The 2023 Injury Thread
- Thread starter Rovin Romine
- Start date
View: https://twitter.com/chriscotillo/status/1677410172824694791?s=46&t=Tl7uNH0-pxEyJtNj1BktDA
It’s right elbow inflammation for Ort.
It’s right elbow inflammation for Ort.
Good catch and yes actually, looks like he was on the minor league IL with a left flexor strain since 6/22.
Obligatory "Adalberto Mondesi has not yet resuming baseball activities" tweet:
View: https://twitter.com/MacCerullo/status/1676694830443905026
View: https://twitter.com/MacCerullo/status/1676694830443905026
Even if he isn't, he's no better than 6th on the LHRP depth chart at the moment (Bernardino, Jacques, Murphy, Walter, Joely). Definition of expendable.
Maybe with the injury there's a chance he gets through waivers and they can hang on to him anyway?
At this point it would be shocking if he played before September. Hell, I’d be surprised if he played at all this year. Too bad he’s so injury-prone because he’s got 20 HR power, 50+ SB speed, and plays solid defense at SS when healthy.
His recovery is going so poorly, it makes me wonder if he's done. It happens. We get used to guys coming back from what has become "routine" surgery. But not always. It's another reminder of why fans should temper their "why didn't he get surgery sooner" instinct when a guy fails at a non-surgical approach and then has surgery "anyway."
Yes agreed. It was a low risk, high reward proposition. If he somehow got healthy and played 120 games, it would’ve been worth a lot. But they didn’t expend many resources to find out. Still kind of a bummer though, especially considering the issues the team had at shortstop all during the first half.
Meanwhile Josh Taylor was recently put on the 60-day DL after 17 innings of 8.15 ERA and 0.0 fWAR. So, lose-lose I guess?
DFA doesn't necesarily mean he'll be released -- if he clears waivers I think he just gets outrighted back to Worcester.
Moving Ort to the IL isn't what surprised me. What surprises me is how obvious it was.
Like if a Yu Chang comes off the IL, people are going to say that someone like an Arroyo was Orted and everyone will instantly know what that means.
Like if a Yu Chang comes off the IL, people are going to say that someone like an Arroyo was Orted and everyone will instantly know what that means.
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He may still be worth a minor league contract next year. We’d have a better sense of his medicals than most teams, and he’d only be 28.
Has he had actual, documented setbacks this season, or is this a case of doctors and scans giving the thumbs up and player, bewilderingly, pumping the brakes over and over again?
The time is near for the Red Sox to clear up a crowd of middle infielders - The Boston Globe
Ouch. It's rare to see it written so clearly like that.
Ort still has options.
The correct terminology should be:
"Klubered"
Just confirming what we already know.
McCaffrey in the Athletic has some updates on injured players:
https://theathletic.com/4687103/2023/07/14/red-sox-second-half-preview/
Story: if things go well, he could return in 3 to 4 weeks:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWHA-bNHp7A
https://theathletic.com/4687103/2023/07/14/red-sox-second-half-preview/
Story: if things go well, he could return in 3 to 4 weeks:
Sale: similarly, mid August, if things go well:
Houck: guess what, mid August if things go well:
Whitlock: who knows? Still waiting for the bone bruise to heal.
Schreiber and Bleier: could be back in a week or so:
The potential boost from Sale/Story/Houck coming back won't happen for a month, if at all. If the team can not lose ground in the wild card race for the next month, the anticipated boost could be big. But they still have a 3-man rotation and the injured guys might have setbacks. Everything seems to be up in the air at this time.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWHA-bNHp7A
They might be able to get to mid-August with two bullpen games in the rotation. Out of the ASB, they have the Cubs, A's, and the Mets. Then there's an 11 game stretch against contenders starting on July 25th that's concerning, but there are some off-days that fall when the bullpen games would fall in the rotation. Assuming that the strategy is to skip a bullpen game on the off-day, you've got two bullpen games against SF (on the 29th and 30th), none against Atlanta or Seattle, and only one more against Toronto (August 4th). The next 11 games are against expected sellers in Detroit, KC, and Washington.
The caveat is that until August 18th, the starting three (Bello, Paxton, Crawford) would need to stay healthy and go deep into their respective games. If not, the whole thing could fall apart. As long as the hitting stays awake, and they avoid some of the maddening losing streaks that also envelope the starting three, they could make it to August 18th very much in the thick of things.
Howver, on August 18th, the gauntlet starts (NYY, HOU, LAD, HOU) and they'll obviously be MUCH better off with five starters.
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Yeah, I don't think so. It doesn't really matter the quality of opposition; a month of two bullpen games is going to wear out arms.
Although one of those two games is likely scheduled as "Pivetta goes 4 or 5 innings in relief." As with the rest of the team, everything really has to go as planned for this to work.
Well... here's the thing, if the hitting does its thing, a lot of who they play becomes a bullpen game for the oppostion.
But, I agree with your larger point which is to say that the starting three needs to go deep in their games for this to work. It's risky. But for a team in kind of tweener mode in a seller's market, a starting pitcher might be too expensive.
We should calendar it out. And figure out the rough number of long relief starts required. IMO they have to continue to gain games over .500 before the tough stretch, not merely tread water. Mixing a few rusty starters in will more than likely result in some losses. Thinking about it, if they’re not fully stretched out, why not an opener for Houck?
Kind of did...
But to sell the point, bullpen games (barring rain outs) and contenders in bold...
July 17/18 - A's
July 23 - Mets
July 29/30 - Giants
Aug 4 - Toronto
Aug 8/9 - Royals
Aug 13 - Tigers
If they don't get a starter or two back by 8/18 when the Yankee series starts, it could get ugly from there.
Seems highly unlikely that they'll add a new pitcher to the 40 when they still need to find room for Sale, Story, and Schreiber on their return.
I think we're going to need a starter from outside the organization ASAP. We're one slight injury away with our 3 guys left standing from a catastrophic situation.
I took a quick look at bottom-feeding teams to see who might be available.
White Sox: Giolito and Lance Lynn are both on the last year of their contracts. They'd both cost too much IMHO.
Royals: Do we want Jordan Lyles? He's an inning eater. Signed cheaply through '24. Greinke is hurt and has been awful.
Oakland: JP Sears? Looked ok against us.
Nationals: God, Trevor Williams is terrible, and he's signed through '24.
Cardinals: I'd be happy with Jordan Montgomery or Austin Gomber.
What would one of these guys cost? I have no idea, but if we want to stay functional till mid-August, I think we have to see.
I took a quick look at bottom-feeding teams to see who might be available.
White Sox: Giolito and Lance Lynn are both on the last year of their contracts. They'd both cost too much IMHO.
Royals: Do we want Jordan Lyles? He's an inning eater. Signed cheaply through '24. Greinke is hurt and has been awful.
Oakland: JP Sears? Looked ok against us.
Nationals: God, Trevor Williams is terrible, and he's signed through '24.
Cardinals: I'd be happy with Jordan Montgomery or Austin Gomber.
What would one of these guys cost? I have no idea, but if we want to stay functional till mid-August, I think we have to see.
Or they need to have guys like Murphy or Walter go 5+ innings with more regularity -- which I'm still not sure why the Sox are so hesitant to do. (Walter went 6+ his first appearance, but hasn't come anywhere near that since)
They currently have the following extraneous pitchers on their 40 man roster.
Jacques
Scott
Kluber
Ort
Alfaro can be dumped once McGuire is back.
Someone from the Reyes/Kiké/Duvall/Arroyo/Chang group needs to go like today, & one more can go when Story comes back. Or even D Hamilton.
Not having enough room on the 40 is not a reason to not help the current roster - even if it may be a reason to not put guys who are part of the long term plan on the 40.
I guess they have a few more days to sort out the extra MI problem.
View: https://twitter.com/tylermilliken_/status/1679901269983641600
View: https://twitter.com/tylermilliken_/status/1679901269983641600
July 14 @ Cubs Bello
July 15 @ Cubs Paxton
July 16 @ Cubs Crawford
July 17 @ A’s Bullpen/Pivetta
July 18 @ A’s Bullpen
July 19 @ A’s Bello
July 21 vs NYM Paxton
July 22 vs NYM Crawford
July 23 vs NYM Bullpen/Pivetta
July 25 vs ATL Bello
July 26 vs ATL Paxton
July 28 @ SF Crawford
July 29 @ SF Bullpen/Pivetta
July 30 @ SF Bello
Aug 1 @ SEA Paxton
Aug 2 @ SEA Crawford
Aug 4 vs TOR Bullpen/Pivetta
Aug 5 vs TOR Bello
Aug 6 vs TOR Paxton
Aug 7 vs KC Crawford
Aug 8 vs KC Bullpen
Aug 9 vs KC Bullpen/Pivetta
Aug 10 vs KC Bello
Aug 11 vs DET Paxton
Aug 12 vs DET Crawford
Aug 13 vs DET Bullpen/Pivetta
Bello, Paxton, Crawford, Pivetta/Bullpen each get 6 starts, straight bullpen only gets 2
Then we are at mid August and hopefully we get 2-3 starting arms back before the road trip vs NAT, MFY, HOU
July 15 @ Cubs Paxton
July 16 @ Cubs Crawford
July 17 @ A’s Bullpen/Pivetta
July 18 @ A’s Bullpen
July 19 @ A’s Bello
July 21 vs NYM Paxton
July 22 vs NYM Crawford
July 23 vs NYM Bullpen/Pivetta
July 25 vs ATL Bello
July 26 vs ATL Paxton
July 28 @ SF Crawford
July 29 @ SF Bullpen/Pivetta
July 30 @ SF Bello
Aug 1 @ SEA Paxton
Aug 2 @ SEA Crawford
Aug 4 vs TOR Bullpen/Pivetta
Aug 5 vs TOR Bello
Aug 6 vs TOR Paxton
Aug 7 vs KC Crawford
Aug 8 vs KC Bullpen
Aug 9 vs KC Bullpen/Pivetta
Aug 10 vs KC Bello
Aug 11 vs DET Paxton
Aug 12 vs DET Crawford
Aug 13 vs DET Bullpen/Pivetta
Bello, Paxton, Crawford, Pivetta/Bullpen each get 6 starts, straight bullpen only gets 2
Then we are at mid August and hopefully we get 2-3 starting arms back before the road trip vs NAT, MFY, HOU
Right, which is why I am guessing they don't bring anyone in. Thanks for compiling this, although if you read it too quickly you get Paxton Crawford's name stuck in your head.
Thanks for doing this. And while it looks feasible on paper, it depends on -- among other things -- 18 starts from Bello, Paxton, Crawford where none of then gets knocked out early, necessitating extra wear on the bullpen arms, and countless other factors over a 26-game stretch that would throw this out of whack.
While Whitlock returning, successfully, sooner rather than later could make this moot ... pencilling it out is not the same of having it work.
Yeah, that's a lot of "if everything goes well" and a lot of mileage on a young Bello and a first year back from injury Paxton.
I think they need to add an arm, even if it is a low key move.
I think they need to add an arm, even if it is a low key move.