Injury roundup: Taveras at 80 percent, Grandal not game-ready
Taveras, Yasmani Grandal, and the Phillies’ Miguel A. Gonzalez have been limited in the early going this spring.
Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny says "eighty percent isn't good enough." Well, that depends on what you're talking about. Eighty percent would be a record-setting win percentage, and it wouldn't look too bad in the batting average column of a stat sheet either; but Matheny wasn't talking stats. He was talking about the health of top prospect Oscar Taveras' ankle, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Taveras, 22, is one of the top prospects in baseball, and although the Cardinals have several players in the mix for their outfield, Taveras’ exciting skill set would certainly be a welcome addition. Unfortunately, he’s still recovering form the ankle injury that cause him to miss most of the 2013 season. Typically, prospects plummet down preseason rankings after missing a full season, but Taveras didn’t --which is indicative of his prominence in the scouting community.
Yasmani Grandal not close to game-ready
Grandal is still recovering from the knee injury that ended his 2013 season, according to UT San Diego's Jeff Sanders. He is unlikely to begin catching games any time soon due to a lack of stamina, so San Diego will likely begin the season with Nick Hundley behind the mask. MLB Depth Charts currently lists Rene Rivera as the team's backup, but top prospect Austin Hedges is in camp as a non-roster invitee. A strong spring could lead to a promotion sooner rather than later. However, Grandal is expected to be back this season, so San Diego could decide to bring Hedges along slowly, allowing him to continue working on his approach at the plate, though he could already be MLB-ready defensively.
Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez pulled from spring start
Gonzalez was scheduled to start the Phillies' spring contest against the Yankees, but he has been replaced by 24-year-old right hander David Buchanan, according to the Philly Inquirer's Matt Gelb. Gelb didn't disclose the team's concerns about Gonzlaez, but his deal was slashed from $50 million down to just $12 million due to health issues, so the Phils' current concerns could be connected to the same issue. Gonzalez has struggled in his short time with the Phillies, leading some to speculate that he might not open the season in the rotation.
Phillies' Ethan Martin to have MRI
Philadelphia has also decided to send right hander Ethan Martin off for an MRI on his pitching shoulder, according to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia. As MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports, Martin fastball was topping out at 85 mph after averaging 93 mph last season. The 24-year-old ended up in Philadelphia as part of the deal that sent Shane Voctorino to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2012. He debuted for the Phillies last season, posting a 6.08 ERA in 40 innings as a starter and reliever.
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