Thread: Nick Blackburn's Thigh Injury?

Originally Posted by Boom Boom

So how many days of sitting on the bench will it take for the Twins to retroactively place Span on the DL?

I bet he plays Friday or Saturday, but if you are right about this then something has to be done about this problem. I am not in the area, but have any of the sports "journalists" at the Strib been vehement in calling this issue out? Has anyone actually addressed Terry Ryan about this problem? And if they haven't, why not? The Twins have already done it again this year with Morneau.

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

I'd be against Duensing starting, but I'm fine with Swarzak if they then go with Manship or Slama in the bullpen. I'd be fine with Manship starting.

Bromberg could be moved up to Rochester anytime to start.

Honestly, I don't care who gets a start if it's in place of Nick Blackburn. We have seen enough of him. (or at least I have)

God yes. This "injury" business is getting absurd with the pitchers. (And give Slama a shot already. He's earned it.)

With the Twins carrying 13 pitchers they need to be more assertive about putting position players on the DL if they're hurt. Hamstring strains are notoriously slow to heal, and I have a feeling Span will be on the DL before this is resolved.

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

I'd be against Duensing starting, but I'm fine with Swarzak if they then go with Manship or Slama in the bullpen. I'd be fine with Manship starting.

I would normally agree with you based on past performance, but apparently Duensing has made some adjustments against righties this year that seems to be working. So for this year he has faced more righties than lefties and he is holding righties to a .231 and lefties to a .138 which is a lot better than his career .299 split against righties.

Duensing is probably going to get another audition for a starting spot in 2013 anyway, might as well start it now. Of course the same can be said for Swarzak, Manship and Hendricks.

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

I'd be against Duensing starting, but I'm fine with Swarzak if they then go with Manship or Slama in the bullpen. I'd be fine with Manship starting.

Bromberg could be moved up to Rochester anytime to start.

Honestly, I don't care who gets a start if it's in place of Nick Blackburn. We have seen enough of him. (or at least I have)

Curious why the preference for Swarzak over Duensing? I just hope they get Blackburn to the DL, move one of those two into the rotation and give Slama a chance in the bullpen.

Originally Posted by travistwinstalk

Im sorry to say,but Cole Devries would get hammered atthe big league level. I have followed devries career since he became a Twins and he has overcome the odds to make it to AAA. He doesn't have anything that screams major leaguer and as much as I like him and root for him there is no doubt in my mind that bringing him up would be a disaster. Since when do you reward a person for working hard and being a ok pitcher. That sounds crass but Devries is a C pitcher in the minor leagues and would be a F pitcher at the big leagues. I don't know where people all of a sudden think he is a good pitcher because he is an average pitcher. I really hope I am wrong because i respect the heck out of him with all he has been through from getting promoted and then demoted. He is a role model for fringe prospects to keep trying, but I can't say with a clean conscious that him coming up would be anything but a complete disaster. Devries is 31-42 with a 4.00 era in 6 minor league seasons nothing that screams promotion.

So basically he would fit right in with the Twins rotation.

Originally Posted by prairiejack

Curious why the preference for Swarzak over Duensing? I just hope they get Blackburn to the DL, move one of those two into the rotation and give Slama a chance in the bullpen.

Duensing is excellent as a reliever facing mostly lefties and is not good as a starter facing a bunch of righties.

I'm fine with Swarzak too, put Blackie on the DL and figure out what to do with him. Nobody is this bad so I have to believe the injury has at least something to do with it but right now he's not even worth a long relief role. BTW how much longer is his contract??? gotta be at least a yr or two.

Originally Posted by shanewahl

Duensing is excellent as a reliever facing mostly lefties and is not good as a starter facing a bunch of righties.

Agree! leaver Duensing where he's had most of his success...that's in the bullpen!

Duensing would be next in line to start over Swarzak for sure.

The Twins have 38 men on their 40-man roster; 20 pitchers and 18 position players.

I suspect that if they have to call someone for Blackburn it will be the pitcher who is listed on the 25-man roster but has been on the DL since the begining of the season and has been doing rehab appearances in Fort Myers (pitching 2 scoreless innings in 2 games). That would be Kyle Waldrop. Just my guess. Or if he is not 100%, at this point Deolis Guerra deserves the call up more than Jeff Manship who has been mediocre this season in AAA. (Matter of fact half of Rochester's roster deserves beeing called up before Manship at this point...)

Originally Posted by Dilligaf69

I'm fine with Swarzak too, put Blackie on the DL and figure out what to do with him. Nobody is this bad so I have to believe the injury has at least something to do with it but right now he's not even worth a long relief role. BTW how much longer is his contract??? gotta be at least a yr or two.

They are going to pay this joke $5.5 million next year. It's atrocious. I have no clue as to why they ever gave him that contract. It was straight-up irrational.

Originally Posted by thrylos98

The Twins have 38 men on their 40-man roster; 20 pitchers and 18 position players.

I suspect that if they have to call someone for Blackburn it will be the pitcher who is listed on the 25-man roster but has been on the DL since the begining of the season and has been doing rehab appearances in Fort Myers (pitching 2 scoreless innings in 2 games). That would be Kyle Waldrop. Just my guess. Or if he is not 100%, at this point Deolis Guerra deserves the call up more than Jeff Manship who has been mediocre this season in AAA. (Matter of fact half of Rochester's roster deserves beeing called up before Manship at this point...)

They have 39 - they have 19 position players: Butera, Doumit, Mauer, Carroll, Casilla, Dozier, Morneau, Nishioka, Parmelee, Valencia, Arcia, Benson, Komatsu, Mastroianni, Plouffe, Revere, Span, Tosoni, Willingham

It looks like the "official" list on the Twins website is incorrect - Parmelee is omitted. He was optioned to Rochester, not outrighted, so he is still on the 40-man.

Originally Posted by shanewahl

Duensing is excellent as a reliever facing mostly lefties and is not good as a starter facing a bunch of righties.

His results so far this season dispute that. He even had a 3-inning outing recently were he retired all righties he faced.

It looks like Blackburn is going to the DL instead of Doumit, but does Blackburn have options left? He isn't a 5-yr vet yet so he can be sent down without his permission, but does he have any options left or would have to clear waivers first.

Originally Posted by shanewahl

They are going to pay this joke $5.5 million next year. It's atrocious. I have no clue as to why they ever gave him that contract. It was straight-up irrational.

The Genius of Bill Smith.

That extension made no sense at the time, and, obviously, looks even worse now. No other organization in baseball would have overvalued Blackey the way the Twins did.

Where are all the Blackey apologists now?

When was the last time Blacburn got shelled (or pitched, since they are hand in hand) where there wasn't an excuse offered afterwards?
"Arm was too strong, ball wasn't sinking" "Arm was a little sore" "Leg was sore". If you can't pitch effectively (which I dont think he can do healthy or not) then don't go to the damn mound.

Originally Posted by SweetOne69

It looks like Blackburn is going to the DL instead of Doumit, but does Blackburn have options left? He isn't a 5-yr vet yet so he can be sent down without his permission, but does he have any options left or would have to clear waivers first.

He has one option left