TBT: Masahiro Tanaka’s Partially Torn UCL & Why You Should Chill the F Out

 Throwback Thursday, Masahiro Tanaka and his partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right throwing elbow edition. Over two years ago I told everyone to "chill the F out" over it, how does it look two years later? Enjoy! 

ORIGINAL POST SEEN HERE

You know what Daniel Burch hasn’t done in a while? Rant (or talk in the third person while Daniel Burch is on the subject). He hasn’t ranted in a while, although he has come close, but that is all about to change. I have been hearing it for years, and I have argued against it for years, but for whatever reason this is not registering in some people’s heads. I am so sick and damn tired of hearing about Masahiro Tanaka’s partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and I am even more tired of hearing it used as an excuse for every time the guy throws a ball out of the zone, let alone struggles in a start. The partially torn UCL is not the reason for all his struggles and you are not smarter than a team of doctors that advised against him getting Tommy John surgery. Deal with it and get over yourselves people.

Let’s start at the beginning, the diagnosis.

Tanaka was diagnosed back in 2014 with a slight tear of his ulnar collateral ligament. Tanaka visited three different doctors including Yankees team doctor Christopher Ahmad and Tommy John surgery specialist and expert Dr. James Andrews and all three doctors came to the same conclusion, the need for Tommy John surgery and a new ulnar collateral ligament was not needed. While each doctor had their own plan for how to treat and how to rehab the elbow the consensus was the same, no surgery. The Yankees ultimately decided on a platelet-rich injection on the elbow and rest and rehab, a treatment that at least to date has worked for Tanaka’s particular case.

Despite this diagnosis there are still fans, not doctors, who say the most outrageous and off-base things about Tanaka, his elbow, and about Tommy John surgery in general.

“Tanaka cannot pitch at a high level with a partially torn UCL!”

WRONG! Now that this is out of the way let me tell you all a story. There once was a man named Adam Wainwright who not only pitched once with a small tear, like Tanaka’s, in his UCL, but he did it twice. Wainwright dominated Major League hitters for six seasons before needing the surgery which included 182 games, 99 of them as a starting pitcher, 874 total innings including 233 innings pitched in 2009 alone, and a second place (2010) and third place (2009) finish in the National League Cy Young Award vote. Wainwright was first diagnosed with the partial tear in his UCL as a High School pitcher where doctors advised against surgery. Wainwright tore his UCL partially again while in Triple-A and was once again advised against an ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery. Both times Wainwright took the conservative route, like Tanaka, and came back throwing harder and stronger than ever. Wainwright pitched for six seasons with a partially torn UCL before completely blowing out his elbow and requiring the surgery.

“So, Tanaka will need the surgery eventually.”

No, not necessarily. Tanaka was never ridden like a horse like Wainwright was and has never approached 233 innings in a Major League season. Tanaka also sat out ten weeks after the diagnosis where Wainwright sat out only six weeks while Tanaka also received a platelet-rich plasma injection to promote healing in the elbow where Wainwright did not. Tanaka was closely monitored by a team of doctors and is still monitored closely to this day by the New York Yankees. Tanaka had multiple checkups after the diagnosis and every time he was told that there was no new damage to the elbow or the ligament.

“Why not just get the surgery done, sit out a year and come back strong in the final two seasons of his contract?”

If it were only that simple. While the success rate for Tommy John surgeries are as good as they ever were it doesn’t mean that they are 100%. Not yet, anyway. For every success story with a pitcher coming back in 15 months or so and coming back stronger and better than ever there are horror stories that contradict that line of thinking. It seemingly took Ryan Madson three-or-four years to fully recover from his Tommy John surgery, and he is just a reliever who isn’t relied upon every fifth day like Tanaka. Also, it is worth mentioning that there’s a ton of instances and stories of pitchers NEVER coming back or being the same after a torn UCL surgery. Why just go cutting on a ligament and take that chance when it has deemed unnecessary by a team, not just one, of doctors? Why take the risk? You don’t. Getting what is deemed as an unnecessary surgery like having your tonsils removed or a circumcision is one thing, having the ligament that essentially holds your elbow together ripped out and replaced for no good damn reason is another.

“But, but, but, Wainwright needed the surgery eventually. Tanaka will too!”

Wrong again, Yankees fans. Let me tell you another story. A story about a man many know as “King Felix” but a man I prefer to call Felix Hernandez. Hernandez has been pitching with a torn ulnar collateral ligament for God knows how long. Bob Nightengale of the USA Today has reported on it and Andy Van Slyke opened up about it in that interview about three years back where he claimed the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to trade Yasiel Puig. It seems to be common knowledge around the league, yet Hernandez has yet to undergo the ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery. And, FYI, Felix’s velocity did drop to around 92 MPH, yes. It was AFTER his velocity drop that he found his changeup and truly morphed into the “King” that he was nicknamed recently. The velocity drop did not coincide with the partially torn UCL, not even close.

“I know more than Daniel Burch.”

No, you don’t. Next.

Okay, so again on a serious, and less cocky, note you can sum up this entire article in just a few sentences. Every elbow is different, every person is different, and everyone’s body is different. Just because Adam Wainwright was able to pitch through the elbow injury and didn’t immediately require the surgery doesn’t mean Tanaka will, although he has thus far. Just because Felix Hernandez has reportedly a 25% tear in his UCL and has yet to require the surgery it doesn’t mean that Tanaka won’t require the surgery. No one knows. What the point of this post was is to show people that their opinions mean very little in the grand scheme of things. Doctors told Tanaka not to get the surgery, specialists in fact, and I trust them way more than I trust a casual fan. I trust the specialists more than I trust my own knowledge and opinion, so please stop acting like you know more about Tanaka, his elbow, UCL’s, and Tommy John surgery than someone who went to school for the better part of a decade just to learn the trade. You don’t, and neither do I. Thank you for listening to my rant while learning a little bit about Tanaka, ulnar collateral ligaments and the history of pitching with a tear in it.

Loss of Great Arm & Better Personality...

Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac, via Newsday

Kahnle succumbs to Tommy John surgery…

The Yankees are off to a tremendous start, 5-1 entering play today which includes last night’s win over the hated Boston Red Sox, yet today feels like a loss. I am not talking about the potential outcome of today’s game with Boston, but rather the somber news that reliever Tommy “Tightpants” Kahnle is lost for the year (and next) with the announcement he needs Tommy John surgery. 

The Yankees have a great bullpen, even without Kahnle, so they’ll move on and find other replacement parts but Kahnle will be missed. Not only is he a quality reliever for Manager Aaron Boone, but he has an infectious personality that helps to keep the team loose. I guess after his surgery, he’ll be able to be around the team but it’s not quite the same as being in uniform and going to war with the boys.  

As Kahnle enters his final arbitration-eligible year next season, there’s a real chance he has thrown his last pitch for the Yankees. I say that given the Yankees’ recent history of non-tendering guys headed for surgery or letting them walk, the most notable in recent years being former Yanks Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda. It’s an unfortunate situation for both Kahnle and the Yankees. I’ve enjoyed his time with the organization and have been a big fan since his time in the minors for the team prior to being plucked away in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft by the Colorado Rockies. He is the last piece of the trade that sent Yankees outfield prospect Blake Rutherford, among a few others, to the Chicago White Sox in July 2017. The other two players acquired in that trade have obviously moved on (Todd Frazier, currently with the Texas Rangers, and David Robertson, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery himself, with the Philadelphia Phillies) but despite losing Rutherford, I still felt good about the trade with Kahnle in the family. 

Photo Credit: The Canadian Press

I hope the surgery goes well and Tommy is able to rehab himself back to elite status. I hope it is with the Yankees but if not, I’ll wish the Eagles fan well wherever the road ahead may take him…unless he decides to take I-95 north.  

With the trade deadline looming around the corner (at the end of the month…yes, we’re now in August, my friends), it will be interesting to see if the Yankees pursue bullpen upgrades to help the now healthy Aroldis Chapman, closer stand-in Zack Britton, the ever reliable Chad Greene and the ultra-talented Adam Ottavino. Perhaps some of the younger arms on the roster are capable of stepping up to fill Kahnle’s shoes but I suspect the Yankees will double-down with additional help to be acquired soon. It will never happen but I always hold out hope in the back of my mind that the Yankees can find a way to bring Josh Hader to New York. I know, it’s kind of like hoping that I’ll win the Power Ball lottery. I get it but would love to see another power arm in the pen. 

I remain skeptical we’ll be able to pull off the shortened MLB season this year. The St Louis Cardinals are the latest team to be decimated by positive tests for the coronavirus which has affected their players and coaches. The Miami Marlins haven’t played since last weekend and now the Cardinals, with their game called off today, face a similar week ahead with no games until they can recapture their health. At some point, it seems like the Commissioner has to step in and say ‘enough is enough’. With reports Rob Manfred told MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark the leagues may need to shut it down due to the coronavirus, it seems we’re headed in that direction. I love baseball being back, and I don’t want to see it go away again, but if this continues to get worse, it is not worth risking the health and potentially lives of people involved with the game. I wish the players and the teams were more diligent to protect their health. It’s more than just “wear your damn mask” and social distancing. I am sure the case studies involving the Marlins and Cardinals have certainly opened some eyes. Hopefully the implementation of more stringent measures will help protect other teams from suffering similar fates.

As for the Yankees, they have played as well as you could have expected or imagined. I was worried before the beginning of the 60-game season the team would get off to a slow start (which seems to happen more often than not with the Pinstripers), but thankfully, this Yankees team appears to be on a mission. They know they are good and are capable of beating anyone, anywhere. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have been the beasts we expect them to be. I kind of wish Gary Sanchez would join the hit parade but he’ll get there. He’s not going to get “fat and lazy” screams from me. I know when this season is done (if we can make it to the World Series), Gary and his bat will be humming. I was worried the other day when Gleyber Torres was pulled from the game in Baltimore after getting hit by a pitch, but so grateful the tests were negative and that he was back on the field last night for the Yankee Stadium home opener. He is so vital to the success of the Yankees.

I am excited to see Masahiro Tanaka this evening. Armed with a protective insert in his hat, I am hopeful that he shows no residual effect of the very scary incident last month when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton. I want the Yankees to win tonight’s game, obviously, but more than anything, I want to see Masa do well. He’ll have my support regardless of the outcome but a strong performance would certainly help him and provide confidence going forward. The starting rotation is better with him than not.  

Speaking of important starters, a hat tip to Jordan Montgomery. I’ve been very impressed with him this year (summer training and his season debut last night). I am glad he’s healthy and ready to help.  I never thought I’d feel much better about Gumby than I do currently with James Paxton as I didn’t feel the pitchers were on the same level but here we are.  Hopefully the Big Maple is able to turn it around like he did last year to become a force by the time the season is over. If everyone is firing on all cylinders behind Gerrit Cole, there is literally nothing this Yankees team cannot accomplish on their march to take away the World Series championship from the Washington Nationals.

I like the story about what led Suzyn Waldman to sing the National Anthem last night. Apparently, during an interview at spring training in 2012 when the Yankees were playing Pittsburgh in Florida, Waldman told young Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole that he’d make a great Yankee one day. He responded that if he did, she’d have to sing the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium. Suzyn made no promises or guarantees but fast-forward 8 years later, Cole is a Yankee and Suzyn was singing the National Anthem with her usual display of grace and talent for Friday night’s home opener. It was a great moment and Suzyn clearly belted one out of the park.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The trend continues…another former Yankee becomes a Marlin. Team Derek Jeter acquired another former Yank when they picked up Baltimore Orioles reliever Richard Bleier today. Bleier, a 33-year-old lefty, gives the M’s a healthy player which they desperately need. Last year was a disappointing one for Bleier but overall he proved to be an effective reliever for the O’s after they acquired him from the Yankees a few years ago. I wish Bleier well in Miami and hope that he is able to contribute effectively for Manager Don Mattingly and the Marlins.  

It’s kind of disgusting to think as I type this post, the Houston Astros are or will soon be a couple of blocks away to play the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Yuck, the stench in the air. I am anxious for their series with the Angels to end tomorrow so that they can get the hell out of Orange County. I just wish Mike Trout and company would be a little more effective than they were last night when they dropped a 9-6 decision to the Cheaters.  Today’s a new day and an opportunity for the Halos to pin an L on MLB’s biggest losers.

As always, Go Yankees!

Yankees Shall Overcome...

Photo Credit: Seth Wenig, AP

Despite injuries, Yankees are very good…

The talk about the Yankees having the best starting rotation in baseball sure ended quickly. It was disappointing to lose Luis Severino for the season when his forearm tightness led to Thursday’s Tommy John surgery. We’ll be left to wonder what could have been.

I had really been excited to see what Sevy could do as the second best starter on the staff but now that job falls to Masahiro Tanaka (or James Paxton when he returns). I like Masa and Pax but they are clearly a step down from Sevy’s potential. Oh well, injuries are a part of life and although the Yankees always seem to have more than their share, Sevy is not going to be the last good pitcher in the Major Leagues to go down for Tommy John surgery this year. There will be a time with Gerrit Cole and Sevy pair to give the Yankees a fantastic tandem but for now, we move on.

While I had hoped the Yankees would acquire a good veteran starter (and probably still do), I get the excitement about the Yankees’ younger arms. I am glad, for now, the Yankees retained J.A. Happ. He had been the guy I wanted the Yankees to trade all winter (to clear out his salary), but he clearly becomes an important part of the rotation. His talk about wanting to stay with the Yankees certainly played a part in my change of opinion, but the bigger factor was his off-season work to make adjustments and the involvement of Sam Briend, the Yankees’ Director of Pitching, Driveline to help Happ become a better version of himself. I’d love to have a replay of late 2018 season Happ or the guy who won 20 games in 2016.

Photo Credit: Rich Schultz, AP

Even though the Yankees haven’t handed a starting spot to Jordan Montgomery, I think all of us believe he is ready to return and play a big role for this team.

So it leaves one spot open in the rotation until Paxton returns. Admittedly, I’ve been seduced by the arm of Clarke Schmidt, like everyone else, but considering he does not currently have a spot on the 40-man roster and has only pitched three games in Double A, I can’t see him breaking camp and heading to Baltimore next month. No doubt we’ll see Schmidt at some point this year, but I think it will be later this summer. Everybody loves to talk about Deivi Garcia and Jonathan Loaisiga but Michael King is the guy I’d like to see as the fifth starter to open the season. He is a brilliant strategist who embraced Driveline before Sam Briend joined the Yankees, and there’s part of his makeup that reminds me of David Cone. Who knows if he can have a Cone-like career, but I think he can be a good Major League pitcher. He may not have the front of the rotation potential like Schmidt but he doesn’t have to be to help the Yankees win. 

Photo Credit: Frank Franklin II, AP

Maybe Garcia is ready now. If the Yankees feel he is, then I obviously would support the decision so I rate him as my second choice. I personally think he needs a little more time in the minors for his MLB preparation, but there’s no denying the talent of his arm. 

Loaisiga scares me as a starter if for no other reason than his injury history. I see him as an effective bullpen weapon and that’s where I’d like to see him stay. 

If Chad Bettis or Nick Tropeano win the fifth spot, I’ll be disappointed. I feel bad. Bettis has overcome so much to get here. I know the Colorado Rockies fans, having lived in Denver the last four years, really like and admire Bettis. Tropeano is a New York kid who is getting a chance to play for the primary local team. Nevertheless, I do not see the upside play in either Bettis or Tropeano and would rather take a chance on one of the younger arms. 

Listening to CC Sabathia’s podcast this week, it was sad to hear Sonny Gray talk about the inability of the Yankees to help him. With the disclaimers both CC and Sonny gave about really liking former Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild, it was interesting to listen to them say Larry didn’t really have any answers. I guess I didn’t really understand how “behind” the Yankees were in current analytics and what drove the massive overhaul this past-offseason. I was dumping on Sonny Gray as much as anyone while he was a Yankee, but in retrospect, it would have been interesting to see what the Yankees current array of pitching coaches could have done with him.

I am not sure what to think about Giancarlo Stanton’s latest injury (calf) that will delay his start to the 2020 season. I am not ready to say he is ‘Jacoby Ellsbury Revisited’ but the injuries are disappointing. I am not going to blame Giancarlo for the injuries. They happen. But at this point, his contract looks like a sunk cost. If you could go back in time, there’s no doubt Brian Cashman should have snagged Christian Yelich instead of Stanton.  I remain hopeful Stanton can overcome these annoying injuries and be the player he was in 2017 when he won the NL MVP Award or in 2018 when he hit 38 homers for the Yankees. Yet, playing him anywhere except DH seems like a major risk at this point. We’ll see. For now I just hope he’s healthy soon and back on the field or rather the batter’s box.

This is a great opportunity for Clint Frazier to finally prove he belongs, but I am probably most excited about the limited work in left field by Miguel Andujar. With third base occupied by Gio Urshela, it would be fantastic to see Miggy grab left field for his own. Mike Tauchman will play a role but he’ll need to help Brett Gardner in center. I know many people would love to move Miggy for a quality starting pitcher and maybe I’ve been one of them, but with Stanton out, I want Andujar’s bat in the lineup. Last year, we had the Parrot. This year, we can have the Helicopter (a hat tip to Miggy’s swing).  As for Frazier, if he doesn’t make the team, I’d rather see the Yankees trade him than send him back down to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He really has nothing more to prove in the minor leagues. Love him or hate him, I’d like to see him get a big league opportunity even if it isn’t with the Yankees.

It’s funny how ex-Yankees always grow facial hair immediately after leaving the Yankees. Watching the Padres on MLB Network last night, it was weird seeing Larry Rothschild in San Diego’s dugout with a beard. I didn’t take a pic but thankfully James Kelly of ESNY did:

Photo Credit: James Kelly, ESNY, via Twitter @jkellyESNY 

I had caught Detroit’s game earlier in the day and Tigers catcher Austin Romine looks so different with his Civil War-like beard.

You kind of half expect Didi Gregorius to throw the razor away. 

With the fan uproar when the Yankees started the exhibition season with a couple of losses, I really hope the Yankees avoid a sluggish start to the regular season. Frankly, I didn’t care if the Yankees lost all of their 33 spring games so long as the players got the necessary work to get ready for the season. There are no trophies awarded for the best Spring record. It’s nice to see the team win like they have the last few days but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really mean anything. The pitchers are experimenting and not offering their full array of pitches and strategy. It’s more about readiness to play at the game’s highest level for an extended period over the course of a long season. But if the Yankees lose a few games in late March to the lowly Baltimore Orioles, there’s no doubt the Yankee fans will be on the ledge. I feel bad for Gerrit Cole when he gives up his first home run. Let’s embrace this team. Even with the injuries, they still have the potential to be the best of the American League with an excellent chance to have a dinner date with the NL representative in October.  As they say, don’t sweat the small stuff.  There will be bumps along the way, but we’ll be there in the end.

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports

It’s a good time to be a Yankees fan.

As always, Go Yankees!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Didi Gregorius

The New York Yankees will be without their starting shortstop for at least a portion of the 2019 season, but that doesn’t mean we are going to leave him out of our introductions. Didi has already begun a throwing program as a part of his rehab with Tommy John surgery and looks to be on track for a July or August return to the club. The Yankees have depth around Didi and can afford to give Gregorius all the time that he needs to fully heal and recover, so while he does that let’s get reacquainted with the emoji man himself. Sir Didi Gregorius.

Didi Gregorius, recently 29-years old, is a left-handed batting and right-handed throwing shortstop that came over to the New York Yankees to replace the legendary Derek Jeter. Didi, all 6’3” and 205 lbs. of him, is a very aggressive hitter at the plate and has all the tools to hit .300 and 30 home runs in a season, especially playing his home games inside of Yankee Stadium. Didi is under 30% with his swings and misses and is more than happy to take his walks and keep the line moving in the Yankees lineup. I, myself, deemed him the best complete hitter in the Yankees lineup before the 2018 season and even had him hitting 3^rd in the lineup, a comment and opinion that I was absolutely grilled for on Twitter and in the blog… well, until it became a reality for Aaron Boone and the team that season.

Sir Mariekson Julius “Didi” Gregorius was born on February 18^th, 1990 (happy belated to Didi) in Amsterdam, Netherlands to Johannes Gregorius Sr. and Sheritsa Stroop. At the time of Didi’s birth, his father pitched for the Amsterdam Pirates in Honkbal Hoofdklasse while also working as a carpenter. His mother, Stroop, played for the Dutch national softball team while his older brother, Johannes, Jr., pitched professionally in Honkbal Hoofdklasse as well as the Italian Baseball League. Didi had baseball in his blood and began playing tee-ball in the Netherlands before being moved at the age of five to Curacoa. Didi adopted the nickname because his teammates could not pronounce his given name, Mariekson. It probably wasn’t an issue for Gregorius, given the fact that he speaks four different languages including English, Dutch, Papiamentu, and Spanish. That, along with his on-the-field play, caught the eye of the Cincinnati Reds who signed Didi as an amateur free agent in 2007. Didi chose the Reds over other suitors, including the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, because of Cincinnati’s willingness to start Gregorius in the United States rather than the Dominican or Venezuelan Summer Leagues. Gregorius worked his way through the Reds minor league system until he earned a September call-up on September 1, 2012. Gregorius played in eight games for the Reds that season and was assigned to the Arizona Fall League following the season.

With Didi being blocked at shortstop by Zack Cozart, the Reds ultimate traded Gregorius to the Arizona Diamondbacks as a part of a three-team trade involving the Cleveland Indians. The Reds sent Gregorius along with Drew Stubbs in exchange for Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald. The Indians then sent Gregorius to Arizona with reliever Tony Sipp and infielder Lars Anderson for pitchers Trevor Bauer, Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers. Gregorius played 103 games for the Diamondbacks in 2013 before heading into camp with the Diamondbacks in 2014 to compete for the starting job with Chris Owings. Owings ultimately won the job out of spring and Didi began the season back in Triple-A, although an injury to Cliff Pennington brought Gregorius back to the big-league club for the remainder of the 2014 season.

The Yankees needed a shortstop after the retirement of Derek Jeter, and they set their eyes on Gregorius. The Yankees, in another three-team trade, sent young pitcher Shane Greene to the Detroit Tigers while receiving Gregorius back from the Diamondbacks. Detroit then sent Robbie Ray and Domingo Leyba to Arizona. Gregorius struggled out of the gate for the Yankees in 2015, but eventually turned it around to have a good season. Gregorius really took off for the Yankees in 2016, finishing the season with a .276 average with 20 home runs and 70 RBI, including a career high in hits (155), doubles (32), home runs (20), and RBI (70). Gregorius would miss the beginning of the 2017 season after injuring his shoulder in the World Baseball Classic. Gregorius was activated on April 28 and immediately began assaulting opposing pitchers to the tune of a .286 average with 25 home runs and 87 RBI, all while missing the entire first month of the season. Didi did not stop hitting home runs in the postseason in 2017 either as the Yankees shortstop hit a game-tying three-run home run in the first inning of the 2017 American League Wild Card Game after the Minnesota Twins had taken an early 3-0 lead. Didi hit two home runs off Corey Kluber in the ALDS Game 5 as well, leading the Yankees within one game of the 2017 World Series before falling to the eventual World Series Champion Houston Astros.

Didi finished the 2018 season with over 20 home runs for the third straight season, but by the time the Yankees were eliminated in the American League Division Series at the hands of the Boston Red Sox the team announced that Didi would require Tommy John surgery on his throwing right elbow. Didi is expected to be out until July 1^st at the earliest, but more than likely until August of this season. Until then, Troy Tulowitzki will try and keep his shortstop position warm for him. Get well soon, Didi, and we sure will miss you on the field while your elbow mends.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Gleyber Torres

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Gleyber Day! He’s the Gleyber of the month! Ok, on a serious note though, how important is Gleyber Torres going to be for the New York Yankees here in 2019? Name a position and Gleyber could probably play it in a pinch. Troy Tulowitzki goes down? Slide Gleyber in at shortstop and let DJ LeMahieu play second base. DJ goes down? Gleyber back to second. Andujar goes down or need a day off? Like a good neighbor, Gleyber is there. Hell, I bet Torres could even play first base if he had to, the kid is just that talented. Let’s meet possibly the most important and integral part of the Yankees infield this season, Mr. Gleyber Torres.

Gleyber Torres, 22-years old, is a right-handed infielder for the New York Yankees with experience at second base, shortstop, and the third base positions. Gleyber loves to wait on a fastball and drive it out of the ballpark, but he can also handle his own on breaking pitches as we saw throughout the 2018 campaign with the Yankees. Standing 6’1” and weighing in at 200 lbs. this young man is the future of the New York Yankees infield and is under team control through the 2024 season.

Gleyber David Torres Castro was born on December 13, 1996 in Caracas, Venezuela to parents Eusebio Torres and Ibelise Castro. His parents were said to be intrigued by the name “Qleyber” and decided to name their son Gleyber because of its uniqueness. Torres started playing baseball at the age of four as a center fielder, catcher, pitcher, and eventually as a shortstop. Gleyber grew up watching games on television and idolized players like Omar Vizquel. By the age of 14, Gleyber had caught the eye of many MLB scouts including the Chicago Cubs who ultimately decided to sign Torres as an International free agent in 2013 for a $1.7 million signing bonus.

Torres made his professional debut in 2014 with the Arizona Cubs before working his way up to Class A-Advanced ball in 2016, just in time for the Cubs to trade Gleyber to the New York Yankees along with Adam Warren, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford for closer Aroldis Chapman. Torres was immediately assigned to the Tampa Yankees and was also assigned to the Arizona Fall League following the season. Torres won the AFL MVP Award in 2016, becoming the youngest player to do so, and quickly became the top-rated Yankees prospect heading into the 2017 season and the fifth best prospect overall according to Baseball America. Torres was invited to spring training camp in 2017 but was ultimately assigned to Double-A to begin the season.

Torres was promoted to Triple-A in May of 2017, but a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his non-throwing left elbow ended his season on June 19. Gleyber underwent Tommy John surgery and finished the 2017 season batting .287/.383/.480 with seven home runs and 34 RBI for the Trenton Thunder and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders combined. Gleyber was invited back to Yankees spring training camp in 2018 but was ultimately assigned to Triple-A to begin the year. Gleyber stayed n the minor leagues until April 22 when the Yankees called him up to make his MLB debut against the Toronto Blue Jays. Gleyber went 0-4 in the contest, but he collected his first hit the next night against the Minnesota Twins. Torres was selected to the All-Star Game as an American League reserve in his rookie season, but he did not play in the game. Gleyber also hit the Yankees 265^th home run as a team in 2018, breaking the 1997 Seattle Mariners all-time record for most home runs as a team in a single season. That home run also marked the 20^th home run out of the 9^th spot in the batting order, thus making the Yankees the first team in history to have at least 20 home runs from every spot in the batting order.

Gleyber finished the season in the American League Division Series, falling to the Boston Red Sox. Gleyber had an amazing rookie campaign with the Yankees and finished 3^rd overall in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting. Gleyber will look to be even better here in 2019 and will look to lead the Yankees even further into the postseason. Good luck to you, Gleyber, and much respect and love.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Adam Ottavino

The New York Yankees completed their super bullpen this offseason when they signed a right-hander originally out of New York named Adam Ottavino. Ottavino was signed to a three-year deal worth $27 million by the Yankees on January 24, 2019 to essentially replace the recently departed David Robertson in the pen. Ottavino was the first ever Yankee to be awarded the “0” uniform number, which is essentially the last single digit uniform number in the Yankee’s history. Let’s meet the man that should be giving Gary Sanchez absolute fits all season long. Let’s meet your 2019 Yankees. Let’s meet Brooklyn-native Adam Ottavino.

Adam Ottavino, 33-years old, is a right-handed pitcher that will stroll in from the Yankees bullpen with his 6’5” and 220 lb. frame all season long in the 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th innings. Ottavino’s pitching sequence includes an 82 MPH slider, a 95 MPH sinker, an 88 MPH cutter, a 94 MPH four-seam fastball and a 90 MPH changeup that he uses from time-to-time. Ottavino is all movement and deception and will give Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez a nice challenge behind the dish with this repertoire. For what it’s worth, not that I think Ottavino will see much of the plate for the Yankees, Adam is also a switch-hitter, which may explain why the Yankees didn’t sign more left-handed hitters this winter. Ottavino can balance the lineup!

image credit Elite Sports NY

Adam Robert Ottavino was born on November 22, 1985 in Brooklyn, New York where he attended P.S. 39, The Henry Bristow School in the Park Slope neighborhood. Ottavino remained in Brooklyn throughout his High School years where he graduated from Berkley Carroll School. While at Berkley Carroll the right-handed pitcher caught the eye of the Tampa Bay Rays who selected Ottavino in the 30^th round of the 2003 MLB First Year Players Draft. Ottavino did not sign with Tampa and instead headed to Northeastern University to play college baseball for the Northeastern Huskies. While at Northeastern, Ottavino was able to compile both the single-season and all-time strikeouts records for the school while also earning the honor of being named American’s East Conference’s Pitcher of the Year in 2005.

After the 2005 season the St. Louis Cardinals came calling in the first round, 30^th overall, of the 2006 MLB First Year Players Draft. Ottavino signed quickly and was immediately assigned to the Cardinals minor league system. Ottavino toiled around in the minor league system for St. Louis before making his MLB debut for the team as a starting pitcher in 2010. Ottavino was re-assigned off the team’s 40-man roster after five appearances but was ultimately added back to the team’s 40-man roster after the 2011 season. The Cardinals ultimately placed Ottavino on waivers before the 2012 season and the Colorado Rockies came calling, claiming the right-hander off waivers on April 3, 2012 and immediately assigned him to their minor league system.

Ottavino also represented Team Italy in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Ottavino made one appearance during the tournament, pitching three scoreless innings against Team Venezuela. 

It was the 2012 season that saw the Rockies begin developing Ottavino as a relief pitcher. It was during the 2013 season that Ottavino changed his number on his uniform to 0, an ode to the “O” in Ottavino. Ottavino struggled mightily during his transition from starter to the bullpen in 2013 and 2014, but the right-hander was moved to the Rockies closers role in 2015 after Colorado learned that closer LaTroy Hawkins struggled early on. Ottavino was not in the closer’s role for long though, unfortunately, after a scan determined that Adam had torn his ulnar collateral ligament. The UCL injury required Tommy John surgery and it ended his 2015 campaign prematurely. Despite the injury the Colorado Rockies showed their commitment to Ottavino, signing him to three-year deal worth $10.4 million. Ottavino spent the first part of the 2016 season on the disabled list before coming back completely healthy in 2017. Ottavino broke out in his contract season of 2018 and headed into free agency off the heels of easily his best season in the Majors.

The Yankees came calling and snatched up Ottavino off the free agent market to solidify and complete their bullpen. Welcome back to the great state of New York, welcome to the greatest organization in all of professional sports, and welcome to the family, Adam.

Didi Gregorius, CC Sabathia and Sonny Gray Updates

We aren't even to the World Series yet, but the New York Yankees are already dominating the offseason and hot stove news.

This week we learned that shortstop Didi Gregorius will need Tommy John surgery this offseason and will miss an undetermined amount of time in 2019. Didi injured the ulnar collateral ligament in his arm during the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox on a ground ball in Fenway Park. It sounds like right now Gleyber Torres, who missed time last season because of Tommy John surgery, will slide in to replace Didi at shortstop. Then again, Bubba Crosby will be the team's starting center fielder in 2005 as well.

CC Sabathia underwent a routine knee surgery this week as well, presumably just a cleanup operation not unlike the procedure he had during the offseason of 2016. If he chooses to, the knee surgery will not keep Sabathia out any time during the 2019 season.

Finally, the Yankees have already announced that they will shop RHP Sonny Gray this winter. I can't imagine they will get much in return for the free agent after the 2019 season, but if Cashman does get a nice haul for him he will forever be known as simple "The Wizard."

Looking Ahead to 2019 & the Trevor Rosenthal Showcase

Let me be clear and let me be as frank as possible, my entire focus is here on the 2018 team. I am in no way conceding the playoffs, or even the division, and in no way am I counting against or rooting against my team, yes this is MY team in my heart and in my mind, here in 2018. Just because I am “all-in” on 2018 doesn’t mean that this has to be Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman’s only focus though. His focus should be on this season and beyond, and the beyond part of that statement may begin with Trevor Rosenthal and his pitching showcase that he will put on this October.  

Rosenthal has decided to sit out the 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late August of 2017 with his eyes on a return to the Majors in 2019. While some pitchers, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda for a couple Yankees-related examples, have decided to sign modest two-year deals while still rehabbing from the ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery, others, Greg Holland for example, have decided to simply sit out the season in hopes of getting a larger contract when they are physically able to pitch again. It is risky, but it is sometimes a risk worth taking if you look at it from a simple financial outlook. Eovaldi signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays after being released from the New York Yankees worth $4 million total, $2 million in each season now that the team option was picked up by the club this season. Meanwhile, Holland signed a one-year deal worth $7 million with a load of incentives and a vesting player option which, unless they have changed math since I have been in school, is at least $3 million more than Eovaldi will receive, and Eovaldi is a starting pitcher throwing 100-200 innings a season while Holland is a reliever that will likely throw less than 80 IP here in 2018.

Rosenthal will have youth on his side if and when he decides on a new home for the 2019 season as he was just 27-years old when he underwent the surgery and will be still just 29-years old when the 2019 season begins. If Rosenthal shows that he is healthy in October when he has his showcase and can replicate his 2017 success that saw the right-hander toughing 98 – 99 MPH with a 15.9% swinging-strike rate he would be a welcomed addition to any club, especially to a Yankees club that is presumably losing David Robertson to free agency.

Rosenthal will not likely sign a deal with a club to be their closer, so he could be the perfect and the most economical fit for the Yankees aside from calling up another young and talented arm from their farm system. It all depends on the health of his right elbow and how his showcase looks in October. I am not looking ahead too far right now, but Brian Cashman certainly should. Maybe he can even get a brownie point or two from Hal Steinbrenner if he books his flight now and saves the organization some money, money that could be then filtered to Rosenthal and back into the on-the-field product. Stay tuned.

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/10: Tanaka’s Torn Elbow Ligament

On this day in 2014 the New York Yankees learned that ace starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka had a partially torn ligament in his right throwing elbow. Tanaka’s UCL was less than 10% torn and five doctors including Tommy John surgery expert Dr. James Andrews suggested that a rest and rehab program could prolong him needing the surgery.


Also on this day in 2001 Derek Jeter became the first Yankee to hit a home run in an All Star Game in 42 years when he hit a sixth inning leadoff home run off Jon Lieber at Safeco Field in Seattle. Yogi Berra was the last member of the Yankees to hit an All Star Game homer when he hit one off Don Drysdale in 1959.


The New York Yankees, like most teams in baseball back in 1917, had pitchers that were known for throwing the spitball. No Yankee was more known for the now illegal pitch than Ray Caldwell and he had the spitter working on this day in 1917. Caldwell pitched 9.2 innings of relief and did not allow a single hit as the Yankees beat the St. Louis Browns 7-5 in 17 innings.

Caldwell would throw a no hitter against his former team, the Indians, in 1919 against Tris Speaker and the Tribe. Caldwell was also one of 17 pitchers that was allowed to continue throwing the spitball after the pitch was outlawed in 1920.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 6/15

And just like that it is game time here once again in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. In the second start of a four-game Father’s Day weekend set the Yankees will rookie pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga to the mound to make his MLB debut against a former member of the Yankees in Nathan Eovaldi. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, get Johnny Lasagna a victory, and go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 6/15

Good morning Yankees family! The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays will continue their four-game weekend set tonight with the second game of the series. In the start tonight the Yankees will send a young right-hander that has never made a start above Double-A named Jonathan Loaisiga to make his Major League debut while the Rays will counter with a familiar face for New York in Nathan Eovaldi. Let’s get to it here in the Bronx.

Loaisiga will make his MLB debut tonight after posting a 4.32 ERA in just six starts with the Double-A Trenton Thunder. Loaisiga was added to the team’s 40-man roster before the season giving him Rule 5 Draft protection due to his strikeout ability and his projections to be an MLB-caliber starting pitcher. Loaisiga has struck out 58 batters here thus far in 2018 to just four walks which is hopefully a trend that continues tonight inside Yankee Stadium.

Eovaldi, or “The Revolver” as Patrick Walsh of the site once donned him, has made three starts since coming off the disabled list after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Over that span Eovaldi is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA, although he did show promise in his first start firing six innings of no-hit ball.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Enjoy the game, holster that revolver, and go Yankees!!

Nathan Eovaldi’s Highlights as a Yankee

Nathan Eovaldi was acquired by the New York Yankees in a five-player deal with the Miami Marlins that saw Eovaldi, Garrett Jones and Domingo German come to the Bronx for right-handed pitcher David Phelps and third baseman Martin Prado. This deal was considered to be one of the few “losses” in a trade in recent years for Brian Cashman as Eovaldi made 48 starts for the Yankees in two seasons. Eovaldi posted a 4.45 ERA in 279 innings of work before having to undergo Tommy John surgery. Eovaldi was subsequently released by the team and snatched up by the Tampa Bay Rays who have rehabbed him back to the Major League level. That return to the MLB level continues tonight in the Bronx as he takes the mound against the Yankees with his new team, let’s take a look at the high spots for Eovaldi inside a Yankees uniform.

My Reaction To Jordan Montgomery Getting TJS

It was recently announced that this Thursday Jordan Montgomery would undergo Tommy John surgery. While losing Monty for the rest of this season isn't going to hurt the Yankees shot at the World Series, the loss of Jordan Montgomery is far from insignificant. 

In 35 starts for the Yankees, between last season and this one, Monty has thrown to a solid 3.84 ERA. Yet his value to the rotation has been greatly overlooked.

I'm not saying he should be considered the team's ace, and was on his way to starting the Wild Card game or Game 1 of the ALDS. Actually, I don't think he would have started a postseason game at all. Severino, whoever they trade for, and Tanaka would likely be the starters then. But way more often than not, when Jordan started the team had a chance to win. And you can't ask for more than that from your #4 or #5 starter. 

Actually, there are plenty of teams that are lucky to get one win out of five starts from their 4th and 5th starters.

I don't want to say I'm concerned about the team's chances to win it all this season due losing Montgomery. The aforementioned Severino and Tanaka, along with Gray, Sabathia, and German should be able to keep leading the Yankees to plenty of victories. Not to mention an addition to that rotation via trade. But if you are waving this off as nothing, possibly comparing it to the team not having Jacoby Ellsbury around, you haven't been paying attention.

Masahiro Tanaka’s Partially Torn UCL & Why You Should Chill the F Out

You know what Daniel Burch hasn’t done in a while? Rant (or talk in the third person while Daniel Burch is on the subject). He hasn’t ranted in a while, although he has come close, but that is all about to change. I have been hearing it for years, and I have argued against it for years, but for whatever reason this is not registering in some people’s heads. I am so sick and damn tired of hearing about Masahiro Tanaka’s partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and I am even more tired of hearing it used as an excuse for every time the guy throws a ball out of the zone, let alone struggles in a start. The partially torn UCL is not the reason for all his struggles and you are not smarter than a team of doctors that advised against him getting Tommy John surgery. Deal with it and get over yourselves people.

Let’s start at the beginning, the diagnosis.

Tanaka was diagnosed back in 2014 with a slight tear of his ulnar collateral ligament. Tanaka visited three different doctors including Yankees team doctor Christopher Ahmad and Tommy John surgery specialist and expert Dr. James Andrews and all three doctors came to the same conclusion, the need for Tommy John surgery and a new ulnar collateral ligament was not needed. While each doctor had their own plan for how to treat and how to rehab the elbow the consensus was the same, no surgery. The Yankees ultimately decided on a platelet-rich injection on the elbow and rest and rehab, a treatment that at least to date has worked for Tanaka’s particular case.

Despite this diagnosis there are still fans, not doctors, who say the most outrageous and off-base things about Tanaka, his elbow, and about Tommy John surgery in general.

“Tanaka cannot pitch at a high level with a partially torn UCL!”

WRONG! Now that this is out of the way let me tell you all a story. There once was a man named Adam Wainwright who not only pitched once with a small tear, like Tanaka’s, in his UCL, but he did it twice. Wainwright dominated Major League hitters for six seasons before needing the surgery which included 182 games, 99 of them as a starting pitcher, 874 total innings including 233 innings pitched in 2009 alone, and a second place (2010) and third place (2009) finish in the National League Cy Young Award vote. Wainwright was first diagnosed with the partial tear in his UCL as a High School pitcher where doctors advised against surgery. Wainwright tore his UCL partially again while in Triple-A and was once again advised against an ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery. Both times Wainwright took the conservative route, like Tanaka, and came back throwing harder and stronger than ever. Wainwright pitched for six seasons with a partially torn UCL before completely blowing out his elbow and requiring the surgery.

“So, Tanaka will need the surgery eventually.”

No, not necessarily. Tanaka was never ridden like a horse like Wainwright was and has never approached 233 innings in a Major League season. Tanaka also sat out ten weeks after the diagnosis where Wainwright sat out only six weeks while Tanaka also received a platelet-rich plasma injection to promote healing in the elbow where Wainwright did not. Tanaka was closely monitored by a team of doctors and is still monitored closely to this day by the New York Yankees. Tanaka had multiple checkups after the diagnosis and every time he was told that there was no new damage to the elbow or the ligament.

“Why not just get the surgery done, sit out a year and come back strong in the final two seasons of his contract?”

If it were only that simple. While the success rate for Tommy John surgeries are as good as they ever were it doesn’t mean that they are 100%. Not yet, anyway. For every success story with a pitcher coming back in 15 months or so and coming back stronger and better than ever there are horror stories that contradict that line of thinking. It seemingly took Ryan Madson three-or-four years to fully recover from his Tommy John surgery, and he is just a reliever who isn’t relied upon every fifth day like Tanaka. Also, it is worth mentioning that there’s a ton of instances and stories of pitchers NEVER coming back or being the same after a torn UCL surgery. Why just go cutting on a ligament and take that chance when it has deemed unnecessary by a team, not just one, of doctors? Why take the risk? You don’t. Getting what is deemed as an unnecessary surgery like having your tonsils removed or a circumcision is one thing, having the ligament that essentially holds your elbow together ripped out and replaced for no good damn reason is another.

“But, but, but, Wainwright needed the surgery eventually. Tanaka will too!”

Wrong again, Yankees fans. Let me tell you another story. A story about a man many know as “King Felix” but a man I prefer to call Felix Hernandez. Hernandez has been pitching with a torn ulnar collateral ligament for God knows how long. Bob Nightengale of the USA Today has reported on it and Andy Van Slyke opened up about it in that interview about three years back where he claimed the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to trade Yasiel Puig. It seems to be common knowledge around the league, yet Hernandez has yet to undergo the ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery. And, FYI, Felix’s velocity did drop to around 92 MPH, yes. It was AFTER his velocity drop that he found his changeup and truly morphed into the “King” that he was nicknamed recently. The velocity drop did not coincide with the partially torn UCL, not even close.

“I know more than Daniel Burch.”

No, you don’t. Next.

Okay, so again on a serious, and less cocky, note you can sum up this entire article in just a few sentences. Every elbow is different, every person is different, and everyone’s body is different. Just because Adam Wainwright was able to pitch through the elbow injury and didn’t immediately require the surgery doesn’t mean Tanaka will, although he has thus far. Just because Felix Hernandez has reportedly a 25% tear in his UCL and has yet to require the surgery it doesn’t mean that Tanaka won’t require the surgery. No one knows. What the point of this post was is to show people that their opinions mean very little in the grand scheme of things. Doctors told Tanaka not to get the surgery, specialists in fact, and I trust them way more than I trust a casual fan. I trust the specialists more than I trust my own knowledge and opinion, so please stop acting like you know more about Tanaka, his elbow, UCL’s, and Tommy John surgery than someone who went to school for the better part of a decade just to learn the trade. You don’t, and neither do I. Thank you for listening to my rant while learning a little bit about Tanaka, ulnar collateral ligaments and the history of pitching with a tear in it.

Daniel Burch out. Oh, and little p…. edgy enough for you?