MASH Report (4/21/15)

• Well it looks like a time line exists for a possible return of Josh Hamilton to the Angels.

The Angels have mapped out a comeback regimen for Josh Hamilton, under which the troubled out-fielder could rejoin the team in early June.

Under the tentative plan, Hamilton would report to the Angels’ Arizona training complex for two to three weeks of work with the team’s extended spring program. He would then proceed to a minor league rehabilitation assignment and could rejoin the Angels thereafter.

Hamilton is expected to report to Arizona “sooner rather than later,” according to a person familiar with the plan but unwilling to discuss it publicly until the Angels announce it. The person spoke before the Angels’ 6-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium on Monday.

The plan does not guarantee that Hamilton plays again for the Angels, but at the least it buys time for owner Arte Moreno. If Hamilton appears sound enough that his presence on the roster could give the Angels their best chance to win, the players might be discouraged if Moreno lets Hamilton go.

The best case scenario is an early June return. Worst case seems to be a legal nightmare with Hamilton not playing this season. This situation could get really ugly.

• Jonathan Lucroy big toe broke on a foul tip. No information on a return time is available yet.

• Carlos Gomez is aiming to stay the minimum 15 days on the DL with his strained hamstring.

• Greg Holland went on the DL with a strained pectoral muscle. It is no real surprise he was hurt since his velocity was down 3 mph compared to last season.

And now the truth comes out.

Meanwhile, Holland will be shut down for about a week to start the healing process.

“He’s a fast healer,” Yost noted.

Holland started experiencing some slight pain issues in the muscle last weekend in Ana-heim. He originally thought he could pitch through it. But after Friday night’s save against the A’s, Holland said he knew something was wrong.

• Travis d’Arnaud will be out for a while with a fractured wrist. It could be over a month before he returns

• The Mets will also lose Jerry Blevins for at least a couple of months with a fractured forearm.

• Jonathan Schoop will miss some time with a jacked up knee.

The Orioles’ infield was dealt another blow on Saturday as second baseman Jonathan Schoop was placed on the 15-day disabled list after an MRI exam revealed a partial PCL tear and a mild MCL sprain in his right knee.
…
“There’s three grades. This is Grade 1, which is good news. From the symptoms he had last night and where we are now, I feel, not relieved, but I feel better than I thought we had the potential to have,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Just really glad that his ACL is in good shape because that’s the one you have to do surgery and it’s an extended period of time. This is just a rehab. He’ll be going to Sarasota [Fla.] very soon. Don’t want him going up and down planes, stairs and whatever, because it’s got to quiet down. That Grade 1 could turn into something else if he takes a misstep or something.”

Reading between the lines, it seems like he will miss some time, but not the entire season. I will put a guess on one month.

• Mitch Moreland may or may not have surgery on his elbow and his owners lose either way. He will either keep playing at a reduced capacity or miss two to three weeks.

• Mike Olt will be in a cast for 3-4 weeks and then will need to begin the rehab process.

• Brad Peacock came off the DL, made one start and then went back on the DL. His velocity was down a couple ticks in his start.

• Craig Stammen will miss all of the 2015 season after having flexor tendon surgery.

• Randal Grichuk will go on the DL with a strained back from squatting.

 

Velocity Readings

• Garrett Richards’s velocity is more in line with his 2013 values than his 2014 values.

• Jorge de la Rosa’s fastball is up almost 2 mph from last season.

• Homer Bailey’s velocity is down 2 mph.

• Tanner Scheppers’s velocity is the same as 2014, but down from 2013.

 

PAIN (Pitcher Abuse INdex) Rankings (complete list)

Any player with a PAIN value over 100 (red) has the traits of a pitcher likely to be hurt.

Players on the DL in 2015

Red colored entries are updates since last report.