Results tagged ‘ Michael Martinez ’
Betancourt Could Get A Job On Phillies Bench
The Phillies signed Yuniesky Betancourt to a Minor League contract in January, and my Twitter feed quickly filled with stunned-and-confused comments about it. I guess it’s one of those things that happens these days. The Phillies sign a guy for organizational depth at relatively low cost and minimal risk and people freak out because he has a career .290 on-base percentage.
I mean, we’re talking about the 25th man on the big-league roster or Lehigh Valley’s possible everyday shortstop, but whatever …
But an interesting thing is happening in Clearwater: Betancourt is playing well and he could get one of the team’s two utility infield jobs.
What is especially interesting about the battle among Betancourt, Kevin Frandsen and Freddy Galvis is Betancourt has an earlier than usual opt-out clause for March 24. The Phillies must tell Betancourt by that date if he has made the 25-man roster. If he has not made the team, he can ask to be released. March 24 is a full week before the Phillies play their final exhibition game, so the Phillies will have to decide on that before they theoretically come to conclusions about the final three bullpen jobs or outfield situation. Like I wrote yesterday, I would not be surprised to see Betancourt and Frandsen start the season with the team. Galvis can be optioned to Triple-A, where he could get more seasoning with the IronPigs. Meanwhile, Betancourt and Frandsen can show what they’ve got with the Phillies. If either struggles, the Phillies could recall Galvis at that point.
Interestingly, Ruben Amaro Jr. said Betancourt’s ability to play defense is key. That’s interesting because Galvis unquestionably is the best defensive player of the three, but the fact he has options and the others don’t could tilt the jobs in their favor.
“You could probably say right now, even though he’s a young player, he’d probably be the most reliable guy [defensively],” Amaro said of Galvis. “But again, Yuniesky has got a lot of experience. It depends on how [Betancourt] performs. We’re not making any decisions today. We don’t have to make any decision for several weeks, so we’re OK.”
Will your head explode if Betancourt makes the team? If you said yes, take a deep breath and relax. Like I said, we’re talking about the last bench player here. The Phillies won the World Series with So Taguchi‘s .580 OPS on the bench in 2008. They won a National League pennant with Eric Bruntlett‘s .462 OPS on the bench in 2009. And they won a franchise-record 102 games with Michael Martinez‘s .540 OPS on the bench in 2011.
I’m not really sure which way the Phillies will go, but Betancourt is playing well enough early to make the front office think long and hard about it.
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MLB.com’s Richard Justice takes a look at the Phillies’ revamped bullpen.
Howard, Utley Injury Updates (And More!!!!!)
Got injury updates for you:
- Ryan Howard. He visited a wound specialist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital today. “His wound is still healing,” Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “He’s doing well. We’re continuing the same deal.” There is no timetable for Howard’s return. “The biggest challenge was for the wound to get to the skin from how deep it was,” Amaro said. “It’s getting there. It’s getting pretty close. … The question is when does he start doing stuff so it doesn’t compromise the healing process? We’re still on hold as far as that is concerned. Hopefully we’ll know more in the next couple of days.”
- Chase Utley. Utley, who is sidelined because of a chronically injured left knee, continues to rehab in Phoenix. He is expected to rejoin the team next week, when the Phillies travel to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks. “His strength seems to be improving,” Amaro said. “He’s moving forward.” There is no timetable for Utley’s return.
- Michael Martinez. Martinez has a fractured right foot. He will be in a walking boot for another two weeks, when team physician Michael Ciccotti will evaluate him.
- Justin De Fratus. He is rehabbing from a sprained right elbow, and could pitch in an extended Spring Training game Thursday. He could begin a rehab assignment shortly after that. “He’s making very good progress,” Amaro said.
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Jim Salisbury and I co-authored the book The Rotation, which is now available. Check it out here!
Here are our upcoming book signings:
- April 26: Barnes & Noble in Marlton, NJ, 7 p.m.
- April 29: Citizens Bank Park, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
- May 10: Tredyfrrin Public Library in Stafford, PA, 7:30 p.m.
- June 2: Citizens Bank Park, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
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Galvis Watch: Day 2
Who expected a bruised left foot for Freddy Galvis would be such a big deal in late March?
Galvis, who seemed very unlikely to make the Opening Day roster before camp opened last month, is expected to be the team’s everyday second baseman while Chase Utley recovers from his chronically injured knees. But then Galvis fouled a pitch off the top of his left foot in yesterday’s game against the Pirates, suffering a bruise and making people fear the worst.
“I feel much better today,” Galvis said this morning.
Galvis, who was walking without a limp, said a team doctor examined him in the morning.
“Everything was good,” he said.
Galvis had been scheduled to take the trip to Fort Myers to play the Twins in a Grapefruit League game this afternoon, but there is no reason to push his health, considering Utley, Ryan Howard and Michael Martinez already are opening the season on the disabled list.
Galvis said he hopes he can play as early as Thursday.
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Jim Salisbury and I co-authored the book The Rotation, which is now available. Check it out here!
Here are our upcoming book signings:
- April 2: Barnes & Noble in Plymouth Meeting, PA, 7 p.m.
- April 3: Chester County Book Company in West Chester, PA, 7 p.m.
- April 26: Barnes & Noble in Marlton, NJ, 7 p.m.
Bye Bye Boot
Ryan Howard said Tuesday he hoped to lose the protective boot on his left foot sometime in the next two weeks.
But he showed up this morning at Bright House Field without the boot and worked out without the boot. Good news? Well, it’s not bad news, which has been coming every day lately for the Phillies infield. Placido Polanco sprained his left ring finger Saturday, although he took batting practice Thursday. Chase Utley left the team Monday to have an unknown specialist in an undisclosed location – although he had been spotted this week in the Phoenix area – look at his bad knees. Utility infielder Michael Martinez then broke his right foot Tuesday, leaving the Phillies incredibly thin in the infield.
So a bootless Howard is arguably the best news the Phillies have received in a while. He had surgery to repair his ruptured left Achilles in October. He had been progressing nicely, but an infection developed last month, which required a second surgical procedure to remove sutures that had not dissolved. Howard had been in the boot for more than three weeks to let the second wound heal.
“I don’t think it really set me back,” Howard insisted. “Because I think the biggest concern was my tendon and the tendon was never an issue. The tendon was repaired in October. So even with me not doing what I was doing before from a rehab standpoint, the tendon is still getting stronger, a little bit every day. So now I can get back to doing more strength-training stuff. So I don’t think it was really a setback at all. … It’s one of those things where I’ve looked at it as a blessing in disguise”
Polanco Has Sports Hernia; Could Require Surgery
Ruben Amaro Jr. certainly could have been bluffing this evening at Dodger Stadium.
He said if Placido Polanco’s sports hernia injury requires surgery and he misses a significant period of time, the Phillies will not look outside the organization for help at third base. He said Michael Martinez and Wilson Valdez will man the position through the remainder of the season, even if it includes a deep run into October.
“They will be the ones who will play,” he said.
Polanco left Saturday’s game in San Francisco because of soreness in his left hip. He flew to Philadelphia yesterday for a MRI exam today. The results revealed a chronic sports hernia injury. He will receive an injection tomorrow and be evaluated Friday.
If the shot does not relieve Polanco of his discomfort he probably will have surgery. Amaro said surgery would not necessarily end his season.
“Our doctors tell us it could be somewhere between three weeks and a month,” Amaro said. “I think we can manage him through it, but we’ll find out more Friday.”
Amaro said he is hopeful Polanco can play through the injury, much like Raul Ibanez played through it in 2009. Amaro added Polanco’s injury does not seem to be nearly as severe as Ibanez’s. Ibanez’s required offseason surgery.
“It’s not an uncommon set of circumstances,” Amaro said. “He actually felt much, much better even before he flew out.”
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Just Another Day for Martinez
From Elias Sports Bureau: Michael Martinez broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run, ninth-inning double last night. Martinez has hits in each of his last four at-bats in Late Inning Pressure Situations (all this month) and his 11 RBIs in July ties him with Wilson Ramos for second-most among rookies. Only Freddie Freeman (16) has more.
Some other notes:
- Martinez has hit .298 (11-for-37) with one double, one triple, one home run and 11 RBIs in 10 games this month, earning more playing time with third baseman Placido Polanco on the disabled list with lower back inflammation.
- Only Raul Ibanez (14) and John Mayberry Jr. (12) have more RBIs for the Phillies this month than Martinez.
- Jason Grilli has signed with the Pirates, announcing the move on Twitter. He had an out-clause in his contract, allowing him to sign with another team if another team offered him a big-league deal. The Phillies believed they had better options than him, so released him.
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Worley Fitting Right In
From Elias Sports Bureau: Vance Worley threw seven scoreless innings in last night’s 1-0 victory over Florida. Worley has a 0.72 ERA in 25 innings in his last four starts, which is the lowest ERA in the National League from June 14 – July 4.
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Elias also reports last night was the Phillies’ 201st game on July 4. They are 101-100.
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Got a tweet from a Phillies fan last night saying the Phillies needed to cut Michael Martinez … on the night he got the game-winning hit. My Lord. I understand the frustration, but a little perspective, please. I remember when So Taguchi hit .220 as the team’s fifth outfielder in 2008. I remember when Eric Bruntlett hit .171 and Matt Stairs hit .194 in 2009. I remember when Greg Dobbs hit .196 last season. The 25th man on the roster is not going to cost this team a trip to the playoffs or the World Series. Yes, it’s ideal to have a more productive player in that spot, but there are bigger issues surrounding this team. Is it frustrating? Yes. Is it worth being that angry about? No.
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Victorino Out, Martinez In
Charlie Manuel walked through the clubhouse early this morning and spotted Michael Martinez at his locker.
“What do you think?” he said.
Martinez offered a nervous chuckle.
Martinez is making his Major League debut today. He is leading off and playing center field. Shane Victorino pulled himself from last night’s game because of soreness in his left calf, and the Phillies wanted to give him two full days to rest with no game Monday.
Victorino said he is fine and should play Tuesday.
“I still feel it in the certain area,” Victorino said. “My strength is there. We’re just trying to find out what’s causing that sensation.”
Victorino said it could be an irritated nerve. That sounds a bit strange, but he said there is no reason to be alarmed or think this could linger.
“I’m not alarmed,” he said. “None of us are alarmed.”
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Almost Home …
Hola, amigos.
I’ve been blog-less since Friday morning because of a conversion to new blog software. But the conversion didn’t work as planned, which left me unable to post. I apologize for that. But we went back to the old software for the next 24 hours or so, which should allow me to post through tomorrow’s Grapefruit League finale at Bright House Field.
I want to mention a few things before the Zo Zone goes dark again:
The Phillies have not named a closer to replace Brad Lidge, but my guess is Jose Contreras gets the nod. Why? It’s just the feeling I get from being in camp the past few days. Rich Dubee also sounds like he wants to keep Madson in the eighth inning, where he has thrived. I asked Dubee yesterday if he thought Madson was better prepared to close this season than previous seasons.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “Ryan Madson is Ryan Madson. What did he do? Take a crash course in how to close? We’re in Spring Training here. … I think the game speeds up on him sometimes. He doesn’t get to the same comfort level. There’s a little anxiety there. The ninth inning is a little different than the eighth. There have been a solid eighth-inning guys that haven’t been able to pitch the ninth. One day they learn how to do it.”
Castillo Agrees to Minor League Deal
Luis Castillo has agreed to a Minor League contract with the Phillies, although it is not finalized, a source said tonight.
The Mets released Castillo on Friday and the Phillies immediately expressed interest. Castillo cleared waivers this afternoon.
Interesting move.
The Minor League contract certainly suggests the Phillies are not prepared to just hand a Castillo a job. He will have to earn one, although there is not much time. Just 12 days remain before Opening Day.
If the Phillies had offered Castillo a Major League contract they would be on the hook for $414,000 of his $6 million salary, regardless of his ability to play. The Minor League deal guarantees Castillo even less money, which means if the Phillies feel Castillo cannot play they can let him go at little cost. Of course, if they decide he can help and place him on the 25-man roster they would have to pay him $414,000.
But repeat: If he cannot play the Phillies are on the hook for less than $414,000. How much less? I’m not sure, but it’s a low-risk, high-reward move the Phillies like to make. If he can play, bonus. If he can’t, buy-bye.
Todd Zolecki
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