MASH Report (1/13/14)

• In the comments from last week’s MASH Report, dls asked:

Any info on [Yasmani] Grandal (in particular), and catchers (in general), returning from knee injuries?

First, Grandal will start the season on the DL. Second, here is how the nine catchers in my database with major knee issues performed after the injury.  The values are from the the season before the injury to the season after the injury. Additionally, I included the outfield values I found last week.

Stat	Catchers	Outfielders
AVG	-0.011	-0.016
OBP	-0.014	-0.016
SLG	-0.018	-0.031

The two sets of values are similar and it looks like Grandal should see a drop in production once he returns.

• Derek Holland is out until at least mid-season because of torn cartilage in his left knee. At least he will have plenty of time to play with his dog.

• Justin Verlander will not be pitching for at least six weeks while he recovers from core muscle surgery. I think there is some good and bad information on Verlander. The bad. It sounds like Verlander may not be 100% for the season’s start.

“There’s some questions about whether he’ll be able to begin throwing a little before that,” Dombrowski said of the six-week rehab timetable. “We don’t know that answer as of yet, but he should be ready to go full bore at six weeks and then proceed from there.

“If you proceed from there, you get really close to the beginning of the season for being ready.”

The good. Verlander’s disappointing 2013 season may have been caused by the injury since it has been around for a while.

“This was not an acute injury that just happened all of a sudden,” Dombrowski said. “It’s one of those that has been a build up. So throughout the years this is something that was wearing down for him. I can’t even say how much it’s bothered him, because I’ve never really heard him say that before.

Verlander may miss a start or two, but his production may be better once he is back. It will be interesting to see how his value changes in upcoming mock drafts.

• Carlos Gonzalez had emergency appendectomy surgery this past weekend with the team reporting he will be shut down for 2 weeks. A couple of years ago, I looked at players who had appendectomy surgery and found they were 100% healthy a month after the surgery.

• A scout “familiar” to Matt Kemp and his injuries gives his take on the situation.

“I think he’s going to be a guy who will be OK this year, but you’ll get the best of Kemp the following year as he’s recovered completely from the ankle.”

I have heard of Kemp going in the 2nd round in recent mocks which is way too early for me.

• Andrew Miller is schedule to be ready for spring training after a freak 2013 foot injury which kept from pitching in the season’s second half.

• Wandy Rodriguez is throwing and plans to be ready for the start of spring training.

Possible Players on the DL to Start the 2014 Season

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

Major League Report

Minor League Report