Spring Training Daily: ST Daily: Gausman Down
Kevin Gausman‘s road to relevancy has been a long one, and the road may have taken another turn Sunday.
The right-hander received a cortisone injection in his right shoulder Sunday to battle lingering shoulder tenditis, and it’s unclear when he’ll next pitch. Gausman will at least miss his next scheduled spring training start and won’t even pick up a baseball for two or three days as the injection takes effect.
Gausman had been dealing with inflammation in the shoulder for approximately 7-10 days, according to Orioles manager Buck Showalter, and when it didn’t subside, that’s when Gausman and the team decided on a more proactive approach.
“I don’t know if it’s a big concern,” Showalter said. “Anytime a guy needs [an injection], he’s had some inflammation there and we just want to get rid of that. We feel good about it structurally. It just hasn’t managed to go all away completely, so we have some time here to try to clear it up before we break camp. Hopefully, that’s all it is. We’ll see where it is in two or three days.”
Orioles fans and fantasy owners have been waiting for years for Gausman to cash in on the promise that made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. The 25-year-old made it to the majors quickly, debuting the year after he was drafted, but he owns a career 4.21 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in parts of three seasons.
With time in spring running out, there’s no guarantee that Gausman will be ready when the season opens. Showalter said the team will “adjust his schedule a little bit” in the wake of the injection.
Spring training is in full swing, so be sure to keep refreshing Rotoworld’s constantly-updating player news page for all the latest. And while you’re at it, follow @Rotoworld_BB and @nate_grimm if you are on Twitter.
Liriano Suffers Facial Fractures After HBP
Rymer Liriano suffered multiple facial fractures Sunday after being hit in the face by a pitch.
Liriano was batting in a Cactus League game against the Dodgers when a Matt West fastball caught him in the face. The 24-year-old Liriano fell to the ground and was motionless, eventually being immobilized on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. The extent of his injuries is still unknown.
“It’s serious,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He got hit in the head.”
The fractures will force Liriano to the disabled list for at least the start of the season, delaying a possible decision about his future with the club. Liriano was acquired from the Padres prior to camp and was contending for an outfield spot before Sunday’s incident.
He was hitting just .143 with a .515 OPS in Cactus League play prior to the injury, but not long ago Liriano was considered a top prospect with a combination of power and speed. The Brewers will update his outlook as more information becomes available.
Wieters Takes Positive Steps
Kevin Gausman won’t be throwing, but his catcher did throw on Sunday, a big step in the right direction.
Matt Wieters, who has been sidelined in camp since March 12 due to right elbow stiffness, resumed throwing Sunday. The backstop completed a 25-throw session, eventually ending at a distance of 60 feet.
“I was pretty encouraged with Matt today,” Showalter said. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. He threw with a lot of intensity with it.”
Assuming everything goes alright, Wieters will throw again Tuesday.
Also on Sunday, the 29-year-old took live batting practice for the second straight day. Wieters could get some at-bats in a minor league game Tuesday, but the Orioles will try to keep him out of Grapefruit League action in the event they need to backdate his disabled list stint.
Even if he does require a stay on the DL, the progress suggests any stay might not be a long one.
Quick Hits: A.J. Pollock (elbow) played defense and tracked pitches in a minor league game Sunday. Pollock was allowed to throw as well, meaning once he’s able to swing a bat, the All-Star should be able to get in some games before long with an eye on being ready for Opening Day … Evan Gattis (hernia) has begun getting at-bats in minor league games and has resumed running. It was previously said that running would be the last step in his recovery from hernia surgery, a sign that he could be close to a return to action … Corey Seager (knee) began running straight ahead and doing lateral agility fielding drills Sunday. The Dodgers and Seager are still holding out hope he’ll be on the field for the team’s Opening Day … Joe Ross was diagnosed with a right heel contusion after taking a comebacker off his foot Sunday. He’ll be re-evaluated Monday but isn’t expected to be sidelined more than a few days, if at all … Sean Doolittle has been diagnosed with a slight left triceps strain. Doolittle was expected to throw on flat ground Sunday in anticipation of a return to the mound Monday, a development that would classify the strain as minor at worst … Jon Lester has been pitching with a bone chip in his left elbow for years, a condition that could eventually require surgery. The chip hasn’t had a huge negative effect on his performance, obviously, and the only reason it would be newsworthy is if that suddenly changed … the Rangers on Sunday said Josh Hamilton (knee) has “turned a corner” in his rehab and will resume baseball activities soon. All involved parties are shooting for a May 1 return, although it’s hard to count on Hamilton’s health to be reliable … Mike Bolsinger (oblique) could start the season on the disabled list, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Sunday. Bolsinger is just the latest Dodgers starter to drop, a list that includes Brett Anderson, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy … with the Marlins hoping to limit Jose Fernandez‘ workload in 2016, Wei-Yin Chen will be the team’s Opening Day starter. Fernandez will start the team’s second game of the season instead … Chone Figgins is set to sign a one-day contract with the Angels on Monday to officially announce his retirement. Someone, somewhere will still draft him in a home league next weekend.
