All pitchers everything…and Hannahan
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(Photo credit: Jamie Ramsey — Better Off Red)[/caption]
It’s a good thing there’s still 25 days between now and the Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park on March 31 because the Reds have a number of injuries, some more serious than others, to overcome among the pitching staff before then.
Starters Mat Latos and Mike Leake, along with relievers Jonathan Broxton and Sean Marshall have yet to take the mound for the club this spring.
Here’s an outlook on how each is doing in their rehab efforts:
Mat Latos: Latos is currently recovering from two separate operations. In October, he underwent surgery to remove bone chips in his right elbow –an issue that caused him to be held out of the 2013 Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then, just as Spring Training was set to begin, Latos slipped while participating in his offseason throwing program and torn his meniscus in his left knee. He had surgery on Feb. 14 and has been tossing at 150+ feet. He threw from the mound for the first time since the operation on Wednesday. The bullpen included approximately 20 pitches — five or so being changeups and the remained being two-seam and four-seam fastballs, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
“Everything feels fantastic,” Latos said. “I expected a little bit of soreness while I was throwing, or to feel it once or twice. I didn’t feel anything while I was throwing. My mechanics were a little off. The ball was up, but that’s to be expected. I’m almost three weeks late.
“I let go for the last one and cut it loose and didn’t feel anything in the knee or the elbow. That’s a plus,” he added.
Despite the recent progression, his availability come Opening Day is still uncertain.
“I’d love to be there against St. Louis for Opening Day and the next away series [at New York],” Latos said. “Am I pushing for it? Yes. But there’s nothing I can do. It’s out of my hands.”
Latos is scheduled to throw another bullpen session on Saturday.
Mike Leake: The Reds seem to be taking precautionary measures with Leake as he was scratched from his first start of the spring on Sunday against the Padres. His injury was something non-throwing related as he first felt a strain during an abdominal workout last month. Leake said he thought the issue would go away in a matter of time, but with lingering symptoms he doesn’t want to rush into anything. Furthermore, the 26-year-old doesn’t plan on missing any more scheduled starts. Leake also returned to the mound and had no issues with his bullpen session. He is scheduled and expected to make his first start of the spring against the Chicago White Sox at 3:05 p.m. ET on Friday.
Jonathan Broxton: The big right-hander only made 34 relief appearances, surrounded by two stints on the disabled list, for the Reds last season. He underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn flexor mass tendon in his right forearm in late August and is currently participating in a rehabilitating throwing program. Broxton threw a 15-pitch bullpen last Monday — his first time throwing from the mound since surgery — followed by a 25-pitch bullpen last Thursday. Broxton has followed last week’s bullpens with two more bullpens this week, including a 40-pitch session on Wednesday during which he mixed in breaking ball for the first time.
Sean Marshall: The Reds seem to be taking the most cautious rehab approach with Marshall. A lingering shoulder issue allowed him to only make 16 appearances during the 2013 season and the club wants to make sure there no further setbacks. Price said Marshall did all of his offseason throwing after coming off the disabled list late in the season, but wants to be cautious with the tall reliever at the start of the spring. He’s not expected to be seen on the mound until about the third week of Spring Training.
In related news, Price wants to start increasing the starters’ workloads with each start they make. Alfredo Simon pitched three innings in his second start of the spring on Monday, followed by Johnny Cueto struggling through 2 2/3 innings on Tuesday and Homer Bailey’s hitless three inning performance on Wednesday evening. The rest of the rotation looks to follow suit.
Also to note: utility infielder Jack Hannahan’s lingering issues from an offseason operation to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder continue to keep him off of the field. The injury was kept under tabs for the majority of the offseason. Hannahan has yet to appear in a game this spring and the club is not sure of his timetable to return. His swing has began to feel more comfortable, but Hannahan is still unable to throw across the diamond. If the issue continues to be a problem, it’s possible Hannahan could begin the season on the disabled list, which would open up an additional bench spot on the Reds’ 25-man roster out of camp.
