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May 29, 2006

Under The Knife

Memorial Day Edition

by Will Carroll

A lot of people e-mailed me this week asking about the scout’s comments in Kevin Goldstein’s recent Future Shock column regarding Tom House. It should be no secret that many within baseball don’t agree with House’s methods. I am lucky enough to have gotten to know Tom and I've seen his results, whether it’s for a major league pitcher like Mark Prior, Cole Hamels, or Barry Zito or for hundreds of other pros over the years, or for a willowy pre-teen competing against kids literally twice his size in Orange County. (Yes, that’s a story I hope to tell soon.) There’s always room for an argument here; when there’s groupthink, we’ve ceased doing our jobs.

Powered by those we should remember not just this weekend, but every day, on to the injuries:

• The Yankees have barely had their expected lineup on the field this season, making me question the value of depth when I look at where they are in the standings. The Yankees look like a regular team when devastated rather than a 1000-run monster. While they don’t have able replacements for any position, the one where they could be most hurt is behind the plate. Losing Jorge Posada for any extended period would be brutal due to the nature of the available replacements. Posada has a torn hamstring tendon, but won’t require surgery at this point. If done, he would miss two months and would likely have the tendon removed rather than repaired. Catchers need their legs as much as speedsters, so this will bear a close watch. The Yanks will get Bubba Crosby back soon, for what that’s worth. Crosby is in Tampa and may have a short rehab stint before returning to the Bronx.

• The Red Sox haven’t pulled away in the AL East because they've had their own series of injuries. As Coco Crisp comes back, it’s one step up and two steps back to quote the Boss (Springsteen, not Steinbrenner). Manny Ramirez is dealing with some back spasms, something he has had before, though usually more as an annoyance than a real problem. A back injury to Ramirez would be an interesting test for someone who has regularly had his work ethic and passion for the game called into question. Wily Mo Pena heads to the DL with a wrist injury. It’s not expected to keep him out long-term, though any wrist problem for a slugger can linger. (Apparently, Ian Kinsler didn’t get that memo.) The Sox will also try and deal with the comebackers that are taking out their starters. Both David Wells and Matt Clement took balls off their legs--Wells took one off his damaged front leg, while Clement took his off the ankle of his push leg. I’m not sure which is worse for a pitcher, given an equal hit. At least the Red Sox are getting good with pitchers and legs--plenty of practice.

• The e-mails were relentless--Mark Prior had been placed on the 60 day DL. Don’t worry, Cubs fans: you have plenty to worry about, but this was a procedural move only. Designed to free up a roster spot for Tony Womack (insert your own joke here), Prior was not going to beat the 60-day clock back anyway. Prior has had no setbacks and will start on Monday night in Peoria, the first of three rehab starts he’ll make. No one is expecting Prior to have the same results as Kerry Wood did earlier this month in Peoria, but seeing numbers in the nineties on the gun would be a big step. The Cubs will also get a better idea when their offense comes back. Let’s face it, Derrek Lee appears to be the only offensive player on the roster given the team’s performance since his injury. Lee will have the second cast removed and he'll begin testing the strength of the wrist this week. I expect a pretty quick comeback once he begins swinging.

• Jim Edmonds is a key part of the Cardinals, but like so much of the team this season, he’s hurting. The team is unsure if Edmonds is dealing with an infection of a lymph node in his groin or a hernia due to the pain and inflammation. He’s going to be seen by doctors once he returns to St. Louis, taking a series of tests to determine the cause. A hernia might sound like the worst case scenario with surgery taking him out for the better part of the season. There are worse possibilities and our thoughts are with Edmonds until those are eliminated as possibilities. The Cards are also leaning towards skipping Chris Carpenter for another start. If so, they will probably retro him to the DL and give Anthony Reyes another start.

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