Athletics right-hander Henderson Alvarez underwent an MRI in his shoulder yesterday, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The early belief is that Alvarez has a minor shoulder strain, which Slusser notes is not necessarily unusual in rehabs from this type of shoulder surgery, nor would it be considered a significant setback. Alvarez was said to be targeting a mid-May return to a big league mound, but the minor setback, at the very least, seems likely to push back that timeline.
Here are some more injury notes from around the game:
- There’s no indication that Travis d’Arnaud is close to a return to the Mets, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post. At this time, d’Arnaud isn’t even with the team but has traveled back to his L.A. home to work out his ailing shoulder with a personal trainer. The oft-injured 27-year-old has played in just 13 games for the Mets this season. In his absence, Kevin Plawecki will get his chance to prove that he can be considered an everyday option behind the dish.
- Likewise, the Red Sox are facing significant uncertainty with southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez, as John Tomase of WEEI.com reports. He’s still experiencing knee soreness, with diminished velocity seemingly resulting, and will miss his next scheduled rehab start. Hopes had been that the youngster would be back in the majors by this point, but instead he’ll throw a bullpen session later this week while the team assesses next steps. Boston is understandably proceeding with caution, lest the knee problem worsen or lead to some other injury. Rodriguez’s current rehab stint has been halted, giving the organization the option of re-starting another 30-day clock, though that step has yet to be taken.
- The Angels’ bad luck in the injury department has shown no signs of abating, as the team has placed outfielder Daniel Nava and reliever Cory Rasmus on the 15-day DL. As Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes, both players are dealing with groin strains, though neither is expected to be out for much more than the minimum.
- Royals lefty Mike Minor is headed to Triple-A and hopes to be ready for the majors by early June, according to Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). The 28-year-old, who is Kansas City’s latest pitching injury reclamation project, had allowed three earned runs — on five hits and five walks, with a dozen punchouts — in 7 2/3 innings over two starts at Double-A.
- There’s some cautious optimism on Reds righty Anthony DeSclafani, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. He felt good in a 40-pitch pen session yesterday, and says that he believes his oblique issue may now be behind him. Next steps remain to be determined, and the club will be careful after a previous rehab effort resulted in a setback, but hopes are that DeSclafani can begin making his way back toward the major league rotation in earnest.
- News was less positive on some recovering Padres, as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes that righty Brandon Morrow and infielder Cory Spangenberg have both suffered setbacks. Morrow is experiencing fatigue in his surgically repaired shoulder, and it’s not clear when he’ll be able to resume throwing. That could result in player and team agreeing to push back his current June 1 opt-out date, per the report. Spangenberg, meanwhile, tweaked his injured left quad and will need to go back to the rest and strengthening regimen that he had hoped to be done with by this point.
- Key Padres right-hander Tyson Ross is still not throwing, Cassavell adds, but he’s at least been cleared for full-blown strength work on his own injured shoulder. “You’ve basically got to lay a good foundation first, and that’s what we were doing,” Ross said. “It’s just kind of limited ranges, and making sure everything is strong and stable. And then progressing on up the chain from there. Things have been going great.”
Braves will regret letting Minor go
I don’t see the justification of that statement at all. Never healthy and had one good season?
No they wont. Couldnt keep throwing money at him after paying him last year to make zero starts. It was the right thing to do for a rebuilding team that is payroll restricted.
Yes they will he has TOR stuff and is only 28 the Royals would not just willy nilly throw 7 million at him for nothing.
TOR stuff? He averages 90 mph on his fastball. Career era-109, fip-105, xfip-102. So he has been below average, would cost 7 mil, and has had a lot of arm problems, where is the upside?
so Maddux wasnt a TOR guy because he threw 90? Stuff does not mean velocity it means break on breaking balls. Minor had one of the better curves you can not judge a guy who was not pitching healthy. He was drafted #7 overall for reasons.
Maddux had movement and spot on command of all pitches allowing them to all play up. Minor doesn’t have that same movement nor command so no he doesn’t have TOR stuff. You wanted them to pay him 7 mil when he wasn’t healthy but can’t judge him when he wasn’t healthy. Regardless they would have had 1 yr of control left when he came back so how much could they regret it.,,
They very easily could have offered him the same thing the Royals did which is 2 years of control for 7 million dollars with a 3rd year as a mutual option.
First off, Minor is nowhere near a TOR arm. He is a #3 at best. Why would ATL throw $7 million (or more) at him when they knew they werent gonna compete this year. It made no sense what so ever and they let him go wisely. He banked $4 or $5 million off the Braves last year and didnt throw a pitch. ATL did the wise thing and cut their losses
I’ll take the Royals scouting department over the Garbage the Braves have put on the field any day, why wouldn’t they sign something that could turn into a valuable chip? This lose 100 game mentality does not fly for life long Braves fans maybe it is cool for the casual fan but no thank you, you don’t just completely give up on a year. Even the Phillies signed people and they are way ahead of the Braves in the rebuild. Why is Teheran still on the roster making 3 million on a losing team? That is the nonsense you are spewing no one should be making any money on the team?
What are they even saving money for the Braves are not going to be in position to sign free agents next year or the year after no one is going to sign on this dumpster fire either, so yeah really 7 million is drawing the line in the sand STUPID.
This makes sense, you are extremely shortsighted, embrace the rebuild. 2019!
U mad bro?
Who’s next trout?
Can we stop comparing every guy we like who throws less than 90 MPH to Greg Maddux? Anyone who actually watched how he pitched when he was so dominant dies a little inside when they say “Well, Maddux didn’t throw that hard either” for just about everybody who throws 89 MPH and has a good game.
sad that Brandon Morrow has a setback.. he is so talented Pitcher.. is like last year Josh Johnson in SD :( hope he can come back soon .