REPORT: Miguel Sano Sprains Right Ankle

[Parker Hageman]

Twins general manager Terry Ryan told reporters before Sunday's game in Oakland that Miguel Sano had sprained his right ankle in the pregame prior to Saturday night's contest. This morning, Sano was at O.co Stadium on a pair of crutches:

 

 

According to the Pioneer Press's Mike Berardino, Ryan said the Twins were in wait-and-see mode regarding Sano's status. 

[mickeymental]

hello oswaldo.

[Squirrel]

Oh cripes. We really can't have pretty things. Sigh.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

No, we can't.

 

Next man up. Who else wants to play today?

[drock2190]

It's April 1st right?

[DuluthFan]

Well I put this entirely on the posters who were wanting Arcia back on the team. There you go! There is now an open position at DH for Arcia to fill.

 

 

 

 

 

[USAFChief]

Poop.

[GCTF]

 

hello oswaldo.

You spelled Bernier wrong.

[Rosterman]

The return of WIlkin Ramirez! Or another pitcher! Why? We can have Nunez or Escobar DH!

 

With an offday Monday, doubt the will make a decision until arriving in Los Angeles.

 

Hunter would probably DH today after taking a ball off his arm. 

[jorgenswest]

What helps more today? Robinson's speed and glove or Arcia's bat?

 

They chose Robinson. Let's hope they chose correctly.

[jun]

 

hello oswaldo.

welcome back vargas

[jun]

 

What helps more today? Robinson's speed and glove or Arcia's bat?

They chose Robinson. Let's hope they chose correctly.

I prefer Vargas over Arcia

[HitInAPinch]

Sano sprained the ankle before the game.  And they let him play.  Unbelievable. 

 

Oswaldo has been playing very well recently.  I'd say he's the next man standing.

[Mike Sixel]

Why did he play yeaterday?

[drjim]

 

Why did he play yeaterday?

 

Because it was a turned ankle

[DaveW]

He hit what should have been the game winning RBI.

[drjim]

 

He hit what should have been the game winning RBI.

 

Exactly. Don't need to bring back an ethos of not playing. If you turn an ankle warming up you can get it taped and have a 3-4 hour window of still being able to play.

 

I would also say that unless this is much worse than they are leading on (and I doubt it) someone like Plouffe might have played today. This is probably protecting a young player from trying to overdo it, I suspect he'll be back in the lineup on Tuesday.

[TheLeviathan]

In my experience, a twisted ankle takes about a day to swell and hurt.  At least, whenever I've turned one I've always felt the lag in pain/immobility took more time than other injuries.

 

Plus, as a DH, he probably wasn't noticing it as much sitting around between at-bats.

[drjim]

 

In my experience, a twisted ankle takes about a day to swell and hurt.  At least, whenever I've turned one I've always felt the lag in pain/immobility took more time than other injuries.

 

Plus, as a DH, he probably wasn't noticing it as much sitting around between at-bats.

 

My experience too. Sprain an ankle, tape it up, play the rest of the game, and then it starts to hurt like hell.

 

Here's hoping he's a fast healer.

[DJSim22]

I thought I heard he was fielding at first base when it happened.  Is that true?  Should we read anything into that? 

[Pius Jefferson]

What's the cut off between DL and playing a man short for a couple of games?

[jokin]

 

I thought I heard he was fielding at first base when it happened.  Is that true?  Should we read anything into that? 

 

He's been taking reps there, at 3B and in the OF since his call-up.  The Twins are being proactive  in the sense of preparing Sano for chances to be inserted into the alternative positions both in order to give veterans a day off and anticipative of potential injury at one of those other positions.

[drjim]

He's been taking reps there, at 3B and in the OF since his call-up. The Twins are being proactive in the sense of preparing Sano for chances to be inserted into the alternative positions both in order to give veterans a day off and anticipative of potential injury at one of those other positions.

I also think Plouffe isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Nor should he.

[stringer bell]

 

I also think Plouffe isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Nor should he.

Plouffe is headed home pretty soon to be with his wife and the coming bundle of joy.

[jokin]

 

I also think Plouffe isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Nor should he.

 

Absolutlely right.  It's still hard to imagine ever being able to say this back in 2013, but he's showing himself to be a leader and a stabilizing influence on this team, both in the middle of the order and on the left side of the infield.

 

Consider this.  It's universally accepted that the deadline trade of Yoenis Cespedes sunk the A's playoff chances last season, as he was reportedly the heart and soul of the A's offense up to that point- in where they had the best record in all of baseball on July 30, 2014.  Or course, no one expressed over-exceeding caution or concerns about the implications of the trade at the time.

 

Here's Cespedes hitting line while with Oakland up until the day he was traded, July 30, 2014:

 

.256/.303/.464/(.767)  wRC+ 116 bWAR 2.8 dWAR 0.3

 

Here's Plouffe's hitting line through today's game, July 19, 2014:

 

.259/.321/.455/(.775) wRC+ 115 bWAR 2.7 dWAR 0.7

 

Remarkably similar line in the middle of the order.... I have no idea, and doubt that the Twins would follow a stat line this closely and draw the same conclusion, but I do think at this point of the season that they have already concluded that moving Plouffe out for an uncertain gain in return of trade, plus handing the position to a rookie, is worth even considering the risk- in the sense of the type of disruption and impolsion that happened in Oakland just last year.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I don't think it was losing Cespedes that necessarily sunk the 2014 A's, but that his effective replacement was Sam Fuld.  (Which meant no cushion when a few of their other hitters had epic collapses, chiefly Moss and Crisp.)

 

I guess the Twins could be in a similar boat this year if we had to replace Plouffe with Escobar or Nunez.

[Linus]

 

What's the cut off between DL and playing a man short for a couple of games?

If you are Gardy, you let the player talk you into a few days off, then a few more and then they go on the 15 day DL after sitting for 12 days.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I don't think it was losing Cespedes that necessarily sunk the 2014 A's, but that his effective replacement was Sam Fuld.  (Which meant no cushion when a few of their other hitters had epic collapses, chiefly Moss and Crisp.)

 

I guess the Twins could be in a similar boat this year if we had to replace Plouffe with Escobar or Nunez.

 

the hitters that replaced him produced almost the same exact offense (somehow)......it was other issues that sunk that (iirc). Which might be what you are saying.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

the hitters that replaced him produced almost the same exact offense (somehow)......

I don't think so.  Cespedes had a 116 wRC+ before the trade.  In the month of August, Oakland LFers had a 77 wRC+, and then a 61 for September.

 

August/September 2014

 

Moss 25 starts in LF, 76 wRC+

Fuld 14 starts in LF, 68 wRC+

Gomes 14 starts in LF, 62 wRC+

[jokin]

 

I don't think so.  Cespedes had a 116 wRC+ before the trade.  In the month of August, Oakland LFers had a 77 wRC+, and then a 61 for September.

 

August/September 2014

 

Moss 25 starts in LF, 76 wRC+

Fuld 14 starts in LF, 68 wRC+

Gomes 14 starts in LF, 62 wRC+

 

Exactly, which is why the "experts" point to the Cespedes trade as being a bad misjudgement on the consequences of his removal from the A's lineup.  Plouffe has virtually identical stats and wRC+ of 115, do the Twins make the same kind of move and hand over the job to a promising, but raw rookie, and with a highly unstable situation at SS, besides? I doubt it.