Under The Knife: Bottle Rockets

Many of this weekend’s fireworks were caused by
injuries. There were hammys popping, elbows
exploding–plus soreness and even parasites. So, let’s
get right into it…

• I’ve been trying and I can’t find anyone that has a
  career path like Phil Nevin‘s. He’s
  gone from first-round pick to first-round bust to
  journeyman to star to injury-prone in the space of a
  decade. He’s been traded three times for a collection
  of warm bodies. Even PECOTA’s comps list can’t find
  anything quite like Nevin.

  He’s down, once again, and headed for surgery. This
  time, it’s a torn meniscus, the second such surgery
  he’s had. Nevin should be out until mid-August, but
  it’s a straightforward procedure. The injury shouldn’t
  affect his hitting, and Nevin wasn’t exactly tearing
  up the basepaths anyway, so this shouldn’t change his
  game upon return. This does give me a chance to point
  at the attrition and drop rates that PECOTA has for
  Nevin. If you’re in a keeper league or are Kevin
  Towers, take note.

• Eric Chavez is not only a fast
  healer, he appears to be rust-resistant. In his start
  at Triple-A, Chavez came back with two singles and a
  walk. He started at DH, but his fielding isn’t
  expected to be a problem. The rehab assignment is not
  expected to be a long one, so Chavez could be back
  later this week.

• The Orioles are an organization in flux in many ways.
  I’ll wager that they didn’t expect Melvin
  Mora to be their best player given all their
  big-ticket free-agent signings, and that they
  certainly didn’t expect to be looking up at the Devil
  Rays. Mora is headed to the DL with foot and
  hamstring problems. He’d been battling the problems
  for all of June and the team finally decided to just
  give him time off until after the All-Star break. He
  should return good as new, but David
  Newhan‘s doing his best to Wally
  Pipp him in the meantime.

• It wasn’t a setback that sent Sean
  Casey to the DL, but rather a lack of
  progress. The Reds went as long as they could before
  shutting him down, in essence cutting down the time
  he’ll spend off the roster, hoping he can return as
  soon as the 15-day minimum expires.

• The Marlins’ pitching problems are growing. Already
  fretting over Brad Penny‘s lost
  velocity in recent weeks, the team got another dose of
  bad news from Josh Beckett. In his
  first start off the DL, Beckett lasted only four
  innings, leaving due to yet another blister problem.
  He was immediately placed back on the DL, with Beckett
  complaining of the worst blister injury he’s ever had,
  among the many he’s had to endure.

• I seldom talk about the Brewers here; this season,
  it’s not because they’re a boring, losing team. The
  Crew currently rank among the healthiest teams around,
  proof of…something. Maybe luck, maybe design, though
  it’s too soon to assign credit. The team did suffer a
  minor setback, as Junior Spivey heads
  to the DL after injuring his shoulder on the bases. He
  should miss just a few days more than the minimum.

• The Cubs’ pitching staff was just starting to look
  healthy when Carlos Zambrano clutched
  at his forearm during his last start. A couple veteran
  observers at Wrigley called to ask if I was watching,
  mentioning that Zambrano’s mechanics seemed off and
  that his velocity was up. The velocity I’m unsure of.
  While it was higher, it tailed off quickly and could
  be a radar gun error. For the mechanics, he did seem
  off, if only slightly. If the problem is only
  cramps–and there’s no reason to think it’s anything
  else at this stage–Zambrano should show little ill
  effect. I’ll be watching his mechanics in his next
  start.

• Meanwhile the Cubs are looking ahead to Kerry
  Wood‘s rehab start tonight. How he does will
  affect the big club’s rotation after the break. If
  Wood comes through as expected, he’ll be back in the
  rotation, while Mark Prior will be
  skipped, starting again after the break. Either way,
  Glendon Rusch will be pushed back
  to the bullpen once Wood returns. The Cubs will also
  keep an eye on Iowa while Alex
  Gonzalez rehabs his broken hand. Gonzalez is
  expected back after the All-Star break, but there are
  some in the Cubs clubhouse who think he’ll be on the
  field for the important Cards series later this week.

• The Dodgers are a bit banged up. Juan
  Encarnacion has been dealing with a sore
  shoulder. Yes, it happened much the same way
  as it did with Richie Sexson, but
  with far less damage. Encarnacion will just need rest,
  likely keeping him off the field through the break.
  The DL is a possibility. Top prospect Edwin
  Jackson scared the Dodgers when he left
  Saturday’s game with elbow…well, he insists it isn’t
  pain. Described as a “looseness at the end of my
  release,” he’s describing something akin to what Tommy
  John survivors feel coming back. Not a good sign at
  all. In the minors, the Dodgers will have to wait a
  bit more on reliever Paul Shuey. He
  aggravated his surgically repaired hip fielding a
  bunt.

• The Rangers continue to have injury problems. With
  Chan Ho Park almost ready for a rehab
  assignment and Gerald Laird ahead of
  schedule, the Rangers now have to deal with a back
  strain to DH Brad Fullmer. Fullmer
  had a cortisone injection on Saturday, so he could be
  back in the lineup as early as Tuesday. That the
  Rangers have been so damaged yet remain in the race
  gets Buck Showalter the mid-season nod for Manager of
  the Year.

• Quick Cuts: Carlos Delgado has
  had shown good power in his rehab appearances. The
  Blue Jays hope he keeps that up when he returns to the
  majors…The Braves are running out of middle-infield
  options, at least until Marcus Giles
  gets back in a week. Nick Green left
  Monday’s game with a back injury…Juan
  Gonzalez is saying he’ll be ready in two
  weeks. The Royals would do well to showcase him and
  trade him, letting the kids play…The new iMac rules,
  but this big 17″ screen is going to take some getting
  used to…Todd Hollandsworth is on
  the DL as much for roster purposes as for his injury.
  He’ll be back in two weeks…If Jose
  Contreras isn’t the answer, the other Cuban
  pitcher on the Yanks roster, Orlando
  Hernandez, might get a chance. The Yanks are
  also very encouraged by Steve
  Karsay‘s progress…Doug
  Mientkiewicz is dealing with his chronic
  wrist problem and now a severely bruised foot. Do I
  have to suggest calling up Justin
  Morneau again?…Shannon
  Stewart could be back early next week, if not
  for that pesky All-Star break.

Finally, the Yankees are still working on how two
players and a player’s wife all got giardia, a common
intestinal parasite. While easily cured, it is
apparently not easily traced. No one else on the team
(or wives and children) are showing symptoms.

Back tomorrow…