MASH Report (2/2/15)

• Troy Tulowitzki has been dealing with a labrum tear since 2008 in which he finally had surgery for at the end of 2014.

But for years, Tulowitzki and the Rockies knew that his hip labrum was damaged. The area has been a problem since he suffered a torn left quadriceps tendon early in 2008. He had surgery to remove scar tissue from the left groin area in 2012, but he hoped to continue to play through the underlying labrum damage.

Did the surgery finally put an end to the problems?

Not even Tulowitzki knows.

“It’s been a battle for me, no doubt,” Tulowitzki said. “I do everything I possibly can to prepare for the season and make myself healthy. Hopefully, all these things are past me. I can move on and go out there and play 140, 160, however many games it is, I love to do that. I have every intention to. We’ll see how it goes.”

I guess we can finally see if he can stay healthy for an entire season.

• Ryan Braun isn’t sure how healthy he will be until spring training.

“I know it’s significantly better than it was at this time last year, which I’m encouraged by,” Braun said. “But as I’ve said to you guys the last time I saw everybody, I think the real test will come in Spring Training once we’ve played games for a couple weeks and just every day, that wear and tear, see how it recovers, see how it responds.

…
“I think it’s always kind of a progression of getting to the point where you feel really comfortable with your swing. That normally happens at some point during Spring Training. But overall right now it feels good as I could possibly hope for.”

This should be the answer for all players right now when asked about their health.

• Yu Darvish and the Rangers are encouraged about the progress he has made with his elbow.

“My elbow feels fine and I am able to throw on my throwing program,” Darvish said.
……..
“He’s right on schedule,” Daniels said. “I think Darvish is very in tune with his body as much as anybody and knows how he’s feeling. He’s very confident. Like any of these guys, until they’re out there you’re always going to have some reservation, but that’s the worrywart in me. From all the information we have, I’m encouraged. He’s basically been cleared to do just about everything.”

• Chris Davis blames some of his 2014 struggles on an oblique strain.

“I definitely think it was the injury,” said Davis, who was placed on the disabled list in late April. “Early on in the season, I was hurt — I was trying to play through it — and I really didn’t realize how much of an impact it had on me until this offseason, until I had time to recover and start hitting again, and feel the difference between the beginning of last year and now. It’s an injury you can’t really prevent. At the time, I continued to play — and I wasn’t the same player.”

With third base eligibility in most leagues, I am going to try to pick him regularly, especially in auction leagues where I don’t have to determine where he will be drafted.

• Matt Moore expects to return to the majors in June.

Rays left-hander Matt Moore has reported no setbacks throughout his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he’s targeting a return to the big league mound in June.

After reportedly throwing off the mound Tuesday for the first time since the operation, nothing’s changed. And in this case, no news is good news for Moore and the Rays. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Moore threw 15 times from about halfway up the bullpen mound at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, and he told the Times he felt “pretty good.”

I see him getting over valued and not worth reaching for to stash on a DL spot.

• Sean Doolittle will not be ready for the 2015 season because of a tear in his rotator cuff.

• Garrett Richards seems to be ahead of schedule in his return from knee surgery.

Garrett Richards is scheduled to begin throwing off a mound in the second week of February, putting the Angels right-hander slightly ahead of schedule in his return from the left-knee surgery that ended his season last August.

General Manager Jerry Dipoto said Richards has been throwing five times a week at a distance of 130-150 feet and jogging on a “de-weighted” treadmill at about 75% of his body weight.
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Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz said on MLB Network Tuesday that the transition from long-tossing on flat ground to throwing off a mound can be difficult for a right-hander recovering from left-knee surgery.

“You balance on your right knee, but you really have to finish and drive on your left knee,” Smoltz said. “I think on flat ground you can do anything you want, you can feel like you’re healed, but when you [throw off a mound] it’s different, and that can determine whether or not there’s a chain reaction to other injuries.

If you have the time and knowledge, a comparison of throwing motions may be helpful during spring training to see if the Smoltz quote is right.

• Free from a hamstring injury, Michael Bourn supposedly plans on stealing more in 2015.

Bourn, a Houston native who played baseball at the University of Houston, stole only 10 bases in 16 attempts last year as he dealt with a left hamstring injury that put him on the disabled list three times.

“We’ve talked to Bournie a lot,” said Francona. “He’s one of the most conscientious and nicest kids you’ll ever meet. But quite frankly, whether it’s because of injuries or not, he hasn’t been the kind of guy who wreaks the havoc that we kind of envisioned when we signed him when it comes to stolen bases.”

He started the season hurt and never recovered. I may need to take a good look at his projections and give him a bounce up.

• Allen Craig says his foot is no longer bothering him after dealing with it hurt for two seasons.

Allen Craig was able to say something on Saturday that he couldn’t have said with a straight face last year, or late in 2013.
“I feel good,” said Craig. “I can’t reiterate enough that I feel really good physically and I’ve had time to lift and just get ready physically and work on some things mechanically. You know, it’s been good.”

Last year was not good for Craig in any way. His left foot injury in 2013 didn’t prevent him from playing in the World Series against the Red Sox, but it hindered him badly in ’14, both with the Cardinals and after his July trade to Boston.
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“But there are factors. I think my foot injury definitely impacted my preparation for last year. My foot felt good, obviously, for the majority of the season. I think it just impacted some leg strength and this and that. You can talk about it all day, but the bottom line is I had time this offseason to feel good and get stronger and actually build towards something for this season.

• Matt Harrison’s return from back surgery hit a snag.

Harrison will remain at 90 feet for the coming week and put off moving to 105 feet until, hopefully, by the week of Feb. 9.

He’s struggled with his mechanics, specifically his right hip, which has been a little tight during his slow return from surgery last June.

“Being able to rotate and being able to square back up when I throw the ball,” Harrison said before the Rangers’ Caravan finale at Dr Pepper Ballpark Saturday. “Kind of cutting stuff off [in my delivery] because I wasn’t able to rotate like I want to. So that’s one thing we’ve been really working on is getting that hip loose.”

I think he is officially the first setback of the pre-season.

• Jurickson Profar will probably start 2015 in the minors as he comes back from shoulder surgery.

Profar is not giving up hope of being on the Rangers’ Opening Day roster, which seems like a long shot at his current recovery pace. General manager Jon Daniels said last week that the plan most likely calls for Profar beginning the season in the minors so that he can play every day while continuing his comeback.

Players with Injuries Going into 2015

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