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February 22, 2006

Team Health Reports

Milwaukee Brewers

by Dave Haller

C Damian Miller: Miller’s consistency over the past few years has been undermined by little nicks and knocks. You can’t expect a 36-year-old catcher to be much healthier. Last year’s comments could almost be copy-pasted, but he shifts to red now based on age.

1B Prince Fielder: As Nate Silver recently noted, Fielder’s body type places him into uncharted territory when it comes to prospecting. The obvious comparison in terms of health is his father. Weight will always be something Prince must battle, but he’s stayed very healthy in the minors.

2B Rickie Weeks: Weeks had surgery at year’s end to mend his torn thumb ligament, a problem he’d been battling for much of the season. The Brewers wisely kept this under wraps, as it was probably affecting his hitting. Ned Yost was recently encouraged after watching Weeks hit in Arizona, and there’s no reason the thumb shouldn’t be fully healed now.

3B Corey Koskie: Almost orange. Koskie is a virtual lock to miss time in any given season. Last year, it was thumb surgery and a sore groin. On a brighter note, Miller Park will be the first big-league natural surface he’s called home, and the Brewers medical staff is first-rate.

SS J.J. Hardy: A fully healthy 2005 marked a milestone for Hardy, who had missed more than a year with a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. It was the same injury suffered by Richie Sexson. Hardy’s first-half struggles, specifically a lack of power, might have been related to the weakened labrum, but he could also have simply been rusty. He recovered nicely with a second-half surge (.560 OPS before the break, .865 after) that was mostly power-driven.

LF Carlos Lee: A guy plays 162 games and registers a yellow? Players like Lee (big, slow sluggers) historically have been prone to back problems. He turns 30 in June, and his healthiest days are almost certainly behind him. For now, he should be safe, but be careful if anything pops up.