Spring Training Fantasy News/Updates

[astrosfanatic]

http://twitter.com/LaVelleNeal/statuses/45534358349680640

Justin Morneau will start Friday and not Thursday.Doctors want him to ease his way back into playing. #stribtwins

for those of you looking to draft/keep Morneau, this news is more promising than any news yet...i honestly thought that he would start the year on the DL...maybe not

---------- Post added at 07:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 AM ----------


Greinke will miss three regular season starts due to a fractured rib, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. He's been inconsistent with his control through early spring training appearances, and this injury may be the culprit. This is bad news for the Brewers, although losing him for a few starts in April is much less damaging than a prolonged stretch later in the season. Greinke reportedly suffered the injury while playing basketball around the start of spring training.

i wonder what this does to his ADP....he was already in the lower tier of fantasy aces to begin with....before this i would be putting him in the same class as Jimenez/Hanson/Johnson, but now i am re-thinking that. Obviously missing 3 starts is not the end of the world, but he has so many head issues, and his 7.4 K/9 rate last year is alarming...the guy is a head case already...

[Mudge]

i wonder what this does to [Greinke's] ADP....he was already in the lower tier of fantasy aces to begin with....before this i would be putting him in the same class as Jimenez/Hanson/Johnson, but now i am re-thinking that. Obviously missing 3 starts is not the end of the world, but he has so many head issues, and his 7.4 K/9 rate last year is alarming...the guy is a head case already...
Add to it, rib injuries are dicey (see Jacoby Ellsbury -- 2010). There's no assurance that Greinke will respond as quickly as 4-6 weeks. I wonder whether this will put just that much more pressure on him...

p.s. Is the site really slow today? It's taking 30 seconds for me to load things and then most of the time they come up in duplicate.

[astrosfanatic]

Add to it, rib injuries are dicey (see Jacoby Ellsbury -- 2010). There's no assurance that Greinke will respond as quickly as 4-6 weeks. I wonder whether this will put just that much more pressure on him...

that's a great point. i just read an article about that..let me see if i can find it and paste it...



Zack Greinke

Greinke's debut with the Brewers will be put on hold for at least three starts as a broken rib is expected to force the former Cy Young winner to the disabled list. Greinke suffered a fractured seventh rib and bruised eighth rib while participating in an offseason pickup basketball game.
The ribcage consists of 12 pairs of ribs with the bottom two pairs classified as floating ribs because they do not connect to the breastbone (sternum). The rib bone Greinke fractured is known as a vertebrocostal rib or true rib because its costal cartilage attaches directly to the sternum, in particular the xiphoid process. The seventh rib, along with ribs 1 though 6, rotates on its corresponding thoracic vertebrae to allow for changes in thoracic volume during breathing. Basically it rotates to increase the amount of air the lungs can take by increasing the size of the ribcage. Fortunately Greinke's fracture is a small, hairline fracture and has not compromised the integrity of the joint. However, the injury can cause pain with deep breathing and sneezing as well as discomfort with trunk rotation.

The injury occurred roughly two weeks and a fracture of this nature generally takes four-to-six weeks to properly mend. The Brewers' medical staff will continue to work Greinke's arm out as best they can but will not allow Greinke to return to the mound until the rib is completely healed. He will then need time to rediscover his mechanics and timing before returning to the rotation.

The injury is a bit alarming especially when you look at the track record of pitcher's with similar injuries. Fractured ribs have slowed both the Yankee's Phil Hughes and the White Sox's Jake Peavy in recent seasons. Hughes made one playoff start but primarily toiled in the minors after his injury in 2008 and needed extended time to recover. Peavy's injury came prior to the 2005 playoffs while he was still with the Padres. He tried to pitch through the pain but gave up eight runs in his lone start against the Cardinals. Positional players have also had their problems recovering from rib injuries, particularly Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and Texas' Josh Hamilton.

Greinke's draft day value obviously takes a hit with this injury and I wouldn't be surprised to see it linger longer than the estimated reports. Opportunistic fantasy owners may be able to get the young hurler at a discount but should have a substitute ready for the start of the season. It may even be worth adding another young arm to your stable of pitchers should the injury be more problematic than expected.

i love this guy and his in-depth injury analysis

[Mudge]

that's a great point. i just read an article about that..let me see if i can find it and paste it...i love this guy and his in-depth injury analysis
Can you give the link?

[astrosfanatic]

http://www.rotowire.com/baseball/showArticle.htm?id=12049

it's rotowire, so i dont know if everyone can get it...but i do recall that you subscribe to rotowire as well

[JoshRedcay]

The rib injury to Greinke caused him to drop to the No. 15 SP in the ESPN rankings.

[astrosfanatic]

Aaron Hill


The Blue Jays are continuing to take a cautious approach with Hill (quadriceps), the team's official site reports. "We scratched him just because he had kind of plateaued," manager John Farrell said. "It wasn't that there were any setbacks from the 'B' game activity, it was just the fact that he wasn't feeling like he was getting over the hump. He's champing at the bit, he feels better, but at the same time, it's being prescribed to him to just continue at the [current] pace and we'll look to be a bit more active later in the week." Once Hill returns, Farrell is considering batting him in the No. 2 spot against lefties and either fifth or sixth against right-handed pitchers.

i like that approach! he'll spend some of his time in a run producing slot of the line-up, and the other part of it in an RBI part of the line-up. a win-win for fantasy owners!

[astrosfanatic]

McCutchen left Friday's game with discomfort in his left wrist, Pirates.com reports. The Pirates haven't provided any further information about the injury, other than to say that McCutchen will be further evaluated upon his return to the team's spring training headquarters. Consider him day-to-day for now.

shouldnt be a big deal...as long as it isnt a lower-body injury he should be good

[LarryBud]

The rib injury to Greinke caused him to drop to the No. 15 SP in the ESPN rankings.

I think that is nuts. I would be overjoyed to get him out of the top 10 pitchers. He is a steal at 15.

[astrosfanatic]

Lidge has given up runs in four of his five appearances this spring but he is not concerned with his performance, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "It's a pretty easy assessment so far," Lidge said. "My slider, I feel like I can throw on a dime, in and out of the zone, up and down, wherever I need to. My fastball is garbage. It's that simple." Lidge threw fastballs with 19 of his 20 pitches Friday to work on his command. "My fastball is definitely not where it needs to be right now, and I definitely need to keep working on it. But it's spring training, so that's where I'm supposed to be. You don't want to peak too soon. Save those bullets for the regular season."

doesn't sound good. he might have control of his slider, but he tends to OVER-rely on that mediocre fastball of his (which is what gets him in trouble). feeling good about his slider is good news, but that fastball needs to be a good pitch for him to be effective.

[astrosfanatic]

Putz, who has not previously had a back injury, will be considered day-to-day after getting scratched from Friday's scheduled appearance with spasms, the Arizona Republic reports.

He's only appeared in two Cactus League games this spring, but Putz isn't expected to need more than seven or eight innings against live hitters before he'll be ready for the start of the regular season. The D-Backs don't appear to be overly concerned just yet, but fantasy owners should begin to consider the alternatives for save options in the Arizona bullpen in case Putz's ailment lingers. David Hernandez seems like the most likely candidate to get an opportunity as the closer, but Juan Gutierrez handled the role last season after Chad Qualls was traded and Sam Demel has pitched very well this spring.

i hate closers for this reason exactly. they are so volatile and easily replaceable. yet another reason why i dont go out of my way on draft day to snag one

[Mudge]

Good call. I've given up on drafting more than one in my top 20 rounds.

[astrosfanatic]

Wilson's Opening Day availability is now in question due to a mild oblique strain, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He's going to be evaluated again Monday, which should clarify the likelihood of him being ready for the start of the season. This is the first mention of the injury for Wilson, but it could be a significant blow to the Giants' bullpen during the early weeks of the season depending on the length of his absence. Sergio Romo would likely be the primary option to move to the ninth-inning role if Wilson is unavailable. It's worth noting that Wilson had a similar injury in 2006 and ultimately missed 25 days because he tried to pitch through it. Hopefully, a more pro-active approach this time around will shorten the length of his absence.

here is a guy i would definitely look at taking in the top 120 picks of the draft, but still this news is a little unnerving. He is one of 4 closers you should reach for if you are looking for a strong RP on your staff. He has high job security, amazing "stuff", and ample opportunities to close out games...

still, keep this injury in mind (especially since it is reoccurring)

---------- Post added at 04:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:40 PM ----------

Morneau (concussion) started at DH and went 2-for-4 in a minor league game Saturday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He played Friday for his first back-to-back games of the spring.

We'll have to see how Morneau is feeling on Sunday, but he passes another big test and it increasingly looks like he'll be ready for Opening Day.

This is very reassuring news for anyone who took a gamble with Morneau. If you are one of those people, i still strongly recommend a back-up plan. Adam LaRoche or Carlos Pena might be available on the cheap via trade or maybe even available on waivers...check them out just in case Morneau hits the DL AGAIN.

[astrosfanatic]

Cueto (biceps) has flown back to Cincinnati to be checked out Monday, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. However, pitching coach Bryan Price downplayed the injury. "It's not a major issue or I don't think it is," Price said. "But I'm not a doctor. It's better than it was the last time but it's not 100 percent. We just didn't want to take a chance of making it worse."

Cueto left Saturday's start after one inning due to a biceps injury. Despite Price's optimism, it's still concerning that Cueto would travel to Cincinnati for an exam. Even if the injury is minor, any setback could put his status for the start of the season in doubt.

The Reds are really counting on him and Arroyo sustaining their numbers from last season. IMO, they will both regress a little and the Reds will end up fighting for the Wild Card. This isn't as serious as a shoulder/elbow injury, but it still could cost him the first couple weeks of the season depending on what the doctors say

[Mudge]

Thanks.

With Cueto, that makes 9 of my 25 players (7 starters) on Mudge's Brewers either DL (Brown, Greinke) or day-to-day.

[astrosfanatic]

better to get the injuries out of the way now

[Mudge]

better to get the injuries out of the way now
Let's hope that is the way it goes.

[astrosfanatic]

Cueto, who was originally diagnosed with biceps tendinitis, has now been diagnosed with mild shoulder inflammation and will be shut down from throwing for seven to 10 days, the Reds' official site reports.

This means that Cueto will begin the year on the DL, and he might miss the whole month of April. It also means that probably all three of Homer Bailey, Travis Wood and Mike Leake will begin the year in the rotation.

Here ya go mudge! Sorry it isnt the best of news, but at least it will only be a 2 weekish setback

[Mudge]

Well, he was not one of my top guys at least, but now you know why I need this Rule 5 draft so desperately.

[astrosfanatic]

Victorino has been diagnosed with a left eye contusion and a sore jaw as a result of Monday's collision with a teammate, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports.

Victorino picked up some nice battle scars thanks to the collision, but he was able to jog off the field on his own and should be back in the lineup in a day or two. As a precaution, he'll undergo concussion tests from the team's medical staff.


He better be back on the field quickly...my fantasy team DEMANDS it!

scary stuff though

[astrosfanatic]

Peavy said he has felt discomfort in his shoulder since March 4, which was his first start of the spring, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The team said the injury is unrelated to the surgery that ended Peavy's season last year, but this is still a situation to approach cautiously. Manager Ozzie Guillen will take a cautious approach, and he said Peavy will likely begin the season on the DL. Look for Phil Humber to get the first shot at Peavy's rotation spot.

I know a lot of people are drafting him hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. Well, good luck to those of you out there. It looks like his days as a good fantasy SP might be waning.

[astrosfanatic]

Morrow's (forearm) disabled list stint will be backdated and he is expected to miss only one start, John Lott of the National Post reports.

Morrow's target return date has yet to be announced, but the good news is this appears to be only a minor injury. Morrow will likely make his season debut sometime in mid-April.

i hope this really turns out to be minor...i need him to be healthy in one of my leagues

[astrosfanatic]

Garcia has been named the Yankees' fifth starter by manager Joe Girardi, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Bartolo Colon will move to the bullpen as a result. Ivan Nova was also confirmed as the team's fourth starter.

Good for Garcia.

[JoshRedcay]

A lot of that was because of health reasons, but either way this Yankees rotation is going to struggle a bit this year in my eyes. But maybe they will prove me wrong.

[astrosfanatic]

Manager Ron Gardenhire said Nathan (elbow) will be the team's closer, but will share the job initially with Matt Capps, the ESPN 1500 am Twin Cities reports. "We're going to use them both right away," he said.

The good news is he's still viewed as the closer heading into the season after coming back from Tommy John surgery and struggling at times this spring (11.05 ERA). The bad news is it looks like the Twins will limit his outings initially. Still, it sounds like the Twins will use him in the ninth inning right away since he's looked healthy this spring.

i have him in one league. i am really hoping for a strong return on drafting him. 25-30 saves should be what he gets this year

[Mudge]

Lots of closers on a short leash at the opening of the season.

[astrosfanatic]

Carlos Gomez will still be the starting center fielder after Milwaukee traded for Morgan, GM Doug Melvin told the team's official web site. "We view [Morgan] as a little more than an extra guy, but we told Carlos to keep doing what he’s doing," Melvin said.

Both Morgan and Gomez may begin the season in the starting lineup with Corey Hart likely to begin the season on the DL. While Morgan hasn't been named a starter, it's not hard to see him getting more playing time. He could platoon with Gomez in center field and could take over the everyday job if Gomez struggles.

Morgan is most likely on the waiver wire in any league you are in (assuming it is 12-teams or less)...maybe you were looking for a cheap source for steals, and if you were, then this is bad news. He will have the playing time to start off, but when Hart comes back he isn't the #1 option in CF

[astrosfanatic]

Latos (shoulder) will throw Tuesday after feeling better over the last two days, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Latos felt more pain when he did his rehab work Friday, so this is just a small step back toward the Padres' rotation. We'll have to wait and see if an encouraging session Tuesday will lead to a timetable for his return, but for now, Latos is simply considered day-to-day.

i guess this is good news?? better than hearing that he is on his way to Alabama to see Dr. Andrews

[Mudge]

Funny because I thought Reimold did a pretty good job last year before the injury.

[JoshRedcay]

The Pirates are down to just one more cut to be made, and that will be within the bullpen. Those three will be relievers Garrett Olson, Chris Leroux and Mike Crotta. They will still be with the team on the last two games of the Spring which will be held in Citizens Bank Park up against the Phillies on Tuesday and Wednesday. The only way these three continue is if James McDonald has to start out on the DL.

Can't believe we are about two days from Opening Day!

[astrosfanatic]

Latos will start the season on the DL. It will be retroactive to March 21, so he could only have to miss 1 start, but the Padres will likely be careful with their ace. No schedule has been released.

---------- Post added at 09:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 PM ----------

Utley (knee) spoke to reporters Monday and said he has made some progress in his rehab, but he did not offer a timetable for his return, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Utley did say his goal is to be back before the All-Star break but whether or not he makes that goal will depend on how his knee continues to respond to his rehab program. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said the Phillies do not plan on putting Utley on the 60-day disabled list, which gives some indication that the team thinks he could be back in action before the end of May.

Boy, this is bad news for the Phils and your fantasy team. Goal is to be back before the All-Star Break???? You'd better!!!!!!

[JoshRedcay]

Latos will start the season on the DL. It will be retroactive to March 21, so he could only have to miss 1 start, but the Padres will likely be careful with their ace. No schedule has been released.

---------- Post added at 09:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 PM ----------

Utley (knee) spoke to reporters Monday and said he has made some progress in his rehab, but he did not offer a timetable for his return, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Utley did say his goal is to be back before the All-Star break but whether or not he makes that goal will depend on how his knee continues to respond to his rehab program. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said the Phillies do not plan on putting Utley on the 60-day disabled list, which gives some indication that the team thinks he could be back in action before the end of May.

Boy, this is bad news for the Phils and your fantasy team. Goal is to be back before the All-Star Break???? You'd better!!!!!!

WOW, I didn't know expectations were that far off...not good at all for the Phillies.

[Mudge]

Lots of bad news...