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US Presswire photo Drew Storen hasn't appeared in a game since March 7. |
VIERA, Fla. -- It's been nearly two weeks since Drew Storen last pitched, raising questions about the Nationals closer's status.
Turns out Storen has been suffering from strep throat, and doctors have instructed him to stay away from the clubhouse for the most part for fear of infecting others on the roster.Storen has made only two appearances in Grapefruit League play, tossing a scoreless inning against the Astros on March 4 and then another scoreless inning against the Cardinals on March 7.
The Nationals had planned all along to ease their young closer into the season, not wanting to burn him out in advance of Opening Day. But ideally he would have pitched at some point in the last week.
The club believes there's still ample time for Storen, once he gets over his illness, to build up his workload and be 100 percent for the start of the season.
Manager Davey Johnson also suggested before tonight's game against the Mets that Storen was dealing with some tightness in his arm earlier this month as a result of some weight training. Storen, though, was scheduled to throw off flat ground today and would have been cleared to do that if not for the strep throat.
"His arm's fine," Johnson said.
Other injury updates...
-- Michael Morse (lat strain) and Adam LaRoche (bone bruise in heel) are in the middle of a week off from baseball activities, though both players were at Space Coast Stadium today doing conditioning drills.
-- Rick Ankiel (quad strain) is back in the lineup tonight against the Mets after missing the last 10 days.
52 comments:
oh cr@p! Last pitcher to have a strp throat had to have his elbow operated on.
(Solis)
Just a coinkydink, I'm sure.
Great to have you back in Viera down the stretch, Mark!
Jane B.. glad you liked the Koolaid (from previous post). My tickets are on the FedEx truck in Herndon. They better be at the house when I get home, or I am going to the Herndon office and picking them up tonight!
Oh, poor baby. I should take him some homemade chicken soup. Anything to get back down to Fla. And MicheleS, I'll throw in a few cookies for Det.
Thanks Mark:
Makes sense to rest Drew in that he does not have the same issues as last year and they can probably get a closer ready much easier than the starters.
Interesting lineup with Lombo leading off. I also like what I have read from Shenin about Davey taking over these last 16 games. I had no idea he let the coaches have so much control but I guess that makes sense.
The last post got rundown with people making silly comments about medical issues that they have no insights or facts on. (lat is the large triangular muscle in the upper back/Labrum is part of the shoulder joint capsule and not related at all). All we can do is trust that what is being released is factual. Now, I do understand the lack of trust with any administration but if Morse has a lat strain, then rest is the logical choice. NatsLady is right about the severity of strep. As a swim coach at the University Level it was something we really kept an eye on during the winter months. It can quickly and easily spiral into something more dangerous. Just restup Drew and stay out of the hot yoga as well.
Go Nats!! Get Healthy!!!
Strep? This is Rizzo's fault! Or are the Lerners too cheap to buy Lysol?
Who else can we blame?
;-)
We can blame Bikram yoga.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/nats-do-bikram-yoga/2012/03/20/gIQAvWhhPS_blog.html
It's the hair. Collects germs.
What about LaRoche? He's the real question to me.
sjm 308 said "(lat is the large triangular muscle in the upper back/Labrum is part of the shoulder joint capsule and not related at all)"
How can you say that? They are too related! They both start with L A.
That must be a secret signal that the Nats are going to trade Lannan and iAn to the Dodgers.
Even without Cabrera Detroit is scary.
Not that Davey is going to break records getting ejected, but I like the idea that coaches are expected to think on their own.
I can't believe Desmond gave Storen strep.
Love the dateline Mark. Hey CSN, Mark's loyal readers appreciate the great coverage provided by Mark at ST.
George Gipp died of strep throat!
From previous post, comparing Lannan to other $5 starters, Will said:
However, just a quick look at the other teams in the NL East's #5s
Mets: Dillon Gee - 4.04 career ERA
Phillies: Blanton - 4.32 ERA
Marlins: Zambrano - 3.60 ERA
Braves: Minor - 4.74 (with Delgado and Teheran eagerly waiting in the wings)
Lannan doesn't stand out as particularly impressive even just within our own division.
*******
Will, I have no idea how you decided who the "#5" was on these teams.
Marlins will start Johnson, Sanchez, Volstad, Zambrano and Buehrle. By any measure, Lannan has been better than Nolasco, and his 4.50 career ERA, and ERA's of 5.06, 4.51 and 4.67 the last three seasons.
Mets will have Mike Pelfrey in their rotation, with his 4.40 career ERA. Jonathon Niese is also a projected starter, with his 4.39 career ERA.
Your analysis is deeply flawed.
Lannan and his 3.70 ERA last year would have been one of the best #5's in the NL last year.
Thanks for the update on Drew, Mark. Hope he recovers quickly.
On a side note, I've never been happier to hear my doorbell ring -- my season tickets have arrived!
Doc Halladay concerns were a little premature methinks.
6IP,3H,1ER. Granted it was the O's but...
Being from Canada I got an overdose of Bluejays. Don't ever doubt this man.
I think NOW we'll how things are shaping up.
Sunderland I agree with Will's analysis and I've produced
solid Math to back it up. Not the antiquated ERA. Livo
was far better than Lannan and he had a worse ERA.
I'm afraid your analysis of Lannan is deeply flawed and
just plain wrong. He can't get through 5 innings and is
lucky to make it that far given the stats I use and it's a
consistent pattern over the past 5 years.
Davey's going with Wang and Detwiler not Lannan in spite of Mark's bias.
Thanks Mark for solving the great Drew mystery. I hope he doesn't pass it on to Tyler.
My season tickets have been "On FedEx vehicle for delivery" in Washington, DC since 8:21 am. That truck sure is taking a roundabout route!
mark's most recent tweet: astros close clubhouse. nothing confirmed, but sounds like bourgeois transaction in works. healthy scratch.
Both Bourgeois and catcher Quintero saying goodbye to teammates (Astros beat writer tweet)
+1/2St.
The trade is to KC, not DC.
+1/2St.
Periculum, you say:
I'm afraid your analysis of Lannan is deeply flawed and just plain wrong. He can't get through 5 innings and is lucky to make it that far given the stats I use and it's a consistent pattern over the past 5 years.
Yet Will, the commenter whose analysis you endorse, pointed this out in the previous comment thread:
And while I do think Lannan hasn't been bad, I would suspect his numbers would be quite a bit worse if he didn't have such a strong bullpen behind him. Through his career, he only averages under 6 innings (5.87) per start
You do realize, don't you, that in order to average 5.87 innings per start, a pitcher needs to get through 5 innings way more often than not? If your advanced stats suggest that Lannan can't get through 5 innings, then you need to get some new advanced stats. Maybe you should try looking on Planet Earth instead of whatever planet you're currently inhabitng.
:/
weird. i understand quintero, but doesn't KC already have a young CF they traded melky away to make time for?
When I began coaching basketball someone told me (regarding stats), "Figures lie, and liars figure." Numbers can be made to say almost anything you want. It seems to me that it would almost be better for folks who dislike "fill in the blank" to just name it and claim it without resorting to stats. I like Lannan and hope he does well for us this year.
I am guessing that Jesus Flores and/or John Lannan were just traded to Houston. Just a hunch.
dfh21
Can't see anybody wanting Quintero if they could stick a catcher's mitt on a spare mattress.
So you think Quintero will be our new backup Catcher?
5.87 IP/GS isn't very good for a healthy pitcher.
But regarding Lannan's ERA, it consistently beats his FIP so luck isn't a factor for him.
I think he's a solid #5 starter, but not the one I would prefer for the Nats.
Fpcsteve- Yeah it's easy to get carried away with some stats. I like a nice balanced view of a player :-)
Interesting that Drew has been sick for 5 days and no one mentioned it. Did they think no one would notice? Come on, now - Nats fans would notice a hangnail - like they wouldn't notice their closer being mia for a while!
Mark's tweet "Davey also said he's considered using Lombardozzi some in OF but hasn't talked to him yet about it. Likens Lombo to
Ben Zobrist"
One of our esteemed commentors said that 2 months ago that he should be a Jerry Hairston type. As a switch hitter it really enhances his value to the team.
Is this trade thing a rumor or is there some basis in reality? I like Lannan, I admire Wang, I would like to see Detweiler get a shot. Oh - the angst. Don't toy with us if it's there's not a chance it's true.
The Royals announced that they have acquired outfielder Jason Bourgeois and catcher Humberto Quintero from the Astros for minor league left-hander Kevin Chapman and a player to be named later.
Nyjer Morgan just face-planted running around 2nd. TOO FUNNY
Jason Bourgeois, Humberto Quintero traded by Houston for a Minor League Leftie. How doesn't Rizzo take that deal?
Bourgeois bashes left-handed pitching and is the perfect platoon player.
Looks like Kevin Chapman was something like the #25 rated prospect for the Royals (a 2010 4th rounder). Makes you wonder whether those reports that Rizzo was inquiring about Bourgeois held any water at all, as he apparently didn't offer much for him.
fpcSteve - I agree with your comment on figures and again, that is why the only stat I can rely on is WINS. If we score more runs then the other team after 9 innings, we WIN. If we WIN the other team Loses. If we win enough games we will be in the playoffs. Peric can throw all the stats he wants out there but if our #5 pitcher can win 11 to 12 games I think we will be happy and John Lannan, Detwiler and CM Wang can certainly do that. In my opinion, the way Wang was throwing before his injury he had the potential to be the best #5 pitcher in all of baseball. No stats, just my eyes which I will rely on more then braap or whatever letters anons throw out there.
Go Nats!!
Anyway, Bourgeois is one less bum for people on this blog to obsess about.
I don't know all the high-falutin' stats but isn't that the sound one makes after consuming one too many Nats dogs?
No stats, just my eyes which I will rely on more then braap or whatever letters anons throw out there.
Tinkerbell has strep throat---I thought he threw the ball with his right arm????
Beantown, you beat me to it when you wrote:
I can't believe Desmond gave Storen strep.
I hope MLB doesn't freeze again tonight.
I support the chicken soup mission for Drew. And the cookies for Det.
And more koolaid for me, please.
5.87 IP/GS isn't very good for a healthy pitcher. But regarding Lannan's ERA, it consistently beats his FIP so luck isn't a factor for him.
No, but 5.9 IP/GS the league average. So, he's average there. He's better than average for IP per season, and better than average for ERA.
All of which, if he pitches like last year, one of the best, if not _the_ best #5 pitchers in the league.
What's bad about Lannan is starting him when you have someone better on the bench. Wang is better -- but injured. Detwiler is better -- but common sense says that a guy (like Lannan) with a big WHIP no. shouldn't be relied on out of the bullpen. No matter how "average" Lannan's nos. might be, he's not giving the Nats their best chance to win.
The only thing good about the present situation is that the other pitchers in the rotation (Jackson still to be proven in my opinion) do not abuse the BP the way Lannan does. Last year that was not the case. So, hopefully, Johnson won't have to burn 3-4 relievers more than once every five days. And, when he does -- again, hopefully -- Lidge will be able to find the strike zone and safe wear and tear on Clippard and/or Storen.
Just a reminder to everyone: tonight's game is on SNY live at 6pm. If you can't watch it live or get SNY (Ch. 639 on DirecTV), it is also being tape-delayed at 3am on MLB Network.
HAHAHA!!!!!! I will be citing "braap" from here on out, whenever anyanon throws up stats I don't care enough about to look up!!! This is awesome!!!
BRAAP! BRAAP! BRAAP!!!!! woot!
Also MLBtv. When Lannan and Des are gone, who's next?
Oh, BRAAP. Oops, excuse me.
Hey now, not all of us who like stats here are anons! :-)
Myself and a few other regulars are into stats as well.
Cwj, I'm good with stats. I used them all the time when I was coaching. I'm just saying the tone of the discussion at times makes it sound like stats are being used as an excuse to run somebody out of town. If and when Lannan goes, he will be immediately replaced with another target who "has to go." Stats? Have at it! I've learned a lot from most of the people who post here.
Strep throat or severe sore throat can be irritating. It's good that Storen took a rest. I look forward to seeig him on his next game.
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