MASH Report (12/17/15)

• Yadier Molina had a torn ligament replaced in his thumb. He had the same procedure done two months ago.

The need for a second surgery means that Molina will not be fully cleared for the start of Spring Train-ing, general manager John Mozeliak confirmed on Wednesday. The Cardinals do expect him to be ready by Opening Day, Mozeliak added, but that will ultimately be determined by how quickly Molina can regain strength in that thumb.

To try to expedite the healing and limit mobility, Molina will wear a full cast for the next several weeks.

“I think by the end of January, the cast should be off and then he’ll begin his strengthening exercises throughout the month of February and March,” Mozeliak said. “The biggest question will be: When will he swing a bat? They don’t feel like any of this should affect how he catches or when he can catch, but to have him ready by Opening Day, [swinging] will really be the test.”

Sounds like Molina’s production level will come down for a bit, but, as always, the full extent is not known yet. Looking at some past similar injuries, 50% of the players took 60-74 days to return which is in line with the Cardinals report. Additionally, no instances exist of the return taking more than 74 days.

• Cody Anderson had an emergency appendectomy a couple of days ago. Normally, these procedures only keep a player out for a month during the season. He should be fine by spring training.

• In other Cleveland pitcher news, T.J. House and his cranky shoulder are supposedly healthy.

The Indians say House is healthy and will compete for a spot in the rotation in spring training. After struggling with a sore left shoulder last season, House rehabbed in Goodyear and tested the shoulder in the Arizona Fall League.

• Stephen Strasburg attributes his 2015 struggles to a couple of injuries.

Early on in the 2015 season, Strasburg did not pitch like Strasburg, and had to leave games — then the active roster — because of discomfort in his back and neck. He described the trouble once as a knot feeling like “a little ball” that grew tight when aggravated. Strasburg said the pain was not “localized” solely around the fibrolipoma, but that the growth affected the mechanics of how muscles worked around the knot.
….

Strasburg said he feels no need to alter his offseason workouts to avoid an injury-riddled season. He attributed his early struggles to a change in mechanics made subconsciously when he tried to pitch on an ankle he sprained during spring training conditioning. When he recovered his health and restored his mechanics, he was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball for the last two months of the season.

• Aaron Barrett blamed his Tommy John surgery for the up and down life in the bullpen.

Barrett had reconstructive surgery on his throwing elbow in September. He appeared in 30 of Washington’s first 60 games last season and estimates that during that span he was told to warm up in the bullpen during another 15 games he didn’t enter.

Explained Barrett: “Just basically warming up, not going into the game, then pitching the next game, and then warming up in the sixth inning and then the seventh inning and then pitching in the eighth inning.”
I would love to test the theory, but data is about impossible to collect.

• Dodgers are backing out of the Hisashi Iwakuma contract because of a failed physical. I am not surprised he failed a physical. I am a little surprised the Dodgers backed out after bring in so many pitchers with injury histories over the years.

Jiji Press reporting the Dodgers backing out from Iwakuma after failed physical. https://t.co/JJ3MMEmWxI

— Kazuto Yamazaki (@Kazuto_Yamazaki) December 17, 2015

Players possibly on the DL in 2016

The Red players have had updates since the last report. Click on the “Date” for a link to go to the latest article on the player.