Athletics left-hander Sean Manaea, already reported to be “well ahead of schedule” in his rehab from shoulder surgery, has taken another step forward, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Manaea has begun throwing from 90 feet and has already had multiple throwing sessions from that distance. While the Athletics initially feared that their top starter would miss the entire 2019 season after undergoing surgery late in the 2018 campaign, Manaea is now optimistically targeting a return around the All-Star break. There’s obviously quite a bit that can go wrong between now and then, but the accelerated timeline is a welcome revelation for the A’s and their fans, especially considering the patchwork status of their rotation. Currently, Mike Fiers, Brett Anderson and Marco Estrada are the only established starters on the roster, with right-handers Frankie Montas and Aaron Brooks slated to round out the bunch. Oakland’s starting pitching outlook became a bit more bleak last week when uber-prospect Jesus Luzardo was shut down for four to six weeks due to shoulder concerns.
Here’s more from the division…
- Shohei Ohtani took on-field batting practice for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, writes Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times. Angels general manager Billy Eppler indicated that Ohtani felt good after his BP session, and there’s no indication that the May timeline the Angels placed on his return as a designated hitter has changed. Ohtani will still need to face live pitching and surely will complete a minor league rehab assignment before jumping back into the fray, but his progress in a return to the batter’s box continues to be encouraging.
- Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels spoke about the decision to designate flamethrowing right-hander Connor Sadzeck for assignment earlier today (link via MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan), acknowledging that it was a difficult decision. Daniels feels there’s a “decent” chance that Sadzeck would be claimed if he’s run through waivers, given that he can reach triple digits with his fastball, but there’s also a chance the Rangers can find a trade partner for the out-of-options righty, per Daniels. “It wasn’t a slight on him,” said Daniels of the DFA. “We felt if we had more time, we probably would have taken it. It’s unfortunate because I really like the kid. He did everything we asked. … He has high-end ability, but where it was, it was inconsistent.” Given the Rangers’ rebuilding status, it’s a bit curious that they wouldn’t find a way to keep a pitcher whose arm seems to genuinely intrigue the organization, but Daniels sounds resigned to the fact that the righty may very well land elsewhere within the next week.
This needs more Timmy Beckham
Ohtani: Dual-threat stud. Cant wait for him to get back 100%
I second that
It will be fun.
I am dubious that he can be a two-way player going forward but I really hope he can/ He has been, by far, the best two-way player in history. I want to see it continue.
I would argue that Babe Ruth has the edge over Ohtani right now.
Ruth was a pitcher first, then gave up the mound to be a full-time hitter. Babe Ruth’s last two seasons on the mound were awful – in his final season as a pitcher he walked twice as many batters as he struck out.
Okay, that’s great, but Babe Ruth still has a career 123 era+ over 1300 innings as well as 714 home runs. Shohei Ohtani has hit 22 home runs and thrown 50 innings. Once Ohtani gets about 1000 more
innings and about 500 more homers then you can argue he’s the best two way player of all time.
Was someone arguing Ohtani is better than Ruth? Lighten up Francis, we’re allowed to be excited about things.
Yes, someone was arguing Ohtani was better than Ruth.
Who’s this Baby Ruth guy anyway?
Ruth’s hitting stats came after 1920. Ruth’s pitching stats came in the deadball era. Nobody in the live-ball era has been anywhere near as good at both pitching and hitting as Ohtani.
Faulting a person for being born before the 20th century? Weak argument Starbucks. This line would be better for you:
“24TheKid, you are right.”
It’s ok to be afraid of accountability. Having some won’t bite.
Oh Samuel, you really just like to target me. But Uh, no, Babe Ruth was not a good pitcher after the ball changed. He didn’t even really pitch after the deadball era was over, I think just three games total. And he wasn’t really a two-way player – he was a pitcher and then he was a hitter, probably the best hitter in the segregation era of baseball.
(I know we can argue that Ohtani isn’t really a two-way player, because he doesn’t play the field,but like it or not, DH is an actual position)
You are a moron and should never post on this chat again
@Schilling’s Ketchup Sock I think he invented a candy bar or something.
I think that’s a tortured definition of two-way player. But even accepting,it, your reporting of history is incorrect..
Must have been one hell of a fat guy!
+davicoonce
That argument is ridiculous in the context of the era he pitched in. Strikeouts were not anywhere near as prevalent as they are in today’s game.
The “last year” you referenced was 1919.
Total strikeouts in the AL in 1919 – 3,516
Total strikeouts in the AL in 2018 – 20,206
Oh, we can play this game all day:
Total Home runs in the AL in 1919: 240
But this is the most important number we can look at:
Total number of people of color in the AL in 1919: Zero.
Ruth played in an era in which the vast majority of the best players in the game were excluded from the game. The numbers he put up just weren’t that impressive (as a pitcher) but were even less impressive when you acknowledge that he wasn’t even facing the best players in the game. And even acknowledging that fact, he wasn’t even very good at pitching by 1919.
“Ruth played in an era in which the vast majority of the best players in the game were excluded from the game.”
Vast majority, huh? More hyperbole from you. But, then, that’s all you’ve got.
Unbelievable comment dc74, for a player that hasn’t played a full season in the bigs yet.
Has anybody else done it? I’ll wait.
Here’s Babe Ruth’s last season as a pitcher, which was 1919, the year before the ball changed: 133 IP, 148 hits allowed. Walked 58 batters and struck out 30. Boston, quite famously, sold him to the Yankees after that season, not thinking he could be an everyday player and also because the owner needed a quick cash infusion.
Ruth wasn’t a good outfielder in any sense of the word. But because he was the greatest hitter of his era, the Yankees overlooked his flaws defensively and on the basepaths. (Ruth is the only player ever caught stealing to end a World Series; In his career he was caught stealing almost as often as he was successful. The Yankees couldn’t coach him to not even try to steal bases; he was bigger than the game and such a superstar that he basically did whatever he wanted).
There are a bunch of tremendous biographies of Ruth, including Jane Leavy’s “The Big Fella,” which came out last year. Ruth is probably the closest thing baseball has ever had to a Michael Jordan or LeBron James, except times a thousand. Ruth was a problematic figure – his womanizing is legendary and he didn’t really keep himself in shape or respect his teammates much – but he loved the fans. He loved to be loved. He grew up in a way I can’t even imagine, and he is one of the most important figures in the history of sports.
But he wasn’t a two-way player.
Rick Ankiel and he was better than Ruth and Ohtani combined (sarcasm)
You don’t like him personally when you compare his personality then to modern sociopolitical standards 100 years after he played? Guess what? Times, people, society, and politics have changed unbelievably over the past 100 years. Judging people who’ve been long dead by today’s standards is asinine. They lived in their society. Not ours. They trusted their scholars, scientists, leaders and philosophers and didn’t have the benefit of considering opinions or science which has since followed for dozens or even hundreds of years after they died.
You hate Babe Ruth and as a result, you make completely irrational arguments. You’re simply forced to concede he has more WAR than any player in MLB history by a large margin including 20 bWAR as a pitcher and a season where he likely should have won the Cy Young award (if that were a thing in 1916…), but then you go off about how he wasn’t a great outfielder and wasn’t good at stealing bases, LOL.
As if anybody can take you seriously at this point.
I can’t
“Ruth was a problematic figure – his womanizing is legendary and he didn’t really keep himself in shape or respect his teammates much – but he loved the fans. He loved to be loved. He grew up in a way I can’t even imagine, and he is one of the most important figures in the history of sports.”
Simplistic characterization that anyone who knows nothing about baseball could’ve given. Oh my – a womanizing professional athlete? Hadn’t heard of that before. And you can’t even imagine the way he grew up? Really? It wasn’t all that extraordinary. And the televance to discussion of Ruth as a two-way player is …?
Oh, and yes, he was a two-way player, any way you’d like to define that.
Oh Starbucks….as I’ve said to you over and over and over:
Seldom right and wrong again.
When you aren’t bringing presumptions to the table you veer toward a much different path to grab any argument you can to support whatever position you have taken. You know you’re in the wrong, otherwise you would have remained silent rather than dig a nice hole. We didn’t even provide a shovel.
Since you admitted we can’t really call Ohtani a two-way player at this time (your words), this conversation is over. Take the L and hope tomorrow you bounce back.
If you think I hate Babe Ruth you aren’t reading correctly. I love Babe Ruth, in all his flaws. He was given the worst possible lot in life, and yet became literally the biggest sports star in the history of the world besides Muhammad Ali. But we can acknowledge the way he cheated on his wives, the things he did to his teammates that were lousy…..those are all part of his story, too.
Babe Ruth pitched exclusively his first four seasons in the majors (1914-1917). Yes, he batted, because pitchers in the AL had to bat, but he never played an inning in the field in those four years. In 1918 Ruth started 20 games as a pitcher and played about 70 games in the field, mostly in left field and first base. He was still a reasonably good pitcher, although he walked more batters than he struck out. In 1919, his last season on the mound, he was terrible. He started 15 games and walked twice as many batters as he struck out. It was pretty clear his future was as a hitter, and that’s exactly what happened in 1920. After 1920 Ruth became “Babe Ruth” – the legendary hitter, and for the rest of his career he pitched exactly three games as sort-of weird publicity stunts. So basically he had two seasons as what we would call a two-way player. Ohtani has had one. But Ohtani’s pitching during that one year was far better than Ruth’s.
The biography of Ruth by Leavy (The Big Fella) that came out last year is terrific, btw. And the Robert Creamer one is pretty great too, although it borders on hagiography. I would highly suggest them to anyone who wants to know about Ruth – his painful upbringing, his legendary womanizing, his stature as the most famous figure in the sports world – it’s all there.
@mikecuellar:
Have you ever read about Babe Ruth’s childhood? It seems to me like you know nothing about him. I wouldn’t wish Babe Ruth’s childhood on my worst enemy.
Yes, I”ve read about Babe Ruth’s childhood many times. You exaggerate, as you do with most of what you say.
“He was given the worst possible lot in life …”
There is no way to characterize that other than dishonest.
He hasn’t been a “stud” since he only pitched 10 games. And might be a shell of himself of he if makes it back on the mound at all.
Sorry, did I say “stud”?
I meant “phenom” 😉
Why not just let him heal properly? What’s the point of bringing him back to DH, for what? It’s not like they’re going to compete this year with that horrific pitching staff.
The Rangers aren’t exactly rebuilding. Like did any contract for an older veteran player this offseason top MLBTR’s total value prediction more than Lance Lynn’s did?
I don’t really get the lance lynn hate. Fangraphs had him at 2.9 WAR last season, and over 3 WAR 15,16,17. He easily covers a 10M salary with his value based on WAR. He eats innings and keeps you in ball games. 10M for his 31-33 years isn’t the end of the world.
The Rangers are definitely rebuilding. Have you seen their bullpen?
Bullpens can be built on the fly and RPs are usually hit or miss.
If you wanted to make a real point about the Rangers rebuilding.. just point to the SPs at the back end of the rotation.
Rangers pitching sucks. This guy can top the century mark on the radar gun you might as well let him try if he has a future rather than just rounding up the usual suspects
ALW Mariners are 3-0 2 games ahead of the As. Leads all the majors in HRs. Seattle has never started a season 3-0. These trade pieces we have are looking good. Maybe if JP comes up and looks good we can add Beckham to the list.
OK I am having a little fun. I never expected then to win y today.
That was weird not even close to the submit button.
I really don’t expect a lot out of them I just want to see the young guys get playing time and improve. With little expectations I guess I can’t be disappointed.
I’d love to see Othani play the outfield and pitch. I know people will cry but hitting didn’t hurt him and neither would 5-10 throws from the outfield especially if he’s not trying to throw someone out often. When playing as kids didn’t you people pitch, hit and field? He’s going to get hurt pitching period, like everyone else, so why not get the most out of his ability in the nine seasons or so he’ll be worth more than his salary. He should have signed with the Rays.
I think it’s more concern about pulling a hammy or getting a concussion while running into a team mate or a wall or diving for a catch, not concern for his arm. Also, the team wants him to rest as much as he can in between starts so he doesn’t wear down over the season.
As a young athletic guy, he should definitely play a corner outfield position. Leave the DH spot for the Pujols type players.
Jon Daniels completely clueless. Hey let’s keep has been Hunter and get rid of a kid with potentional. This team will NEVER WIN with him at the helm.
Pence is a RH which they need.. Willie didn’t help himself last year or this spring training. Pence meanwhile hit 3HRs, and provided solid ABs.
I’m not a pence homer, but Willie has every chance to get some playing time, but he hasn’t shown he deserved it.. and the logjam of LH in the OF/DH are also not helping him.
Connor Sadzeck isn’t a prospect anymore. He looks like a Jim Hoey type pitcher. His pitches don’t have much movement or don’t move the right way. Curves which are subject to hanging on him, a fastball and a change up which are both flat. Lots of velocity, but not much else and little control to go with it.
The bright side::::: The Texas Rangers have 161 more chances to win a baseball game this year.