Gerut and Estrada sent home -- Latest: Gerut to begin rehab assignment Sunday

[Invader3K]

Sounds like the Brewers are down on both of them.

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/98029219.html#comments

 

The Brewers this morning informed outfielder Jody Gerut and

right-hander Marco Estrada that they should go home to continue their

physical rehabilitation until ready to come off the disabled list.

"We feel we've done all we can for them here," said assistant general

manager Gord Ash. "It's up to them now. Once they tell us they're ready

to play, we can take action."

[pebadger]

Not really big news on Estrada. That guy has been in the doghouse since he pulled the stunt initially. Gerut probably just tired of being here and I'd be surprised if his is the only attitude that is flagging at the moment.

[stoutdude04]

What stunt did Estrada pull? I must have missed that.

[MarquesJohnson2000]

Estrada decided he was injured only after the team tried to send him back to Nashville.

[Thurston Fluff]

Just an opinion but it seems like they don't feel either of them are working hard enough on their rehab. Estrada isn't a surprise since getting healthy means going back to the minors and he's only a fringe major leaguer to begin with. Gerut is doing himself no service if he is dogging it. He's a relatively established big league player in a contract year. if he's playing he may get a contract somewhere if not he's likely a minor league contact with an invite to camp if even that. Getting a reputation of dogging it only hurts his shot at a gig next season.

[monty57]

Funny, I had myself convinced that the Brewers were delaying Gerut's return, as they really don't have a spot for him on the roster. I figured that he'd suddenly be healthy when Hart was traded or someone got hurt. If he were ready to play right now, what would they do... send Gomez down or DFA Capuano? Then what do they do when Yo's back? We really need to look into trading some players soon just for roster space.

 

Regardless, it's definitely an interesting move by Brewer management. At least we know we'll have $2MM freed up by not offering Gerut arby for next season :-)

[BrewCrewForever]

It did seem odd how long Gerut has been out with a heel problem.

[LouisEly]

You left out the best and most pertinent part of the article:

 

"Suffice it to say that the Brewers are frustrated with the pace of the recoveries of Gerut and Estrada. They won't say it on the record but the unusual move of sending the players home to continue their rehabs is a motivational move to get them back in action.

 

In other words, if players don't have the perks of being in a major-league clubhouse, perhaps they will be motivated to push harder through their rehabs and get back on the field."

[Rhett16]

Sending them home seems like an act of mercy at this point, least they don't have to sit and watch the team "play".

[crewcrazy]

I had honestly forgotten that Estrada was still on the big league DL. I don't know if it was a stunt on his part to come up as hurt when the Brewers tried to send him down, but the same thing has happened to Mat Gamel before and I don't know if anyone would accuse him of trying to pull a fast one on the organization.

 

The depth provided by Gerut would've been nice the other night when Edmonds hurt himself again, but it looks like Joe Inglett is responding well to his expanded role, even if he does look like an infielder who's not used to the outfield at times.

[craigharmann]

The more I've thought about it, I like DFAing Gerut, calling up Cain to take his place, and then when you trade Hart, call up Katin, and go with a Cain/Katin platoon for RF.

[monty57]

iirc, Gamel was hurt during Major League Spring Training, before they ever considered sending him down. Estrada didn't claim injury until the Brewers sent him to AAA.

 

Gamel's injury had me wondering if the Brewers would be so liberal with their ST invites to young players in the future Gamel would've been there no matter what, but in recent years the Brewers have brought top young prospects to the MLB ST "to give them a taste of being with the big league team."

[Funketown]

I might be the odd man out here, but I really really want Cain to finish this season in AAA. He's having a great season but he really labored through his 60 games in 2009. I think he's going to be a good player, and I want him to be ready to be a starter when he makes it to the majors.

 

As for both Gerut and Estrada, whatever happens happens. Neither are very valuable at this point.

[Never Outhustled]

The more I've thought about it, I like DFAing Gerut, calling up Cain to take his place, and then when you trade Hart, call up Katin, and go with a Cain/Katin platoon for RF.

I confused by this. Gerut isn't on the active roster, so what place is Cain taking when you call him up? Also, what kind of platoon are we setting up between Cain and Katin? They're both right handed batters.

 

Anthony Witrado stating on the radio yesterday that Gerut was still in a boot. It would seem odd that he would fake an injury, considering the hell he went through to make it back after a horrific leg injury a few years ago. I wonder if this is yet another mis-diagnosed injury by the Brewers Kavorkian-esque medical team?

[craigharmann]

I confused by this. Gerut isn't on the active roster, so what place is Cain taking when you call him up? Also, what kind of platoon are we setting up between Cain and Katin? They're both right handed batters.

Yeah, you're right. Didn't completely think that through. Let's pick Hoffman to be cut for Cain or whoever comes up on the wheel of crap. I know Cain and Katin are both right handed batters, but I'd like to see both of them get a chance, let them show what they can do.

[twobrewers]

If Estrada is dogging it to get his MLB paycheck, it will only work for this season.

 

No MLB team is going to want to touch him as an AAA pitcher if they think he might pull a stunt like that in the future.

[pebadger]

It really doesn't matter if Estrada is dogging it or not. The way the episode was handled, regardless of injury, is what rubs the team the wrong way. It seems fairly clear that there was not a full disclosure between player and team. If a guy gets hurt he gets hurt, and teams can usually accept that, but the way the whole thing played out with Estrada stunk from the beginning.

 

I don't think Gerut is dogging it, but he's probably in a funk. Heel injuries can suck. Taking into accoutn the team situation, Gerut's less than optimal situation with a pretty depressing team and a slow rehab and I wouldn't doubt that he's apt to not always be especially chipper. Frustration is probably running rampant in that clubhouse right now and it is probably affecting the way a lot of issues are being handled with the team.

 

I can only imagine how bad this would be if there was a character like Zambrano on this roster.

[TheCrew07]

I just want to make sure I'm getting this right...

 

Neither player is making enough progress being able to work with the team's medical staff, so they are being sent home to heal "mentally" if not physically? What kind of garbage is this? I could maybe see Estrada faking it... maybe... but both players? What are the odds that 2 players who both need to perform well to stay in the bigs and extend their carreers would fake an injury in the same year?

 

The questions our glorious 2 beat reporters should be asking is that why does one injury seemingly always lead to another with players from Milwaukee through rookie ball? Why do so many of our players return before they are actually healthy enough to perform well? Why do they wait 2 or 3 weeks to get MRIs done for injury diagnosis? Why are players being sent home to "heal'? It's fine and dandy to report the Brewers think they are faking injuries, without actually reporting it by the way (what great hearsay journalism), how about getting the other side of the story for a change? Is there additional conflict between Gerut and Macha? Gerut and the training staff? I'm not huge fan of Jody but my goodness he's overcome significant injury in the past and knows all about rehab, there's obviously something else going on here.

[logan82]

I know Gerut expressed displeasure earlier in the year with his playing time. I don't see him getting much playing time even if he was healthy.

[igor67]

If Cain were brought up Gomez would have to be sent down, or otherwise he would almost certainly rot on the bench. The way Macha handles ABs there just isn't a lot of room for another person out there. I do think there is a reasonable argument to be made for giving him some more AAA.

[Invader3K]

I don't think too many people would have an issue with sending Gomez down to Nashville at this point. Perhaps he could develop anything resembling plate discipline, and come back up in September.

[lukevan]

I doubt very much that Gerut is dogging it in a contract year. I'd say this is the Brewers training staff's lack of knowledge about heel injuries. Depending on the depth of the contusion, this is an injury that can take a long time to heal. There is little to no room in the heel for swelling which makes it impossible to put pressure on the heel post-injury. The injury must be properly rehabbed (rested) right away or his heel may never get back to what it was. He probably needed to stay off his heel from the day of the injury for three to four weeks for it to heal quickly. I still feel the pain once in awhile from my heel contusion about nine months ago.

 

Taken from MLB.com: "It is getting better on its own time," Gerut said. "Whatever time frames we had, clearly they were too aggressive. It gets better when it gets better."

[logan82]

I don't think too many people would have an issue with sending Gomez down to Nashville at this point. Perhaps he could develop anything resembling plate discipline, and come back up in September.

I was thinking coming back sometime in the middle of next year. 3 months is in no way going to convince me he learned anything that he shouldn't have learned in the last 3 years.

[homer]

Anyone remember an article by Rob Neyer a year or two ago about the Brewer training staff and how the team had fewer days on the DL than almost any other team?

[TheCrew07]

I see the connection you're trying to make Homer but I don't think it's relevant. DL stints have more of a direct correlation to age than to the medical staff. In 2008 the only serious injury was Gallardo's, I think the injury frequency was a by product of the youth movement more than anything else. Weeks and Hardy managed to have significant injuries, but the rest of the group has been very durable.

 

This is year is case in point the opposite direction, all these oldies and a ton of DL time.

 

Injury treatment and diagnosis has been a continual issue with this team for a very long time, since I got back into baseball around Y2K and certainly since I found Brewerfan.