Farmhand Injury Report -- Updates from 2011 to today (as best we know)

[Mass Haas]

Plenty here to digest, so we'll do things alphabetical --player names link to career stat pages:

 

RHP Sean Albury -- man, this is such a bummer to start us off, because we grew to love the "Mad Bahamian" in Helena last year. First, here's what prospects guru John Sickels had to say recently, on February 17th:

 

The Brewers got a bargain when they drafted Mike Fiers out of Nova Southeastern University a few years ago, so they went back to the well with Sean Albury in 2011 in the 31st round. He has a low 90s fastball and posted a 27/5 K/BB in 20 innings in the Pioneer League, with a 0.90 ERA. He could move fast as a reliever.

 

What Sickels didn't know at the time was that Albury underwent rotator cuff surgery on his pitching shoulder just after Christmas. We imagine 2012 is lost, that's just a shame. Get well, Sean.

 

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LHP Dane Amedee -- 28th round 2010 pick, now 21, did not pitch in 2011, yet to appear in a spring training box score; sorry, no update - unclear if absence is injury-related. Still listed in the 2012 media guide, still with the organization, hopefully seen soon in a box score.

 

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RHP Blake Billings -- It's been a rough pro career for the now 22-year-old drafted out of an Alabama high school in 2008's 19th round. After pitching in all of one inning in 2010, Billings missed all of 2011 with a right shoulder strain and surgery was performed by Dr. William Raasch last July. Yet to appear in any of the non-rookie league box scores we have access to for 2012.

 

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INF Juan De Leon -- The tall (6'4") DSL corner infielder has struggled in two pro seasons, and 2012 seems lost as he underwent offseason ACL surgery on his left knee this past January.

 

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RHP Jameson Dunn -- The now 25-year-old undrafted free agent out of Oral Roberts was sidelined for his rookie pro season as of last June 26th with what the Brewers termed "right shoulder impingement syndrome". We've yet to see him in a spring box score.

 

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Not injury-related, but the Brewers media guide now lists Dominican OF Jose Garcia, who has struggled in four pro seasons after being signed for a hefty $550,000 in September of '07, as a catcher. Unlike our update about Hitaniel Arias converting to pitcher, which was specifically spelled out by the Brewers, this may or may not be a typo. Well, at least Garcia has hit like a weak catcher thus far...

 

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C Cameron Garfield -- Garfield, 2009's 2nd rounder, missed most of 2011 with a dislocated patella in his left knee, but he's pretty excited about his current status.

 

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SS Carlos George missed the majority of the 2011 season (played only 26 games) with three stints on the DL (left hamstring strain). Offseason must have helped, he's appeared in spring box scores.

 

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C Dustin Houle -- Only 17 years old when drafted in the 8th round of last year's draft, the Canadian never made his pro debut because of a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. We imagine he's good to go now, but you wouldn't see him listed in this spring's boxes regardless because we don't get the rookie level games.

 

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RHP R.J. Johnson -- Drafted in the 36th round out of a Mississippi high school in 2010, Johnson missed all of 2011 with, again as the Brewers term it, "right shoulder impingement syndrome". Google tells us that "this condition is closely related to shoulder bursitis and rotator cuff tendonitis. These conditions may occur alone or in combination." As with Jameson Dunn, difficult to determine if surgery took place; we'll know more when the June rookie league seasons begin.

 

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RHP Andre Lamontagne -- Many of us would love to see this 11th round 2009 pick back in action, but the just-turned 26-year-old (already!) missed all of 2011 with what the Brewers identified as right shoulder bursitis. No box score appearances as of yet...

 

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C Rafael Neda -- Nice to see the 2010 10th rounder appearing in games this spring, including cameo appearances in the big league contests. Neda missed all but 20 games of 2011 with a right thumb injury.

 

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RHP Pedro Peguero -- Peguero is a 6'6", 215 lb Dominican 18-year-old who made four relief appearances in the Dominican Summer League in '11. This past January, he underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right elbow, according to the club.

 

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LHP Mike Ramlow -- Entering his 7th year in the Brewers' system, the 26-year-old 2005 24th round pick has had it tough injury-wise. In 2009, he missed nearly all season with elbow inflammation in his pitching arm. After a successful return to action in 2010 at Brevard, Ramlow then missed all of 2011 with "left shoulder impingement syndrome", which is the southpaw cousin of, well, you get it. We're glad to link to another positive tweet, however.

 

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LHP Jose Ramos -- We remeber the 2009 DSL season when it seemed Ramos was up and hurling multiple bullpen innings four days a week, or so it seemed. He had Tommy John surgery in 2010, was still recovering from it last year, and missed both seasons altogether. Now 22, good luck to him persevering for 2012.

 

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Ending on a non-injury note, learned that SS Hainley Statia's first name is pronounced HINE-lee. So there you go...

[Mass Haas]

Always puzzled as to how the Brewers make their affiliate announcers and affiliate front office staffs dance around any injury updates for HIPPA reasons (primarily those that aren't necessarily in-game, hard for the announcers to avoid those), yet will detail each player's injury status the following spring in their media guide, regardless of rehab status.