Franklin Gutierrez Health Concerns Rise Again
We don’t really know much at this point, but reports from camp (including this one from Shannon Drayer) note that Franklin Gutierrez left camp with assistant trainer Rob Nodine this morning. Drayer adds that she was told that Gutierrez tried to make a few throws in from center field and couldn’t get anything on it, so the speculation is that the issue might have to do with his shoulder, not the IBS symptoms he had last year.
This could turn out to be nothing, but it’s not exactly good news that Guti’s hanging out with the trainers again. The team has basically no depth in the outfield, and if this turns out to be a real issue, they’ll have to consider bringing in someone from outside the organization.
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16 Responses to “Franklin Gutierrez Health Concerns Rise Again”
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I think I speak for everyone when I say, NOOOOO!
The ideal is for Guti to (literally) shrug this off, obviously… but I suppose the bright side is a good long look at Casper Wells to start the season.
Or hey, shift Carp to right, Ichi to center, and put Catricala and his bat in left! (kidding)
My fault… Sorry. I mentioned how he went 3-for-3 and homered off Felix on Sunday. *sigh*
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UPDATE FROM THE TIMES
“UPDATE 10:55 a.m.: Gutierrez felt something in his shoulder — or, at least in that immediate vicinity (could be upper back, or rib cage, too, who knows?) — while throwing during drills today. He left to get it checked out. Darren Ford will replace him in CF for today’s intra-squad game.”
Well, the M’s have a lot of OF-types at AAA, but they could probably work something out with the A’s for some 3B help.
The A’s roster is absurdly rich in questionable OFs, while the M’s have quite a few questionable 3Bs. Have to figure you could do something there.
If they don’t, then Mike Saunders gets chance #37 to show what he can do, and Caspar Wells may get a lot more time in CF. Still think they keep Robinson in Tacoma to start the year.
Updated tweets are implying it’s his pectoral muscle, nothing in the shoulder. No indication of severity, but it’s appearing more on the better side than the worse.
Maybe the team starts the season with 3 outfielders and 13 pitchers? kidding
That’s a relief, EricL. Zumaya and Sizemore for the A’s going down for the year already have me nervous. These things seem to happen in threes.
Gutierrez and Smoak are much in the same boat- they NEED 2012 to prove definitively they are long-term answers that are already on board.
C’mon, Guti.
I just don’t want the guy to have one of those damn star-crossed careers that make you ask “What if?…If only…” for decades.
Should we start calling him by his middle name?
I want to hear Wedge talk about running Carp out there with a straight face – I bet he can pull it off.
Seriously, if he doesn’t think Carp’s a significant liability in left – how much more could he hurt the team in center? 😉
Let’s not forget the “leg tightness” he suffered last week (sigh).
I have to say I’d rather see The Condor/Wells get regular at bats than go fetch band aids from Oakland. If it’s Crisp for Figgins straight up, I’m listening, but that is not what we are talking about and Saunders, man. What makes the possibility of his reclamation so implausible? Spring training!
@ G-Man Yes! Guti aka Death To Flying Things, I thereby christen thee “Rafael.” (For any non-oldtimers who don’t get the reference search for Doyle and Chris Snelling in the archives.)
Here’s a couple idea’s put Ackley in center and Seager at second Ackley was an out fielder in college and Seager would be an improvement at second.
Robinson can barely play left and is a disaster in center. I love Saunders he is a superb out fielder and maybe he has found his stroke.
I have been one of Condor’s biggest cheerleaders on here, but – he’s at the point where he has to force his way into consideration. If the team does decide to run him out there, he’ll deservedly be on a very short leash… and I’m not sure they’ll even go that far. My guess is they’ll run Wells out there, put Carp in left, and just cover their (management’s) eyes whenever the team is on defense.
Whatever gripes I’d had about Saunders getting jerked around early, he’s had plenty of chances to prove himself over the past 1+ seasons and done nothing with it.
Not good news… As for replacements:
Can we just send all of our iffy outfielders to Casey Kotchman’s eye doctor as a preemptive, precautionary measure? Maybe there’s a contagious eye disorder in our clubhouse that causes bad at-bats? (“Aggressive Eye Disease”?)