Friday, April 18, 2014

Brendan Ryan Inching Towards A Return, Now What?


Brendan Ryan will join fellow injured Yankees Mark Teixeira and David Robertson in a minor league game on Saturday, his first real action since an oblique/lower back injury and what was being classified as a pinched nerve in his back derailed the beginning of his season. This begs the question, what will happen when Ryan comes back?

We all know that it will likely be another couple of weeks before Ryan could be back with the big league club after missing most of spring training so we have some time to figure it out but what do the Yankees do on the roster? Do they send Scott Sizemore down after earning his spot albeit in a small sample size down in AAA? His first couple games were nothing to hang his head about either with a couple hits and an RBI. Sizemore also showed an ability to play first base last night against the Tampa Bay Rays which can only help his cause.

The biggest thing working against Sizemore is the emergence of Yangervis Solarte. How can you not keep this guy up and not keep his bat in the lineup as often as you can? He has hit the cover off the ball all spring and season long, especially for extra base hits, and has played all over the infield. His switch hitting bat also evens out the Yankees lineup and he possesses some much needed pop with the bat. He seems, again it is way early, like a better candidate for second base then say Brian Roberts.

Could the Yankees conceivably bench Roberts when Ryan comes back and let him be a replacement late in games? Your initial thought is that this is probably very unlikely but maybe it should be considered. Roberts has shown an inability to stay healthy for multiple consecutive seasons now and has not exactly been tearing the cover off the ball. Roberts has also lost a step in the field and on the bases and it only makes sense to concede him for Solarte, at least until he finally comes back down to Earth. Roberts when healthy is still a better option right now, as much as this pains me to say, then Dean Anna.

Anna has that one home run to be remembered by and not much else. If Sizemore continues to hit the way he has and fields the way he has all season long we may have seen the last of Mr. Dino "Racoon" Baseball.

3 comments:

  1. Two weeks is a long time, plus maybe optimistic. It could take longer, and anything can happen. As much as it pains me to say, perhaps Anna should be sent down when Tex is activated this weekend. It would give Anna regular at bats. We already know he can field the position. In the meantime, Solarte can play short when Jeter needs a day off. But I agree, no way they could get away with sending Solarte down right now.

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  2. He said today he could be back as soon as late next week/weekend... Ryan that is.

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  3. I don't know about that. He had no spring training at all. Plus, Cashman knows he has a roster decision looming. He'll take advantage of every possible delay he can.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)