Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

by Ryan on Mar 3, 2008 11:17 PM EST in News Comment 27 comments

Coming into this season, the Indians had one of baseball's deepest collection of major-league starters. Cue the injuries:

Jake Westbrook had his first start of the spring pushed back a few days because of arm soreness, but he came through his first outing unscathed on Sunday.

"My arm felt good," Westbrook said after working a 1-2-3 inning against the Tigers. "It feels a lot better than it did [Thursday]. I'll get into my routine, and hopefully I'll progress."

Adam Miller has been battling a blister, though it appears all is clear now.

Top pitching prospect Adam Miller said that the blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand has completely healed.

Miller is slated to do some long-tossing Monday. He'll then progress to bullpen sessions on the side before taking part in any Grapefruit League games.

With Trot Nixon taking his true grit to Arizona, the Indians are a bit short in the intangibles department this spring. But don't worry...the club's busy developing a new crop of grinders:

Catcher Wyatt Toregas, who popped the dislocated tip of his left index finger into place Sunday against the Tigers, said he should be ready to catch today.

Toregas was hit by a pitch on his glove hand in the eight inning.

"It was pointed straight up," said Toregas. "I just popped it back into place."

Asked whether the process was as easy as it sounded, Toregas said, "No, I had to grind it."

As for that other Indians player who's often injured, I won't mention his name this spring for his own safety.

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Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

And Cliff Lee has the flu.

by Voltaire on Mar 4, 2008 8:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

Asked whether the process was as easy as it sounded, Toregas said, "No, I had to grind it."

I don't know about you guys, but I don't think I'm interested in eating breakfast anymore. Yikes.

by zempf on Mar 4, 2008 9:13 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

Anytime "no, I had to grind it" is involved in the answer to a medical question I think you can assume it was painful.

I swear, next year is it.

by fwembt on Mar 4, 2008 10:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

not for Sal Fasano.

by Brick. on Mar 4, 2008 10:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

The punchline that never fails.

ken from alexandria

by ken from alexandria on Mar 4, 2008 11:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

why doesn't the poll have B-Fran or Choo or Crowe or Brown as a choice?

by Brick. on Mar 4, 2008 12:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

Did you just inadvertently put a ban on mentioning the name of one of our minor league players? Are we putting him in the Lord Voldemort bin? I mean, if he continues to be uninjured, we can hardly jinx it, right? Is three questions too much for one paragraph? Four? Wait...not sure I see the end of this, so I'll quit this post uncorrect.

Me fail English?

by Thommy on Mar 5, 2008 1:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

I'm just going to go ahead and get this started.

by Thommy on Mar 5, 2008 1:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

If we get him to see Fausto's dentist, he might develop into a nice prospect...

by CaptainEasy on Mar 5, 2008 10:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

I have to try something different this year. Every time I talk about HWMNBN (or, more specifically, HWMNBNOHGH), he gets hurt.

I mean, if he continues to be uninjured, we can hardly jinx it, right?

Well, isn't that the point of not talking about him?

Are we putting him in the Lord Voldemort bin?

Maybe the bizarro Voldemort bin. In this case, the danger doesn't go from the subject to the speaker, it goes from the speaker to the subject.

by Ryan on Mar 5, 2008 8:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

I always thought HWMNBN was guy we got Jeff Stevens for. Am thoroughly confused now.

by talonk on Mar 5, 2008 3:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

That's unpossible.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Mar 5, 2008 3:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

Matt Miller signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox a month ago? Where the heck was I?

And yes, I still contend Miller was shafted while he was here.

by supermarioelia on Mar 5, 2008 11:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

by Jay on Mar 5, 2008 11:37 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

I'll assume you're confused why I think he was shafted.

How many times last year did Eddie Moo get called up and down, crapping the bed every second appearance, while Miller was doing a lights-out job in Buffalo with no attention? Sure injuries explained a huge part of why he spent major time in Buffalo, but he seemed to be the forgetten son for much of the season. The guy made all of two appearances with the big club, both in June. I can't believe that giving up one game-winning hit to the Reds in June after Aaron Fultz set the table was the reason he was looked over so many times.

I posed this question at least ten times here without an answer, so if you know why he wasn't called up even in September, I'd love to hear it. I know he started to struggle late in the season which explained why they wouldn't actually use him, but to not even bring the guy up in September after 4 years with the organization? Seemed weird.

Is this a minor thing? Hell yes, Matt Miller is pretty insignificant, and played no role in our long-term plans. But it frustrated me all of last year to see the poor guy stuck in Buffalo.

by supermarioelia on Mar 5, 2008 3:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

+1, me too. He was lights-out for us when we gave him the chance.

by Voltaire on Mar 5, 2008 4:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

Okay, first, let's put away the violins. Four years with the organization? How about less than four months on the 25-man roster in 2005, 2006 and 2007 combined?

The September call-up thing isn't too hard to figure out. They obviously had no plans to keep him beyond 2007, and he wasn't eligible for the postseason roster. September wasn't a pleasure cruise in 2007, we had a division title to clinch and players to evaluate for the playoffs.

Miller started the season on the DL, came off in May, had control problems. He was more or less lights out in June and July, and there were moments when he could have been called up, but often timing is everything on a quick little call up. Maybe Mujica had the fresher arm, hadn't pitched that day or the day before. Maybe Miller was feeling a little soreness or twinge, something minor, but they didn't want to use him for a day or two. He did not rack up many innings in any month.

Maybe they didn't want to jerk a veteran around, back and forth from Cleveland to Buffalo, when they knew they didn't have an ongoing roster spot available. Mujica was never called up with the intent to keep him more than a few days.

Bottom line, we don't know, and if it weren't for 17 really good innings, nobody would care. If it makes you feel any better, he got paid anyway. He had a 560K guaranteed contract, regardless of whether he was in the majors.

by Jay on Mar 5, 2008 8:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

I'll be honest, I loved his glasses.

The issue of timing I think is central to this whole situation, because from what I've seen from him he certainly has the stuff to contribute meaningfully. It was just that his timeline with injuries and effectiveness just didn't fit into ours as an organization. The nice thing I guess is that he's a reliever, so even if he does "pan out", it won't be for a significant period of time that will make us jealous.

I would've liked to have heard more from the FO about what was going on with him in Buffalo, because now that you mention I definitely remember the infreqency of some of his appearances with the Bisons. But again, it's Matt Miller so I guess they didn't feel the need to give us daily updates.

by supermarioelia on Mar 5, 2008 9:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Spring Training Roundup: Injury Edition

Agreed on all points. I also loved his glasses, believed in his ability to help us, and would have liked more information. I suspect if you went through the daily Bisons stories for last season, you'd pull out a lot more detail on this, but I also suspect neither of us will do that.

by Jay on Mar 6, 2008 11:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs