Let’s check in on the rehab status of a few players around the league…
- Jordan Zimmermann threw a simulated game on Friday as he works his way back from a UCL sprain. He has another bullpen session on Sunday, followed by a rehab start with High-A Lakeland on Wednesday, per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. The Tigers are likely disillusioned of any notions for contention in 2019, but getting Zimmermann back in action could still provide dividends, either as a veteran influence in a young locker room, as an innings eater in the rotation, or the best case scenario, as trade bait. Zimmermann is owed $25MM next season, but that’s likely a sunk cost even if they could drum up some interest in the veteran righty. Given the 5.29 ERA that marks Zimmermann’s Detroit tenure, there may not be a “return to form” for the 33-year-old, but if there’s anything to spark hope in a Zimmermann revival, it would be good health.
- The Red Sox Nathan Eovaldi is on a similar timetable after pitching a simulated game this Friday, per The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. He could be back in the Red Sox rotation by mid-June. The Red Sox are not considering a move to the bullpen at this stage for Eovaldi, whom they view as a starter, despite a 6.00 ERA in his first four starts to start the year. Of course, much of the Red Sox roster started slowly, and there’s no reason to think Eovaldi won’t be able to return to form. For his part, Eovaldi wants and expects to be a starter.
- A.J. Pollock continues to work his way back from an infection in his elbow. Pollock eventually needed surgery on his right elbow to remove a plate and screws from a previous surgery. With injury troubles hounding Pollock at nearly every turn, there’s not much positivity to glean here. The stitches are out of his right elbow, however, allowing him to increase the range of exercises, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. A catheter remains in his left arm, completing a six-week course of antibiotics on June 12th. These are positive signs for Pollock, but there’s still no timetable for his return. The Dodgers have a firm hold on the NL West, so there’s no rush to return Pollock to action until he is 100% ready – depth was one of the things that pointed to a match between Pollock and the Dodgers in the first place. If Pollock can get healthy and up to speed by the playoffs, both sides should be pleased with the union, despite the rough start for their free agent prize, owner of a .223/.287/.330 slash line in 2019.
*Zimmermann
The Tigers just need innings. Like Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers know that no one will ever trade for Jordan Zimmermann. They can only play them in hope to get a little something for their money.
“The Tigers are likely disillusioned of any notions…”
Did you mean disavailed?
But I’d be disillusioned as well. And, forgive any snark–big fan of MLBTR and think, even with writing on the fly, the pieces are well-put together and coherent.
They’re certainly more well put together than your last sentence.
Glad you could step up and offer your expertise. Perhaps they will select you as a writer?
I thought catheters went on the Short Arm…
Third leg
The Dodgers had a horrible off-season signing Pollock and Kelly to a combined $85 Million. Of course they did dodge a bit of a bullet not acquiescing to Harper’s demands.
Their outfield of Verdugo, Taylor, Bellinger, and Joc has been solid.
Solid!? Amazing!
Confused. Yes, the Dodgers outfield has been more than “solid.” Do you disagree?
From a Dodger fan like myself, it was a tempered description. I didn’t want to incite fans/homers/ or haters from other teams binging up comparisons as to how their own players are better or make negative remarks on the outfield as such.
I was also predicting some haters writing something along the lines of, “They’ll choke in October” or “It’s a long season. Let’s see how they are at the end.”
I just want to be able to enjoy them without having something negative appear in my inbox so describing them as “solid seemed both positive and innocuous. However even the person above this comment seems truculent to defend them as being more than just solid. Can’t please everybody!
Kelly was a terrible signing and doesn’t look to have a way to get much better. Pollock OTOH will recover from his elbow infection and probably be fine. The problem for him is he when he gets back he will immediately run into a traffic jam in the OF.
I honestly forgot that Pollock was on the Dodgers. That’s how excellent this outfield has been.
Assuming he’s even back by mid July, he’s basically a mid season audition. It’ll take time to get him up to speed, and they can use him to give guys a rest. Plus he’s a pretty nice insurance plan if Verdugo were to hit the inevitable rookie wall, we’ve seen happen in the past with the two big rookies. Even then he’d be a good insurance policy to attempt to keep Verdugo fresh as the dog days roll on. The Dodgers took a calculated risk on a position that doesn’t have much depth in the minors, and frankly is hard to come by.
With Kelly, he hasn’t been good at all, but to say there doesn’t look to be a way of improvement seems ridiculous. The stuff hasn’t gone anywhere, but the execution hasn’t been there. Simply comes down to execution. He executes, he can dominate. He falls behind and doesn’t execute he will continue to get drilled. Even with the lack of production it’s to early to write the contracts off as bad. They look terrible right now, but no one cares if they win a WS.
Pollock will serve the same role on his return that he was signed to play, which is provide some balance to a very lefty-heavy batting order. How much playing time he gets in the second half will depend as much on Taylor as does on Verdugo.
Yes, a pitcher who pitches well is pitching well, and vice-versa. Not sure where that gets us in unpacking what is going on with Kelly. My view of his potential is based on his career regular season performance. Even if he succeeds in regressing back to his mean level he’d still be pretty mediocre. Mediocrity shouldn’t have been the plan in the first place so the possibility of getting Kelly back to that point doesn’t give me any confidence that he was ever the right choice for that role.
The Reds trade was a major part of their offseason and that was a massive win
Holy Hell. I loved Puig and thought he would be a world beater in that band box of a stadium in Cincinnati, but he is pigeon-holing himself into a cheaper contract than the one he is currently playing. After 60 games, he has approximately the same number of strikeouts as hits & walks combined and his stat lines of OBP, SLG and OPS are all at career lows up to this point. For a guy with so much talent and more physical gifts than the majority of his peers, he just can’t put it together.
I was frustrated with the current Dodger front office for trading him, but they clearly knew what they were doing. I thought he would be playing like an MVP candidate. Looks like the guy who supplanted him in Chavez Ravine’s RF is doing everything I thought Puig would do in another uniform.
Obviously, Tiger fans are sick and tired of reading about another Zimmerman comeback. And what in the could he teach their young pitchers?