AL Notes: Jays, Astros, Red Sox, Yanks
In the wake of the 80-game PED suspension handed to Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Chris Colabello on Friday, teammate Kevin Pillar had some choice words for Major League Baseball (Twitter link via Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet Magazine). “This is a guy that got caught up in a flawed system,” the outfielder said of Colabello. “He fell victim to a technicality in the system. And I think that the drug testing policy and Major League Baseball are going to have some soul searching to do and they’re going to have to figure it out.” Pillar didn’t elaborate on the “technicality” that he believes victimized Colabello. The 32-year-old tested positive in March for the banned substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, an anabolic steroid that’s designed to increase the user’s speed and strength. Colabello did pass four drug tests last year, though, tweets John Lott of VICE Sports.
More from Toronto and a couple other American League cities:
- The Blue Jays aren’t yet considering going outside the organization to replace Colabello, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). Justin Smoak is first in line to pick up the slack, per Rosenthal, who points out that the team also has Matt Dominguez in Triple-A Buffalo. Rosenthal didn’t mention Jesus Montero, who’s with Dominguez in Buffalo. The former elite prospect has recorded a respectable .292/.341/.429 line in in 315 career plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said Friday that Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo and Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez (then the Rays’ bench coach) were the main runners-up to A.J. Hinch in Houston’s 2014 managerial search, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes. “I think he’s going to be a major league manager in the future, and a good one,” Luhnow said of Lovullo. “He has a great balance of instincts and wisdom from all of his coaching experience, and understanding and appreciation for all of the other elements that are involved.” Lovullo garnered some major league managerial experience last season when he filled in for John Farrell, who was undergoing treatment for lymphoma, and led the Red Sox to a 28-21 record. Hinch, meanwhile, helped the Astros to a playoff berth and finished second in the AL manager of the year voting. This year isn’t going nearly as well so far, however, as the Astros have gone a surprisingly poor 5-12.
- Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks will undergo an MRI after leaving the team’s win Friday with a jammed non-throwing (left) shoulder, reports Ryan Hatch of NJ Advance Media. “We told him: see how you feel when you wake up,” said manager Joe Girardi. “If you’re really sore, we’re going to send you for an MRI. And that’s what happened.” Hicks, whom the Yankees acquired from the Twins during the offseason, has appeared in 14 of 15 games this year and totaled just two singles and two walks in 24 plate appearances.
East Notes: Yankees, Gallardo, Braves, Hanley
The Yankees can either call up first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher from Triple-A or try to trade suspended closer Aroldis Chapman for a bat as a way to spark their offense, writes Barry A. Bloom of MLB.com. Of course, it’s debatable whether either action would present any kind of solution. Swisher – whom the Yankees signed to a minor league deal earlier this month – is raking in Triple-A (.381/.440/.571 in 25 plate appearances) and was a terrific major leaguer from 2005-13, including four seasons in pinstripes. However, more recently, he was among the majors’ worst regulars the previous two seasons, has dealt with knee problems, and was jettisoned by both the Indians and Braves. Although the Yankees’ Dellin Betances– and Andrew Miller-led bullpen has fared well without Chapman, who will return next month, it’s difficult to imagine a prospective contender dealing a legitimate offensive producer for less than a season of control over the flame-throwing lefty. Plus, despite the Yankees’ early RISP troubles (their .668 OPS with men in scoring position ranks 20th), their offense is still a solid 10th in the league in wRC+.
Here’s more from the AL East and one NL East team:
- Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who left Friday’s start after two innings because of shoulder discomfort, will see team orthopedist Dr. Mike Jacobs in Baltimore today, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Gallardo told Encina that his shoulder began acting up while getting loose in the bullpen before Friday’s game. “My shoulder just didn’t feel right. To be honest, it was one of those feelings that I’ve never had my whole career,” he said. That’s a particularly alarming admission from a player who signed a two-year deal with the Orioles in February after the team nixed an agreed-upon third year because of a shoulder problem that came to the forefront in Gallardo’s physical. The 30-year-old has also experienced a notable velocity drop this season, which manager Buck Showalter acknowledged Friday. “I’ve done all the looks at his average velocity in April and May. Every start I’ve looked at them. He’s down,” Showalter said.
- Betances and Miller have been brilliant out of the Yankees’ bullpen this year, but David Schoenfield of ESPN.com argues that the team isn’t getting as much from them as it could. The two have logged 15 appearances between them, and only once has manager Joe Girardi deployed either for longer than an inning of work (Betances got four outs April 12). That isn’t good enough, opines Schoenfield, who believes the Yankees should lean more heavily on both of them until Chapman returns, citing Betances’ ability to handle a significant workload (he easily led all relievers with a combined 174 innings from 2014-15) and Miller’s past as a starter.
- The Braves are willing to overlook third baseman Adonis Garcia‘s defensive struggles because of his above-average offensive output, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. In 74 games dating back to last season, Garcia has hit a palatable .285/.318/472, though his .870 fielding percentage ranks last among major league third basemen who have accrued at least 120 chances going back to 1910, per Bowman. “He’s not a third baseman. He plays hitter,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Garcia. In fairness to Garcia, over a 345-inning sample size at third in 2015, he was only a bit below average by the standards of advanced metrics like defensive runs saved and ultimate zone rating.
- The Red Sox seem pleased with Hanley Ramirez‘s transition from left field to first base, and the 32-year-old has won fans over with his effort and attitude, but the club needs more from him offensively, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe offers. Ramirez, a career .296/.366/.493 hitter, is batting a disappointing .277/.290/400 with 17 strikeouts and two walks in 69 PAs this year. Since signing a four-year, $88MM contract with Boston in November 2014, the Red Sox’s current No. 5 hitter has put up a below-average .253/.291/.423 line in 499 PAs.
AL Notes: Sandoval, Zunino, Yankees
The ongoing saga between the Red Sox and Pablo Sandoval seemingly took another odd turn today. As Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports, manager John Farrell says that the third baseman’s scheduled examination by Dr. James Andrews was punted because his ailing left shoulder was too sore. Sandoval did receive a cortisone shot to treat the inflammation, and is set for another visit to Andrews in a “couple weeks.” Sandoval will obviously remain on the DL at least until that time, though it remains unclear what kind of activity (if any) he’ll participate in during the interim.
Here’s more from the American League to round out a quiet night:
- The Mariners‘ offseason moves at the catching position are working out well in the early going, writes Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Free agent signee Chris Iannetta has been productive at the major league level, providing a consistent presence that the team lacked in 2015. Meanwhile, Mike Zunino — the young backstop of the past and, hopefully, the future — is off to a scorching start at Triple-A after struggling badly in the bigs last season. The success of the former is allowing the team to remain patient with the latter, and Divish says not to expect a quick call-up for the 25-year-old Zunino. (It’s worth bearing in mind, too, that Zunino entered the year with 2.084 years of service on his clock, meaning that Seattle could pick up an additional year of control if he stays down long enough.)
- The pre-season expectations of the Yankees‘ pitching staff have largely been borne out in the regular season thus far, as George A. King III and Joel Sherman of the New York Post write in separate pieces. Both the depth and quality of the rotation remains a major concern, says King. And Sherman wonders whether the summer trade market will provide an avenue for the organization to add to the rotation mix while parting with one of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, or Dellin Betances. While GM Brian Cashman says that “the plan is to have those three guys the whole way,” it’s something that the club has seriously considered before. Of course, pulling off such a deal with another contending team in the middle of a season would surely be a tricky proposition.
AL Notes: Tanaka, Iwakuma, Darvish, Hanley
Sunday’s showdown between the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka and the Mariners’ Hisashi Iwakuma will be the first-ever matchup in the majors between two former Japanese league teammates, writes Ryan Hatch of NJ.com. The two ex-Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles were supposed to face one another in 2014, but rain prevented that from happening. Regarding Iwakuma, Tanaka said, “There’s a little cultural difference. He’s older than [I am], so, I look up to him…He was the ace of the staff [in Japan]. I learned a lot from him…you know, strategies, and facing batters. Stuff like that.” Interestingly, the 35-year-old Iwakuma and Tanaka, 27, have posted nearly identical ERAs (3.18 to 3.17) since emigrating from Japan. Iwakuma debuted in the majors two years earlier (2012 versus 2014), so his success has come over 363 2/3 more innings than Tanaka’s total.
- In other news regarding Japanese starters, Rangers ace Yu Darvish threw a live batting practice session Sunday and will engage in another Thursday before beginning a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on or near April 26, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). Darvish is recovering from Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss all of last season. His 50-pitch BP session Sunday drew raves from pitching coach Doug Brocail, tweets the Dallas Morning News’ Evan Grant. “The breaking ball was crisp. The slider was unbelievable,” Brocail said. “The fastball was good and hard with both two- and four-seamers. He threw strikes in a lot of good areas. As we measured it, there were a lot of 0-2 and 1-2 counts.” A May 11 return to the Rangers could be within reach for Darvish if all goes well during his rehab stint, per Grant.
- Thanks in part to a disastrous showing as a left fielder last season, the Red Sox‘s Hanley Ramirez was among the league’s least valuable players during his first year in Boston. But the Red Sox like what they’ve seen this year from Ramirez, who is now their first baseman. “We have a different player,” manager John Farrell told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). “He’s in a good place,” second baseman Dustin Pedroia said (link via Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald). In addition to finding a more suitable position, Ramirez has shown signs of life offensively, slashing .293/.318/.463 in 44 plate appearances. A shoulder injury helped lead to an uncharacteristically poor season at the plate in 2015 for Ramirez, who hit .249/.291/.426 in 430 PAs.
- Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis – who underwent left shoulder surgery in November – will take the field for live batting practice off a coach for the first time this year Monday, tweets Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Meanwhile, lefty Franklin Morales is better after feeling “weakness” in his shoulder earlier this month and will begin a throwing program Monday, Davidi reports (on Twitter).
- The Indians are expected to activate right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall on Wednesday after he plays a pair of rehab games with Double-A Akron on Monday and Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com was among those to report (Twitter link). Upon returning, Chisenhall – who has been on the disabled list since March with a left wrist injury – will vie for playing time in an Indians outfield that has mostly used Rajai Davis, Marlon Byrd and Jose Ramirez so far this year.
East Notes: deGrom, A-Rod, Red Sox
The Mets placed right-hander Jacob deGrom on the MLB bereavement/family medical emergency list Saturday because of “complications” with his newborn son, and manager Terry Collins described it as a “real-life situation.” In an encouraging update, deGrom told Collins last night that the baby, Jaxon, is doing “better” (Twitter link via Mike Puma of the New York Post). deGrom, who’s on the mend from a lat issue, is now throwing a 40-pitch bullpen session in Port St. Lucie, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com.
Here’s more from MLB’s East divisions:
- As a result of the 3-for-30 slump Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez is mired in to start the season, Randy Miller of NJ.com wonders if the 40-year-old has finally hit the wall. If Rodriguez’s issues last into the summer, Miller wouldn’t be shocked to see the Yankees cut ties with the 21st-year man. Easier said than done, of course, as the Yankees would owe A-Rod the remaining $20MM of his contract for this year and a full $20MM in 2017. While writing off Rodriguez based on a small sample of April at-bats wouldn’t be wise after he hit a terrific .250/.356/.486 with 33 home runs last season, it’s at least mildly concerning that he hasn’t been able to catch up with fastballs thus far. Rodriguez has swung and missed on 16 of 81 fastballs this year, a nearly 20 percent rate that’s double his swinging strike percentage from 2015, according to Mark Simon of ESPN.com. For now, the Yankees will drop Rodriguez to sixth in the batting order Sunday, George A. King III of the New York Post tweets. Rodriguez was the Yankees’ No. 3 hitter in his first eight games of the season.
- A couple of anonymous AL executives gave conflicting answers to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe when he asked them to assess beleaguered Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval’s trade value. “While everyone seems to have a decent third baseman, it’s the depth beyond that that’s hard to come by. So at some point, if a contending team loses a third baseman, then a proven veteran who might be available would be more attractive if the money situation can be worked out,” said the optimistic exec. The other told Cafardo that Sandoval has no value, which isn’t surprising when you consider the Panda’s terrible performance dating back to last season, his well-documented weight problem, current shoulder injury, and anvil of a contract. Sandoval is still owed $75MM on his deal, including a $5MM buyout in 2020, and might need shoulder surgery.
- Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski offered a lengthy explanation Friday on why the club chose to start outfielder Rusney Castillo in the majors instead of simply sending him to Triple-A (where he is now), saying in part, “We didn’t think it would hurt him to come up here, be part of what we had going on, and now we’re in a situation where we think, ‘OK, let’s let him go out there and get some at-bats.’” On the contrary, the Red Sox’s handling of Castillo might have been harmful to him and the team, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald argues. Castillo needs at-bats – which he wasn’t getting in Boston – and the team handicapped itself by essentially wasting a roster spot on him, Drellich writes. Castillo, 28, played in only one of the Red Sox’s 10 games before they optioned him to Pawtucket.
AL Notes: Betances, Gattis, Rangers, Perkins, Pablo
Yankees righty Dellin Betances was one of several players who couldn’t agree to terms with his team on a pre-arbitration salary over the offseason, and George A. King III of the New York Post reports that the relief ace ended up being renewed at the league minimum of $507.5K. New York had offered Betances $540K, but dropped it down when he declined (on the advice of his agent) to agree to that amount. To be clear, he’s not complaining; the small protest was, of course, his only recourse. Betances, 28, will be in much better standing next winter, when he’ll reach arbitration for the first time. Though he doesn’t have a big history of saves to bring to the arb table, he has racked up quite a few innings for a reliever and has all the other numbers (including holds) needed to run up a significant tab.
Here’s more from the American League:
- The Astros are readying Evan Gattis for duties behind the plate in the near future, as MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports. Gattis broke in as a backstop, of course, but the 29-year-old didn’t see any time there last year, as Houston utilized him almost exclusively as a DH (with 11 outfield stings also mixed in). Houston has relied on a combination of Jason Castro and Erik Kratz at the catching position to open the year, having acquired the latter after presumed reserve Max Stassi was lost to injury. He’s expected back before long, but the opportunity to plug Gattis in at times could open some interesting roster possibilities for the Astros.
- While the Rangers already utilized some significant prospect capital to add Cole Hamels last year, the organization could be in a position to do the same for another quality starter at this year’s trade deadline, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The club’s blue chip youngsters surely won’t be parted with lightly, but Rosenthal says that they could be pried loose if a top-quality, controllable rotation piece can be had over the summer.
- The Twins may be looking at a reasonably protracted absence from closer Glen Perkins, as LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. According to Perkins, his shoulder troubles arose only recently, but he doesn’t expect to be ready after his 15-day minimum DL stint has passed.
- Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval has undergone an MRI on his ailing left shoulder, with results expected tomorrow, team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters. He’s already been placed on the disabled list, of course. One major factor seemingly underlying Sandoval’s on-field struggles, of course, is his ongoing battle with weight, and Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald provides interesting insight from Sandoval’s former trainer, Ethan Banning. According to Banning, who worked with Sandoval in the winters before the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the former Giants star had to participate in concerted training efforts to cut back the pounds he had added over both of those offseasons. Per Banning, Sandoval’s struggle relates not to exercise but eating habits. He expressed confidence that the 29-year-old can overcome the issue, but suggested that he’ll need concerted oversight to make it happen.
AL East Notes: Swisher, Lohse, Davis, Rays
Nick Swisher spoke to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News about his excitement over rejoining the Yankees organization. “There’s no place I love more than New York,” said Swisher. “I think a lot of people know that. … I’m one of those lucky guys that gets an opportunity to come back and try to prove myself again.” Swisher also talked with Feinsand about the difficulty of dealing with significant knee injuries in recent seasons and the jarring feeling of getting a phone call to inform him of his release in Atlanta. The 34-year-old firmly believes he’s capable of contributing in the Majors again and looks forward to working his way back to a Yankees uniform. “To have the first phone call come from the Yankees, a place you think of as family, it was amazing,” said Swisher. “For this to happen during such a dark time, it makes you want to work that much harder, to train and play that much harder.”
Elsewhere in the AL East…
- The Orioles are among the clubs that hold interest in right-hander Kyle Lohse, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Baltimore’s 7-0 start to the season has drawn its fair share of headlines, but it’s worth noting that Ubaldo Jimenez is the only one of their starters to have topped five innings in an outing thus far. Bringing Lohse into the organization would provide the club with some veteran depth, although Lohse’s most recent work with the Brewers didn’t exactly inspire confidence that he’s still a quality big league option. The 37-year-old lost his rotation with the Brewers last season after recording a 6.31 ERA in 22 starts. Lohse did appear to turn it around somewhat upon his move to the bullpen, logging a 3.81 ERA in 28 1/3 innings of work.
- Chris Davis tells the Boston Herald’s Chris Mason that the Red Sox had interest in him over the winter before he re-signed in Baltimore. “I pretty much tried to stay out of it as much as I could and let my agent handle it, but I remember their name coming up a few times,” said Davis. “I don’t know how in depth they talked. I don’t know if it was just a feeler or what was going on.” As Mason notes, the immediate fit might not be optimal, but with Hanley Ramirez perhaps sliding to designated hitter next season following David Ortiz‘s retirement, it’s easy enough to see how Davis could’ve fit into the club’s plans beyond the 2016 campaign.
- Never afraid to try something outside the box, the Rays have adopted the usage of virtual reality training for their hitters, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Rays batters have available to them a set of virtual reality goggles that allow them to stand at/near/behind the plate in the batting cage and watch a virtual simulation of that evening’s pitcher throwing to them. Steven Souza Jr. and Curt Casali both spoke very highly of the new tool, whereas Evan Longoria was optimistic about its benefits down the line but said he feels there’s room for improvement. “We’re looking forward to learning more about the technology and how it might benefit our players,” said Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman to Topkin. Topkin notes that the Rays aren’t the only club using the technology; the Pirates and “several” other teams have begun to experiment with it.
- Rays right-hander Alex Cobb and Chase Whitley each made 20 throws from halfway up the bullpen mound on Tuesday, Topkin writes in a separate piece. Each will throw again on Friday and next Tuesday before moving to the top of the mound late next week. Cobb noted that while the news isn’t exciting, he and Whitley both considered it to be a big day in their rehab. Both right-handers are making their way back from Tommy John surgery that was performed in May of last season.
Yankees Sign Nick Swisher To Minor League Deal
APRIL 13: Swisher’s deal is now official, tweets Feinsand. He’s on his way to Scranton and will be in the starting lineup there on Thursday.
APRIL 9: Nick Swisher is working out at the Yankees’ minor-league complex, and the team will likely sign him to a minor-league deal, Chad Jennings of LoHud.com tweets. Swisher will receive a June 15 opt-out if he isn’t in the Majors by then, according to Mark Feinsand of the Daily News (On Twitter). Swisher is a client of MVP Sports Group.
The Braves released Swisher late last month. He’s owed $15MM for 2016, but the Braves and Indians will be on the hook for the vast majority of that amount. The $56MM deal to which the Indians signed Swisher prior to the 2013 season has not gone well, to say the least — he’s produced just a .224/.315/.373 batting line since then, also producing little in the way of defensive value while splitting his time between outfield, first base and DH.
Swisher enjoyed better days with the Yankees from 2009 through 2012, batting .268/.367/.483 with 105 home runs in his tenure in New York and playing on four straight playoff teams, including the Yanks’ 2009 championship squad. At this point, though, it’s unclear how much gas the 35-year-old has left in the tank, or how he might now fit on a 2016 team that has Alex Rodriguez at DH, Mark Teixeira at first and Brett Gardner, Carlos Beltran, Dustin Ackley and others to play the corner outfield positions.
AL East Notes: Swisher, Werner, Orioles
The Orioles are still baseball’s only undefeated team, moving to 6-0 after today’s 9-7 win over the Red Sox. Chris Davis broke a 6-6 tie in the ninth with a three-run homer off Craig Kimbrel (making his home debut for Boston) to score the game’s deciding runs. Here’s some more from around the AL East…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including George A. King III of the New York Post) that Nick Swisher hadn’t yet signed a reported minor league deal with the club as of Monday afternoon. Swisher will still have to pass a physical for the contract to become official, which could be difficult given his history of knee problems. Several opposing scouts weren’t impressed by Swisher’s health during Spring Training, with one scout telling King that Swisher’s “legs are gone.” The Yankees, however, felt Swisher could still contribute as a backup option at first, left field or DH, as Cashman said the club liked what they saw when Swisher faced them as a member of the Braves during the spring.
- In a radio interview on the Ordway, Merloni & Fauria show, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner expressed surprise that some Sox fans felt ownership would influence certain lineup decisions, most notably insisting that high-priced Pablo Sandoval retain his starting job. “Really our influence extends that we want the best lineup and we want to win now. Beyond that it’s up to John [Farrell] and Dave [Dombrowski] and the coaching staff to come up with the best lineup every day,” Werner said. “I think a lot has been made of this. Maybe there are some owners who would exert that kind of influence. The only influence that we would have is to say, ‘You’re free to do whatever you want to do, and you shouldn’t worry about salary. You should worry about putting out the best lineup.’ ” WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford has a partial transcript of Werner’s interview.
- Jimmy Paredes is making progress in recovering from a sprained left wrist, though once he returns from the DL, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko notes that the Orioles could have a bit of a roster crunch. Paredes is out of options, so he’d have to pass through waivers for the O’s to send him to Triple-A and there isn’t an obvious candidate to remove from the 25-man roster. Kubatko also notes that Mychal Givens, T.J. McFarland or Tyler Wilson could be send down once Brian Matusz makes his expected return from injury on Thursday.
Injury Notes: McCann, Rumbelow, Cardinals
Here’s the latest on some notable injury situations around baseball…
- Tigers catcher James McCann left today’s game with a right ankle sprain, suffered while trying to beat out an infield single in the fifth inning. Detroit skipper Brad Ausmus told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jason Beck) that “there’s concern” McCann could require a DL stint. X-rays were negative on the injury but McCann is still to undergo an MRI. Jarrod Saltalamacchia would become the regular starter if McCann has to miss time. It was just two weeks ago that Detroit traded backup Bryan Holaday to the Rangers in a trade that brought veteran backstop Bobby Wilson into the fold, though Wilson would need to be added to the 40-man roster if the Tigers used him as a backup; Saltalamacchia and McCann are currently the only catchers on Detroit’s 40-man.
- Yankees righty Nick Rumbelow is in need of Tommy John surgery, Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees blog reports. Rumbelow was sent to Triple-A to to begin this season. The 24-year-old Rumbelow made his MLB debut in 2015, posting a 4.02 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 3.00 K/BB rate over 15 2/3 innings out of the New York bullpen. Rumbelow averaged 93.4mph on his fastball last year but hit the 98mph plateau when pitching in college at LSU, as per Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel in a breakdown of the Yankees’ farm system from January 2015. Rumbelow has posted strong relief numbers in his three minor league seasons, though the Yankees experimenting using him as a starter this spring. As per the usual recovery timeline for Tommy John patients, Rumbelow should be out of action until at least midway through the 2017 season.
- Injuries have done a number on the Cardinals‘ minor league pitching depth, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, as Marco Gonzales is considering elbow surgery and Tim Cooney has been battling with a sore shoulder. “When you look at what we have going on at [Triple-A] Memphis, it’s not as strong as we thought we were. But, that’s not to say we are in a panic mode by any means,” Cards GM John Mozeliak said, noting that top prospect Alex Reyes could be an option in a couple of months. Reyes is currently serving a 50-game suspension after testing positive for marijuana in November. Mozeliak also provides updates on a few other injured Cardinals within Frederickson’s piece.