A-Rod Has Torn Labrum, Cyst

I was buried in work then meetings all day and, when I got home and checked the computer–not good news.  According to Pete Abraham, A-Rod has a torn labrum in his hip, which has caused the cyst and the stiffness about which he complained to the team this Spring.  The cyst was drained.  He will require surgery at some point to repair the torn labrum, either during or after this season.  The recovery time for the surgery would be four months, but the Yankees will use rest, rehabilitation, and surgery later–as they did unsuccessfully with Posada’s torn shoulder labrum last season.  A-Rod is clearly out of the WBC, and GM Brian Cashman did not specify the degree to which the labrum is torn.

This is a bad and difficult situation for a number of reasons.  It means A-Rod will be playing with a significant injury and, beforehand, will probably miss some time.  This is the same injury that Mike Lowell of Boston had last year, and while he played for some time with it, by the end of the year he could hardly move and couldn’t play.  A-Rod will be dealing with some significant pain at some point, regardless of the length of the rehab.  I really, really doubt that he won’t continue to experience no pain from it.  As of now, Cashman said he “won’t be around for a while.”

It also presents potential problems at third with A-Rod’s mobility and, if he has difficulty, possibly eats up the DH spot if he can hit but not run or field well.  As things now stand, that would mean Cody Ransom playing third and, while he’s not a bum and is a terrific athlete, he’s not A-Rod, either.  It might mean the Yanks will need to diversify their offense more, to generate runs in myriad ways because who knows how long and how effectively A-Rod can play.  If the situation gets bad enough that they decide on surgery mid-season, the Yankees will have a huge hole in the lineup without his big bat, good glove, and will be held hostage in any potential trade for a replacement from outside the organization.

How much more important is the Teixeira signing now? the Sabathia and Burnett signings and Pettite’s re-signing now to hopefully hold teams down?

When I heard the news, I couldn’t help but think, at least briefly, whether or not this was a by-product of his steroid use, and hope that A-Rod’s 2009 doesn’t become Giambi’s lost 2004 season.  I know that’s getting ahead of things but, given their respective histories with steroids and the body breakdowns athletes experience, that’s what came to mind for me.

Meanwhile, the Yanks lost 6-0 to Team Canada, with Joba struggling badly.  He didn’t retire a batter in his start, allowing a hit and walking four.  All five runners scored.  Albaladejo followed up and was sub par, allowing three hits, two walks, and a run in two innings.  Igawa was excellent (Did I just write that?), giving up just a hit and fanning two in three innings.  Bruney, Christian Garcia, and JB Cox worked the final four very well, allowing just a hit and walk (both from Garcia) while fanning five.  The offense was non-existent, mustering just four hits–one apiece from Nady, Bernier, Leone, and Berroa.  I sure hope Joba’s struggles are just that, just poor pitching early on and not indicative of some injury that will side-swipe us as the A-Rod injury has.

I’m trying to stay positive, but the bad news about A-Rod doesn’t help.  Two days ago, the Department of Justice released memos showing in no uncertain detail what we already knew but still shuddered to consider–that the US weathered eight years of an unaccountable executive branch that teetered precariously close to fascism.  That was not new to me, but reading those was a painful reminder of social and institutional precariousness, something no doubt on people’s minds amidst the deep economic crisis facing our nation.  These make the A-Rod injury pale by comparison, but the news about his injury is just another lump on the bad news, bad situation pile this week.

Braves Down Yanks 3-2

The Yanks mustered little offense today, and Ian Kennedy had some command issues as the Yanks lost 3-2 to Atlanta.  Dan Giese was good in relief and also helped his cause with a single, followed by a JD triple.  Juan Mirandi had the other RBI, while Nady added a triple, Nunez a double and Berroa had a hit.  That was pretty much it.  Gardner cooled off, going 0-2 with a walk.  With Jeter, A-Rod (no word on the hip yet), and Cano at the WBC, Posada on the mend, no Matsui, and no Swisher, well, the pickings were pretty sparse.

Kennedy had trouble throwing his curve for strikes today, giving up two of the three Braves runs in the first inning, and surrendered three hits (all doubles) and a walk, fanning none.   Giese allowed the other run and also two hits with a walk, but fanned three.  Brackman and Melancon were good, pitching an inning apiece, with only Melancon allowing a base runner on a hit.  Joba goes tomorrow, followed by Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, and Pettite Friday through Monday.  Pete Abe reports that Mariano will throw in the bullpen tomorrow.

Check out this clip of Cody Ransom flying.  (Hat tip to Pete Abe via Tyler Kepner.) Wow.

Lastly, Manny Ramirez caved and signed the two-year, $45 million deal the Dodgers offered him last week.  Poor guy, having to choke down that much cash with his crow.  I feel for him.

Thoughts Pleasant and Unpleasant

Pete Abe has an excellent piece on Phil Hughes, his development as a pitcher, and changes in his curve and change-up grips that have thus far paid dividends.  It’s well worth the read, and hard to argue against Abraham’s closing argument that Hughes will play a significant role with the Yanks this year–that “[h]e’s too good not to.”  Hughes is clearly improving, and is rounding out his repertoire.  I personally like that the coaches have him doing different things.  For example, they have him pitching inside every time he gets ahead on the first pitch.  I love that, even though he’s hit three batters (breezed two) in two short stints.  It’s as much the mentality they want to instill as it is the approach, I believe.  Imagine Hughes with a tight “power curve,” change-up, and cutter to complement his fastball.

According to Marc Carig at The Star-Ledger, and Pete Abe, A-Rod apparently has a cyst on his right hip, and is seeing hip specialist Marc Phillipon in Vail, CO tomorrow.  His status for the WBC is uncertain.  I don’t think this is nothing, yet it also didn’t keep A-Rod from playing, and playing well, a couple times since an MRI on Saturday revealed the formation of a cyst.  Hopefully it isn’t serious.

Gotta jet, work to do tonight.

Team USA Beats Yanks 6-5

The Yanks lost to Team USA 6-5, but got good offensive efforts from numerous sources, and good pitching from most of the arms.  Brett Gardner continued to outpace Melky, going 3-3 with a double, stolen base, and a run.  Melky availed himself well once he entered the game, going 1-2 with a stolen base himself. Jorge Posada is showing that he’s bouncing back well from his brief shoulder setback, going 2-3 with an RBI.  Nick Swisher was 1-2 with a two-out, two-run double.  As I mentioned to Mike in one of our text exchanges this afternoon, Mark my words.  Swisher will be key this season.  I think he and I are on the same page about him.  Not to be overlooked, Cody Ransom went 2-3 with a run and an RBI.  Nady, Teixeira, Colin Curtis, and Eduardo Nunez each added a single, while Doug Bernier hit a sac fly.

Phil Hughes had a tough third but was otherwise good, allowing two runs before being lifted for Phil Coke.  Yet Hughes impressed in the first two innings, striking out David Wright (cutter) and Adam Dunn (curve) in succession in the second, getting Jeter to ground into a DP in the first.  But after grazing Granderson in this third as part of his pitching inside experiment, Jeter hit a two-run single.  Coke was terrific again, going 2 1/3 and allowing just a hit, striking out two. Adding him as a second lefty to the pen has thus far been an excellent move.  Poor Eric Hacker, the minor-league prospect, got worked over against the lineup of top-notch pros. He allowed four runs three earned on two walks, two hits and a Berroa error in the sixth without retiring a batter before being lifted for Michael Dunn.  Combined with David Robertson and Jose Veras, Dunn and the boys worked the final four innings without allowing a hit or a run, issuing just three walks while fanning seven.

On the whole, a pretty good effort by a fairly sub-laden team against Team USA.  The pitchers had 11 strikeouts and held Team USA to six hits, but the bullpen allowed five walks–three harmless.  Gardner continues to impress, Ransom availed himself well in the utility infielder competition, and Coke is it.

In the meantime, A-Rod again put his foot in his mouth, saying according to Pete Abraham, “I wish (Reyes) was leading off on our team, playing on our team.”  I concur with Abraham’s assessment:

Jose Reyes is a terrific player and it may have been an innocent comment. But given Alex’s history with Jeter, he should have found a different way to say something nice about Reyes. It just doesn’t make sense.

It could well have been that A-Rod is simply an admirer of Reyes.  Who isn’t?  The guy is great. Yet it’s hard for it not to appear as a back-handed comment toward Jeter, and Damon for that matter–intended or not.  For someone allegedly so measured in his comments to try to say the “right” things, A-Rod so often sounds bad, lies, and just sounds foolish.  Honestly, I don’t care much, and certainly am not too interested in any dustup with Jeter.  The comment’s value, to me, lies in further illustrating how stiff and clumsy A-Rod can be.  It’s as if he’ll never get it.  Whatever; just hit 45-125, .310/.400 and win a ring this year.

Before I forget, I got the tickets for the second Yankees-White Sox game we’ll attend in the mail today.  We’re all set.

Yanks Tie Astros 5-5; Wang’s Return Good; Melky Steamed at The Heartland

I’m battling a stomach bug today, so this will be brief.  Before writing up some details of the Yanks 5-5 tie today, a couple items of business.  I apologize to Nick from across the pond for not following through on his terrific idea for a Fantasy League at The Heartland, but I think I’ll have to pass.  I’ve just been too busy and, considering that others already seem to have some fantasy teams underway, it might be best for people to get their fastasy baseball fix elsewhere.  So sorry, Nick, but I thank you for asking.  I wish I had a bit more time and energy to do it.

Depending on circumstances, a good deal of posts during the 2009 season may not be as long, detailed, or for that matter as frequent as before.  Many matters are pressing and will require lots of time, effort, and late nights. I will, however, do my best to be as regular here at The Heartland as I can.

Today the Yanks tied the Astros 5-5.  Chien-Ming Wang went two scoreless innings in his first action since injuring his foot last June, allowing only two hits and walking none as his trademark bowling ball sinker was on.  He got some good defensive help from Nick Swisher, who ran down a shot off Geoff Blum’s bat in right that was marked for extra bases.  This is obviously a huge positive for Wang and the Yanks, who just weren’t the same without their laconic ace last year. As per Pete Abraham, Jose Molina and Wang characterized his sinker and work overall as follows:

Wang’s sinker was effective — “Just like last year before he got hurt,” Jose Molina said. — and he was able to cover first base without any issue.

“I was excited to be pitching,” said Wang, who no longer considers the injury anything to worry about. “My sinker was a little up. … That is normal (for this time of the year).”

Excellent signs all around for Wang.  However, as in other recent games, the bullpen struggled, this time late.  Tomko and Claggett weren’t bad, allowing a run, a hit, and a walk apiece in two innings of work each.  Wilkin De La Rosa pitched a scoreless seventh, but George Kontos imploded, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk to surrender a 5-2 lead.  Steven Jackson allowed three hits in 1 2/3 IP to finish up.

Yet the bats were good and, in what I consider a very good sign, again jumped on the opponent’s starter early.  Damon led off with a single and Melky’s triple gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead.  Swisher then walked–another good sign–Posada singled–another good sign–and Swisher chugged into third, but Ransom’s 4-6-3 DP made it 3-0 without an RBI on the play.  Berroa doubled and Melky drove him in to make it 4-0, and Berroa later homered to add some life to the utility infielder position, as well as make it 5-0.  Kudos to Melky, a regular reader of this blog, for responding with such vigor after I discussed the CF competition thus far being a one-horse race. He sent me several texts during the game–as he usually does when he isn’t busy waving to fans during the roll call.  Let’s just say neither the tone nor the language were polite enough for publishing.  Let’s see what other tough-love techniques I have up my sleeve the rest of Spring Training…

In the six ST games thus far, the Yankees have scored 21 of their 34 runs in the first four innings, including 16 over that stretch in the last four games.  Those are good signs.  The regulars and reserves alike are starting games hot, against opponents’ starters, and some major-league quality ones at that.

Also by way of The Mighty Abe, here is the upcoming slate of starters for the Yanks:

Tuesday: Hughes
Wednesday: Kennedy
Thursday: Chamberlain
Friday: Sabathia
Saturday: Wang
Sunday: Burnett
Next Monday: Pettitte

Keep it rolling tomorrow, Phil.  Let’s see how Little G follows up his good work and Melky’s rejoinder.  We just might have a CF race on our hands after all.

Reds Outscore Yanks 13-11

The Yankees blew many leads, including an 11-7  spread, as the pitching was atrocious, resulting in a 13-11 loss to the Reds.  The problems began when Alfredo Aceves blew a 2-0 lead the Yanks built in the first, as he allowed a run and a two-run homer with two outs.  Albaladejo surrendered four hits and took a shot off his calf before exiting, Marte allowed two solo homers in the fifth, Cox and Bruney each coughed up as run, Christian Garcia gave up four runs three earned, and Melancon gave up an unearned run in the eighth.  Poor day for the arms, especially the bullpen.

On a brighter note, the offense was in mid-season form.  Brett Gardner continues to stake a strong claim to the center fielder job, cranking a line-drive homer to center off Aaron Harang.  He also added a double on a misplayed fly ball, but was hung up between second and third trying to stretch his double.  He’s batting .500 thus far.  Jeter was 3-3 with 2 runs, batting .455.  A-Rod has also been strong, ripping two doubles and driving in 2 to bat .429 with 5 RBIs thus far.  Cano was 3-3 with 4 RBIs, homering off ex-Yankee David Weathers.  Teixeira was 2-3 with a run, batting. 500.  Kevin Cash was 2-3, John Rodriguez had a solo homer, and Montero, Nunez, and Leone added a hit apiece.

I only listened to some of the game during lunch, since I went to the gym, then had to take GLG to the library and then do grocery shopping.  I was impressed with Gardner homered, as was the Reds’ radio crew.  I can’t say enough about how Gardner is taking charge in the CF battle, rendering it thus far a non-debate.  Honestly, that’s what I want to see–a clear-cut front runner.  Thus far, Gardner is way out in front of Melky–two homers, three runs, batting .500, two stolen bases.  It’s all Brett right now.

I also had to laugh when I came back from the store and saw that the Yankees yet again abused Arthur Rhodes, this time for five hits and three runs in the fifth inning.  I honestly think that the Yankees could blindly flail at the ball and still score off Rhodes.  The Yanks destroyed him in the 2000 ALCS.  I’ll never forget it when the Yanks came back and beat Rhodes and Seattle in Game 6.  When Justice came up against Rhodes with two on, I knew it was going out.  I was listening to the game on the radio in my office, and laughed my head off when Justice banged it off the upper deck.  Rhodes ranks right near, if not at, the top of all-time Yanks whipping mules.  Pete Abe had a funny line, saying on his blog “If Arthur Rhodes pitched against the Yankees every day, they would score 1,200 runs.”  No doubt.

Pete Abe added that Jesus Montero has a moderately strained right groin from sliding to get a passed ball.  He’ll probably be treated cautiously.

Three-game slide.  Let the Girardi watch begin.