In the wake of Wade Miley’s multi-week injury, the Brewers have set their season-opening starting five, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays. Brent Suter and Brandon Woodruff will fill out the rotation behind Chase Anderson, Zach Davies and Jhoulys Chacin, manager Craig Counsell announced Saturday. That spells bad news for offseason signing Yovani Gallardo, who won’t make the team, Haudricourt tweets. A highly successful Brewer from 2007-14, Gallardo rejoined the club for a non-guaranteed $2MM in December after spending time with the Rangers, Orioles and Mariners. The 32-year-old’s future is now in question. The Brewers could still trade Gallardo, according to general manager David Stearns. However, if no deal comes together by Monday, they’ll have to release him, per Haudricourt.
More on Milwaukee and a couple other Central teams…
- The Brewers wouldn’t have had two open spots in their rotation if not for the right shoulder injury top starter Jimmy Nelson suffered late last year. Nelson continues to make progress in his recovery from September surgery and could start working from the mound again as early as mid-April, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. Meanwhile, catcher Stephen Vogt – out since February with a shoulder issue of his own – is aiming to return to game action by May 1.
- Like Milwaukee, the White Sox have also established their rotation for the beginning of the season. Righty Carson Fulmer has beaten out lefty Hector Santiago (who’s likely to stick around as a long reliever) for the No. 5 spot, Alyson Footer of MLB.com writes. Fulmer will round out a starting staff that’ll also feature James Shields, Lucas Giolito, Miguel Gonzalez and Reynaldo Lopez. Santiago, 30, signed a minors deal in February with the White Sox, with whom he pitched from 2011-13. Although Santiago has functioned as a starter for the majority of his career, he’s content to work in a relief role in his second go-round with the South Siders. “I’m open to whatever,” he said. “As long as I have a uniform on my back, I’m happy with the job that they give me. Right now, it’s in the bullpen as a long guy and I’ll be ready for any role.”
- The Cubs are going with Victor Caratini, not Chris Gimenez, to back up starting catcher Willson Contreras, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Thanks to his well-known rapport with new Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish from their days in Texas, Gimenez seemed like the front-runner for the job at the outset of spring training; instead, he’ll head to Triple-A Iowa, per Wittenmyer. The 24-year-old Caratini, whom MLB.com ranks as the Cubs’ No. 8 prospect, hit .254/.333/.356 across 66 plate appearances during his first MLB action last season.
Michael Pineda had a shoulder injury, Nelson has.
It’s worse than TJ (Ironically, Pineda’s rehabbing from now)
I think with the advances in modern medicine, Jimmy Nelson comes back from it, but either way, I think best-case scenario, is 2 years to really come back 100% from torn Labrum. Good luck, Nelson
Pineda is rehabbing from TJ. But either way both bad injures
was his labrum tear the same as Nelson’s? Nelson’s wasn’t from throwing so it was on the back of the shoulder from what I read so not the same as regular labrum tear that pitchers have.
It’s an uncommon injury. I don’t believe the two were identical and I couldn’t tell you which one’s worse—
Nelson suffered a right rotator cuff strain and partial anterior Labrum tear.
Pineda’s rotator cuff was fine, but he suffered *significant* Anterior Labrum tear of his right shoulder— (couldn’t find anywhere partial or full) and repaired arthroscopically.
The Brewers think Nelson will be helped, by the fact his Labrum tear was a non-throwing injury.
Whereas Cashman said he believed Pineda’s tear occured on a final pitch of Spring Training start
I don’t recall Pineda having any setbacks. (Just 2 years essentially rehabbing, getting back to full health)
I just think Pineda’s the closest comp, and one of greatest success stories, from Torn Labrum. (His TJ surgery is unrelated to his Labrum tear, discovered shortly after he was traded to NYY)
And for what it’s worth, Nelson is very upbeat about his recovery, saying no setbacks.
First of all, anterior is in the front and those tears are more common as a fall type injury. Posterior tears are in the back and are generally overuse injuries. But having gone through an anterior tear as a throwing athlete, neither one of them are better than the other. Basically, to repair the damage to the cartilage it has to be anchored back to your shoulder. It creates all sorts of issues and discomfort and once you’re a full grown adult, it’s extremely hard to feel normal again. Nelson will likely be a shell of what he was if he even ever gets back. That’d the brutal reality of that injury.
I had the same injury(Bankart tear caused by the dislocation of the shoulder), and I was fully recovered in a little over 9 months and I didn’t nearly have the same doctors/personnel that jimmy nelson has. Yes, its not a great injury for pitchers to have, but its not an invasive surgery like TJ and the stress put on the shoulder while pitching is more difficult with SLAP tears(Pineda and most other documented pitching injuries) then Bankart tears (what Jimmy Nelson has). I am not saying that he will be an ace when he comes back in June, but there is some optimism, especially if there hasn’t been any setbacks. To say he will never pitch again shows that you really don’t know what you’re talking about.
Carson Fulmer is a one man mission to bring the term “spaz” back into the everyday vernacular.
Yeah, he was truly vomit worthy this spring training. Santiago earned a starting pitcher spot based on the fact he actually did well.
They probably figure using santiago 3 times a week gives them a much better chance to salvage those games than if you used fulmer in those situation.
wouldn’t be surprised if santiago ends going more innings than fulmer in half his starts.
Kudos to the White Sox for their commitment to chasing the #1 pick. Fulmer will definitely help realize that goal.
It’s a rebuilding year they are not going to win anyway granted Santiago will def give them more quality innings then fulmer but it’s moot kopeck will be up in May anyway to take his spot I think it’s smart to see if kid can put it together what if he can command his control and actually pitches well?
If they can use Santiago as a trade chip and then they could use Fulmer after getting a prospect for Santiago. It would be more productive than letting Fulmer do awful.
I see your point but I’m not opposed to throwing the kid to the wolves he shows he has skills at times
He was equally awful in AAA too, so he needs AAA time at the very least if not some AA time.
or they know he’s not gonna get any better down there no matter what and since record doesn’t matter and they paid him 1st round money, might as use him as a place holder once week for and get a little use out of that money instead of it being a total wash
What kinda prospect you gonna get in return Hector Santiago? Some team in playoff hunt gonna be calling Hahn saying they really need Santiago ? 1st round draft pick you absolutely have to see what you have in a rebuild year. C’mon meow
Some team might want to trade for Santiago if he can provide an upgrade, you never know. Especially considering how Andrew Albers went from a nobody to a solid starting pitcher with the Mariners.
Mistake. Cubs need the energy that Gimenez provides. He can still play plus he is a leader.
1) He would be a backup for laying sparingly.
2) He’ll get more PT in Iowa.
3) The Cubs aren’t short in leaders with Rizzo leading the pack.
1) EITHER choice is going to be a backup playing sparingly behind Contreras. Barring injury, the backup is only going to get like 150 PA tops.
2) As would Caratini — now the question is, who are you more concerned about getting consistent playing time? A legitimate catching prospect, or a 35-year-old journeyman backup catcher?
3) Agree. But this is still a poor choice. I’ll be shocked if the positions aren’t reversed by mid-May or so.
Laying sparingly ? Is he a Rhode Island Red ?
Calm down, pal.
No! You calm down, pal.
Caratini needs consistent abs in the minors.
Wow, the Brewers have a horrible rotation. I don’t understand why they are leaving Hader in the pen. He’d immediately be the #1 in that rotation.
It was a really good one last year, just the ace got hurt, and Davies is a likely regressant and garza=Chacin. It can be a good rotation or an awful one and we won’t find out till June ish.
Horrible pitching staff that was top 10 last year. A lot of really smart people here.
They were exactly #10. Now they’re worse.
It’s pretty terrible.
Actually they are #9. Not sure how it got worse with Garza gone but thanks for playing.
Just so you can see.
espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching
Wow, kgreene3, you are so smart doing all that linking and citing and stuff. I am truly impressed.
Sometimes people need help. I’m actually surprised I had to do it. Now any basic information you need help finding?
Hader basically only has 2 pitches, and he can’t always control either of them. He needs to do that, AND develop at least 1 more before moving into the rotation. So for now, his nasty slider and 96-97 mph fastball are much better coming out of the pen for an inning (8th, most likely) or in lefty vs lefty situations. Especially if he can be used 3 or 4 times in a week.
James Shields really? Is he still in the league? Oh yea forgot, albatross contract.
Shields is in the final guaranteed year of that contract that pays him $21MM this season, $11MM of which the Padres are picking up. Shields has a $16MM option for next year that will almost certainly be bought out for the $2MM cost to the team.
Why is he called James “Big game” Shields if he has a 5.46 Postseason ERA? lol
On a more serious note, Shields’ fastball velocity has been declining from 93-94 mph to 90.6 mph average on his four-seamer– increasing usage gradually 2015-2017 — to 33% — Opponents slugged .600 against it, 2017.
xabial, ” Big Dame James” in 11 postseason starts he has 3 quality starts. One he gave up 3 over 6+ inn., then 0 over 5 2/3rds, gave up 2 in the last Q.S. Easily the worst trade Rick Hahn has made especially if Tatis, Jr becomes a star. Even with Padres picking up more than half of annual salary just a real head-scratcher trade, as the Sox were already out of the playoff hunt at the time & he had been getting rocked in S.D. the 1st half of that year. Gotta see what Fulmer can do if he can navigate a big league lineup 3 times thru or if he can even be a good reliever. More than likely Santiago takes Fulmer’s spot in rotation by June. Hopefully Kopech comes up & takes Shields spot. Make Shields a 10 mil/yr beer vendor, get something out of him
Makes sense for the rebuilding White Sox to prioritize developing their younger players this season. Carson Fulmer has a better opportunity to become a part of the core going forward than Hector Santiago. Even though Santiago outpitched Fulmer until the last week of spring training, Fulmer earned the last rotation spot with his fine finish with the White Sox last September.
Santiago still figures to get plenty of innings in as the White Sox long reliever early on with three young starters and two questionable veterans in the rotation. He will have a chance to earn a rotation spot if one of those starters falters or gets injured, at least until top pitching prospect Michael Kopech is ready for prime time. Come the summer trading deadline, I can easily envision two spots opening up with Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields each candidates to be dealt or perhaps even released in the case of the latter.
I’m somewhat surprised that Victor Caratini beat out Chris Gimenez for the backup catcher role behind Willson Contreras. Although the switch-hitting Caratini might make for a better occasional replacement in the batting order with his plus bat Gimenez figured to provide more of a veteran presence for the pitching staff, particularly with newly signed FA Yu Darvish. I also thought that Caratini might be better served getting regular PA’s at AAA Iowa. where he could also continue working with many of the Cubs more advanced pitching prospects.
He doesn’t need more AAA at bats, he’s done enough down there.
“Cubs more advanced pitching prospects” is a relative term.
Wrong
Jeez that sox rotation is awful. They keep talking about making the next step soon, but with that I dunno. They got great position prospects breaking in, but they have a rotation of Giolito… it’s worse than the twins were a few years ago, or any other AL central team.
Yah, because it’s not like Lopez was a top 50 prospect going into last year. He probably won’t improve. That’s Rodon guy sucks too, so him coming back from injury won’t make a difference. Not to mention a stable of young arms making their way up through the minors, including one of the top pitching prospects in baseball starting the season in AAA. Bunch of bums.
How many pitching prospects, even those that are ranked in top 50 (but not top 10) end up beoming successful MLB Starting pitchers?
Enough that I’m not even close to writing someone like Lopez off after 14 starts in the bigs – only 8 of those coming with the Sox last year.
Bold prediction: The White Sox will top the list of starting rotations in a few years.
Actually my prediction isn’t all that bold. No MLB organization has the talent and depth of young arms that the White Sox possess. Depth is the key because of the inherent probability that some of these pitchers either won’t live up to expectations or will succumb to a serious injury to their elbow or shoulder. The White Sox are fortunate that they have this depth in addition to the high ceilings of their pitchers. The organization also has a solid track record of being able to develop pitchers in the minors and at the MLB level.