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| Joel Zumaya, like teammate Gary Sheffield, had major surgery last October on his right shoulder. According to the Detroit Free Press, like Sheffield, Zumaya is among the early arrivals at the Tigers’ spring-training camp, which officially opens Friday.
Unlike Sheffield, Zumaya won’t be ready for the start of the regular season. The right-hander doesn’t even know when he will throw for the first time since the surgery. And he’s working on an emotional rebound, let alone the physical one.
“I’m on a mission,” he said. “Mark my words, I’ll be back, and I’ll be able to do what I’ve been doing.”
Zumaya acknowledges that because of the shoulder surgery, he might never again throw 103 mph. His days of owning the majors’ fastest fastball, the one measured in triple digits, might have been stolen forever by his shoulder damage. A timetable for the return of the Tigers hard-thrower has not been determined.
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| Gary Sheffield said that he is swinging the bat “pain-free,” according to the Free Press. Sheffield began a rehab program in late November after undergoing shoulder surgery in October. Sheffield and the club believed his surgery last fall was to “clean up” his shoulder. But the surgeon found additional, unexpected damage: a torn labrum.
Now it’s time to envision the healthy Sheffield in a lineup that has gained Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria. If you take Sheffield’s performance in the 2 1/2 months before his injury, then project it over a full season, he would amass 50 homers and 135 RBIs. |
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| Kevin Mench, LF, Toronto Blue Jays | Tuesday 2/12, 7:07 PM CT |
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| Kevin Mench agreed to a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Dallas Morning News he'll fight for a backup outfielder's spot along with David Murphy, Nelson Cruz and Jason Botts.
Mench, 30, hit .267 for Milwaukee last year with a .746 OPS and eight homers in 101 games. He had fallen out of favor in Milwaukee and had not been able to land a major league deal this winter. But it is worth noting that Mench had consecutive 25-homer seasons while with the Rangers.
Mench has agreed to start the season at Triple-A Oklahoma if he does not make the major league roster. He would be able to request his relase if not in the majors by June 1. |
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| Clay Buchholz is the favorite to come away with the No. 5 spot in the Red Sox rotation, but Julian Tavarez will be in the thick of the competition, according to MLB.com. "The two very clear candidates for that are Clay and Julian Tavarez. I think we can't [forget to] recognize what Julian provided for us last year," said pitching coach John Farrell. "In the first two-thirds of the season, he was a very key component to our starting rotation. He gave us not only very good individual outings, but when you look at 125 to 135 innings that he pitched for us last year, that's a key role for us." Tavarez posted a 5.15 ERA in 34 games (23 starts) for the Sox last year. |
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| Craig Hansen feels like a new man heading into spring training. The reliever underwent surgery for sleep apnea in November, and he's really felt the results. "When I did the sleep study last season, they said I had 56 currencies in an hour, and the normal amount is four," Hansen told MLB.com. "They said I pretty much didn't sleep at all. I basically had no clue until I woke up the next morning and still felt tired." Hansen had a disappointing 2007 season, failing to make it up to the big leagues after spending time with the Sox in both 2005 and 2006. We'll see if more sleep can lead to better results. |
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| Orioles president Andy MacPhail told the Baltimore Sun on Monday that the club isn't close to making any other significant moves. The Cubs and Orioles have engaged in lengthy trade talks involving second baseman Brian Roberts , but despite constant media and fan speculation, the two sides haven't agreed on a package.
"Really, in the immediate, I don't see much going on in terms of a week out or so. But you don't ever know," MacPhail said.
"It's tired but it's true: If something makes sense for us, we will evaluate it. It's not different than other circumstances." RotoTimes.com sources report that the Cubs are more interested in making a move than the O's are. The Baltimore front office has traded away most of their box office attractions and must offer the fans something more than Triple-A talent. |
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| If Vance Wilson isn't ready to go at the beginning of the year, Brandon Inge will be the Tigers' backup catcher, according to the Detroit News. Inge hasn't caught an inning since 2004. His fantasy stock obviously took a huge hit with the Miguel Cabrera acquisition, but his value would be salvaged a bit if he happens to gain eligibility at catcher. |
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| Vance Wilson has not had the smoothest recovery from Tommy John surgery. He was experiencing pain and stiffness this winter, although it seems to have subsided in recent weeks. "He's throwing a little bit better," manager Jim Leyland told the Detroit News. "We'll have to wait and see. He's questionable, but I don't want to write anything off. He might be OK." If he's healthy, Wilson will begin the year as the backup to Ivan Rodriguez. Otherwise, Brandon Inge, who hasn't caught since 2004, will be No. 2 on the depth chart. |
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| Hideki Matsui may not be at full strength when position players report next week, according to the New York Daily News. The outfielder is slated to fly to Tampa today to talk to team doctors and trainers due to lingering soreness in his right knee. Matsui's knee began bothering him in late August last year, and he proceeded to hit just .185 in September. This is a definitely a situation worth monitoring. |
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| Edwin Jackson will battle for a rotation spot this spring, and since he's out of options, the Rays could send him to the bullpen if he loses out on a starter's job, according to the Tampa Tribune. Jackson went 5-15 with a 5.76 ERA last year, though he was impressive in stretches (2.45 ERA in August, including the first shutout of his career). |
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| Joba Chamberlain will prepare during spring training as a starter, but the young phenom will begin the season in the bullpen, barring injury to any of the other five main rotation members, according to the NY Post. The Yankees don't want Chamberlain to exceed his workload from last year by much more than 30 innings. The team will use Joba out of the pen for the first two months before sending him to the minors for 3-4 weeks to stretch him out in preparation to be a full-time starter in the second half. Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy will begin the year in the rotation. |
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| Livan Hernandez has signed a one-year deal with the Twins, according to RotoTimes.com sources. The Twins were just one of several organizations trying to lock Hernandez into a one-year contract. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the deal is worth $5-6 million, though Hernandez can earn more if he hits some incentives. |
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| It's not looking good for Roger Clemens. Representative Tom Davis, the ranking Republican on the congressional committee investigating steroid use in baseball, told Newsday that the affidavit of Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte backs up trainer Brian McNamee in most details. McNamee has said he gave Clemens at least 16 injections of steroids or HGH, though The Rocket says both Pettitte and McNamee are mistaken. McNamee and Clemens will testify today at a congressional hearing. |
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| It's possible Daisuke Matsuzaka won't be traveling with the Red Sox to Tokyo when the team opens up its regular season with two games against the A's on March 25-26. Dice-K's wife is due to give birth to the couple's second child around the time of the games, and she is expected to stay in Boston to deliver. Matsuzaka hasn't commented on the situation. "She's just in a very sort of delicate situation right now and I'd prefer not to answer any questions," he told the Boston Globe. |
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| Fernando Cabrera had minor surgery on his right arm over the winter, which might cause him to be a week to 10 days behind when spring training starts, according to the Baltimore Sun. Cabrera, who was claimed off waivers from the Indians last year, could be a longshot candidate for the closer role, and this news obviously won't help his chances. |
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