Hart out with meniscus issue (Needs surgery; out 3-4 weeks); Weeks scratched too

[Jaycruiser99]

My guess is that Isakawa will make the opening day roster as the replacement for Hart while he is on the DL. Then you play Aoki/Morgan/Gomez in the RF position. Gamel looked good trying to go opposite field yesterday against a lefty so maybe he is trying to add that to his arsenal. However he did not look comfortable at 1B...

[JohnBriggs12]

You can't just hand over a job to a 32 year old career minor leaguer like Brooks Conrad, a lifetime .229 hitter that strikes out every 3rd AB. His pedigree is not much better than Erick Almonte, who now would appear to have a flicker of hope as well as his only competition.

 

I would rather they go out and get a Xavier Nady, who's got a decent major league track record and can play corner OF and 1B.

[monty57]

We'll have to see how the knee progresses. It sounds like there are three options: do nothing and play through it like Counsell did last year, scope it and probably miss 2-4 weeks, or do more major surgery where Hart would miss more time. If it's one of the first two (kind of sounds like they're hoping he's out 2-4 weeks, so they're probably planning on option 2), then nothing major needs to be done. If they find out that he'll need more surgery and will miss more than the first week or two of the season, then Melvin will probably look into signing someone like Nady and platoon RF & CF.

 

I believe Conrad would need to be added to the 40-man, and they'd probably only do that if they thought he'd be useful for more than just the first week or two of the season. Therefore, unless Hart goes on the 60-day DL, I don't see this injury as having much effect on Conrad, as his chance depends on whether the Brewers want Taylor Green on the bench or playing everyday in AAA. I'd guess that if Hart has to miss a week or two we'll see Gindl or Schafer riding the Brewers' bench until Hart returns.

 

Like it or not, the decision on whether it will be Morgan or Aoki playing RF everyday will probably depend on who performs better in Spring Training.

[Baldkin]

Yep. .229 career hitter, .305 career OBP. .733 career OPS.

That OPS is higher than any Craig Counsell posted, aside from 1 year, since 2001.

 

Compared to Nady's .659 OPS over the last three years, Conrad's is a breath of fresh air.

[monty57]

Yep. .229 career hitter, .305 career OBP. .733 career OPS.

That OPS is higher than any Craig Counsell posted, aside from 1 year, since 2001.

 

Compared to Nady's .659 OPS over the last three years, Conrad's is a breath of fresh air.

 

Good call, I didn't look to see how bad Nady has been. His three year splits vs LHP are .247 avg / .292 OBP / .385 SLG / .677 OPS. Unless there's something like an injury to explain this, I don't want to see him as a RH part of a platoon. Unless there is an available corner OF who can hit LHP, I'd rather see what Aoki can do.

 

Of course, this may be moot if Hart only misses limited time with the injury. We're not going to pick someone up for a week.

[JohnBriggs12]

If you limit the scope to 3 years on Nady, you have a point, but he has a much more extensive record than that.

 

In Miller Park, his career OPS is .812.

 

Conrad hasn't earned a sure lock on a major league job. Bring in somebody worthy to compete with him. That's my point.

[jmeks23]

What I don't understand is there's people who have this surgery and are back playing in 2 weeks or less. Why does Hart need a whole month of just recovery time? I suppose if it's more serious then they're letting on than it would make some sense, but if it's just a slight tear and an arthroscopic procedure it shouldn't be a month IMO.

[CheezWizHed]

What I don't understand is there's people who have this surgery and are back playing in 2 weeks or less. Why does Hart need a whole month of just recovery time?

 

Plan for worst case, hope for best case.

[Nottso]

It seems like Hart has a ST/early-season issue every year or is that another of my hallucinations?

[monty57]

What I don't understand is there's people who have this surgery and are back playing in 2 weeks or less. Why does Hart need a whole month of just recovery time? I suppose if it's more serious then they're letting on than it would make some sense, but if it's just a slight tear and an arthroscopic procedure it shouldn't be a month IMO.

 

The initial report I heard was 2-4 weeks. If it's two weeks, he'll still get enough ST to start the season with the Brewers. If it's 3-4 weeks, he'll probably need some "extended ST" to get up to speed. Either way, it doesn't sound like they're expecting him to miss much of the regular season, and I just hope he doesn't rush back and have a poor first month like he did last season.

 

If you limit the scope to 3 years on Nady, you have a point, but he has a much more extensive record than that.

 

ESPN has season-by-season stats and a "3-year" option, which is handy to see how he's done in his latest three-year window. It looks like Nady kind of fell off a cliff a few seasons ago. Whether this was due to age, injury or what, I don't know.

 

Conrad hasn't earned a sure lock on a major league job. Bring in somebody worthy to compete with him. That's my point.

 

And that is a very valid point. I think that if Hart is going to be out for a while, Melvin will see who's out there on the corner OF market. If he's only going to miss a little (or no) time, then I think Conrad is basically competing with Taylor Green for a utility IF position (I think Izturis has backup SS locked).

[jerichoholicninja]

 

If you limit the scope to 3 years on Nady, you have a point, but he has a much more extensive record than that.

 

ESPN has season-by-season stats and a "3-year" option, which is handy to see how he's done in his latest three-year window. It looks like Nady kind of fell off a cliff a few seasons ago. Whether this was due to age, injury or what, I don't know.

 

 

Nady has been an absolute disaster since his Tommy John surgery. Anything he did before is almost irrelevant. He's done as a useful baseball player.

[RockCoCougars]

It seems like Hart has a ST/early-season issue every year or is that another of my hallucinations?

 

It sure seems that way, doesn't it? Hopefully, this is like last season and he only misses a few weeks.

[CheezWizHed]

As long as Hart is only going to be out a couple weeks into the regular season, I'd just stick Aoki in RF full time and see what we have in him as a player. Use Morgan and Gomez in their usual CF platoon.

 

For a couple weeks, Gamel could play everyday also (tough LHP and all).

 

Then that last spot really could fill any need on the team. Even a guy like Brock K. might be able to handle it. A guy that can play OF and 1B defensively. Big question on the offense, but you wouldn't/shouldn't use him much either.

[RockCoCougars]

As long as Hart is only going to be out a couple weeks into the regular season, I'd just stick Aoki in RF full time and see what we have in him as a player.

 

I agree. I think a full time 2-3 week gig would allow for a good evaluation.

[Madtown343]

Players usually are, but Hart sounds like he thinks he will get enough ab's to be ready for opening day.

[Madtown343]

If its closer to 3 weeks, aoki, gindl get more at bats now and Hart should still be ready for opening day...

[pitchleague]

Players usually are, but Hart sounds like he thinks he will get enough ab's to be ready for opening day.

 

 

yep, and then said player usually hurries too much and strains an oblique or something and ends up being out even longer.

 

I'd rather he sit out, completely heal and return when he's at 100% rather than go through a season of on-again/off-again DL trips and scratches from the lineup.

[logan82]

So did Hart come into camp out of shape?

[JJHardy7]

Per Corey on how he was injured:

 

"It could have been a number of things," he said. "It got to that point (where it was really bad). But I had basically a week where I just had a sore knee, and I didn't think anything about it. Just iced it. I just figured it was because I was taking ground balls and doing all that stuff (while working out at first base).

 

"I had a pretty good fall about a week ago, and I don't know if that had anything to do with it. I was running to see Brauny's thing, and I slipped on the concrete out by the minor-league complex (in cleats). So I don't know if that was it.

 

"It just got sore, and then the last 3-4 days it started feeling like it did (the first time). That's when I was saying I might have (injured) it again."

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/141480863.html

 

Really hope it wasn't related to Braun's thing...that would be somewhat fitting I guess.

[thebruce44]

So did Hart come into camp out of shape?

 

He isn't Gamel, so Tom probably wont spin it that way.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I really doubt it would be caused by being out of shape. This is a really common knee injury that occur really at any time. Doesn't take a whole lot. Which is exactly why he doesn't know how it happened. Probably just something that was building up over time and finally just gave out on him. I wouldn't read much into it. Could've happened to anyone on the team.

[Moose]

Saw a tweet from Tom Haudricourt that Hart slipped while running to make Braun's press conference.....not quite as bad as salad tongs or a scissors while working on a glove. Didn't Wes Helms do the same thing (slip and mess up a knee) when the Brewers were playing the Expos in Puerto Rico?

[GormanHarvey]

So did Hart come into camp out of shape?

 

Doesn't sound like it...

http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120227&content_id=26881216&vkey=news_mil&c_id=mil

[TooLiveBrew]

Conrad has "new Kotsay" written all over him.

This made me laugh out loud. Well played.

 

 

"I had a pretty good fall about a week ago, and I don't know if that had anything to do with it. I was running to see Brauny's thing, and I slipped on the concrete out by the minor-league complex (in cleats). So I don't know if that was it.

 

 

I was really bummed to learn about Corey's injury, but thankfully it's not any worse than a month or so. The depth the Brewers have in the OF should help ease the pain of this loss, and the defense will actually be a lot better for the short term.

[MJLiverock]

So did Hart come into camp out of shape?

 

He isn't Gamel, so Tom probably wont spin it that way.

 

 

Didn't Gamel himself recently admit he came into camp last year carrying a few extra pounds or something which didn't help his oblique?

 

I just don't see every criticism of Gamel as a conspiracy against him.