Rumors for June, 2011
Pitchers notes: Nathan, Beachy and Morton
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Here are a few notes regarding some Major League pitchers:
– Yesterday, Twins right handed pitcher Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Rochester reports Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Nathan, who has been on the Disabled List retroactive to May 24 with a right flexor muscle strain, could rejoin the Twins on Friday if his Wednesday appearance goes well.
– Braves starter Brandon Beachy is 2-1 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in nine starts this season. At the beginning of the season Matthew Pouliot of NBCSports.com viewed him as maybe a fifth starter and more likely a middle reliever, but now he looks much more like a number three starter. Although his fastball isn’t outstanding, he has four legitimate pitches and very good command adds Poulio.
– Pirates manager, Clint Hurdle, announced Tuesday that Charlie Morton’s next start will be skipped according to Jenifer Langsch of MLB.com. He will have 10 days of rest before his next start. In his last three starts, Morton has allowed 17 runs (15 earned) in just 11 innings, forcing Hurdle to skip his next start.
“I’ve had some experience with a young staff developing at the Major League level,” Hurdle said. “Charlie has pitched a very large volume of innings for his history. I believe it’s more just road wear than anything else. You find ways to try and find preventative maintenance of injury. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
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Injury updates: Garland, Hawpe, Pence, Lyon and Davis
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Here’s a running list of injury updates around the Major Leagues:
– Dodgers righty Jon Garland threw yesterday for the first time since he was placed on the Disabled List, but he’s still unsure when he will return and admitted he’s worried if his season and possibly career could be over reports A.J. Cassavell and Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
“That’s the natural tendency,” Garland said. “It’s my livelihood. I’ve depended on my arm for quite a long time and the first thought is, ‘Is this it?’ I just have to stay positive and hope I get back.”
“The inflammation kept building,” he said. “It’s been there, probably my whole career. The wear and tear over the years, it get to the point where the body tries to compensate, and with everything else, it’s taken its toll. I had never had a severe injury. But with every throw, every pitch I was feeling something. The last few outings, it wasn’t fun for me.”
– The San Diego Padres have placed Brad Hawpe on the Disabled List with a stained left middle finger according to Aaron Gleeman of NBCSports.com.
– Hunter Pence, who has been out since last Friday with a sprained left elbow, will probably be out until next Friday according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
– The Houston Astros have confirmed that Brandon Lyon is going to need season-ending surgery reports Drew Silva of NBCSports.com. Alyson Footer, the Astros’ director of social media, said the procedure will be performed next Thursday by Dr. James Andrews.
– Ike Davis might need season-ending surgery in three weeks if his ankle doesn’t improve by then reports Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
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Atlanta Braves claim Dustin Richardson
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In a tweet by Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, she reports that the Atlanta Braves have claimed left-handed pitcher Dustin Richardson. He will report to the Braves’ Triple-A club in Gwinnett.
Richardson was designated for assignment by the Florida Marlins on June 17 in order for the team to make room on the 40-man roster for outfielder Dewayne Wise.
The 27-year-old pitcher has not pitched in the Majors since 2010. In two Major League seasons, Richardson is 0-0 with a 3.31 ERA in 29 relief appearances.
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Beaten Giants fan upgraded to serious condition
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Doctors in San Francisco announced that San Francisco Giants fan Brian Stow has been upgraded from critical to serious condition, according to Shelby Grad of the Los Angeles Times. Stow was beaten by two men on March 31 after the team’s Opening Day game of the 2011 season.
The 42-year-old Stow is opening his eyes and showing movement in one arm.
Giovanni Ramirez was arrested three weeks ago in suspicion of being one of the attackers, but he has yet to be charged in connection to the crime.
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Cardinals give Miguel Batista his unconditional release
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According to the St. Louis Cardinal’s official Twitter page, the team has given Miguel Batista his unconditional release.
The 40-year-old was 3-2 with a 4.60 ERA in 26 appearances (1 start) this season with the Cardinals.
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Mark Cuban says Dodgers are ’such a mess’ – unlikely purchase
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Fresh off winning his first World Championship with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban is open minded about taking on another sport, but the Los Angeles Dodgers may not be the right investment. According to TMZ, Cuban is afraid the team is “such a mess” that it wouldn’t be worth the investment.
Cuban said that he would take a closer look at the Dodgers and “If they’re flexable and the deal is right, then I”m very interested.”
It took Cuban 11 years and two trips to the NBA Finals in order to secure his first championship ring. Could he better himself by purchasing the Dodgers and win them a championship for the first time since 1988.
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Phillies, Mariners and Reds inquire about Ryan Ludwick
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Sources close to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports say that the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds have inquired about outfielder Ryan Ludwick’s availability from the San Diego Padres.
The 32-year-old Ludwick is currently hitting .255/.322/.393 in 71 games with the Padres this season. He spent 2007-2010 with the Cardinals and given that the team is without Albert Pujols, Ludwick could help ignite their offense.
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Giants sign catcher Max Ramirez
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The San Francisco Giants have signed catcher Max Ramirez according to CSNBayArea.com. This will mark Ramorez’s fifth stop this calendar year. Ramirez was released by the Astros earlier this month. They signed him back in May.
He was released by the Cubs early in May. Chicago claimed Ramirez off of waivers from the Boston Red Sox in early January 2011. He was previously designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers on January 3.
The 26-year-old has a lifetime .217/.343/.357 in 115 career at bats for the Rangers over the 2008 and 2010 seasons.
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Padres request unconditional release waivers on Cantu
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In a press release issued by the San Diego Padres, the team announced that they have requested unconditional release waivers on infielder Jorge Cantu.
The 29-year-old Cantu was designated for assignment by the Padres on June 15.
The Padres signed Cantu to a one-year, $850,000 contract on January 24, 2011. He was a free agent last winter after spending the 2010 season with the Florida Marlins and the Texas Rangers.
In 57 games with the Padres this season, Cantu was hitting .194/.232/.285 with three home runs and 16 RBI’s.
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Reyes not interested in discussing a contract extension during the season
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At the beginning of the season, it was rumored that the Mets were going to deal short stop Jose Reyesbefore the deadline. The Mets are at best borderline contenders. Late in May we learned that they were probably going to finish the season with Reyes on the roster and would attempt to re-sign him.
Back in February, we learnedthat Reyes’ agent, Peter Greenberg, wanted to discuss a contract extension during the middle of the season. Today things have chagned as Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reported that the Mets approached Greenberg about an extension, but were told Reyes was not interested in negotiating during the season.
Reyes is having a heck of a season, and if he continues to play this well he could get a monster contract at the end of the season. The Mets now have two options regarding him. They could deal him before the deadline and ask for top-prospects in return, or they could try to re-sign him this winter.
The short stop is hitting .341/.385/.517 with 3 HR’s, 29 RBI’s and 12 triples in 302 AB’s for the Mets this season.
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