Earlier today Chipper Jones announced he’ll retire following the 2012 season. Here are some other updates from around the Major Leagues…
- Michael Wuertz threw for 15 teams today, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Roy Oswalt doesn’t expect to pitch in the Major Leagues before June, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. The Cardinals have uncertainty atop their rotation and other openings could emerge around the league, but the free agent right-hander seems content to wait for now.
- Ubaldo Jimenez explained to Yahoo's Jeff Passan that the disappointing ending to his tenure in Colorado wasn't related to money. “It’s not about the contract,” Jimenez said. “People are going to say that. They know what it is.” The Indians are optimistic that Jimenez will put together a healthy season reminiscent of his breakout 2010 campaign.
- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said Daisuke Matsuzaka could join the rotation by early June, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne. The right-hander is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Valentine forgot to add that it will be the PawSox rotation that Daisuke will be joining in June.
Reports are that Matsuzaka is way ahead of schedule in his rehab. Also, Bobby V. put the kibosh on him training on his own. He’s been isolated to the Sox spring training facility in Florida (with the exception of one trip to Japan) the whole time.
That said, he will still nibble and pitch slower than Josh Beckett if he does ever make it back to the mound in Fenway.
Haha!
why hasnt michael wuertz signed with someone already. was he injured late last yr or something.. hes always been a durable reliable not flashy reliever al a buddy groom only right handed
Considering Dice K had TJS on June 10, 2011 I’m tempted to believe Valentine’s estimate of joining the Sox in early June is overly optimistic.
I’m willing to bet Sox fans don’t see him in Fenway pitching until after the AS break the 2nd week of July. That will leave about 75 games left about 12 to 14 starts approximately.
They have been saying for a few months that Matsuzaka is progressing exceptionally well and is ahead of schedule, so early June might be a little optimistic, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pitching in Boston by mid-June.
Absolutely. BP, simulated games. Matsuzaka has been on a mission. Wheter it is to get back into games because he has been allowed to use his own regimen, or a contract year it doesn’t really matter. This season the team really needs him as a #5 and the sooner the better.
Don’t lie…how many of you totally forgot about Dice-K.
i wrote him off into kazuhiro sasaki, kenji johjima, akinori otsuka(the relief pitcher) and akinori iwamura land
Even when Dice-K comes back, he’ll be average at best. Not sure just filling a hole is what the Red Sox need.
Healthy Daisuke is an above average 5th starter, and now that he will have a manager and pitching coach who aren’t going to constantly try to change who he is (and always was) as a pitcher there is a reasonable chance that he could be better than that.
The wild card part of it is the TJ surgery, guys tend to have control problems after TJ surgery, so there is chance he wont be effective when he comes back this year, which would be too bad because I’m interested to see how he could do when he is let to pitch the way he is comfortable pitching.