Lucroy Broken Right Pinky Finger

[TooLiveBrew]

McCalvy's latest blog post includes an update on Lucroy

-- Catcher Jonathan Lucroy called Roenicke on Wednesday night after learning he'd need surgery for a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand. Roenicke expects Lucroy only to miss a couple of days of camp before returning to catching bullpens, but it will be about four weeks before he's able to hit.

 

And Rogers

-- The team is backing off right-hander Mark Rogers, who shut down his own throwing session on Wednesday because of tightness in the back of his surgically-repaired shoulder. Rogers will be treated something like a rehabbing player, and will move through a throwing program before returning to the mound.

[Funketown]

Color me far more concerned about Rogers than Lucroy. Something about this tells me it could get ugly.

[RobDeer 45]

I agree Funketown. I was saying to my friend a few days ago when talking about Joe Nathan that I'd think he'll be fine if he gets through ST and the first few months of the season with no setbacks. But if he has some tightness or anything like that it tends to be followed with another surgery. I'm really hoping that is not the case with Rogers.

 

As with Lucroy I'd think he can catch guys, he just won't be able to get down and block balls like he can with a healthy hand. I'd think doing bullpens would be fine. I'd hold off on live batting with him behind the dish because of foul tips but I really think not letting him catch bullpens is being too cautious.

[TooLiveBrew]

Fwiw, with Rogers it sounds like they scoped the shoulder & nothing serious was found. I'm not positive that happened, just assuming it given Mark's comment in a McCalvy blog post,

 

"I did a little extra work [on Tuesday] and I think that's why it's a little tight today. [structurally], it's all good, thank God. it's not anywhere around where the surgery was and it's a totally different feeling. I can throw 80 percent, but when I let it go it's just a little bit tight."

Not that that's a 100% foolproof answer if they did indeed look into his shoulder, but it's encouraging. I'm trying not to be really pessimistic about Rogers right now, but it's difficult.

[TooLiveBrew]

Per McCalvy, Lucroy has been fitted with a splint & cleared to resume catching bullpen sessions & do light throwing.

[PrinceEatMeat]

This is good news. Hopefully he can get back in time to make the opening day roster. I really don't wanna deal with carrying two of our crappy backup catchers to start the season.

[TooLiveBrew]

From McCalvy's latest blog post:

Ron Roenicke confirmed that catcher Jonathan Lucroy could be ready for Opening Day if all goes according to plan in his recovery from a fractured right pinkie finger. A metal pin in Lucroy's finger will come out on March 21, and Lucroy can begin hitting after that as the pain tolerates.

 

"He threw to bases [on Saturday] without the splint on, and was good," Roenicke said. "So really it's just going to be a matter of gripping a bat, trying to get the flexibility back in his finger. That's going to take a while. But everything else is good. He's catching bullpens so his legs will be in shape."

[TooLiveBrew]

Noticed an even more optimistic assessment of Lucroy's situation from McCalvy today

 

Lucroy will have the pin in his finger removed next week and is on track for Opening Day.

I don't think I'd seen anything prior to this indicating that Lucroy might not need to spend time on the DL.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I talked to Lucroy before the game tonight, and I asked him when he'd be back playing in a game. He said that he there's no way he'll be in a game for awhile because he can't swing the bat yet. So then I asked him if he would be ready for opening day. He quickly responded in a confident way that he would for sure be ready. Didn't seem to be a doubt in his mind at all. That's good enough for me. The guy clearly wants to play.

[Tennik]

The more I hear from Lucroy, the more I like the guy. He strikes me as a "career Brewer". I wonder how effective his offense will be without any spring training swings though?

[djoctagone]

yesterday's headlines (jsonline, particularly) really made it sound like jonathan lucroy will not be ready for opening day . . . but when i read the quotes within the articles, i didn't get that assessment.

 

i chalked it up to the jsonline headline being written by the same college intern that wrote the blog. am i right? am i wrong? or am i just dreaming?

[TooLiveBrew]

Per Tom:

There was some good news in the Brewers' camp this morning as catcher Jonathan Lucroy was cleared to begin playing in minor-league games.

...

Lucroy hopes to miss no more than the first week or week and a half of

the season before being ready to return to the Brewers. He'll report to

Class A Brevard County when they start playing, then move up to Class

AA Huntsville for a couple of games before rejoining the Brewers

 

Unfortunately, there was some bad news as well:

Manager Ron Roenicke wouldn't hint as to which catcher -- Wil Nieves or George Kottaras -- would be sent out when Lucroy returns. Both are out of minor-league options. Roenicke said he has an idea who will go out but said in Lucroy's absence he will continue to evaluate Nieves and Kottaras.

 

"Both of them have caught well," said Roenicke. "Both have swung the bat well, too, with George a little better."

 

Roenicke hinted that Nieves will be the catcher on Opening Day in Cincinnati.

[strawbossisevil]

TooLive, they talked about that during the Royals game broadcast yesterday. That has more to do with Nieves being Gallardo's personal catcher this spring than the opinion the coaching staff has of him.

Everything I've heard (per yesterday's broadcast) is that Kottaras will be getting the majority of the starts not pitched by Gallardo.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Per Tom:

There was some good news in the Brewers' camp this morning as catcher Jonathan Lucroy was cleared to begin playing in minor-league games.

...

Lucroy hopes to miss no more than the first week or week and a half of

the season before being ready to return to the Brewers. He'll report to

Class A Brevard County when they start playing, then move up to Class

AA Huntsville for a couple of games before rejoining the Brewers

 

Unfortunately, there was some bad news as well:

Manager Ron Roenicke wouldn't hint as to which catcher -- Wil Nieves or George Kottaras -- would be sent out when Lucroy returns. Both are out of minor-league options. Roenicke said he has an idea who will go out but said in Lucroy's absence he will continue to evaluate Nieves and Kottaras.

 

"Both of them have caught well," said Roenicke. "Both have swung the bat well, too, with George a little better."

 

Roenicke hinted that Nieves will be the catcher on Opening Day in Cincinnati.

Why in the world is he starting Nieves over Kottaras? I'd much rather have the offense right now at the bottom of the lineup. My guess is that he wants him catching Gallardo, and based on the post above that is the case. This might be enough for us to know who will stick around when Lucroy comes back. Gallardo having a catcher he's comfortable with is important, and if it's really that close of a call between the two this might make the difference.

[Warning Track Power]

Why in the world is he starting Nieves over Kottaras? I'd much rather have the offense right now at the bottom of the lineup. My guess is that he wants him catching Gallardo, and based on the post above that is the case. This might be enough for us to know who will stick around when Lucroy comes back. Gallardo having a catcher he's comfortable with is important, and if it's really that close of a call between the two this might make the difference.

I guess this solves the all LH bench problem that we all assumed we would have.

 

Yuck. Nieves over Kottaras is not something I personally will not like. If Nieves were some kind of defensive whiz behind the plate I could get behind it, but as he apparently excels at neither hitting or catching, I'd rather have the potential pop of Kottaras' bat.

 

As for Gallardo being comfortable with a catcher, our #1 pitcher better get comfortable with our #1 catcher. Love to be the optimist in thinking we're making the postseason, but I'd hate to trot out a bottom of the lineup in Game 1 that looks like Betancourt, Nieves, Gallardo against Roy Halladay/Tommy Hanson/Tim Lincecum/Ubaldo Jimenez.

[strawbossisevil]

The way things currently are perceived by the management, per yesterday's broadcast, the only way Nieves would be starting in a playoff game is if one of Kottaras or Lucroy would be on the disabled list.

[TooLiveBrew]

Gallardo's ERA was by far lowest when he was caught by Kottaras last year. I hate the Personal Catcher™ concept.

 

 

EDIT: If Nieves were some kind of defensive whiz behind the plate I could get behind it, but as he apparently excels at neither hitting or catching, I'd rather have the potential pop of Kottaras' bat.

 

I totally agree with this. Even though Kottaras isn't a good defensive catcher, I really like his pop & approach at the plate. Plus, I like the LH/RH combo with Lucroy -- Kottaras can spell Lucroy against tougher RHP, and thereby make better use of Lucroy's off days.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'm still hoping Kottaras gets kept, and he still might be. I'm not sure if Nieves catching Opening Day means anything or not, but I'm hoping it doesn't. Hopefully, Lucroy can be Gallardo's other personal catcher, and then the problem is solved.

[RobDeer 45]

I too really want Kostanza to be our backup. I like his bat a lot for a backup.

[strawbossisevil]

I'm still hoping Kottaras gets kept, and he WILL be. Nieves catching Opening Day means nothing. Hopefully, Lucroy can be Gallardo's other personal catcher, and then the problem is solved.

Fixed, per what was stated during yesterday's broadcast (which I referred to twice now in this very thread).