Mastroianni to the DL, Arcia is coming back

[70charger]

I'm having a hard time understanding the angst over Mastro. He was healthy enough to appear in 8 games through the 15th, including a complete game the 9th and 15th. He never sat for more than 3 days without getting into a game, including off days and cancellations. He was put on the DL one game after playing a full 9 innings. His role is a bench player. I have often complained in the past about the Twins playing short because they are often slow to put players on the DL. This doesn't appear to be one of those cases. If anything, it's the opposite.

 

Then apparently you shouldn't vote. Or something.

 

High-level discourse on this one...

[Nick Nelson]

It is interesting that they didn't call up anyone who adds depth at CF, which suggests that Hicks is pretty safe at the moment. I feel like there's been a noticeable change in him over the past couple games -- seems to be getting a little more comfortable in the box. Credit to Bruno?

[kab21]

It really sounds like the reports that this is his spring training injury "flaring up" are not entirely accurate. My understanding is that he's actually been available most of this time, the concern was more that they weren't sure he could play a full nine innings.

 

We may not have even noticed the issue yesterday, except that it happened to coincide with Hammer getting sick.

 

Guys sprain their ankles. It happens. They were forced to scratch him, and then immediately after the game they put him on the DL and brought back Arcia. What more do you want?

 

Perhaps you didn't notice this.

"Obviously, his legs are a huge part of his game," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "This has lingered on for a while."

[Badsmerf]

Hicks needs to get regular time until May IMO. Moving him now is not giving him enough of a chance to adjust. Bring him North out of ST looks like a mistake at this point, but giving up on him too early would only compound the move. If he doesn't start making progress by the end of the 2 weeks he needs to go to AAA and work on things.

[kab21]

3 BB's, 0 K's in his last 5 PA's since moving down in the lineup. I guess that's progress.

[SweetOne69]

@Kab21, I believe that Mastro has 2 leg injuries. The first is the shin problem that he has be dealing with since ST which he has been playing through. The second is the sprained ankle that occurred on Monday which he obviously can't play with.

[SweetOne69]

I stand corrected. According to the article on the Twins' website it is the same injury that originally occurred in ST when he fouled a pitch off of his ankle. He has since re-aggravated the injury twice this season (the latest being Monday night) so they decided it was time to shut him down until it is fully recovered.

[jimbo92107]

The Twins are suddenly very thin in CF.

 

The Rangers need to trade Julio Borbon by tomorrow afternoon. Orioles, Astros and Mets are reported to be interested. Should the Twins be interested?

 

I bet they could run Eduardo Escobar out there into center field. Did you see the play he made late in last night's game in Left? Almost gunned down Trumbo, who quite reasonably figured he could stretch his down-the-line single on an emergency replacement outfielder. Instead, Escobar got there fast, cut off the carom early, and then zang! his throw would have nailed Trumbo by twenty feet!

 

BTW, Pedro Florimon's throw from deep short to first to end the game was maybe the hardest throw I've seen from a guy in Twins uniform for several years. Even for a shortstop, Florimon's got a cannon. I wonder if he could pitch an inning... ;-)

[Guest USAFChief]

Perhaps you didn't notice this.

I noticed he played the full 9 innings as recently as Monday, one day before going on the DL. There have been many cases in the past where the Twins reluctance to put players on the DL has left them needlessly short handed. I've called them out for it. On the other hand, if you put players on the DL every time they're a little dinged up, you'd never have your regular lineup on the field. Players deal with with not being 100% pain or injury free all the time. The season is 6 months long, it happens all the time. I have a hard time understanding how people think he should have been DL'd when he played in 8 of the first 12 games.

[ashbury]

Now let's see if Gardy's magic "Walking Shoe" can get Mastro back to 100% by May 1.

 

It's working for the team as a whole; they are third in the league in bases on balls at this writing.

[IdahoPilgrim]

Setting aside the laughable defense that a backup doesn't need to be healthy because he's not 'going to play anyway', Mastro is the only backup to a double A guy batting about zero, so that basically makes him a defacto starter for a franchise with no decent alternative.

 

And you're fine with yet another injured Twin finally landing on the DL after days or weeks of limited availability? That's cool, as long as you've stopped voting.

 

Seriously, man, don't vote. Otherwise you're passing unqualified judgement on professional politicians, just like I'm unqualified to claim that the Twins training/medical staff are pretty bad at identifying and treating injuries.

 

But that's the beauty of America - anybody can pass an unqualified judgment on any topic at any time.

 

And which judgment is qualified and which is unqualified is not always easily discerned. Many so-called experts, even in these forums, are in reality self-appointed, whose judgments are in actuality no more qualified than the "unqualified" ones.

 

For myself I have no illusions - I am completely unqualified to offer my opinions on many of these issues. But I'm not going away!

[bird]

I noticed he played the full 9 innings as recently as Monday, one day before going on the DL. There have been many cases in the past where the Twins reluctance to put players on the DL has left them needlessly short handed. I've called them out for it. On the other hand, if you put players on the DL every time they're a little dinged up, you'd never have your regular lineup on the field. Players deal with with not being 100% pain or injury free all the time. The season is 6 months long, it happens all the time. I have a hard time understanding how people think he should have been DL'd when he played in 8 of the first 12 games.

 

Quit making so much sense, Chief. Someone's gonna confiscate your voter registration card yadda yadda...

[cmathewson]

This says he's going ON the disabled list. On.

 

He was in the game for 5 at bats last night; he's going on the DL today. What's the problem here?

 

He re-injured it towards the end of the game, on a cut in the field. He's played in two games as a regular and both times he was really hurting afterwards. This time, he could barely walk off the field. I'm not a doctor, but I had a similar injury that lingered. After three months, we went back for X-Rays and it showed there had been microfractures all along, they just didn't show up on the X-Rays at first because of all the swelling. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing is happening here. Reportedly, he's walking in a boot today.

 

The crap in question is the medical staff letting a player talk them into hanging around on the bench while thinning the bench in the process. He should have been disabled to start the year. We've had a short bench because of it for the whole year.

 

I don't blame Mastro; This was his first chance to start the year with the big club and he wasn't going to let a little bone bruise get in the way. But the player should not have any say in the matter. The medical staff should say he needs to go on the DL, not let something like this linger for three weeks before disabling him.

[Guest USAFChief]

Not according to DicknBert and Whatshername- the mouthpieces and the potted plant practically had Mastro facing amputation since April 1. Seriously, if this is even partially true, the Twins have been dangerously thin in CF for quite some time, especially in light of the starting rookie CF who is threatening to set all-time records in futility. Poor foresight all the way around.

 

Now let's see if Gardy's magic "Walking Shoe" can get Mastro back to 100% by May 1.

Speaking of "in through the nose, my friend" ... dangerously thin? They have a rookie centerfielder who should be able to play 155 games or more, if necessary, unless injured. Believe it or not, position players can, and have, played every game in a season before. Whether or not Hicks is actually ready for major league baseball is not the same as not having a center fielder. They don't currently have good options for a full time CFer, I agree, but how does DLing Mastro solve that?

[Guest USAFChief]

Quit making so much sense, Chief. Someone's gonna confiscate your voter registration card yadda yadda...

Well, I voted for Obama--twice--so I'm sure there are posters here who would agree with that idea.

[kab21]

I noticed he played the full 9 innings as recently as Monday, one day before going on the DL. There have been many cases in the past where the Twins reluctance to put players on the DL has left them needlessly short handed. I've called them out for it. On the other hand, if you put players on the DL every time they're a little dinged up, you'd never have your regular lineup on the field. Players deal with with not being 100% pain or injury free all the time. The season is 6 months long, it happens all the time. I have a hard time understanding how people think he should have been DL'd when he played in 8 of the first 12 games.

 

He has been used sparingly during 6 of those games while Hicks has been hopelessly flailing and needed some time off. If he Mastroianni had been available he would have played in more than just 2 games.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Well, I voted for Obama--twice--so I'm sure there are posters here who would agree with that idea.

Twice in the same election?

[Guest USAFChief]

... Hicks has been hopelessly flailing and needed some time off. If he Mastroianni had been available he would have played in more than just 2 games.

"Yeah, well..y'know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man..."

[ashbury]

3 BB's, 0 K's in his last 5 PA's since moving down in the lineup. I guess that's progress.

 

Pitchers don't try to strike out batters in the #8 slot. It's called showing him up. Another one of baseball's unwritten rules.

[ashbury]

"Yeah, well..y'know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man..."

 

Hippie.

[Guest USAFChief]

Hippie.

I abide.

[ashbury]

I abide.

 

Sorry, I missed the reference until you spelled it out, dude.

[kab21]

"Yeah, well..y'know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man..."

 

I have no idea what kind of sarcasm this is meant to portray.

 

My opinion is that Mastro's ankle has been getting mentioned as a nagging issue for 3 weeks and he's barely played. And Hicks has clearly needed a breather to sort things out.

[Nick Nelson]

I have no idea what kind of sarcasm this is meant to portray.

 

My opinion is that Mastro's ankle has been getting mentioned as a nagging issue for 3 weeks and he's barely played. And Hicks has clearly needed a breather to sort things out.

 

It was a Big Lebowski reference.

 

What would be your proposed alternative? If they had DL'd Mastroianni, who is the CF that would be up on the big-league roster giving Hicks these breathers? Benson is the only option on the 40-man and he has no business being in the majors right now.

[Oldgoat_MN]

I'm excited to see Arcia coming back. IMHO this kid is the best pure hitter in the Twins system not named Mauer.

 

And all the best to Mastro, of course. I really believe that when he comes back Arcia will have earned his spot on the team and will not be the guy getting sent down to make room for Darin.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Oswaldo Arcia, human ping pong ball!

 

I look forward to his demotion tomorrow after a tribal doctor lays hands on Mastrioanni's leg and he returns to active duty.

[Guest USAFChief]

I have no idea what kind of sarcasm this is meant to portray.

 

My opinion is that Mastro's ankle has been getting mentioned as a nagging issue for 3 weeks and he's barely played. And Hicks has clearly needed a breather to sort things out.

 

My opinions: Hicks has gotten two "breathers" in the first 2 weeks. That's more than enough "breathers," if anything, one too many. Whether or not he should be in major league baseball is a separate issue. If he is, he needs to be playing pretty much every day, so the Mastro issue has little to do with Hicks. And as has been noted, Mastro has been in over half the Twins games, and played nine innings the day before he was DL'd. Who would you have sat in order for Mastro to play more? Willingham? Parmelee? Who?

[cmathewson]

It was a Big Lebowski reference.

 

What would be your proposed alternative? If they had DL'd Mastroianni, who is the CF that would be up on the big-league roster giving Hicks these breathers? Benson is the only option on the 40-man and he has no business being in the majors right now.

 

The alternative is someone not on the 40-man. The two available in Rochester who can play center (though not all that well) are Boggs and Thomas. Boggs had a very good spring and nearly beat out Wilkin for the 25th man. I don't think either is an option to start a lot of games. But just to give Hicks a break when he was clearly struggling would have been a blessing. Purportedly (Phil Miller, I think) Gardy asked Mastro about it three times in the first week and he said he couldn't play for a full game. At that point, they should have DLed him and brought up Boggs, imho.

[Brock Beauchamp]

My opinions: Hicks has gotten two "breathers" in the first 2 weeks. That's more than enough "breathers," if anything, one too many. Whether or not he should be in major league baseball is a separate issue. If he is, he needs to be playing pretty much every day, so the Mastro issue has little to do with Hicks. And as has been noted, Mastro has been in over half the Twins games, and played nine innings the day before he was DL'd. Who would you have sat in order for Mastro to play more? Willingham? Parmelee? Who?

 

I believe that Hicks has needed some breathers but with the rainout and a couple days off, he's had enough time off to gather himself and rest. I agree that he needs to play nearly every day if he's going to be on the roster. I might feel differently if the Twins were on a 20 consecutive game stretch of the season but this early on, he's had plenty of time to rest without missing many games.

[ashbury]

What would be your proposed alternative? If they had DL'd Mastroianni,

 

To DL, or not to DL, that is not the question. To me it's a red herring. Instead it's a nagging injury that the Twins' medical staff did not find an answer to.

 

It "lingered", in Terry Ryan's word (makes me worry the implication is "malingered", too), for a while, finally they decided in some fashion for him to just play on it, and a day later it became enough of an issue to DL him for it.

 

Doctors and trainers aren't miracle workers, and I'm sure every team goes through diagnoses and prognoses like this one. Still, now that we are sensitized to it, it rankles to go through the maybe-he-can, maybe-he-can't, status for Darin for several weeks. If it's some kind of stress fracture that wasn't caught until repeated stress made it acute, that's bad.

 

I don't know how to judge a medical staff, you just have to collect anecdotal evidence until a bigger picture emerges. That, to me, is what the hoohah is about.