Ervin Santana has another setback

[Thrylos]

Sounds like the earlier reports of him playing light catch were false.   Still not cleared to throw and about to seek another opinion...

[Mike Sixel]

Ugh. I was always nervous about this. Ugh.

[Vanimal46]

The glass half full thoughts on Santana in ST are fading. Come on Romero, blow away the competition in AAA and be the 5th starter we need.

[cmoss84]

Is Romero starting their first game?

[Pitz]

 

Is Romero starting their first game?

 

The schedule on milb.com has Slegers listed for their first game on Friday. Mejia on Saturday. Romero on Sunday.

 

Seems like a forgone conclusion that Hughes will be given the first opportunity in the 5th starter role.

[howieramone2]

We were told sometime around May 1st, plenty of time to panic.

[Thrylos]

 

We were told sometime around May 1st, plenty of time to panic.

 

No way he gets to that date.   He will need:

 

a. to get throwing

b. to get throwing in game velocity

c. to get stretched to 75-100 pitches which will be the equivalent of 5 starts with 5 days rest in between. 

 

So just to get stretched, it will take 30 days before his official start.  And he cannot start that unless a and b happen.  So we are looking at a minimum of 45 days from when he gets the clearance to throw.  Were that 2-3 weeks ago, as they hoped, the May 1st situation was correct.

Now we are looking at late May.  May may actually be ready before Santana.  He is throwing and in the processes of throwing in game velocity.

[FormerMinnasotan]

Well, if Hughes struggles (as I believe he will), and Romero dominates AAA ball I can see it that Romero will become the #5 in our rotation. We just have to see 5-10 starts from Romero before he’s called up.

[prouster]

Well, if Hughes struggles (as I believe he will), and Romero dominates AAA ball I can see it that Romero will become the #5 in our rotation. We just have to see 5-10 starts from Romero before he’s called up.

That would be a long time to let Hughes struggle. My guess is that Hughes will make a couple starts, and if he's bad he'll be replaced by Slegers or Mejia. If he's not so bad (which seems not so likely) I suppose they'd roll with him until he stinks.

[Squirrel]

Sigh

[Rosterman]

Can't wait to see Hughes on the 11th. But who goes down to the farm. Moya, or the non-used Kinley cut to keep an open space, just in case?

[cmoss84]

Ubaldo Jimenez for two months? RA Dickey? Lol

 

[bird]

Neither of those tweets tells us much of anything. I think I'll wait for some information.

[Mr. Brooks]

Neither of those tweets tells us much of anything. I think I'll wait for some information.

Well if he hasn't even been cleared to throw a baseball yet, he's not starting a MLB game the first week in May, so I think it tells us a bit.

[USAFChief]

Well if he hasn't even been cleared to throw a baseball yet, he's not starting a MLB game the first week in May, so I think it tells us a bit.

At the least, the first week of May has gotten pretty doubtful.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

At the least, the first week of May has gotten pretty doubtful.

pitchers and catchers reported feb 15 for March 31 opener. 6 weeks and those guys were ready to throw a baseball.

 

Lynn was 2 weeks late, but 5th starter. He got 5 weeks-ish... didn’t look so ready.

 

 

 

Memorial Day is looking unlikely. And first week of June seems in doubt...

[Mr. Brooks]

pitchers and catchers reported feb 15 for March 31 opener. 6 weeks and those guys were ready to throw a baseball.

 

Lynn was 2 weeks late, but 5th starter. He got 5 weeks-ish... didn’t look so ready.

 

 

 

Memorial Day is looking unlikely. And first week of June seems in doubt...

Lynn was also throwing at the mock ST that the players union set up for a couple weeks.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

If he gets here by the end of July, it'll be just like we traded for a pitcher without having to lose the prospects.

[ashbury]

I warned you long ago that amputations take time to heal. Look for Ervin "Four-Finger" Santana to make his 2018 debut in September.

[nicksaviking]

I warned you long ago that amputations take time to heal. Look for Ervin "Four-Finger" Santana to make his 2018 debut in September.

Might as well finally get that frayed UCL fixed while he waits for that finger to grow back.

[DocBauer]

TRYING to be the glass is half full guy...a strong half season plus from Santana and an opportunity for Romero, May, Mejia and Slegers to audition when Hughes proves he can't do it?

[Mr. Brooks]

I don't think he'll ever be the same again after this injury.

That finger is too important for the grip of the slider.

[Number3]

Santana is unpredictable at best even when he is healthy. His performance in last year's wild card speaks volumes about what is above the neck as well as what is below it. Learn to survive without him and then go on without him. I do wish him well but I don't want to see him in a big game for the Twins again. He is a classic pitch down in the strike zone pitcher and those guys are numbered. If you can't pitch high, you can't pitch.

[Dantes929]

 

Santana is unpredictable at best even when he is healthy. His performance in last year's wild card speaks volumes about what is above the neck as well as what is below it. Learn to survive without him and then go on without him. I do wish him well but I don't want to see him in a big game for the Twins again.  

No need to go there.  He won plenty of big games for us and I would be happy to see him out there again.  Berrios didn't do so hot in that game either.  Do we write him off as well?   The list is endless of good pitchers that didn't do well in any specific big game.    Kershaw, Verlander, Morris, and Darvish are just the first names that come to mind who had multiple clunkers in playoff games.

[jimmer]

No need to go there. He won plenty of big games for us and I would be happy to see him out there again. Berrios didn't do so hot in that game either. Do we write him off as well? The list is endless of good pitchers that didn't do well in any specific big game. Kershaw, Verlander, Morris, and Darvish are just the first names that come to mind who had multiple clunkers in playoff games.

Bingo

[prouster]

Santana is unpredictable at best even when he is healthy. His performance in last year's wild card speaks volumes about what is above the neck as well as what is below it. Learn to survive without him and then go on without him. I do wish him well but I don't want to see him in a big game for the Twins again. He is a classic pitch down in the strike zone pitcher and those guys are numbered. If you can't pitch high, you can't pitch.

Clearly the guy with 13 big league seasons and almost 30 career WAR is a head case.

[Thrylos]

 

TRYING to be the glass is half full guy...a strong half season plus from Santana and an opportunity for Romero, May, Mejia and Slegers to audition when Hughes proves he can't do it?

 

Agreed; however Mejia and Slegers have already auctioned.  May did too, and fared better than the other two, but he is a new pitcher now.

 

#FreeFernandoRomero

[Teddy]

Any word on how Trevor May is progressing?  Could he be ready to take Big Erv's spot come June 1 if Erv is set back further?

[John Kelsey]

Mejia was already a serviceable 4/5 last year, why is he being overlooked? He seems like the clear choice until Romero is ready/Santana is back. 

[bird]

 

Well if he hasn't even been cleared to throw a baseball yet, he's not starting a MLB game the first week in May, so I think it tells us a bit.

 

 

Those two tweets really tell us nothing we didn't know. From the start, they estimated he'd be out 10-12 weeks. It looks like that was aggressive, but we have not been told he had a medical setback, which WOULD be concerning. Today's Strib article DOES tell us a little more, but not much more, in that he's having the finger examined, as previously scheduled and not because of some worrisome halt in his rehab progress, which seems to be the direction people want to go. According to the article, he's been doing exercises that include the one Molitor innocuously called "very light throwing".

 

That said, it looks like, at best, he won't be ready until after the 12 week mark. Again, I'm going to wait until we hear what his throwing program looks like before jumping to conclusions or reading into things that tell us nothing new.