The Royals expect injured right fielder Jarrod Dyson to be ready to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha by the end of their current homestand, writes MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. Kansas City hosts Minnesota for three games this weekend before going on the road, so that would indicate that Dyson could begin a rehab assignment by Sunday. There’s no word yet on how lengthy his rehab assignment will need to be, but Dyson was said in early March to be on the shelf for six weeks due to an oblique injury. Accordingly, he logged just one Spring Training plate appearance, so he could require a fair amount of time to get up to speed. Dyson has taken batting practice on consecutive days without feeling pain and isn’t limited when it comes to swinging a bat or running, Flanagan adds. However, Dyson himself tells Flanagan that he’s uncertain as to the length of his rehab assignment due to the lengthy down time.
Here’s more from the AL Central…
- Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press revisits the December 2007 blockbuster that saw the Tigers acquire Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins in exchange for a six-prospect package headlined by then-elite prospects Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. Fenech spoke to former GM Dave Dombrowski (now the president of baseball ops in Boston), who explained that he received a rare call from owner Mike Ilitch to his home phone around Thanksgiving. Ilitch had gotten word that Cabrera could be available, and while much of the focus was on the Angels and Dodgers, Ilitch told Dombrowski to enter the mix and see what he could do, despite the Tigers’ payroll already being stretched thin. Fenech spoke to Dombrowski about discussions with Ilitch in which he outlined a Cabrera contract extension, and he also chatted with former and present members of that front office about the talks between the Marlins and Tigers at the ’07 Winter Meetings.
- Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer hasn’t yet adjusted to his new role as a member of the Cleveland bullpen, writes Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com. Bauer says he’s not yet certain how long it’ll take him to get warmed up or if he’ll need to trim his pitch arsenal. The former No. 3 pick and career-long starter admits to Meisel that he was surprised by the decision to place him in the bullpen. “I think I had the best spring that I’ve had in pro ball,” said Bauer, who indeed logged a 2.14 ERA with a 20-to-5 K/BB ratio in 21 innings this spring. Manager Terry Francona tells Meisel that the club didn’t feel it could take Josh Tomlin (who signed a two-year deal this winter) or Cody Anderson out of the rotation, specifically noting that Anderson had a strong debut in 2015 and increased his velocity this winter.
- Also of note on the health front, Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall is slated to begin a rehab assignment today, writes Meisel’s colleague, Paul Hoynes. Chisenhall tells Hoynes he’s pain free after being shut down with a forearm strain in Spring Training, adding that he got about 20 at-bats in minor league games late in camp. Hoynes also notes that Michael Brantley will head to Columbus (home of Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate) to work out when the big league club embarks on a road trip tomorrow, but there’s still no definitive date at which he’ll begin a rehab assignment.
Could really see the Indians making some buzz in the next couple months. So glad baseball season is back.
I think Bauer should have been in the rotation. I know Tomlin just signed an extension, but he also has experience pitching out of the bullpen (with some success) where Bauer doesn’t at all. I’m interested to see how this plays out.
Stupid to waste an arm like Bauer’s (former no. 3 overall pick) in the bullpen.
So to sum up Bauers comments “please trade me”
If I’m Neil Huntington, I’m on the phone with my former team yesterday to make a deal for Bauer. The Pirates are one more SP away from making a run at a title. Trade some of that OF depth and get Bauer in the rotation as a 4/5 starter.
The Indians need a bat and OF depth. The Pirates have loads of OF depth just waiting to come up to the bigs. I’m thinking Harold Ramirez or Josh Bell straight up for Bauer.
If I’m Neil Huntington and I’m offered Josh Bell for Bauer I laugh in your face and hang up the phone. In no way is Bauer worth a top 50 prospect straight up. Harold Ramirez maybe but that doesn’t help the Indians in any way for this season
If they were willing to part with Bell and/or Ramirez it would be for a pitcher with much more consistency and production behind their name. Bauer may have the glorified minors career but it’s a huge bet for the bucs to make that trade for him
Echoing the smart comments here, there’s no reason Bauer’s a bullpen guy, unless he’s lost something we don’t know. Even if he has, I’d throw him out there as my 5th starter until he absolutely implodes.
There is no way to justify an arm like Bauer’s being put in the pen.
Simply put, the Indians should have traded one of their arms this off-season and added a piece or two where needed.
I could be wrong, but this just seems to scream of poor mismanagement, by the front office, involving their 25-man roster.
Who would you remove from the rotation? Serious question. I agree that Bauer seems like a starting pitcher to me, but Tomlin and Anderson have both been better lately I think
Might it be possible that the Indians are showcasing Tomlin for a trade?
As for Bauer, he’s not that good. He’s basically a 4th starter (who thinks he’s an ace), while in 2015 Cody Anderson was far, far better and more consistent then him in that role. The trouble with putting Bauer in the bullpen is that in many games he starts out totally hittable, but by the 2nd or 3rd inning he gets his overly complicated delivery down and can pitch another 3-5 innings well. But inserting him into a game in a critical situation and expecting that he has it that day won’t work at times, as he doesn’t have 2-3 innings to re-calibrate his mechanics. It does appear that the Indians will trade a pitcher during the season for a position player. But the situation with Bauer is that he’s not thought of as highly in front offices around MLB as he is by fans that like his You Tube videos.