Some injury and coronavirus news from around the baseball world:
- Shohei Ohtani has progressed to throwing bullpen sessions around twice per week, Angels’ GM Billy Eppler tells MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). He’s throwing approximately 35 pitches per session at “80-85%” effort level, Eppler adds. Under normal circumstances, Ohtani would be nearing readiness to face live hitters in some capacity next month, Eppler says, but that’s obviously made difficult by social distancing requirements. The two-way star was estimated to need until mid-May to return to an MLB mound; assuming his rehab continues without a setback, he figures to be ready if the 2020 season resumes.
- MLB’s most recent long-term shutdown came twenty-five years ago, when a labor dispute resulted in the cancellation of the 1994 World Series and a delayed start to the following season. With that in mind, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling revisited the mid-90’s strike. A number of former players, including Shawn Green and Aaron Sele, spoke about the challenges of staying mentally and physically prepared without a specific return date in sight. Sele and former MLB manager Bob Boone also noted the injury risks for players, especially pitchers, of ramping up quickly once the season was set to return. The whole piece is worth a read for those interested in the challenges current players could face if the 2020 season is able to resume.
- The coronavirus has dealt a blow to small businesses of all sorts in recent months. Baseball websites like this one are no exception. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe spoke with MLBTR founder Tim Dierkes and Baseball Reference founder Sean Forman about the challenges facing each site. With MLB on hiatus and transactions prohibited, baseball-related web traffic and advertising revenue have predictably taken a corresponding step back. As you’ve seen here in April, we’ve ramped up our original articles to fill the content void. For more on the state of MLBTR, check out Tim’s post from earlier this month.
I appreciate this site for bringing a break to everyone. I am working 15 plus hours a day in medical research and this site is a blessing.
Thank you for all that you do on the medical staff And first responders
Thanks for your work, we all appreciate it.
A month after initial opening day and no end in sight. I’m beginning to think there won’t be any MLB baseball in 2020. The media wants us to live in fear.
What does your last sentence have to do with baseball?
Confess to us how this whole thing is a hoax
Salute to you and all your comrades in the Healthcare industry. Our prayers are with you every day!
And I agree with your post about the efforts of this site.
Ditto
Still the first site I visit every morning, with my C & C (Coffee and Clorox)……
for me, it’s tea and lysol shots……….
The funny (or unfunny) thing is millennials have been eating Tide pods for years.
that’s most horrible!
Millennials are almost 40 now. Time to update your generic stereotypical insults.
Most people dont even know what a millennial is these days it seems
Gen Z kids are eating the tide pods Dick.
The oldest millennials are but the youngest ones are in their 20’s. Time to look up the birth years of millennials
Generation birth years don’t make any sense.
Mr. Clean with cereal
ohtani’s recovery will be tremendous for the angels.
I was in college when the Dodgers traded for Shawn Green. I feel really old now.
i watched dodgers’ last world series on tv with my baby girl!
if a short season helps anyone its the glass arm Angels
Giancarlo Stanton approves this post.
Technically he’d be 60ft 6inches alway from the batter
Matt Williams would have broken the single season home run record if they didn’t go on strike.
Or he wouldn’t have. Or he would have tied it.
I would have won the triple crown that year if I were in the major leagues and better at baseball
Tony Gwynn would have hit .400 that year though
Ohtani will make the rotation great. A healthy Canning will make it even better.