The latest injury updates from around the majors…
- Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun underwent surgery on a torn right meniscus Wednesday, but he expects to recover on the shorter end of the four- to six-week timetable, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com relays. Either way, it doesn’t appear the Diamondbacks will go too long in the regular season without Calhoun, who was one of their most productive players in 2020. The former Angel batted .226/.338/.526 in 228 plate appearances and led the team in home runs (16) and fWAR (1.8.).
- Mets reliever Seth Lugo said Thursday that he is “on track” in his recovery from mid-February surgery on bone spurs in his right elbow, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Lugo, however, did not offer a timetable for his return from the procedure; it was reported then that Lugo would need at least six weeks to begin throwing again, making it likely he’ll miss the beginning of the season. Lugo has been tremendous out of the Mets’ bullpen since 2018, though his numbers dipped when the club experimented with him in a starting role last year.
- Cubs righty Rowan Wick, who’s recovering from an intercostal strain, is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. Wick has been working back from the injury since last season, when he didn’t pitch past Sept. 16. That cut off a second consecutive solid year for Wick, who has managed a 2.66 ERA/4.02 SIERA with an above-average 25.7 percent strikeout rate in 50 2/3 innings out of the Cubs’ bullpen dating back to 2019.
- Blue Jays hurler Nate Pearson has a Grade 1 right groin strain, but the team is hoping he’ll return “pretty quickly,” according to general manager Ross Atkins (via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). The touted right-hander, 24, figures to make a good amount of starts for the Blue Jays this year if he’s healthy. Pearson debuted in 2020, but elbow issues limited him to 18 innings and five appearances (four starts), in which he pitched to a 6.00 ERA/5.95 SIERA.
- Padres righty Javy Guerra will miss “at least” two to four weeks because of a Grade 1 UCL sprain, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com writes. Guerra (not to be confused with the Nationals’ reliever of the same name) is a former infielder who moved to the mound and threw 22 innings out of the Padres’ bullpen from 2019-20, but he has struggled to an 8.18 ERA thus far in his major league career. The 25-year-old is out of minor league options, so it’s up in the air whether he’ll still be part of the San Diego organization when the season starts.
You think Rowan Wick is in bad shape?
You should see JOHN WICK !!
Or WarWICK Davis.
Man, I’m good.
You think they’re in bad shape? They have nothing on Chadwick Boseman.
Lmao yes
Your comment doesn’t make you much better than them Doug. We all look bad.
This got “awkward collar pull” really quickly.
That’s gunna be a yikes from me, dawg
Bruh
Already received my touch of cancer, and like just about anyone have had numerous family members have the experience, the death. Death is coming for everyone, but don’t let that get you down. Boseman has left but he’ll still have the honor of what he accomplished. I’m probably not going to change how uncomfortable some of you are with death, but it’s always going to be there I assure you.
Take a breath. Be glad you have the fortune to waste your time here rather than pressing about more dire issues. And life does go on.
Not stoked to hear about Nate, groin injuries tend to linger. Maybe this is enough for Toronto to go ahead and sign Odorizzi? I think they’re holding out for a deadline acquisition.
Nah. Odorizzi will (most likely) not be ready for opening day. Most likely Trent Thornton or Ross Stripling battle for that spot if needed. Grade 1 groin strain could be two weeks max.
I’d give you 80% odds that Pearson’s spot in the rotation will start off as a piggyback scenario — and possibly remain that way a while since they probably want to limit his innings. If he’s up to 2 innings by the start of April, he’ll be there.
If they don’t the Padres will when one of their starters gets a hangnail.
But the Padres have about 8 guys who can start so they don’t need Jake.
FIP’s uselessness in small samples is laughably evident in Guerra’s 2020 numbers. Dude had a 2.25 whip, 10.13 era last year. But he only gave up one bomb so his fip is 3.72. I mean, I’m all in favor of era estimators, things just look super goofy in small samples like that.
.500 BABIP and a 50.7% LOB is pretty weird too
His xERA was right in line with his 2019 xERA and ERA which is a mid 5.00, but we are still talking about 22 innings.
FIP isn’t an ERA predictor, it just gets abused as if it were one by people who don’t believe in the existence of defense. Despite trends, it’s not a three true outcome game.
FIP does tell you something, but it’s not the one true criteria to evaluate a pitcher. I’d look more at exit velocities to find a guy whose ERA was due to bad luck, but that doesn’t tell you everything either.
Agree on exit velocity. How is it not the best indicator?? The harder they hit ya, the worse you are doing. Results after that are just who is lucky enough to have gloves catching the ball.
Guerra is pretty much useless to the Padres. The only reason he’s out of options is because Preller called him up a couple of years ago to play a series in Mexico, as a not-close-to-mlb-ready SS.
Good gravy, “pretty quickly.” Why? Overcompensating even the tiniest bit because his groin hurts will put more strain on that elbow.
I did not like putting Lugo in the rotation last year whatsoever !
Embrace the fact he’s probably a top 3 5~6 out Rp in the game and take the profit 2~3 times a week
The inj probably would have accrued anyways, I just never understood the ideology behind it and hope they stomp it out moving forward
That’s good news for Calhoun.
Pearson and aj puk are injury prone twinsies. Talented, high end prospects, on the cusp of majors and ready to contributing but always injuries pop up
I have a gut feeling that Pearson will never live up to his hype. If he gets over his injury woes, he might settle in as a solid #3 or #4 starter, but I don’t see him becoming the staff ace everyone expected him to be. Not basing this on any statistics or professional projections; something about him and his approach last year didn’t impress me at all. Maybe he’ll grow out of it (or into it) but he doesn’t seem to have that ace makeup, attitude or confidence. Even if you have the arm talent, the mental makeup is equally as important if not more important.
I’ve had the same feeling for years, but for a different reason. Pearson has pitched 141 innings in his 4 years of professional baseball — and he didn’t pitch that much in college either. Health isn’t just luck, it’s skill and genetics and body type. All the evidence suggests he’s not a guy who will play much, and the injuries will eventually make him less effective when he does.
I’m not concerned about his pitching if he’s somehow healthy, though. This is a guy with less than a year of professional experience, thanks to being hurt all the time, so his mental makeup is really quite advanced considering. Find me a more confident guy with 141 professional innings.