Baseball Daily Dose: Daily Dose: Get Hip To Gomez
After the Reds inexplicably strung Devin Mesoraco along for weeks, another National League Central club is trying to figure out what to do with one of its injured stars.
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Carlos Gomez, who missed his seventh game in the Brewers’ last 10 contests on Friday due to a sore right hip and groin, remains a candidate for the disabled list, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Thursday.
“It’s in play, yeah, but we’re going to give him some time,” Counsell said. “It’s going to be a day-by-day thing. You’d obviously like to avoid it and like him to make progress and kind of get over the hump with it, but (also sitting him the weekend) is a possibility.”
Gomez served as a designated hitter in Wednesday’s game and finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, suggesting the Brewers don’t think he’s far off, but Counsell said the way the outfielder was moving didn’t alleviate all concerns for the club.
“I just didn’t think he was running that well yesterday during the game and we’re not moving forward,” Counsell said. “He just feels the same. We’ve got to get him back to a level where we feel like we’re over this.
“Until he’s at that point and he can play at that level, then I think we’ve got to be cautious.”
A decision one way or the other would be beneficial for everyone involved. The in-and-out nature of Gomez’ lineup status is reminiscent of the Mesoraco situation, a nightmare for fantasy owners. Even if it’s bad news, at least owners would have clarity. For now, though, it sounds as though he’ll at least miss the rest of the weekend, so plan accordingly.
A-Rod Joins Club 3000
Alex Rodriguez hasn’t done much right in recent years, but he achieved his most recent milestone in fashion Friday.
The embattled Yankee collected his 3,000th hit in Friday’s game with a solo home run off Justin Verlander in the first inning. The homer was the 667th of his career. He finished 1-for-4 with the homer in the game.
A number of A-Rod’s accomplishments have been tarnished by his past with performance-enhancing drugs, but it’s hard to lump this in with the rest. PEDs impact power numbers, and while 667 of his 3,000 hits have left the park, the 3,000-hit club is littered with players — Tony Gwynn, Craig Biggio and Rodriguez’ former teammate Derek Jeter, among others — who were adept at getting hits without hitting it over the fence. A hits record, maybe more than any other, is a reflection of a player’s natural talent.
“Let’s just say you get 200 hits for 15 straight years,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said before the game. “That’s staying healthy, playing every day; it’s being on the field a lot. It’s pretty incredible for a player to get 3,000 hits in a career.”
The reaction from the crowd — with the exception of perhaps the man who caught the home run ball — suggested perhaps some of the hard feelings from fans have subsided as well. The 44,588 in attendance cheered when Rodriguez homered during his first at-bat of the game. A two-minute ovation followed.
It’s the last major milestone on the horizon for the 39-year-old. Lost in some of his accomplishments is the fact that he’s actually having a nice season. Through Friday’s game, Rodriguez is batting .277/.382/.514 with 13 homers and 35 RBI.
Trade Winds A-Blowin’
It’s not yet July, but the trade winds have already begun to blow.
On Friday, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman dished on a number of topics in his Inside Baseball column, addressing the statuses of Jonathan Papelbon, Brandon Phillips and Chris Johnson. Johnson, perhaps the least attractive option of the three players of note, can’t be given away by the team, according to Heyman. The Braves have offered to pay down Johnson’s contract “substantially” to facilitate a deal.
On Phillips, who is making $12 million this season on a 30-35 team, Heyman said the club “wouldn’t mind” trading him. And he’s got some trade value, owning a .290/.328/.357 line with three homers and eight steals in 59 games.
Papelbon, a player a number of teams covet and who is among the most likely to be moved before the deadline, is still seen as most likely to end up with the Cubs or Blue Jays, Heyman reports. The Cubs are his “first choice” but he’s “ready to move on from what’s been a wholly dissatisfying stay in Philly.” That includes going to Toronto, but the Jays don’t have interest unless the Phillies pay down his remaining contract.
Over at FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal also reported Friday that the Nationals have expressed interest in re-acquiring Tyler Clippard. The teams have also talked about Ben Zobrist in potential deals. The A’s are said to have interest in Michael Taylor — not THAT Michael Taylor — from the Nats in return.
National League Quick Hits: Bryce Harper (hamstring) was out of the Nationals’ lineup on Friday. The outfielder left Thursday’s game with a mild left hamstring strain, but it’s not an injury that, at present, is threatening to force him to the disabled list … Jeurys Familia got the final out in Friday’s loss, but the right-hander may miss the rest of the weekend with left groin tightness. Bobby Parnell could see save opportunities in Familia’s absence … Cole Hamels (hamstring) had his scheduled start skipped on Friday, but the southpaw is on track to make his next scheduled start on Wednesday. The hamstring issue that forced him to sit out Friday is considered minor, and Hamels will still throw a bullpen session on Sunday as scheduled … Freddie Freeman missed Friday’s game as he deals with a sprained right wrist. The first baseman has missed two straight games but is day-to-day for now … Matt Wisler‘s MLB debut went swimmingly for the Braves on Friday. The right-hander pitched eight innings of one-run ball, earning the win over the Mets in his debut … Marlon Byrd was activated from the disabled list after recovering from a small fracture in his right wrist. The outfielder appeared healthy, homering in his second at-bat in a Reds win … Joe Ross showed why Baseball America considered him a top prospect heading into this season, striking out 11 Pirates over 7 1/3 innings in a victory. The right-hander is now 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 23/2 K/BB ratio over 20 1/3 innings thus far.
American League Quick Hits: Victor Martinez was activated from the 15-day disabled list after missing nearly a month with inflammation in his left knee. The designated hitter was immediately inserted into the Tigers’ lineup, going 1-for-4 with a run scored in a loss to the Yankees … Dustin Pedroia missed his third game in the last four days due to inflammation and fluid in his knee. A trip to the DL isn’t in the cards despite the lingering issue … Jake Odorizzi (oblique) will throw off a mound on Saturday before throwing a bullpen session on Monday. Assuming all goes well, he could be ready for a rehab assignment in a week or two … Adrian Beltre (thumb) remains unable to swing a bat despite having stitches removed from his left thumb this week. The Rangers originally had hopes Beltre would be ready to return around this time, but that’s obviously not a reality … the Indians and first-round pick Brady Aiken agreed to a deal. Terms of the deal weren’t immediately available, but it’s believed to be above the $2.3936 million slot for the No. 17 overall pick … Adam Jones (shoulder, toe) returned to the Orioles lineup on Friday. The outfielder had a two-run single in the ninth but the O’s rally fell short in a loss … Marco Estrada took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Jones’ Orioles. He walked four, though, and his one hit allowed ended up scoring, but Estrada picked up the win for his effort … Chris Sale lacked only The Will To Win on Friday, punching out 14 hitters over eight scoreless innings in a no-decision. The left-hander allowed just two hits, leaving him with a 2.74 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 119/20 K/BB ratio on the year.
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