MASH Report (9/28/15)

• Freddie Freeman has been dealing with a wrist injury since going on the DL to help heal it.

Freeman didn’t start on Wednesday against the Mets due to his bothersome right wrist, although he pinch-hit in the seventh inning and finished 2-for-2 with a homer and five RBIs. He then vowed on Friday that he’ll play through the injury, and started the past two games in Miami heading into Sunday.

However, he said the wrist felt worse than usual during pregame — eventually causing him to make a bunt attempt prior to lining out in his second at-bat.

“I still went out there and tried,” Freeman said. “It was a tell-tale sign when I tried to bunt, though. …I don’t know if it was because of the quick turnaround and it didn’t heal enough like it does with a night game.”

Said manager Fredi Gonzalez, “He’s tried to play through it, but I think today was just a little bit too much. I didn’t want to continue to run him out there.”

Before going on the DL in June for the injury he was hitting .299/.367/.520 and since the injury he is at .248/.380/.408. Just remember when the 2016 projections come out, they don’t know Freeman played through a wrist injury and will be on the low side.

Josh Hamilton is playing in the Rangers outfield.

“I’m surprisingly good,” Hamilton said. “I knew I would be swollen and I knew I would be stiff. The big tell-tale was this morning, and the swelling was down and the moving parts were better. It responded really well, a lot better than I thought, especially playing nine innings.”

Saturday was the first time Hamilton played left field since Aug. 15, and he went 1-for-4 with a single and three strikeouts. The original plan was for Hamilton to play five to six innings and get three at-bats, but he felt good enough to play the full game.

“I felt like I had good at-bats,” Hamilton said. “I felt comfortable at the plate. I didn’t feel overwhelmed or out of place. Three strikeouts but I felt OK. If I wasn’t seeing the ball or my timing was off, it would be a different story. But I didn’t feel out of whack.”
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“I thought it went well,” Banister said. “For him to complete the game and get the full complement of at-bats, and still feel good and no real issues, was good. The more at-bats he gets, the more locked in he’ll be.”

It looks like the Rangers will be deciding Hamilton’s playing time day-by-day so he may only be useful in leagues with daily lineups.

• Carlos Martinez will miss the rest of the season with a strained shoulder.

A season that right-hander Carlos Martinez opened with a promise to his late best friend ended abruptly on Saturday after an MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain in his throwing shoulder. The diagnosis came a day after he exited his start after just seven pitches, and it will preclude him from pitching in the postseason.

“If this happened, say, Aug. 1, he probably would pitch again,” said general manager John Mozeliak as he held yet another media gathering to address an injury. “But unfortunately, where we are on the calendar, it’s just not going to work out.”

The Cardinals are confident that the issue can be treated with rest, which means Martinez can avoid surgery, and he is expected to be fully healthy by the start of Spring Training.

Players who are now done for the year.

• Brandon Barnes (hamstring)

• Pablo Sandoval (Pneumonia)

• Huston Street (Groin)

Non-player notes

Velocity Readings

• Jake McGee’s average fastball velocity is on the low side for this season which puts it 2 mph lower than 2014’s value.

Players on the DL in 2015

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.

Players who should be on the DL