Some items from around the AL East…
- The Orioles placed outfielder Colby Rasmus on the 10-day DL due to a left hip flexor strain, the team announced prior to today’s game. Right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis was called up from Triple-A to take Rasmus’ spot on the active roster. Rasmus has battled hip problems in the past, and the latest injury apparently was caused several days ago when he was hit in the hip with a cleat. This could account for Rasmus’ slow start to the year, as he has just two hits in his first 23 plate appearances for the O’s. Rasmus’ injury will cost Baltimore one of the few left-handed bats in their lineup; switch-hitter Anthony Santander is now likely to get more playing time in right field against right-handed pitching.
- Brandon Drury has been bothered with migraines and blurred vision since early in Spring Training, the Yankees third baseman told reporters (including the New York Post’s Zach Braziller). Drury was placed on the 10-day DL due to the problem, which led him to be removed from Friday night’s game against the Orioles. This newest issue seems to be the latest manifestation of an ongoing problem for Drury, as he told the team last night that he has been dealing with similar symptoms for the last six years. This came as news to the Yankees, according to GM Brian Cashman — Drury was known to have suffered a migraine while playing for the Diamondbacks in 2016, though an MRI at the time came back clean. Cashman said that Drury will receive “an entire assessment” on Monday: “All I care about is finding out what’s going on. He’s in a great city and we’ll give him the best medical care that New York City has to offer. I can’t say what my level of concern is at this point.”
- The Rays’ plan to use a three-man rotation and frequent “bullpen days” to fill the remaining starts has already run into obstacles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Nathan Eovaldi’s injury thinned the rotation from a four-man unit down to just three regular starters, and any lack of effectiveness from the established rotation members creates a ripple effect of usage for the rest of the week. Topkin’s piece was written prior to today’s game, though it represents a perfect example — starter Jake Faria lasted just 1 2/3 innings in a 10-3 loss to the Red Sox, forcing the bullpen to eat a lot of innings. (Infielder Daniel Robertson was even called in for an inning of mop-up work.) The lack of flexibility has also impacted how the Rays use their short and long relievers. Topkin feels that making multi-inning reliever Yonny Chirinos into a full-time starter would help add more stability to the pitching situation.
Can Colby Jack ever catch a break? People always hurting him.. FFS
Colby needs something to blame for his 2-21 start with 13ks.
Oh don’t worry. He will start hitting…then need the rest of the season off. Dude can play,but he has no heart for the game.
His Dad will blame someone. Never Colby’s fault.
Sad, they are supposed to be a professional baseball team.
Manfred should step in and undo the Drury or compensate the Yankees better. Not sharing all medicals is a serious problem.
This doesn’t seem to be a case of not sharing medicals, but the player not reporting an ongoing issue. Any medical tests (such as the MRI done in 2016) were handed over. But if he played through these issues in the past, the Diamondbacks wouldn’t have had further records to share.
The Yankees gave up a pretty good prospect package for a league average offensive player in the first place. They were always banking on a little bit of a breakout from Drury.
Except this does not appear to be the Diamondbacks fault. According to the article his medical reports include notations of a migraine and the MRI was in his file.
Players play injured all the time without telling their teams. If you went after all of them in the current labor climate then it’d just cause more issues.
Hearing Rasmus frustrated with the injury and is considering quitting again.
Here’s to hoping he does. I didn’t want him in the first place.
I think that fact that he’s a career strikeout machine/below average hitter accounts for his slow start. Maybe his daddy will rescue him.
The Rays are a total mess. That front office needs an overhaul. They’re turning quality young rotation arms into swing men. Their bullpen day plan was dumb from the beginning, let alone after all the injuries.
SP: Yonny Chirinos
SP: Ryan Yarbrough
Add relief pitcher Schultz.
C’mon Kevin Cash-not too hard to figure this out.
Cash has ZERO decision making authority. He is a team stooge. When the spreadsheets, computers and analytics tell Matthew, Stu, Chaim and, too a lesser extent, Eric that this is dumb they will keep doing this. Their “stunt”is like a minor league between innings time killer: “what would you do if GM for a day” to win a $25 Beef O’Brady’s gift card.
NO team has ever tried this in the 130+ years of baseball in ANY US league. Plenty have thought about it, none ever thought it was valid. They have run this team into the ground the past 3 years. No wonder Joe got out – and finally Hickey. I have only watched 6 innings of Rays baseball this year, and that is 5 too many.
When Andrew left it was a real loss. The worst thing that ever happened to this team was Gerry Hunsicker leaving and taking his baseball acumen, professionalism, eye and organizational talent and credibility with him.
Spot.On. You echo many of my sentiments. It is truly sad to see how far this organization has fallen in only four-plus years.
I mean, seriously, bullpen day??? And now it is plural?
Seems like a genuine tank that the rays are doing. Take a rebuild/tear down/draft year and start building after that. Let’s hope the current regime can build it back up properly.
I’ll save you the suspense, they can’t.
Oakland attempted a three-day rotation of sorts in the summer of ’93. They had a bunch of old pitchers who were getting cuffed up after one time through the order. So LaRussa came up with a rotatio of sorts with a pitcher starting, going three innings, then two days later he would pitche the 4th and 5th, etc. Then he had like four relievers to close out innings or games. It didn’t really work, in large part because all the pitchers he was working with were well past their prime (Welch, Gossage, Moore. stewart…a bunch of dinosaurs) But it seems like an idea that could work.
Geez…that Drury things seems pretty serious.
Migraines and blurred vision are serious neurological symptoms you shouldn’t ignore. Hopefully they can find out what’s wrong with him.
Kareem had migraines.. That was the reason E. Johnson started at center in the NBA finals against Moses Malone his rookie year. Most people with migraine issues miss a few days of work a year. If Drury now has blurred vision and needs the DL that shows a new and more serious progression and may even be a different condition.
Regarding the Rays:
Um, duh. Who did not see this coming?
As far as Tampa being short of starters, spend some money and sign some goddamn pitching.
Dan, it is not the signing of pitching that is needed as we have the guys – some are DL’d for next 18 months. It is the organizational lack of wanting to spend any funds now or in future that impact long term financial returns. Chirrinos and Yarbrough could fill / slot in, but that would mean starting the clock on Banda and others at AAA and losing a year of their control. For that matter put Andriese back in rotation, send Pruitt back to AAA and rotate arms out of bullpen from Durham every 8-10 days and save their clock! Bring up Venters for high leverage situations somas not to burn Romo and Roe. June can’t get here soon enough when the eligibility year turns over. I have a suspicion closer to that time the org’s mantra toward Bullpen Day will start to change and we will hear rumblings that “guys are ready” and they “pieced it together and tried it but it didn’t work” and it “was a good experiment” and “there was value…..”. Idiots.
We do need a REAL #1 and #2. Archer and Snell are not even close – they are 3-4’s at best. I liken Archer to a Matt Garza and Snell to Steve Avery. Both solid 3’s.
Sorry, they need to do something quick at the Trop Braintrust because Faria needs to have his act bumped to AA and start over.
Too bad the Rays couldn’t implant Cobbs bulldog attitude into Faria. Cobb knew how to pitch….Faria looks lost when things go bad.
Too bad they gave away an established, not great but a legitimate starter in Jake Odorizzi for a marginal prospect. If you cant afford 6 million for a major league starting pitcher – its time to sell the team to someone who can.
Yeah that’s pretty bad. Considering they could’ve saved 4 million of that 6 by cutting Dickerson in Spring Training. They’d be down 2 marginals prospects but they wouldn’t have to watch this joke of a rotation/bullpen combo.
I don’t understand why the Rays don’t call up Banda.
Good question. Unfortunately, I have many for this FO!