Opening Day for the majority of MLB teams begin this week and the injury bug has already taken many players off the diamond and onto the DL. Here are five key players that are a part of that list:
1. Clayton Kershaw-SP-Dodgers- 15-Day DL- Upper back inflammation. No way will manager Don Matingly rush his ace pitcher back. Described as just ‘muscle tightness, Kershaw shouldn’t remain on the DL too long.
#22-LHP Clayton Kershaw landed on the DL for the first time in his 6-year career. Photo: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
2. Gordon Beckham-2B-White Sox- 15-Day DL- (Strained left oblique) Look for Marcus Semien to take over at second base until Berckham returns.
3. Michael Bourn- OF-Indians- 15-Day DL- (Strained left hamstring) It is not anticipated that Bourn will miss significant playing time, but the speedy lead-off hitter will need to be at full strength before returning.
4. Marco Scutaro-2B-Giants- 15-Day-DL- (Back injury) Scutaro will have an undetermined amount of time on the DL as he has not played all that much during the exhibition season.
#19 Sure-handed 2B Marco Scutaro will need to get into game shape after missing most of Spring training due to back issues. Photo: AP
5. Carlos Quentin-OF-Padres- 15-Day DL- (Left knee injury) No word on how long the oft-injured power hitter will be out. He already has missed around 80 games in each of the last two seasons.
Questionable to play on Opening Day: Shane Victorino-Red Sox (Hamstring)
FANTASY FURNACE 
It’s not so much the players on the DL but consider also the money tied up in the contracts concerning those players . Speaking of contracts , is there something wrong with Tigers’ ace Max Scherzer , who turned down the team’s six-year $144 million deal . ? I know Scott Boras just happens to be his agent , but even Boras is not that dumb to think he can dupe GM Dave Dombrowski .
Your thoughts on the ongoing morass and this idiotic thought that the Sixers are tanking their season in order to get that Lottery Pick in the draft ?
Let me know what you think ?
MLB piece
http://tophatal.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/who-says-that-the-nations-greatest-ever-pastime-is-dead/
NBA
http://tophatal.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-woods-can-it-be-heard-from-afar/
LikeLike
Firstly, I don’t know what Scherzer is smoking, but apparently Boras is telling him that someone out there is willing to give him a better deal. Who that team is I have not idea. Atlanta is desperate after losing Medlin and now Minor is on the DL. They are devoid of starting pitchers but we like Alex Wood as a RP turned SP. Will they spend THAT kind of money on Scherzer? Not sure, nothing shocks me in MLB anymore, but I doubt it.
As for the 76ers, I am one of those that is convinced that, notwithstanding the inept management of the club as a whole, they are on a mission to compete with the Bucks for a shot at that #1 lottery pick. What have they got to lose Al….another game?!?
LikeLike
When you’re dealing with GM like the Detroit Tigers’ Dave Dombrowski you don’t push his buttons . I don’t think Scherzer how quickly the Tigers were able to get rid of Prince Fielder and send him off to Texas, without his feet touching the ground . The bad side of the trade , is that the Tigers remain on the hook for $30 million of Fielder’s remaining contract , as part of finite details worked out in the trade.
Sixers’ owner Josh Harris made his money as venture capitalist , buying or leveraging companies and then breaking them up for other undetermined assets . His company Apollo Global Management is well-respected in the field , but someone should remind him there’s a big difference between corporate entity (industrial company) employing thousands and that of a professional sports’ franchise at best employing 200 people that’s barely worth $500 million and has their games sparsely attended .
What the Sixers are doing is intentional and in no way has anything with them trying to be competitive. If they miss out on either Jabari Parker or Andre Wiggins,. they will be screwed . And someone should explain to both Joshua Harris and GM Stan Hinkie , how the actual lottery system works . Because having the worst or second worst record does not guarantee that first or second pick in the first round of the draft even with the team’s record being amongst the five worst in the league .
LikeLike
The Braves are going to have issues for the first two months of the season and I am not so sure that manager Fredi Gonzalez is the guy , I want to be handling that type of adversity ! I believe him to be far too soft and not willing to hold his players accountable when they screw up . There was evidence of that in the way they wimped out in the postseason last year . As a Braves’ fan, I was completely disgusted with the team’s lack of effort !
LikeLike
The money Clayton Kershaw is earning as he chills on the bench could feed a small country for a day. A small country . . like America. Seriously speaking, I hope he’s back soon. Good dude with great stuff.
LikeLike