MASH Report (12/3/15)

• It has been two weeks since my last report with almost no injury news updates. Hopefully, no news is good news.

• Ryan Braun doesn’t know how his latest back operation will affect his return timetable.

It was Braun’s first visit since undergoing surgery to relieve a bulging disc in his lower back.

“I feel pretty good, knock on wood,” said Braun, who is six weeks post-surgery. “The only surprise is the rehab is a little bit longer than I was anticipating, but other than that, everything went as planned and as expected. The first couple of days post-surgery weren’t fun, they were pretty painful. Other than that, I feel good.”

Braun is undergoing physical therapy four days a week. He downplayed the effect the prolonged rehab will have on his preparation for 2016, since he typically does not begin a throwing program until around Christmas, and he does not begin swinging a bat until January.

Asked when he expects his back to be 100 percent healthy, Braun said, “I have no idea. I’ll know when I get there. Certainly the goal is to be back to 100 percent. That’s my plan. I think it’s realistic, but until I get through the rehab and the physical therapy, I won’t know.”

• Tim Lincecum plans to “blow away” some scouts in a January showcase of his hip recovery.

Tim Lincecum, the only free agent with two Cy Young Awards, is expected to bide his time as he recovers from September hip surgery, according to league sources.

While a team could tempt Lincecum with a strong contract offer, the likelier possibility and current plan is for him to hold a showcase event sometime in January, by which time his doctors expect him to be throwing. And the possibility of blowing away scouts and executives with a fully healed body excites the 31-year-old, according to people familiar with his recovery.

• I have zero issues with Jose Fernandez wanting Scott Boras on the conference call when his 2016 workload is discussed. It is not Fernandez’s job to learn about all the workload scenarios, that his why he pays his agent. Also, if the Marlins weren’t so sleazy in their past negotiations, players and agents might trust them more.

• Mike Minor’s shoulder injury kept him from being a tendered an approximate $4.5M contract.

Minor underwent surgery in May to repair a slightly torn left labrum. But the 27-year-old has not been able to throw off a mound on a regular basis. This uncertainty caused the Braves to be hesitant about a significant financial commitment.

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.