Would you like the good news first – or the bad news?
We’ll begin with the big news of the day from Camelback Ranch, which was reported by Ken Gurnick this morning: Adrian Gonzalez has been shut down for the first two weeks of Spring Training because of what Gonzalez referred to as “tennis elbow”.
It turns out Gonzalez noticed pain radiating from his elbow and down his forearm during his offseason workouts. He then shut down his own routine for the past ten days. The Dodgers staff examined him and decided an additional two weeks of rest should remedy the situation.
“It’s tennis elbow from just working out, too much hitting and boxing. I felt it while working out in early December and it didn’t seem like much, but it hasn’t gone away. They told me to take a few weeks off so it won’t linger and flare up and bother me going into the season. It’s precautionary. Better to take care of it now than six weeks from now.” – Adrian Gonzalez
In related news, this may slow Gonzalez’s participation with Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. We’ll see how that plays out.
Adrian Gonzalez has long been the iron man of the Dodgers. He played in 156 games last season, the 11th season in a row he’s played in that number. He’s remained a constant in the lineup despite being surrounded by players who are far younger. Since his first day as a Dodger, and just about every day since, he’s trotted out to first while far too many on the team fill the disabled list all around him, or don’t display enough day-in, day-out talent to remain in the lineup every day.
On the bright side, the Dodgers now have an easy excuse to get a longer look at Cody Bellinger and Scott Van Slyke at first base. Other veteran Dodgers with first base experience include Andre Ethier and Chase Utley.
BONUS SPRING TRAINING NOTES:
Other early arrivals to camp include Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson and Kike Enrique Hernandez.
Making room on the roster: Darin Ruff (acquired in the Howie Kendrick dump-off) was bunted over to the Korean baseball leagues. So long, Ruf. We barely knew ye!
The skipper declared Yasmani Grandal will be the Dodgers’ everyday starting catcher, regardless of whether or not the opposing pitcher is left or right-handed. Go get ’em, Yaz!
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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One less platoon for everyone to bitch about. Although I bet Grandal gets most of his off days against lefties.
Hong-Chih Kuo making comeback.
https://twitter.com/billplunkettocr/status/832623897858105344
Forgot it’s a sin to have two links on the same comment…
Bat flip!
Re AGon, I’m not at all concerned. I see him doing what he does, 150+ games somewhere around 2 WAR, solid presence in the lineup and in the clubhouse. I could also see him as a DH for another 3 years if he wanted to do it. He’s 35 in May and by all accounts a workout warrior.
I’ve always admired A Gon’s game. The guy has a been a hitting a machine for a long time – the kind of swing that just doesn’t go away even as the odometer climbs. He continues to outhit Brandon Belt with respect to AVG, HRs, and RBIs. It is difficult to out-walk the Giants 1B however.
The other comparison that may have been a surprise but could continue is that Grandal outproduced Buster Posey with respect to wRC+. I’ve seen a lot of Posey, he’s going to continue to hit for high average, but his power production is in decline. The rigors of catching and being the best defensive catcher “catch” up to him in the batter’s box.
Interesting take Rye. Isn’t wRC+ PA dependent? The difference between Posey and Grandal I find most interesting is the fact Posey by comparison is an iron man. He’s had at least 595 PA’s for 5 straight years. Yasmani has never had more than 457. Posey is 30 in March. Grandal just turned 28. In my opinion Posey is several levels above Grandal in damn near every measurable way.
No doubt, but not by a landslide and Posey is the consensus #1 overall catcher.
Posey had his career high workload behind the plate last year. He had bouts of back and leg issues, IIRC. He started 122 games behind plate.
That wRC+ gizmo is totally independent of PAs. Just measures offensive production and attempts to adjust for park effects. Grandal does his damage by drawing walks and jacking the ball out of the yard. Classic slugging catcher and he has received good marks as a receiver.
How do you like Barnes ?
I don’t know Barnes but I like the idea of him. He’s 27. He’s in his prime. Let’s see what he’s got.
fangraphs:
“wRC+ is a counting stat therefore you want to be very aware of the number of plate appearances the batter in question has. wRC is a measure of raw production and should be used as such, but remember it is not park, league, or position adjusted.”
The statement and formula here explains it fully……. to some, but not to me. Too complicated for my simple mind.
Straight up, wRC+ is a rate of production, not a counting stat like singles, doubles, HR, RBIs, stolen bases…
It’s not much different than batting average or on-base percentage, it is just a measure to help compare a players’ total offense with league average and with other players in the league that might play in friendly or unfriendly hitting environments. It includes on-base %, slugging, and baserunning.
Two hitters can have a wRC+ rate of 120, which means 20% above the league average of 100, and have totally different roles. One may have 500 PAs, the other just 100 as a bench player. Naturally, the guy that has 500 PAs has produced more offense over the year and that the measurement of his rate is more reliable than the measure of a guy that only came to the plate 100 times. But given their time on the field, they produced equivalent offense per plate appearance or per 100 PAs.
This will give Bellinger a chance to hit against major league pitchers. Usually starting pitcher will go 3-5 innings and then the minor league pitchers take over. This should allow Bellinger to start the games and bat against major league pitchers. I hope.
I have no problems with this weird injury and in fact I am more than a bit skeptical.
What great timing and allows a number of things to play out for the benefit of a few teammates as well as for the club. I don’t know about A-Gon as a whole but his elbow sure is a team player.
It’s inflammation from intense training. It happens in those over 30. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything. As for this giving Bellinger more at bats against ML starters I really doubt it. Not yet anyway. ML starters aren’t throwing many innings in February and early March. Bellinger is on his own arc to a ML lineup that won’t be affected by AGon taking a few days off in mid February. If this hiccup turns into a gag come mid/late March, there may be some urgency to get somebody else ready for Opening Day.
Badger
I agree with you, and I wouldn’t bet against Agone.
I think he will come back, and have a better season this year, then last.
Especially if you consider his power numbers, and over all numbers last year, were the same as in the past, after he had those three days off.
I don’t see Bellinger coming up, and being able to hit right away, like Corey did.
Especially when Bellinger, has not even had one season of AAA, behind his belt.
Bellinger has a swing that is more like Joc’s swing, and although he isn’t striking out as much as Joc did, in the minor league system, he has only played three, or four games in AAA, so he hasn’t really been tested, with AAA pitching yet.
But I do expect Bellinger, to hit well in spring training, because he did, last year.
But he will probably get more at bats, late in spring games, when the veteran pitchers, are gone, because Roberts will keep him in games longer.
I know some people don’t want Agone to hit fourth, but my question is, who is going to take Agone’s place in the line up.
I don’t care that Agone necessarily hits fourth, but other then Corey, Turner, and Logan, who is of these three guys would you want to hit fourth, instead of Agone?
And who else, besides the players I named above, is ready to hit at the top of the order?
I don’t know that even Logan, will out produce Agone.
Agone hit at a higher average then Logan did last year, and Logan only hit two more HRs, then Agone did, and Agone was hitting in a pitchers park, unlike Logan.
And remember Agone hit in the highest percentage of runs on the team, and that stat, takes away, the fact that Agone was hitting fourth.
I agree with the Pederson comp. The guy takes big cuts. I’ve heard his swing compared to Eric Hosmer’s. So maybe productivity something between these two names, but he’s got a high ceiling and we’ll no more about his floor in AAA. Overall, the chances of this guy making an impact this season seem pretty good.
And Verdugo is an extremely interesting bat as well. Seems the kid can really hit. You never know, he could make a late season splash too.
I’m in moderation again.
Verdugo can hack and has a strong and accurate arm too. He has been a been in my ’18 calculations for a while now – but so was De Leon. And Holmes. Cotton. Peraza.
Agree here with this 100%
I agree. In the scope of Spring Training, this is irrelevant.
To the larger Gonzalez question, would I rather get rid of him a year earlier rather than a year late (in terms of production) obviously the former.
But that decision can’t be made in a vacuum. Nobody is going to trade for Gonzalez, with his injuries and age. So you keep him. He’ll do much more positive than negative.
Did everyone here listen to the Baseball America podcast? The thing that resonates most is the “bang” the Dodgers have gotten out of mid range draft picks and player development:
Brock Stewart (6th Round)
Josh Sborz (Competitive B)
Cody Bellinger (4th round)
Alex Verdugo (2nd round)
Willie Calhoun (4th round)
I. Abdullah (11th round)
Rhame (6th round)
even recently departed DeLeon was a 23rd rounder. Converting a 23rd rounder into a starting 2B and still having a great system is, well, er, um, great.
Bluto
I did listen to that, and you are right, some of our best prospects, were not that high, in the draft.
So you are right, that points to good selection, and good player production.
So let’s hope more make it, then not!
Sborz is interesting. Didn’t realize Dodgers had him starting in A+. Seems like a guy that could surface in the pen this year. I recall a plus slide piece from him at Virginia.
Well Verdugo is a second rounder and for me the mid-rounds are 3rd round or later. But even looking at that list, they are missing guys like Oaks and De Jong, etc. Our scouting and player development has really done a fine job on borderline MLB talents. Focusing on college prospects who’s stock dropped for potentially fixable reasons seems to be the current regime’s MO.
However to be fair to the previous regime under Logan White, they were hampered by budget problems and they also tended to swing for the fences on high schoolers. And they have done very well. Actually it is notable that the FAZ had been trading away more of the prospects they have acquired, like Peraza and Montas, than home grown ones. I think Gabe Kapler has a huge impact on those trades being done and I think he’s headed for a FO job here.
Shades of Wally Pipp….doubt it ends Adrian’s career, but the door is ajar and the kid can get a long look-see.
Whatever happened to Wally? Were the Yanks able to get another team to take him and his salary? Did they get something in return?
I agree with Badger, probably just inflammation from intense training. It DOES happen to those over 30. Bummer. Welcome to the club soon to be 35 yrs old Adrian! They say Gonzalez has included boxing in his training regimen the last couple years. Easy to over extend the elbow throwing lots of punches and trying to make contact an extra inch out there. Hope that is all it is, but, expect the “iron man” to start melting.
Pipp was sold to the Cincinnati Reds in the winter of 1926 for 7500.00 dollars. He played 3 more years and then retired. The most HR’s Pipp ever hit was 12. Think the Yankees made the right move.
Going from memory, the 12 homers is the same as Home Run Baker’s high, so Pipp was probably pretty good.
But in hindsight, Yanks made the right move. I hope at least one of our young guys bursts on to the scene like Gehrig!
That’s not as unlikely as it may sound. In Gehrig’s first full year (age 22) he hit .295 with a 127 OPS+ in 126 games. Bellinger could get close to that. Of course in his third year Gehrig hit .373 with 173 RBIs and a 220 OPS+. Nobody is ever going to do that.
btw, Badger, OPS+, wRC+, pick your poison, just about same difference to me.
I like OPS. I’ve been an on base percentage guy since high school and slugging percentage is something that makes sense to me. I do like RC because those are my initials and that was my drink when I was 12, so, there’s that. You can have wRC+.
haha, I like it!
Everyone remember this, Badger, Boxout, and I, all agree about Agone, and that doesn’t always happen, but that is what makes this place different.
Everyone’s opinions, are welcome here, even if they are different, from most.
Hey, MJ, whatever happened to your pal, Bumsrap?
Jonah
It looks like he will only post, on Mark’s site.
I don’t really get it, because a lot of people post, on both sites.
And I thought he liked Badger a lot.
But remember, he was the one, that asked Mark, to open his site again.
I don’t think he liked anybody a lot. I got the impression he expected more respect from people here than he got. He’s going to find the same thing there. Nobody gives you respect on the Internet. Big risks, little rewards…
Dellin Betances and the Yankees are openly feuding in the media, do you think he could be had in a decent trade?
Jonah
That would make us have, one of the best, if not the best bullpen, in all of baseball.
But what what does Betance’s want?
Jonah
I heard our rain will be coming your way, tomorrow, or Monday.
The Yankees will ask for Seager and Urias.
Just like the Phillies, eh?
They can ask.,……
MONEY< and lots of it. He lost his arbitration case.
Jonah
You might be right about Bum, he seems like a sensitive guy.
He seems like a nice guy, but he has a different view of life, then some.
The Yankees stiffed him last year on salary and then again in arbitration this year. He felt his record deserved more than $3MM. Seems like it to me, too.
I’d give him more. That guy is a beast.
He is better then Chapman, because he is still really young, and he has better over all, stuff.
And he is built more like Kenley.
A package built around a DH prospect like Calhoun maybe amenable. If we add a top line starter prospect like Walker Buehler maybe the Yankees will bite on A-Gon. Having Betances significantly increases our chances in getting into the WS.
And after Kenley leaves, he is your closer.
So, after 33 years as a fan, I finally bought Dodger season tickets for this year.
Ill be in Reserve Sec 15. Hopefully I”ll see u all there!
Bobby
Congrats, I hope we finally do it this year, so you can witness it, from your seats.
YF
Who will play first?
SVS and Utley platoon, until Berlinger is ready.
How long does it take tennis elbow to go away in someone mid 30’s? And by go away I don’t mean to cast a fishing pole or swing a golf club. And just because it goes away doesn’t mean it won’t come back. Hopefully this isn’t an issue (as everyone claims) but the key here is age.
Artieboy
He will be fine.
He didn’t get this from his baseball stuff, it is from how he gets in shape every year, and that is boxing.
He and the Dodgers, are just being really careful, understandable .
I have had tennis elbow for 30 years…..it always hurts….
I’m the opposite. Never had a tennis elbow ever.
I should patent my all beer, no workout routine as the magical silver bullet for tennis elbows (and all similar exercise induced inflammations).
Michael
These athletes see a doctor, way before you probably did.
And they have the latest techniques, to treat things like this.
And that is why I wasn’t as concerned with Kershaw, as some.
These players are treated so much sooner, because they are a big investments.
And you probably had to get out there and work, to support your family, or yourself.
Sorry that it always hurts!
MJ, have you ever taken a medication named Tramadol? It is supposed to be a mild narcotic, a time release capsule taken twice a day, everyday, not just when pain level peaks. My doctor is prescribing it for me because he doesn’t want me to take any more Ibuprofen or other NSAIDS . I have a lot of unpleasant side effects with Oxycodone and those types. The itching and constipation are worse than the pain. The Tramadol should be in in a few days, I hope it works for me. Best part is, it’s free for me through Humana Medical Advantage.
Tramadol is a low end opiod pain killer just below Vicodin. On the scale its a 3.8. Vicodin is a 5, with Vicodin ES and Vicodin HP 6 & 7. I take Tramadol for headaches. It is an opioid so beware of that implication.
What level would 5 and 10 MGs of hydrocodone or oxycodone? I’m not an addictive type person.
That’s funny. I have a couple of hundred 10mg Hydrocodone laying around here that I won’t take because of the side effects. Pretty sure I’m not an addict…
Jonah
I have never took that.
I do take a time released morphine, that works like that.
It is suppose to work for about 6 hours, but non of them work as long as they say, and it depends on the person, taking them.
They also gave me Percocet to take as needed.
I take stool relaxers, and I take a probiotic everyday, and that seems to help.
I only take one of the time released meds, during the day, and I will take one or two, at night.
My doctor asked me if I would like to try lyrica, but I didn’t want to be depended on, another type of med.
But it may be a derivation of morphine too, I didn’t really research it.
But most anything that helps for pain, does come from the morphine family.
I eat those little cutey tangelos when they are in season, and those help a lot.
Jonah
My time released morphine is 15 mg, but Percocet comes in different strengths, and then there is the mg too.
My Percocet is 5 mg, but remember I am really small, so you would probably need a higher strength.
I only weigh 108 pounds.
Morphine works as better than anything for pain relief. I’ll never forget my first syrette of it. I would recommend trying medical cannibis before taking any manufacturers pharmaceuticals, but that’s just me.
Man it got cold here in northern Arizona. Built a fire last night and again this morning.
No Cannabis for me, mental thing, I associate it too much with smoking. My nephew uses Cannabis Resin, claims it works well for him.
Jonah
I have never smoked either.
My brother swears by cannabis, and he uses a vaporizer, but that seems like smoking, to me.
It cost a lot more money, to use that, then the meds.
I might try some, some day, but it will have to be, an edible.
My nephew has made cookies but apparently likes the resin better. He squirts it under his tongue with an eyedropper.
http://budzu.com/pot-cookie-recipes
Badger
When I was in the hospital after my bad car accident, they were giving me shots of Demerol every two hours, when I was in traction.
Jonah
I know they have always talked about, Brownies.
They test at Kaiser, and I don’t ever want to risk, not having something, for pain.
Because I know what that is like, not to have something.
And I believe that stays in your system, for at least a month.
I thought medical marijuana was legal in California, so why it coming up on a tox scan be a problem?
Jonah
At Kaiser you can’t have any other drugs in your system, then the meds, that they prescribe for you.
I think it is a liability thing, with them.
They don’t want there patients doctor shopping, and getting more meds.
And actually marijuana is legal in a recreational way, in California now.
But I don’t know when it is going to come in effect, in that way.
I know it was approved in our last election, but I don’t know when the law goes into effect.
Good answer, makes sense.