Torre said.

Kershaw's unclear status is part of an increasingly muddled rotation puzzle that Torre will have to figure out before the beginning of the National League Division Series on Oct. 7. He and Chad Billingsley are Los Angeles' two most talented starting pitchers, but Kershaw's injury has made it uncertain that he will be stretched out to start in October and Billingsley, who will start against the Nationals Wednesday, has struggled mightily in the second half.

Both will have a chance to answer some of those doubts in the nation's capital.

Kershaw Ready to Pitch for Dodgers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Crede's Season Is Officially Over

Andrew Johnson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:17:00 EST

Filed under: Twins, AL Central, MLB Injuries

It's been a good week for the Twins, but they still have plenty of work to do to get into the postseason, work that isn't getting any easier because of some key injuries.

All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau is already out for the season as is 10-game winner Kevin Slowey. Joining them on the shelf until 2010 is third baseman Joe Crede, who will have surgery on a herniated disk in his back next week.

This is hardly a surprise -- Crede has had procedures on his back in the past two seasons and he hasn't played in a week. It's also not even remotely as devastating a blow as losing Morneau or Slowey -- not with Crede's .225 average this season. But it hardly helps matters.

The Twins are stretched thin all over the diamond. On Sunday, Michael Cuddyer -- usually an outfielder -- filled in for Morneau at first base, Jason Kubel -- usually a designated hitter -- was in right field and Matt Tolbert -- a utility infielder who played only 44 of 413 career games in the minors at third base -- was at the hot corner.

If Minnesota is going to make up three games on the Tigers over the final two weeks of the season, it is going to have to do so with very little depth.

As for Crede, you have to wonder what the future holds. From 2004-06, he had three straight 20-homer seasons. In the three years since, he's played a total of 234 games, hitting .232, and, after next week, will have had three surgeries on his back in as many seasons.

The third baseman signed an incentive-laden one-year, $2.5 million deal this February with the Twins. He'll be a free agent again this offseason, and he'll probably be very lucky to get a guaranteed major league deal this time around.

Joe Crede's Season Is Officially Over originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Cole Looks Like King Again

Andrew Johnson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cubs, Phillies, Tigers, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Cole Hamels is starting to look like the World Series MVP.

The left-hander, who was one of the biggest reasons the Phillies won a title last season, tossed eight innings of one-run ball and struck out 10 in a 4-2 win over the Nationals.

Hamels hasn't looked like the ace he was for Philadelphia last year, but his last five starts suggest he could be rounding into form at exactly the right time.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Hamels is 3-1 with a 1.43 ERA in those five turns and he has 38 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.

"I think you have to enjoy it," Hamels said. "Sometimes, the games get a little bit more meaningful. The fans know it, we know it. It's just going out there and doing what we know best."

From the Trainer's Room ...
Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley came out of Chicago's 7-4 loss to Milwaukee in the sixth inning with what he described as "knee inflammation." Bradley has had two surgical procedures on his left knee. So will he be back in the lineup Friday when the Cubs open a series with the rival Cardinals? The surly Bradley was little help.

"I got knee inflammation," he said. "I got two knee surgeries. That happens when you got knee surgery, in case you don't know. What else you got?"

How long will you be out?

"What else you got? Anything significant?"

This went on and on until Bradley turned his back, ending the interview.

Numbers Game ...
Since the Angels called up Howie Kendrick after a month-long stint in the minors, the second baseman is hitting .379. Kendrick homered and drove in the game-winning run as Los Angeles avoided a sweep in Fenway Park.

In Their Own Words ...
"By no means do I think we're tight -- you've got to give credit where credit is due," -- Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson after his team lost 9-2 to the Royals, trimming their lead over the Twins in the AL Central down to four games ahead of a critical weekend series in Minnesota. Detroit has six games left against the Twins, but, perhaps more fortunately, none with Kansas City. The Royals have beaten the Tigers in six of their last seven meetings.

Advance Scouting ...
The Rangers sit 6 1/2 games back of the Angels in the AL West, but still have six games left with the division leaders before the end of the season, starting Friday night (8:05 PM ET). In other words, Texas needs to be nearly perfect against Los Angeles to have any hope of reaching the playoffs. Tommy Hunter goes for the Rangers against Scott Kazmir, who has a 1.86 ERA in three starts for the Halos.

Starting Five: Cole Looks Like King Again originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Honoring Those Who Brought the Game to the Fans

Ed Price — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Phillies, Rangers, Reds, Royals, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
The names Hal McCoy and Ernie Harwell.

Both were honored at ballparks on Wednesday, and their absence from the game will be felt by fans in Cincinnati and Detroit.

Harwell, the long-time Tigers radio announcer, has inoperable, terminal cancer. So the team chose Wednesday night to honor him at Comerica Park, and after a video tribute in the third inning, he thanked the fans:

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"In my almost 92 years on this earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey, and the blessed part of that journey is it's going to end here in the great state of Michigan.

"I deeply appreciate the great people of Michigan. I love their grit. I love the way they face life. I love the family values they have. And you Tiger fans are the greatest fans of all. No question about that.

"And I certainly want to thank you from the depth of my heart, for your devotion, your support, your loyalty and your love. Thank you very much and God bless you."

About 250 miles southwest, at Great American Ball Park, it was Hal McCoy Night.

Like Harwell, McCoy is in a wing of the Hall of Fame -- writers' instead of broadcasters'. McCoy has been the Reds beat writer for the Dayton Daily News for 37 years, but he is retiring after the season, another victim of the newspaper industry's short-sighted cutbacks.

In a nice touch, the Reds arranged for the Astros' Aaron Boone to catch McCoy's ceremonial first pitch. It was Boone, who when he was with the Reds, talked McCoy out of retiring after a stroke in his left eye damaged his vision.

McCoy stuck with it, and his writing and reporting didn't miss a beat.

There are no men in baseball classier than Hal McCoy and Ernie Harwell. So they will be missed.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Chan Ho Park, who has a 2.52 ERA in his 38 relief appearances for the Phillies, might be out for a while. Park left Wednesday's game with a strained left hamstring and said afterward he felt it "pop." It's another blow to the scrambled Philadelphia bullpen.

Numbers Game ...
The Rangers, who got just one hit Wednesday, have been shut out in three of their past four games -- scoring a grand total of one run. That's the franchise's worst four-game output since it moved from Washington to Texas. The last time any team scored one run over four games was in June 2007, when the Braves were shut in out three straight games, managed a run and then got shut out again.

In Their Own Words ...
"There's that feeling you can always do it because we've done it so many times. When guys have confidence, they are different players. When you have success in situations, you learn how to relax in those situations." -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose team got its 14th walk-off win of the year, the franchise's most since 1943

Advance Scouting ...
Zack Greinke could use a win for his Cy Young Award campaign (not that wins are the be-all and end-all, but they certainly help). Edwin Jackson needs to get on track by the time the playoffs start. The two right-handers square off today in Detroit (1:05 PM ET). Greinke leads the AL in ERA, WHIP, shutouts and fewest homers per nine innings, but in three of his past six starts he has allowed zero or one earned run and gotten a no decision. Jackson, meanwhile, has a 5.31 ERA over his past seven starts after starting out 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA.

Starting Five: Honoring Those Who Brought the Game to the Fans originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roy Oswalt Shut Down for Season

Andrew Johnson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:07:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, MLB Injuries

Roy Oswalt has pitched for the last time in 2009.

The Astros have decided to shut down their ace, who has been dealing with a degenerative disc in his back, for the season.

"It just ain't going away," Oswalt said. "I've pitched with it for (four) starts, and it's just not getting any better. It's just kind of lingering more and more. If we were in contention fighting for the playoffs I would probably get up and just try to block it and ride it as long as I could. But I don't want it to linger on for next year."

That is, of course, the prudent decision. Houston has long since been left for dead in the playoff race, 12 games behind Colorado in the wild-card race -- pending the result of the Rockies' game in San Francisco Wednesday night -- and five losses, or Rockie wins, away from mathematical elimination.

This year has to mark the worst season of a quietly very impressive career cobbled together by Oswalt. He's never recorded fewer wins (eight), only once recorded fewer strikeouts (138) and never had a higher ERA (4.12) than he has in 2009.

And yet even in the worst campaign of his career, Oswalt still managed to make 30 starts and have an ERA ever so slightly better than league average.

In other words, though he's rarely been mentioned as one of the very best pitchers in the game, that's exactly what he has been almost since the moment he arrived on the scene in 2001.

Oswalt is not considering a surgical procedure on his ailing disc, instead opting to strengthen the area in the offseason. Back problems aren't exactly the death sentence that a torn labrum or rotator cuff is for pitchers, but it's certainly worrisome, especially for a pitcher who turned 32 at the end of last month and still has $33 million guaranteed remaining on his contract.

With an aging core, the Astros absolutely need Oswalt to regain the form he's shown on the mound in every season but this past one.

Roy Oswalt Shut Down for Season originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jake Peavy to Start Saturday

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: White Sox, AL Central, MLB Injuries

When White Sox general manager Kenny Williams pulled off a late shocker minutes before the MLB trade deadline back on July 31 to land injured starter Jake Peavy, he had two motives in mind. One was that adding Peavy, who is signed through 2012 with a club option for 2013, to his team's rotation leaves the White Sox set to contend in the AL Central for years to come. The other was that should Peavy be able to return from his ankle injury quick enough, he might be able to help the White Sox reach the playoffs this season.

Well, seeing as how it's the middle of September and the White Sox are 5 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, it's probably too late for Peavy to make a playoff push. Still, the team isn't giving up and White Sox fans can get a sneak peak at the team's future this Saturday in Chicago when Peavy makes his White Sox debut.

''Yeah, how about that?'' Peavy said. ''I'm going to make a start.

'I'm going to get out there and compete. I expect to win on Saturday, and we'll have a few more starts and put to bed hopefully all this injury stuff or whatever it is, and I'll show up and be ready to go for next spring training.

''Stranger things have happened, and if the Sox get to the postseason, I'll be fine and ready for that as well.''

I wouldn't hold my breath on those playoff hopes, but at least Peavy's long anticipated return will give White Sox fans something to be excited about over the last few weeks. It's been pretty frustrating for both Peavy and the Sox as they've awaited his return.

Peavy was on track to return a few weeks ago but after taking a line drive off of his throwing arm in a rehab start his debut was pushed back. Then when Peavy reported no soreness in his arm at all after a bullpen session in Anaheim over the weekend in which Jake held nothing back, the team decided it was time to send him out to the mound.

If nothing else letting Peavy get some starts at US Cellular Field -- a park quite different from Petco Park -- will at least get him acclimated to his new surroundings before next season starts, and who knows, maybe the Sox will shock the world and reach the playoffs.

Yes, they're 5 1/2 games behind Detroit, but they do have six games left against the Tigers. As Peavy said, stranger things have happened.

Related: The White Sox released Bartolo Colon, out with elbow inflammation since July, on Wednesday.

Jake Peavy to Start Saturday originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One

Ed Price — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Yankees are still fired up despite their large lead in the AL East.

After two Yankees pitchers hit Blue Jays batters in Tuesday's game, Toronto's Jesse Carlson threw behind Jorge Posada in the bottom of the eighth.

Posada glared, benches briefly emptied, but there were no punches. Yet.

Instead of letting it end there, or charging the mound, Posada waited until he walked and then scored a run to give Carlson a shove after he crossed home plate.

And then it was on.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Posada ended up on the bottom of the pile in the ensuing melee -- and the Yankees can't afford to have him hurt. (Posada missed most of last year, and the Yankees missed the playoffs.)

"He was just right there on the line to the dugout. We got carried away and hopefully that's the end of it," the 38-year-old Posada said. "I don't want my kids to see that. ... Fight in the middle of the field, benches clearing -- that's a bad example."

A suspension seems likely.

"As he ran past Carlson, he gave him a little shove with his elbow. It was very unsportsmanlike," [home plate umpire Jim] Joyce told a pool reporter. "It was a cheap shot."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi met with his team after the game to ask them to chill.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Jarrod Washburn, Detroit's big trade deadline pickup, had to come out after an inning against Kansas City because of a bad left knee.

"Shortly after the strikeout [to start the game], we could tell he was in pain," [manager Jim] Leyland said. "We'll see what happens, but it seems pretty obvious to me that, at this point, he's unpitchable."

The Tigers went on to lose for the sixth time in eight games, four of those losses have come to the last-place Royals.

Numbers Game ...
Heath Bell's ERA has gone up almost a full run in less than a week. On Tuesday he gave up the winning runs after blowing two straight saves. In those three games, he has given up seven hits and seven runs in three innings, so his ERA has gone from 1.98 to 2.90. If Bell blows his next save chance, he will be the first Padres closer to fail in three straight save opportunities since Craig Lefferts in 1990; Trevor Hoffman has never blown three straight.

In Their Own Words ...
"I felt great in batting practice, ran around great, and then the second pitch he threw me, I got off balance, landed on my front side a little too hard and it just grabbed,. I didn't want to make it worse. I've been making too much progress." -- Texas' Michael Young, who tried to return from a strained left hamstring but came out of the game against Oakland after one plate appearance

Advance Scouting ...
With a 2 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race, Colorado will try to avoid its sixth straight loss to San Francisco in the teams' final regular-season meeting (10:15 PM ET). Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa is 2-0 against the Giants this year, but in those two starts he has a 5.40 ERA. He faces Matt Cain, who in 17 career starts against Colorado has allowed opposing hitters to bat just .212.

Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Dice-K Stays OK, Matsuzaka Could Make Red Sox Rotation Formidable

Ed Price — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:04:00 EST

Filed under: Red Sox, MLB Injuries

BOSTON -- Andy Pettitte was being scratched from his next start.

Jarrod Washburn was leaving his with a bad knee.

And meanwhile Tuesday, Daisuke Matsuzaka was shutting down the Angels.

There's reason to believe the Red Sox may have the deepest rotation in the AL playoff field once the postseason starts.

Of course, Matsuzaka has to keep it up. One reason Boston shut him down and made him start from scratch, rebuilding the strength in his shoulder that was sapped by the World Baseball Classic, is that he couldn't maintain his stuff from start to start.

But if six innings/no runs/three hits against the Angels -- the Red Sox's likely ALDS opponents -- is a harbinger, Boston will have the best No. 4 starter in the postseason."Boy, I tell you, man, having Dice-K back, throwing the way he did the ball tonight ... I'm thinking about going to the playoffs right now."
-- Red Sox DH David Ortiz

"It was a blast to play behind," left fielder Jason Bay said. "Given the uncertainty we have in the four and five spots .... that would be huge.

"We're not talking about a guy who's never done it. We're talking about a guy who won 18 games last year and has electric stuff."

Nos. 1-3 seem set. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have combined to go 6-1 with a 2.14 ERA this month.

But Tim Wakefield has a bad back and, although he threw in the bullpen Tuesday and is tentatively scheduled to start next Monday, is "certainly not getting better," according to manager Terry Francona. And Paul Byrd is a 38-year-old soft-tosser who sat out the first four months of the season and has a career 5.40 ERA in the playoffs.

So Boston needs Dice-K in October.

Francona tried to dampen expectations before the game, saying, "I hope he has a great game. But regardless, I think the process is more important. That's why we stopped him from pitching. Because we needed to figure it out. I think we did the right thing.

"If he throws six shutout innings tonight, that would be terrific. But if he doesn't, that doesn't mean it was wrong or didn't work."

Well, Francona actually got the six shutout innings.

"I thought he was terrific," Francona said. "He stayed in his delivery for the entire night. He looked like he had some life on his fastball, without effort.

"It's a huge shot in the arm for us."

Matsuzaka showed some of his usual frustrating form, throwing just seven of 24 first pitches for strikes and at times missing his target by a good measure. But he threw a high percentage of fastballs, only allowed one runner to reach third base and, after going to three balls on five of his first 14 batters, didn't reach a three-ball count over the next nine.

Of course, when he went 18-3 last year, he was constantly wriggling out of bad counts and jams. He's simply an unusual pitcher.

He added another twist Tuesday when, from the second inning on, he threw the first three of his eight warmup pitches from behind the mound.

"We noticed that too," Francona said, "but it seemed to be working -- so stay out of the way."

Said pitching coach John Farrell: "Dice-K is Dice-K for a number of reasons."

Apparently Matsuzaka used to do that when he was dominating Japanese baseball. But he didn't even tell catcher Jason Varitek it was coming.

Varitek didn't care. He was more pleased to see Matsuzaka wave his cap to a standing ovation as he departed Tuesday, after a leadoff walk in the seventh.

In his previous home start, June 19, Matsuzaka had been booed.

It was after that the Red Sox made the decision to shut down Matsuzaka. And it took almost three months to work his way back.

"It's a hard thing to do during the season," Francona said, "but I think we all felt it was not just in his best interest but it was needed. And he did a good job with it.

"The biggest thing we saw, I think, earlier in the season was he was trying to reach back for velocity, and then because of that, he wasn't commanding very well. So now hopefully there will be less effort in getting to that velocity that's good enough to get major league hitters out so he can command better."

And maybe Matsuzaka had a little motivation.

"On the road back I've been a burden on my teammates more than anything," he said through an interpreter, "and I feel that I owe them."

He paid them back with one of the top five starts, statistically, against the Angels this year.

"The way he threw tonight," Farrell said, "was very comparable to the majority of '07 and the time in '08 from late May on after he came back from a stint on the DL. The main thing was the life in the body and the explosiveness. When he's able to do that without any restrictions, you know he feels good."

Matsuzaka has shown what he can do. The next step is doing it over and over.

"I think we all feel like it's realistic," Francona said, "that he can come back his next start and -- not necessarily match the numbers -- but be the same pitcher. That's what we're really shooting for."

If so, stack Matsuzaka up against the other No. 4 starters on playoff teams. Joba Chamberlain, who's basically going through spring training again? Washburn? Joe Saunders or Scott Kazmir? Kyle Lohse or John Smoltz? Whatever Dodger is left standing? Jason Hammel?

"Boy, I tell you, man," David Ortiz said, "having Dice-K back, throwing the way he did the ball tonight ... I'm thinking about going to the playoffs right now."

If Dice-K Stays OK, Matsuzaka Could Make Red Sox Rotation Formidable originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cook Expects to Be Ready for October

Jeff Fletcher — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:35:00 EST

Filed under: Rockies, MLB Injuries

SAN FRANCISCO -- After throwing two simulated innings on Tuesday, Rockies Opening Day starter Aaron Cook said he is healthy, and he expects to be ready to pitch for Colorado in the postseason, if the Rockies get there.

"It's not an issue," Cook told FanHouse. "I'm healthy. It's just a matter of throwing my pitches and getting back to where I need to be stamina-wise and getting position to where I can go out there. My shoulder feels great. My foot feels great. It's just a matter of where they need me to help the team."

Cook, who is 10-6 with a 4.47 ERA, has been on the disabled list since Aug. 22 with a right shoulder strain. He will throw another simulated game on Saturday. If that goes well, he could pitch in instructional league around Sept. 24 and possibly pitch once or twice for the Rockies before the playoffs.

Manager Jim Tracy, while not wanting to assume that the Rockies are going to the playoffs yet, said he is "very optimistic" about Cook being ready. He said it would be ideal if the team got a big enough lead that Cook could have at least one outing in the regular season before being considered for the playoff rotation.

"I think that's huge, of utmost importance," Tracy said. "Because of the amount of time he's been down, just to grab a hold of him and throw him into a gut-wrenching situation, you are doing a disservice to the player. I wouldn't do that."

Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis would likely be the Rockies top two starters in the postseason, with Cook, Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Hammel in the mix for the third and fourth slot. If he's healthy, Cook is the best of that group.

Jose Contreras and Jeff Francis also worked in the Tuesday simulated game. Contreras, who is out with a strained right quad, is not as close to a return because the Rockies are concerned about him being able to field his position, Tracy said. Francis, who had shoulder surgery, is simply preparing to pitch in the instructional league in order to get ready for 2010.

Cook Expects to Be Ready for October originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Hampton Out for All of 2010 With Shoulder Injury

Pat Lackey — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, NL Central, MLB Injuries

Mike Hampton made 21 starts for the Astros in 2009. That's not a whole lot, but it's only four fewer than he made for the Braves between 2005 and 2008 so it's probably as much as the Astros could've reasonably expected from the veteran when they signed him in the offseason.

No one should be expecting any starts from Hampton in 2010, though, because when Hampton had surgery to repair a shoulder problem today, doctors found a completely torn rotator cuff and a partially torn labrum. Neither of those things are good on their own, and together they mean that Hampton will probably miss all of next year. Given his health history, it seems possible that it means his big-league career is over.

In those 21 starts he did make for the Astros this year, Hampton went 7-10 with a 5.30 ERA. Things weren't all bad, though. His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) was his best since his 2000 season with the Mets and given how sparingly he's pitched in the four years before this one, he at least seemed to be on the right track. On the other hand, four of his seven wins came in starts against the Pirates. In those four starts, he recorded 19 of his 74 strikeouts (about a quarter of his season total) and only allowed three earned runs in 27 innings. Which is to say he was much worse against just about everyone else.

It's obviously too early to know how Hampton's rehab will go or what he'll choose to do when or if he gets healthy, but it's hard to imagine him trying to come back at the age of 38 from a serious shoulder injury. He didn't pitch at all in 2006 or 2007 and he's struggled both this year and last year on the few occasions he has pitched.

In any case, Hampton's a free agent after this season ends, so at the very least the Astros don't lose anything beside a handful of starts in a lost season. And Hampton adds another injury to his illustrious list of them, ensuring that his legacy won't be anything that he did on the field, but rather how much time he spent off of it.

Mike Hampton Out for All of 2010 With Shoulder Injury originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Pettitte Scratched From Next Start

Matt Snyder — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Injuries

The New York Yankees are rock solid. They have been the No. 1 team in our power rankings for quite a while and even the Yankee-haters finally stopped questioning it. That being said, they do have a central concern as they get ready to play for their first World Series championship since 2000 -- the depth of the starting rotation. Tuesday night clouded things a bit further.

Andy Pettitte, who has settled in as the Yankees' third best pitcher this season, has been scratched from his Wednesday start. Worse news yet is the reason: Shoulder fatigue.

The silver lining is that the reports state Pettitte isn't feeling pain, just aching. On the other hand, it's a tad bit worrisome to hear of a 37-year-old with almost 3,000 career innings pitched suffering from shoulder fatigue toward the end of the season. It's possible he'll be back on track and finish the rest of the season -- and postseason -- strong, but there is at least a small reason for concern. Pettitte reportedly felt shoulder fatigue last season and it was the worst full season of his career.

The Bronx Bombers do have a formidable duo atop the rotation in CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett -- though Burnett has a 7.67 ERA in his last five starts -- but behind Pettitte they are left with Joba Chamberlain, Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin. So, yeah, the rotation could pose a major obstacle to their success in the playoffs.

Pettitte is currently 13-6 with a 4.14 ERA.

Andy Pettitte Scratched From Next Start originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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