So Miguel Sano went full Jose Canseco during his rehab assignment today: https://t.co/e7xUyvAbgt pic.twitter.com/bUhk0mQ0YT— Cut4 (@Cut4) June 30, 2016
Not so. Nice recovery by the first baseman, however.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Uh oh, Sano
Some critics of the decision to play Miguel Sano in the outfield imply that there's no problem with him at third base.
Not so. Nice recovery by the first baseman, however.
Not so. Nice recovery by the first baseman, however.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Notes, quotes and comment
Scratch the notion of a September return for Phil Hughes. The veteran right-hander will have thoracic outlet syndrome surgery next week.
From the Pioneer Press' Mike Berardino:
The hope -- expectation? -- is that this will solve Hughes' shoulder fatigue issues. He was already out with a leg fracture, but now he won't be back until spring training 2017.
---
Also from Berardino: Max Kepler got a fairly high-level rebuke last weekend from Reggie Jackson, who watched the rookie take aim at the right field seats during batting practice in Yankee Stadium and told him: "I'm 70 years old and I can do that. Let me see you go the other way."
I'll bet Kepler hears that from Tom Brunansky and Rudy Hernandez a lot. Hearing it from a 500-homer Hall of Famer apparently had some influence on the German.
---
Only one Twins prospect named to the Futures Game rosters Tuesday, J.T. Chargois. I'm mildly surprised at one; there are a handful of others I would have thought worthy, such as Tyler Jay or Stephen Gonsalves.
Nobody gets more than two on the initial rosters, and there are a few teams that only get one. It's possible that the Twins declined to send one of the lower level prospects across the country to San Diego.
From the Pioneer Press' Mike Berardino:
Former Twins pitchers Deolis Guerra and Hector Carrasco also underwent the procedure, which involves the partial removal of a rib to relieve nerve and circulation issues in the throwing shoulder area.
The hope -- expectation? -- is that this will solve Hughes' shoulder fatigue issues. He was already out with a leg fracture, but now he won't be back until spring training 2017.
---
Also from Berardino: Max Kepler got a fairly high-level rebuke last weekend from Reggie Jackson, who watched the rookie take aim at the right field seats during batting practice in Yankee Stadium and told him: "I'm 70 years old and I can do that. Let me see you go the other way."
I'll bet Kepler hears that from Tom Brunansky and Rudy Hernandez a lot. Hearing it from a 500-homer Hall of Famer apparently had some influence on the German.
---
Only one Twins prospect named to the Futures Game rosters Tuesday, J.T. Chargois. I'm mildly surprised at one; there are a handful of others I would have thought worthy, such as Tyler Jay or Stephen Gonsalves.
Nobody gets more than two on the initial rosters, and there are a few teams that only get one. It's possible that the Twins declined to send one of the lower level prospects across the country to San Diego.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Rehabbing Sano
He's a third baseman. He's a right fielder. He's a designated hitter.
He's still on his major league rehab assignment.
Miguel Sano's last major league action came May 31. He started his rehab assignment in Rochester on Friday, and with Trevor Plouffe sidelined at that point by a groin strain, the rehab plan was refocused on getting Sano ready to play third base, perhaps as soon as tonight in Chicago.
But on Sunday Plouffe was back in the lineup (and hitting a home run). And Sano was wrapping up a one-hit weekend in which the reports were that he was obviously rusty. The rehab stint, it was announced, will be at least six days, not the three that was raised as a possibility, and right field is back in the picture.
On Monday Sano homered for the Red Wings. He also struck out twice and was charged with an error in right field.
He'll be back with the Twins soon enough. What he'll be doing with the Twins is unknown. It's become pretty obvious that the Twins are making it up on the fly, reacting to other variables. And with Terry Ryan promising trades in the coming weeks, keeping their options open is probably wise.
He's still on his major league rehab assignment.
Miguel Sano's last major league action came May 31. He started his rehab assignment in Rochester on Friday, and with Trevor Plouffe sidelined at that point by a groin strain, the rehab plan was refocused on getting Sano ready to play third base, perhaps as soon as tonight in Chicago.
But on Sunday Plouffe was back in the lineup (and hitting a home run). And Sano was wrapping up a one-hit weekend in which the reports were that he was obviously rusty. The rehab stint, it was announced, will be at least six days, not the three that was raised as a possibility, and right field is back in the picture.
On Monday Sano homered for the Red Wings. He also struck out twice and was charged with an error in right field.
He'll be back with the Twins soon enough. What he'll be doing with the Twins is unknown. It's become pretty obvious that the Twins are making it up on the fly, reacting to other variables. And with Terry Ryan promising trades in the coming weeks, keeping their options open is probably wise.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Notes from the weekend
I said last week that the Monday print column would be about the trade of Oswaldo Arcia, and so it is. A tangent or two I didn't follow in that piece:
I expected that Tampa Bay would try to protect its pitchers by restricting Arcia to designated hitter. But his first two games with the Rays came in right field.
Arcia drove in four runs in those two games. The Rays lost them both anyway; they have lost 11 in a row, a depth even the Twins haven't plumbed this year.
---
One of my first thoughts at the news that Arcia had been traded to Tampa Bay for a player to be named was: "Maybe they can get Hu back."
Chih-Wei Hu is the Taiwanese right-hander the Twins sacrificed last year to get Kevin Jepsen from the Rays. I hadn't checked in on him this year, so that thought prompted a stat check.
Conclusion: Not very likely. Hu, now 22, plays for Montgomery in the Double A Southern League (same league the Twins have their Double A affiliate in), and he put up a 2.34 ERA in his first 13 starts. He also has one Triple A appearance, which didn't go as well as his one Triple A appearance last year did.
Arcia will have to be mighty productive in Tampa Bay to merit an upper-level prospect as productive as Hu has been.
---
Tyler Duffey had been pretty brutal in recent starts, but he sure had a good one Sunday: two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in eight innings.
Whatever inclination the Twins might have had to move Duffey out of the rotation has probably been shut down now.
I expected that Tampa Bay would try to protect its pitchers by restricting Arcia to designated hitter. But his first two games with the Rays came in right field.
Arcia drove in four runs in those two games. The Rays lost them both anyway; they have lost 11 in a row, a depth even the Twins haven't plumbed this year.
---
One of my first thoughts at the news that Arcia had been traded to Tampa Bay for a player to be named was: "Maybe they can get Hu back."
Chih-Wei Hu is the Taiwanese right-hander the Twins sacrificed last year to get Kevin Jepsen from the Rays. I hadn't checked in on him this year, so that thought prompted a stat check.
Conclusion: Not very likely. Hu, now 22, plays for Montgomery in the Double A Southern League (same league the Twins have their Double A affiliate in), and he put up a 2.34 ERA in his first 13 starts. He also has one Triple A appearance, which didn't go as well as his one Triple A appearance last year did.
Arcia will have to be mighty productive in Tampa Bay to merit an upper-level prospect as productive as Hu has been.
---
Tyler Duffey had been pretty brutal in recent starts, but he sure had a good one Sunday: two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in eight innings.
Whatever inclination the Twins might have had to move Duffey out of the rotation has probably been shut down now.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Pic of the Week
 |
| Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts and TV reporter Guerin Austin get doused in a postgame celebration Thursday, |
This kind of thing is increasingly a job hazard for the on-field TV interviewers. Looks like she got it pretty solidly this time.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Notes, quotes and comment
Oswaldo Arcia's time in designated-for-assignment limbo ended Friday when the Twins traded him to Tampa Bay for cash or a player to be determined.
I expect to make this the topic of the Monday print column, so suffice it to say that I think the Rays are a good team for him. They're smart enough that they aren't likely to insist that he play outfield.
---
Trevor Plouffe's most recent injury (groin) is probably behind the latest change in plans with Miguel Sano's rehab assignment. The description supplied earlier in the week was: third base on Friday, DH on Saturday, right field on Sunday, see where he's at. By Friday it had become: Five innings at third on Friday, seven innings at third on Saturday, DH on Sunday.
At which point they may well stick Plouffe back on the disabled list and bring Sano back.
---
Alex Kirilloff, the high school outfielder the Twins selected with the 15th overall pick earlier in the month. signed for slot ($2.8 million) this week and is expected to make his debut today with Elizabethton in the Appy League.
The Twins have signed 28 of their 42 picks. That may be a higher-than-usual percentage, but they went heavy on collegians in the second and third day, and the bulk of draftees who don't sign are later-round high schoolers who can reasonably hope that a few years in college will boost their status.
I expect to make this the topic of the Monday print column, so suffice it to say that I think the Rays are a good team for him. They're smart enough that they aren't likely to insist that he play outfield.
---
Trevor Plouffe's most recent injury (groin) is probably behind the latest change in plans with Miguel Sano's rehab assignment. The description supplied earlier in the week was: third base on Friday, DH on Saturday, right field on Sunday, see where he's at. By Friday it had become: Five innings at third on Friday, seven innings at third on Saturday, DH on Sunday.
At which point they may well stick Plouffe back on the disabled list and bring Sano back.
---
Alex Kirilloff, the high school outfielder the Twins selected with the 15th overall pick earlier in the month. signed for slot ($2.8 million) this week and is expected to make his debut today with Elizabethton in the Appy League.
The Twins have signed 28 of their 42 picks. That may be a higher-than-usual percentage, but they went heavy on collegians in the second and third day, and the bulk of draftees who don't sign are later-round high schoolers who can reasonably hope that a few years in college will boost their status.
Friday, June 24, 2016
On Perkins' surgery
I almost missed this one in Thursday's barrage of tweets about the NBA draft and Brexit:
I can't recall hearing before of a specific pitcher whose labrum had to be reattached, but it probably has happened before.
Neal says this likely stretches out the timeline for Perkins' return. My expectations were already so low that I'm not sure this dampens them. Shoulder surgeries of whatever ilk -- labrum, rotator cuff -- have a pretty poor track record. I can think of a few relievers who have had them and eventually recovered their form (Jesse Crain and Grant Balfour being two, although Balfour also had Tommy John at the same time), but they are the minority.
That the damage found once the joint was opened is worse is doubtless a blow to Perkins' hopes. It also, I dare say, illustrates the basic foolishness of hiding injuries.
JUST IN from @LaVelleNeal: Surgery reveals Glen Perkins needed labrum reattached to bone https://t.co/HZgXrCu04Y pic.twitter.com/YxEkigaDCD— Star Tribune Sports (@StribSports) June 24, 2016
I can't recall hearing before of a specific pitcher whose labrum had to be reattached, but it probably has happened before.
Neal says this likely stretches out the timeline for Perkins' return. My expectations were already so low that I'm not sure this dampens them. Shoulder surgeries of whatever ilk -- labrum, rotator cuff -- have a pretty poor track record. I can think of a few relievers who have had them and eventually recovered their form (Jesse Crain and Grant Balfour being two, although Balfour also had Tommy John at the same time), but they are the minority.
That the damage found once the joint was opened is worse is doubtless a blow to Perkins' hopes. It also, I dare say, illustrates the basic foolishness of hiding injuries.
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