MASH Report (1/13/14)

• A bunch of small updates in the spreadsheet at the bottom of this page. More news has been coming out over the past couple of weeks as we get closer to the start of spring training.

• Miguel Cabrera may not be ready for opening day.

Cabrera’s big test comes in February when he consults Robert Anderson, a Charlotte, N.C., orthopedic surgeon who also repaired the broken ankle of retired Yankees star Derek Jeter.

“His rehab has gone well,” Rand said. “He’s in a partial weight-bearing stage, six weeks in a boot, which began just before Christmas. He’ll got back and see Dr. Anderson next month and hope the CT scan will show that everything’s well and that he can move into a full weight-bearing program.”

The Tigers, though, acknowledge Cabrera will have work to do even if he gets a thumbs-up at next month’s exam. They cannot say with assurance their spotlight hitter will be 100 percent on Opening Day.

We will find out more next month. If you have an early draft, I may stay away from him.

• Jayson Werth will be out 2-3 months after having surgery on his shoulder to repair his AC joint.

Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth had arthroscopic surgery on his right AC joint Friday. He will be out two to three months.
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Werth has had problems with the shoulder since August, when he hurt it while making a catch against the Phillies at Nationals Park.
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“There was hope that [the shoulder] would heal with time and treatment. I pretty much did everything legally possible to not have surgery but, in the end, surgery was the best course of action with the 2015 season and beyond in mind,” Werth said in an e-mail to MLB.com. “Fortunately the major shoulder tissue has not been harmed, no cuff or labrum troubles, which is a very good sign.”

Two months puts him at a mid-February return. Unless he hits this date or maybe just a couple of weeks later, I just don’t see him being ready for the seaon’s start.

• Tim Hudson is expected to miss two months after having bone spurs removed from his ankle.

Giants right-hander Tim Hudson underwent surgery last Friday to remove bone spurs from on his right ankle, the club announced Tuesday. But manager Bruce Bochy downplayed the severity of the procedure, and the Giants insisted that Hudson will be fit to begin the season on time.

Hudson is expected to need eight weeks to recover from the operation performed by Dr. Bob Anderson in Charlotte, N.C. According to the Giants, Hudson began experiencing discomfort as he increased the intensity of his offseason workouts.

• Alexi Ogando’s health has been up for debate recently. First the bad news from an AL executive:

He has had so many injuries and his shoulder medicals don’t look great, according to an American League executive. But once Ogando’s price lowers and he’s no longer holding out for a major league contract, teams will compete for his services. Ogando, 31, has been successful as a starter and reliever.

Ogando’s agent fired back with his own information on Ogando’s health:

“Alexi Ogando was 92 to 93 and touched 94 at a bullpen session for numerous teams last week,” says Reynolds. “After an earlier examination by Dr. [James] Andrews, coupled with his promising progression, we believe Alexi should have no problem securing a job and will be pitching on Day 1 of 2015 Spring Training.”

I am not sure how elated evaluators will be with a 92.5 mph fastball since it would be a career low for Ogando. I don’t think he will get much of a offer and will need to prove he is healthy before getting any kind of real payday.

• CC Sabathia says he is feeling 100% healthy.

But Sabathia told the Daily News that he has been playing catch, and he probably will progress to bullpen sessions by the end of the month.
“I feel good, I don’t have any pain, no nothing,” Sabathia said. “My arm feels good.”

Wait and see where his health and fastball are at in spring training before declaring him his old self

• Even the Yankees understand there is a decent chance Masahiro Tanaka won’t be able to come back 100% healthy this season.

“Tanaka’s a question mark,” general manager Brian Cashman said recently. “Typically, the problems occur in the throwing program when they get back on the mound in the rehab process. If you can get through that and the rehab games, he should be OK. Obviously, he got through two Major League starts, so that gives us hope. But there’s no guarantee.”

• Alex Gordon had wrist surgery after experiencing some discomfort working out. He is expected to be fully recovered for the season’s start.

• A report has Bronson Arroyo coming back from Tommy John surgery in April or May. He had the surgery in July and recently pitchers have been taking more like 14 months to return. Arroyo is not going to return effectively in nine months.

• Wil Myers now feels 100% healthy.

Myers, who said his wrist is healthy, is ready to move past a disastrous 2014 and on to a new chapter in his career — with a third and, what he hopes is his final organization. He worked out Tuesday at Petco Park, lifting weights and also hitting with new hitting coach Mark Kotsay.

“I think people forget that this was my first bad year. Everyone talks about my swing was this, my swing was that,” he said. “A lot of that had to do with being hurt, trying to make changes in my swing to get to pitches that I could get to when I was healthy. I didn’t have my top hand where I wanted it to be and that came from not being 100 percent.”

If his wrists did affect him as he stated, his projections can be bumped up a bit since they wouldn’t know about the injury.

• Shin-Soo Choo is feeling “too good”.

Shin-Soo Choo says he feels “too good” six weeks out from spring training. Is doing all baseball activities. #Rangers

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilson_FWST) January 10, 2015

• Johan Santana is looking to make another come back with his 86-89 mph fastball which he will show off in the Venezuelan Winter League tomorrow.  • Jurickson Profar has started throwing.

Rangers @JURICKSONPROFAR cleared to start his throwing program, first from 45 feet, the week of Jan. 19 — Anthony Andro (@aandro) January 9, 2015

• Matt Harrison says his back is fine.

#Rangers LHP Matt Harrison threw today for first time since May. 30 throws at 30 feet, 25 at 45 feet, 10 at 30. “My back’s fine,” he said.

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilson_FWST) January 7, 2015

• Oswaldo Arcia’s back is not fine.

Oswaldo Arcia dealing now with back issues, manager says he will wait 5-6 days before definitive decision @MikeBerardino — Rafael Rojas C (@rafaelrojasc) January 3, 2015

• Neftali Feliz is looking to regain some of old velocity.

The fastball heat could return this season as Feliz works with his personal trainer and gets farther away from the surgery. For all his experience, Feliz won’t turn 27 until May 2.

The chances of seeing a velocity spike are slim as I found in this study.

• Dr. Michael G. Ciccotti and Dr. W. Ben Kibler talk about arm care in a two–part series at InsidePitchOnline.com.

 

(*) 15 Day Disabled List
(**) 60 Day Disabled List
(***) 7 Day Concussion List
(****) Free Agent
Red colored entries are updates since last report.

Players with Injuries Going into 2015