Rockies outfield prospect David Dahl suffered serious injuries in a collision today and is undergoing surgery on his spleen, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links). Dahl, the club’s top prospect according to Baseball America, likely also has a concussion and broken rib. Needless to say, the immediate concern is with Dahl’s personal well-being, and MLBTR extends its best wishes to him and his family.
- Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams is set to miss most or all of the rest of the regular season, a topic that MLBTR’s Steve Adams and I discussed on today’s podcast. Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at the topic in depth, as well, in an excellent piece. He notes that there is not as much urgency as one might think: the team is playing well regardless, Adams was not exactly a driving force in the first two months, and Mark Reynolds is worthy of an extended look. That being said, if and when the Cardinals do look for an upgrade, Miklasz says the club should not limit itself either to left-handed hitters or to traditional first basemen. There’s plenty more of interest in the article, and I recommend a full read (and a listen to the podcast, of course).
- The Dodgers’ bullpen has been something of a revelation, but it is being taxed even with Kenley Jansen back for duty, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes. Los Angeles starters are in the middle of the pack in terms of total innings, notes Saxon, who says that could be by design — at least in part. The team’s relief corps has shown some cracks, though its incredible start was unsustainable as a general matter. If the Dodgers’ front office is indeed dictating increased bullpen use for strategic purposes, that would also help explain the club’s rather notable hording of relief arms in recent weeks.
- Now-former Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe, who was recently traded to the Braves, says that he never personally requested a deal, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group reports. “When I had the conversation with [Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman] I didn’t demand anything,” said Uribe. “I didn’t ask to play every day. I just wanted to know what my role was.” Friedman had indicated that Uribe’s agent had indicated that a trade to open playing time would be preferred. Of course, it’s important to bear in mind that neither side has expressed bitterness and that there’s room for truth both ways. Friedman indicated that he had been conveyed something of a suggestion of a deal from Uribe’s representatives, rather than a demand of a deal from Uribe himself.
Miklasz did write a very nice article about the Cards and how they may choose to replace Matt Adams. Significant in his article was mention of the possibility of the Cards trading with the Phils for Ryan Howard. The deal makes sense because Howard is from the St. Louis area and has always played very well at Busch Stadium. However, the fact that Howard is starting to resemble the Howard of old at the plate, that he has St. Louis listed on his no-trade list, and that he has just gotten over a bitter legal feud with his family who live in the St. Louis area are all reasons the Cards may want Howard more than he wants to play in St. Louis. Howard seems very comfortable now in Philly and may not want to pull up roots at the present time. Insofar as he is hitting homers again, driving in runs and hitting for a better average, the Philly fans are starting to root for him again. Howard is currently one of the few reasons Philly fans have to fill seats at Ciizens Bank Park. Cole Hamels is one of the other reasons. Amaro realizes this and will probably be a lot less willing to just give Howard away as he tried to do this past winter. Howard may still be traded before the trade dealine, but whoever acquires him will probably have to pay a greater percentage of his salary than they would have before the season started and come up with a fairly respectable prospect or two.
TL;DR, Ryan Howard isn’t good and 2 months of baseball doesn’t erase the past 3 years.
While two months won’t undo what’s already been done in the past three years, they could help convincingly demonstrate the difference good health makes in a professional athlete’s performance. Howard played injured the past three years and, now that he’s healthy again, he’s showing his old form, old power and old swagger. Howard is one of only a handful of major leaguers who have the ability to turn a game around with one swing of the bat in any park.
Coming back from a ruptured Achilles tendon is tough for anyone, let alone for a heavy-set athlete. I hope Howard is healthy once more, so people can view him objectively.
When Uribe left the Giants in 2010, he claimed that there was also a misunderstanding between him and his agent. He claimed he didn’t want to leave the Giants when his agent indicated that he’d sign with the hated Dodgers.