A few updates
Joel Zumaya was cleared to begin playing catch yesterday, which is ahead of schedule. He made about 45 throws from 60 feet away without pain. He felt some stiffness, but that was to be expected for his first throwing session. He actually felt better than expected, he said, and he was throwing hard enough that pitching coach Chuck Hernandez had to take the ball from him. Still, he said, he has a lot of strengthening work to do in his arm. He'll continue playing catch every other day for the foreseeable future.
Fernando Rodney had an MRI exam yesterday that showed no structural damage. At this point, his recurring shoulder soreness is being classified as inflammation. He's on a medication program for the next few days and won't throw again until next week. This is now at the point where Leyland is getting concerned. Where the Tigers had been looking for one reliever out of a pool of arms, they might now start looking for two just in case.
Yes, the lineup in today's spring opener is pretty much the lineup you can expect to see on opening day if you replace Timo Perez with Gary Sheffield in the third spot.
Nate Robertson is away today with his wife Kristin for the birth of their first child.
It may be true *today* that this is the projected Opening Day lineup, Jason. But when you pass along my suggestions I'm sure there will be a few changes made, right? RIGHT? ;-)
matt
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Ha. Tell you what, Matt. You send me your lineups and I'll take them down to Florida next week and give them to JL in person. He should appreciate it, wouldn't you think? :-)
I like the lineup used today because of Sheffield hitting third. I'm not too concerned with 8 and 9 right now.
I guess I never have counted on Rodney. We're going to need improvement from some of the guys we've got.
--Rich
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As many of you have said, no matter how you stack this lineup it is going to score alot of runs.
As far as Rodney is concerned, it sounds better than if he had structural damage. Maybe I am missing something but isn't soreness and meds alot better than surgery? Jason, couldn't he still be able to rest and still work out alittle and be ready for opening day?
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Oh yeah, as far as Zoom...this is good news. I think we will have him back before the all-star break, which I think was around the first time this news came out. Who knows, maybe we will see him before that...sounds like he is a quick healer. Of course it sounds like he needs to be anyway.
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As far as Zumaya, I guess that is good news, I am certainly not going to get my hopes up with him until he really starts throwing. I just hope that he hasn't ruined himself forever.
Regarding Rodney, I guess that it is better than surgery but I still see this as a real problem. Listening to the game right now a little and Bautista isn't necessarily throwing the cover off of the ball.
And Congratulations to Nate and his wife.
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i think bonderman needs to start pitching about an hour before the game begins. that way the butterflies can leave his tummy and he can not give up first inning runs.
not reading too much into this though, it is, after all spring training and his first "start" since september. need him to develope his breaking ball, or work on a power pitch, like a splitter, as someone else suggested.
i personally think, that this rodney situation was anything but unpredictable. i dont trust him as a reliever in the first place. i think the tigers should've actively gone after dotel. oh well. hopefully mantei can stay healthy and throw inge some 'nasty' pitches.... (even though my ten year old son can probably throw inge some nasty pitches, haha)
i think that the team will really start putting pieces in place by end of spring training heading into april. dusting the cobwebs off and really gaining consistancy and continuity after a disappointing 07 year. just hope they can get off their late summer blues this year.
GO TIGERS!!!
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Don't you love the way our murderer's row went down so quietly? I suppose Jayson Stark will be leaving now. :-)
I wonder if Todd Jones or Kenny Rogers has ever showed Bonderman a cutter? He seems very uncomfortable with a changeup, so maybe just a pitch that does something different will gain good results.
--Rich
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Developing a changeup, or a forkball or palmball requires finesse. Somehow when god passed out finesse Bonderman thought he said "finish" and he walked away from the distribution line.
Bonderman is on the verge of being an absolutely dominant pitcher but without a finesse pitch he will alwasys be just a good ol' boy.
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