MASH Report (6/2/14)

• MUST READ: The American Sports Medicine Institute released a position statement on Tommy John injuries. Read the whole thing. Orders.

• Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher has two theories on the increase in Tommy John surgeries. The first:

He’s one of many who believes it’s bad for kids to play only baseball year-round, which often results in them putting too much stress on arms that have not yet matured.

The second one theory I have not heard before:

And just as importantly, Butcher says too many professional pitchers are throwing from the opposite side of the rubber (meaning, a right-hander throwing from the first-base side and a left-hander throwing from the third-base side).

Butcher has found that more than 30 of the pitchers who have undergone Tommy John surgery this year fit that description.

“Some guys do it because they feel like they’ll be in the strike zone more, they’ll have better command that way — there’s all sorts of different philosophies about it,” Butcher said. “But for me, if you’re on the opposite side of your throwing arm on the rubber, you are constantly pronating [Definition] your arm at a higher rate than if you are on the other side. There’s no leverage behind the baseball.

Looks like another stat to track and it will nice little research project for me to do later on this year.

• Terry Francona gives us his take on pitchers throwing slower to prevent injuries.

So should pitchers just throw slower to prevent injury?

“You might not get hurt,” Francona said, “but you might not be in the big leagues.”

• Justin Orenduff talks about “The Million Dollar Arm” needing Tommy John surgery after only 136 IP.

There is no excuse for any pitcher needing Tommy John Surgery after 136 total innings pitched. Especially if you have months of training by experts in pitching in biomechanics. The demand you accrued on your throwing shoulder throughout your youth was minimal. You may have thrown the javelin as a young adolescent, and judging from the way you initially moved in your Million Dollar Arm contest, the way you naturally recruited your body to throw a baseball with force was far superior than how you are currently recruiting your body to do the same action.

• I will call this the best news possible on Carlos Beltran.

Carlos Beltran took batting practice from both sides of the plate on the field at Yankee Stadium on Friday, and the Yankees outfielder said that he was “relieved” to not feel any discomfort in his ailing right elbow.

Possibly no surgery, good news. And ….

Girardi said that Beltran, 37, would take batting practice again on Saturday and is expected to require at least a brief Minor League rehabilitation assignment before being available to help in the Majors. Girardi said that if Beltran comes back, he would probably be used more as a designated hitter in the early going.

… less chance of getting hurting while playing in the outfield. I am thinking of sending some feelers out in my leagues, which sadly compose of many RotoGraph writers, to find out if there is any interest in them trading him.

• Avisail Garcia hopes he will be playing again in 2014.

Garcia told MLB.com. “I’m looking forward to see if I have a chance to play this year. I don’t know yet. I have to keep working and see what happens.

“I’m positive. Hopefully I have a chance to play this year. So let’s see what happens. We never know.

From the same article, White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn states:

“He continues to work extremely hard, feels good, and is progressing nicely, which is great,” general manager Rick Hahn said of Garcia. “However, we remain committed to the recovery program [2015] and time frame as originally laid out and do not anticipate that changing.”

Again, I will keep state, always follow the managements return time frame, so I don’t expect to see Garcia in 2014.

• Johan Santana’s opt-out clause data (May 30th) has passed and he is not on the Orioles active roster. IMO, I think a deal has been worked out between the two parties, but it is not public yet. Santana should be ready to pitch in the majors mid-June.

• Jose Abreu will be activated from the DL today.

• Ryan Zimmerman plans on being activated tomorrow.

• So does Aramis Ramirez.

• For the owner hoping on Tom Gorzelanny to come save his fantasy team, I here to dash his hopes. Tom’s velocity is not up to past levels and he not be activated any time soon.

• It looks like the doctors were able to reattach Alex Guerrero’s ear. At least Olivo didn’t swallow it?

• Gabe Kapler writes about the injury advice he got while playing baseball.

Fastball Velocity Watch for Pitchers Returning From the DL

• Pedro Strop’s velocity is up for 2014, down from 2012.

• Joe Saunders velocity is up.

Number of Players on the DL

Players on the DL

(*) 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

On DL

Minor League Report