Baseball Daily Dose: Daily Dose: Zimmerman Down
Plantar fasciitis has kept Ryan Zimmerman down for most of the year. The Nationals are hoping a few weeks out will cure some of what ails him.
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The Nationals placed Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The move is retroactive to Wednesday, as Zimmerman didn’t play in the Nationals’ game against the Yankees.
It’s an issue that has gotten progressively worse in recent days, but heel pain has plagued Zimmerman since the season’s first few weeks. Zimmerman admitted in mid-April that he was playing through the issue, an affliction that caused a visible limp for the 30-year-old.
It also affected his performance. Zimmerman struggled out of the gate, hitting .217/.277/.380 in April, and things didn’t get much better in subsequent months. Zimmerman had just one hit in his last 25 at-bats before hitting the shelf, a stretch that dropped his overall line to .209/.265/.346.
“The only thing that helps that is time off,” Nationals manager Matt Williams said. “… Most of the season, he was able to play with it. The reaction postgame and into the next game was okay and he could go. Over the last three or four, it’s beginning to get worse and worse. That’s typical of plantar fascia. The more he does on it and the more he pounds it the more sore it’s going to be.”
Zimmerman will rest for a few days before restarting baseball activity. Williams said the first baseman will receive continued treatment for the foot, but the options for treating such a disorder are limited. Williams said the hope is that Zimmerman won’t require more than the minimum 15-day stay on the DL.
Clint Robinson started in Zimmerman’s place at first base on Thursday, launching his first home run of the year in a loss to the Brewers. Robinson and Tyler Moore will likely split time at first base in Zimmerman’s absence.
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Cozart Done For The Year
The Reds got some bad news on Zack Cozart‘s injured right knee Thursday.
A day after injuring the knee while stretching to beat out an infield single, Cozart was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a season-ending right knee injury. An MRI of the knee showed the 29-year-old tore multiple ligaments and tendons in the knee on the play, which precipitated his exit from Wednesday’s game.
Cozart will have surgery to repair the knee Monday. The rehabilitation is expected to take roughly nine months, a time frame that doesn’t guarantee his readiness for the start of the 2016 season.
It’s a bad beat for Cozart, who appeared poised for a career year prior to the injury. Cozart already had nine homers and 28 RBI through 53 games; his career high for homers is 15, set in 2012, and he hit just four last season. Cozart’s season ends with the highest batting average (.258) and OPS (.769) of his career outside of an 11-game stint as a rookie in 2011.
In his stead, the Reds will likely lean on Eugenio Suarez, but Reds manager Bryan Price said it may be a team effort to fill the hole at shortstop left by Cozart.
“He’ll play a lot,” Price said. “We have Kris Negron for this exact circumstance. Ivan De Jesus has played a lot of shortstop in his career. We have a lot of options.
“We wouldn’t have Suarez here if it was to fill a bench role. He’s a young guy who needs to play and play regularly. I would anticipate him getting the bulk of the time at short. But there will be a blend.”
Suarez got the start Thursday, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
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Kazmir Has A Day
Scott Kazmir went a long way toward easing the minds of worried owners Thursday.
The southpaw, who hadn’t won since April 13 despite owning a 3.14 ERA, picked up his third victory of the year in style Thursday, holding the Rangers to one hit over eight shutout innings. Kazmir fanned six while allowing only two walks and an Elvis Andrus single in the win.
It was a welcome sight after Kazmir suffered through bad outings and bad fortune in recent weeks. The A’s had lost all six of his previous starts, with Kazmir taking the loss in four of them, before Thursday’s dominance. And in his May 27 start, one of the few starts in which he pitched well during that stretch, the 31-year-old exited after three scoreless innings with left shoulder tightness.
Now healthy, Kazmir could find himself wearing another uniform at some point over the next few weeks. The A’s are one of the few teams that appear destined to sell at or before the trade deadline, and Kazmir, a free agent after this year, could have value to a team in need of starting pitching help.
Nothing is imminent, and the A’s haven’t publicly made him available, but teams are always on the lookout for more starting pitching prior to a stretch run. Kazmir would help his own stock with a few more performances like Thursday’s in the coming weeks.
National League Quick Hits: Carlos Gomez (leg) sat out for a second straight game Thursday. The minor leg soreness keeping him out doesn’t seem to be serious, but it’s an issue to monitor going forward … Gomez’ teammate Ryan Braun returned after leaving Wednesday’s game due to dizziness. Braun went 2-for-3 with an RBI triple and a run scored in a narrow win over the Nationals … The Rockies activated Corey Dickerson, who had been on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis like that plaguing Ryan Zimmerman, on Thursday. Dickerson went 2-for-4 with a double in his return to the lineup … Billy Hamilton missed his third straight game Thursday with an injured wrist. Reds manager Bryan Price said he expects the outfielder to return to the lineup Friday … Price also said Brandon Phillips, who missed Thursday’s game as well as he deals with a groin injury, is day-to-day. His situation seems a tad more serious than Hamilton’s, but Phillips could also rejoin the lineup sometime over the weekend … Rafael Soriano is unlikely to join the Cubs until after July’s All-Star break, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Thursday. On the topic of Cubs relievers, Pedro Strop pitched the eighth inning in Thursday’s win, while Hector Rondon preserved a three-run lead to earn the save … Freddie Freeman on Thursday continued to punish opposing pitchers willing to pitch to him, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and two RBI against the Padres. The Braves fell in extras, though, as Freeman remains one of the only offensive threats left in Atlanta … Erik Bedard has retired from baseball. His career ends with a 71-82 record and 3.99 ERA over 230 career starts and 11 relief appearances.
American League Quick Hits: Two days after leaving his start with a groin strain, Miguel Gonzalez was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Orioles. Gonzalez is expected to miss at least three weeks, with Mike Wright filling the vacancy in the rotation in his absence … David Ortiz, who has seen his playing time cut into in recent weeks as he continues to struggle at the dish, returned to the lineup Thursday and homered in his return. Even with the solo homer, his seventh jack of the year, Big Papi is batting just .220/.296/.385 overall … The Mariners have been “checking in on” Ben Revere recently, according to a report from CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. The Mariners are in desperate need of an offensive spark — also-ran Shaun Marcum limited them to two hits over seven shutout innings in a win Thursday — but it’s unclear how much Revere, who’s hitting .270 with a .664 OPS, could provide … Nelson Cruz, dealing with back spasms, missed a second consecutive game Thursday. He should be fine and ready to go by Friday … David Freese was held out Thursday due to a hamstring injury. Freese didn’t start Wednesday’s game, either, but pinch-hit in the contest, suggesting it’s not an injury that will require an extended absence … the Yankees traded reliever David Carpenter to the Nationals. Infielder Tony Renda went to the Yanks in the deal.
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