Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers left yesterday’s Spring Training contest after pulling up while trying to steal second base. He has since been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com (Twitter link). It isn’t yet clear if the issue threatens his availability for Opening Day. If healthy, the former #3 overall pick looks to have a clear path to everyday playing time at second base. Should he be forced to miss time, Garrett Hampson or Josh Fuentes could stand to see an increased role (the latter at third base with Ryan McMahon playing the keystone). Chris Owings is also back in camp as a non-roster invitee and has plenty of second base experience.
More from the Senior Circuit:
- Carlos Carrasco was slowed a bit by elbow soreness early in his first camp with the Mets. The right-hander played catch this morning and will throw a bullpen session Tuesday. He told reporters (including Tim Britton of the Athletic) that he expects to be ready for Opening Day. Manager Luis Rojas echoed Carrasco’s optimism about his potential season-opening availability, although the skipper cautioned that’ll partially depend on “how things go (next) week” (via Enrique Rojas of ESPN).
- The recent injury to Kwang-hyun Kim gives Daniel Ponce de Leon a good shot to begin the season in the Cardinals’ rotation, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Miles Mikolas’ own health woes had already opened up a spot, likely to be claimed by John Gant. Now, with Kim questionable to be ready for Opening Day after experiencing some back stiffness, there could be another job available behind Jack Flaherty, Adam Wainwright and Carlos Martínez. The Cards will also continue to lengthen out Jake Woodford and Johan Oviedo, Goold notes. Ponce de Leon has more MLB starting experience than those two, seemingly giving him the clearest path to the job if Kim isn’t fully recovered by the first week of April.
- Nationals starter Jon Lester feels good after throwing a pair of innings of live batting practice this morning (per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post and Maria Torres of the Athletic). Lester underwent surgery to remove his thyroid gland last week. Lester’s teammate Aaron Barrett had a minor surgery of his own, relays Dougherty. The 33-year-old reliever underwent a cleanup procedure on his right knee earlier this week but has returned to camp.
honestly I dont know why Barrett is still around. just goodwill?
Pair Ponce with three-four innings of Alex Reyes every start. Addresses both Ponce’s lack of efficiency and the 100 inning cap for Reyes while still giving him a starters development for next year.
I like this
let alex start 20 games. cardinals starters rarely pitch more than 5 innings. usually a pitch count of 100 by then.
You can’t just lump all of their starters in that category because some of them don’t fit. Flaherty, Mikolas, and Wainwright aren’t short-start pitchers. Wainwright may be of his age is affecting his stamina now, but he showed no signs of that last year. Based on his work out of the bullpen, Reyes does not look like he will fit that category either. Putting him on a normal starters schedule will have him shutdown before the regular season is over if he stays healthy.
I think you can lump Flaherty in to that. When it comes to innings pitched he is pretty inconsistent. He can give you 8 innings one outing and then 2 or 3 the next. Overall I think in 2019 and 2020 he averages out at about 5.
Flaherty averaged 6 innings per start in 2019. In 9 starts in 2020, in which Flaherty had to deal with THREE different ramp-ups, one of which took place in his hotel room because he wasn’t allowed to leave itit
He averaged 4.5. Smart money throws out 2020 because his final prep for the season involved pitching into a propped up mattress against his hotel room wall. Not exactly a fair way to evaluate it
I agree with the critiques of Flaherty.
Consistency good pitching determines the Ace of a staff. Maybe on the Cardinals team he could be classified as an Ace. But—- Flaherty would be a 3 on most other teams. At most a number 2 starter on Pennant contending teams.
If there was a game on the line that I’d feel we must win—- I’d still go with Wainwright as my starter!!
Flaherty is making the most out of his arbitration years, as is his right and common sense. But—- in my opinion— the Cardinals need to strike while the iron is hot on Flaherty and before he hits free agency!! Trade him and another blocked
I wonder if the Cardinals will give Cabrera a chance to start?
Cabrera should get a shot as a starter after the All-Star game. (Baring any injuries).
Too many in that age group in the Cardinals organization are ready now, but can’t crack the starting rotation because of individuals on high contracts such as Carlos Martinez
I’d like Cabrera in Martinez spot if he cold stand the pressure when things get hot!!
Love me some Aaron Barrett. Had a superstition during our WS run and has a great story. Happy we resigned him even if he doesn’t pitch a lot
Man, Brendan Rodgers can’t catch a break.
To think – he was in the same vaunted SS draft class as Bregman and Swanson. It feels like they’ve both been in the majors forever and he’s still trying to get started.
Bregman and Swanson both came from colleges that are known for being good at developing pros with LSU being good at it while Vanderbilt has proven great… while Rogers was a 17 year old when drafted… a bit of a difference there
I don’t know about that. Whipped the Blades today 5-nil. He’s doing all right.
Trade that dumpster fire to a dumpster-diver for a bucket of balls. Maybe a change of scenery will help. Who am I talking about? Does it matter? Just wanted to get all of those figures of speech out of the way.
lol
I’l! see your dumpster dive and raise you a train wreck
Now that’s funny
Nicely done