The Cardinals released this image today on their Facebook page saying that Jason Motte was enjoying the new ladies night giveaways, but I think they’re just covering. It’s obvious to me that it’s a new cutting edge rehabilitation technique for his elbow.
A week ago Jon Jay was hitting .197 and Mike Matheny started giving him some time off to work on his swing timing. Shane Robinson got an opportunity to play more while Matt Carpenter got a chance to hit leadoff a bit. Jay got a day off and the next day responded with a pinch hit to snap a 21 plate appearance hitless streak. Since then he has gone 4-for-8 with two walks.
We spent weeks pining for Joe Kelly‘s opportunity in the bullpen and he’s not been as effective as many were hoping. I was arguing for it because it was a why not situation. Most of your other options are tossing batting practice. Something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in Kelly’s stats is that while he was effective in the rotation he isn’t the overpowering presence that people believe he is. Continue reading
Yesterday was the UCB trip to the ballpark where select members received the opportunity to have a brief Q&A session with John Mozeliak and Bill DeWitt III. My question for the team’s General Manager would have been when do the bullpen issues reach critical mass and require the team to start making moves? The answer? Today. Marc Rzepczynski will be headed to Memphis while Seth Maness should catch up with the big league club today. It was a surprise selection considering the struggles of the team’s setup guy and expected closer Mitchell Boggs.
Rzepczynski has allowed 16 baserunners in his 8 innings of work for a 7.88 ERA. He isn’t even doing his job as a lefty specialist, left handed hitters are teeing off of him with a .385 batting average.
Maness, 24, was an 11th round pick of the Cardinals in the 2011 draft. He has gained a reputation for being a control pitcher, walking just 18 batters in 248 minor league innings. Last season in Springfield he went 11-3 with a 2.97 ERA. This season in Memphis he has a 4.32 ERA to begin the season. Continue reading
ESPN posted this image to their Baseball Tonight Facebook page tonight with the caption, “The best pitcher in baseball is ____?” I just want to know how anyone with any knowledge of baseball kept a straight face while creating and then posting this graphic.
I get what they were doing. These are all pitchers who have 4 wins and 0 losses. Which we all know is the end-all-be-all of pitching statistics to determine ability, right? When you look deeper, not only is Lance Lynn not one of the top-5 pitchers in baseball, he’s only the fifth best starter on the Cardinals.
But this is ESPN after all. And that sad part is that everyone knows it.
Matt Adams‘ hot start will have to wait for its next chance to burn as the Cardinals announced today that they have placed him on the 15 day disabled list retroactive to April 22nd. Adams had complained about tightness in his back and visited the club doctor yesterday to review the injury. Apparently it’s bad enough to side line him for a couple weeks.
Adams had been hitting .542 with 3 home runs in the 8 games he’d played in this season. His slugging percentage currently stands at 1.042.
In his place the club has purchased the contract of infielder Jermaine Curtis. Curtis, 25, was a fifth round pick of the Cardinals in the 2008 draft out of UCLA. He split time between Springfield and Memphis last season and amassed a line of .310/.419/.373 with a home run and 25 RBI. He is off to a solid start in Memphis this season, posting a .292 batting average with a home run and 17 RBI in 17 games. Continue reading
