Lou Piniella Considering Going with 11 Pitchers in April
Two relatively big pieces of information, buried in Carrie Muskat’s blog, from Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella:
The Cubs do need five starters when they open the season. Sometimes with off days, a team can get by with four. The way it’s projected, the Cubs’ fifth starter would make four starts in April.
“I asked [Larry Rothchild] if we could get by with 11 pitchers in the month of April,” Piniella said. “I haven’t heard a positive response on that one yet.” Muskat Ramblings.
We’ve all been assuming - and that includes General Manager Jim Hendry, who stated as much last week - that the Cubs could go with four starting pitchers for the first few weeks of the season, thus mitigating the loss of Ted Lilly somewhat. But if the Cubs actually have to go with five starters from day one, let’s hope two of the competing guys really step up. Upon review of the schedule, I see one spot where the Cubs could skip the fifth starter, but that’s it. Usually the early-season schedule is more kind.
To the latter point, Lou is clearly concerned about the Cubs’ bench. If the Cubs - like most teams - can go with just 11 pitchers, they will be able to carry an extra player on the bench, which would likely be a defensive-minded infielder (Andres Blanco?) or an extra outfielder since Xavier Nady can’t yet play out there (Tyler Colvin?).
It would be nice to have the extra player on the bench. Thing is, with the back-end of the rotation in shambles in April, I have hard time believing the Cubs aren’t going to want to carry as many relievers as possible.
ShareMini Ted Lilly Update
Chicago Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly threw 35 pitches off the mound this week and is still feeling good.
The left-hander, coming off arthroscopic surgery in November, will have another throwing session Saturday and was expected to throw 40 pitches. He’s still hopeful to get into a Cactus League game.
“I think he’ll surprise people with how well he does,” Ryan Dempster said of Lilly. “If he had his way, he’d probably pitch tomorrow.” Muskat Ramblings.
Obviously it would be a great sign if he made it into a Spring Training game, but temper those expectations even if he does - he’s still going to start the year in recovery mode.
ShareWhy the 2010 Milwaukee Brewers Will Suck
Editor’s Note: Yes, it’s that time of year again - the time for us to settle back into our protective bubble where the Chicago Cubs are destined for greatness, and every other team in the National League Central is bound for spectacular failure. If you’d care to check out last year’s fare:St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros. Already featured for 2010: Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros.
The 2010 Major League Baseball season is nearly upon us, and that means two things: (1) we’re all so deprived of real baseball action that we’re willing to treat meaningless Spring Training games like they’re the playoffs, and (2) the prognosticators are out in full force. Yes, every sports publication in the world puts out a season preview. Some are interesting, some aren’t. For the most part, folks just don’t have the time necessary to do the kind of in-depth preview that is going to be of any use to a reader that actually follows the team being previewed.
So most previews end up being pretty surface level, and boring. Well, we’re not going to do that here at Bleacher Nation. It’s much more interesting (notice how I subtly pat myself on the back?) to simply examine why the team currently sucks and is going to suck in 2010.
So enjoy - we’ll be previewing the suckiness (suckosity?) of the other teams in the National League Central over the next five weeks. Up next, Bud Selig’s favorite beer-swillers, the Milwaukee Brewers. Read the full preview on why the 2010 Milwaukee Brewers will suck, after the jump.
ShareTed Lilly is a Recovery Machine
Chicago Cubs starter Ted Lilly is recovering from shoulder surgery, and despite the team throwing up yield signs, Lilly is showing no signs of slowing down in his recovery. After throwing 30 pitches off the mound on Sunday, Lilly is ready to throw 35 today.
He’s feeling so good, he says he wants to get into a Spring Training game.
“I’m going to try to get out there and compete soon,” Lilly said Tuesday. “At the end of the day, it’s their call, but I’d certainly like to face some competition soon. I think I’ll be able to get ready to pitch in a game fairly soon. It’s hard to give any dates.”
Lilly is not projected to join the Cubs’ rotation until mid-April or early May.
“I think towards the end of Spring Training, it’s a very distinct possibility [he'll get in a game],” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “He’s coming along well. I would think that before we leave here, Teddy will pitch in a ballgame.
“The important thing is to have him continue to progress the way he has. We’re hoping he’s well enough along the way that we can pitch him at the end of Spring Training and go from there.”
Lilly does know that he needs to build up stamina and arm strength.
“It’s still a day-to-day kind of thing,” said Lilly, who was 12-9 with a 3.10 ERA in 27 starts last season. “I anticipate gradual progress, and we’ll see how we go. As far as my shoulder, I’ve felt great. I haven’t felt anything that says I need to slow down.” cubs.com.
It’s important to note that, even if Lilly makes it into a Spring Training game, that doesn’t mean he’ll be ready at the start of the season. It will, however, give us a good idea of where he’s at, and will undoubtedly be a great sign. Ted Lilly is as important to the Chicago Cubs as any player, so a swift - but more importantly, fully-recovered - return could be a boon to the team’s 2010 chances.
ShareTed Lilly is Throwing off the Mound
Finally some good news on the player injury front. Chicago Cubs starter Ted Lilly, coming back from offseason shoulder surgery, and delayed by a stomach bug, threw 30 pitches off the mound yesterday. He’d actually thrown once before off the mound in Mesa, but this time, he threw with “intensity.”
Which is awesome.
“So far, no bumps in the road and we’ll just keep progressing,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Monday.
The Cubs aren’t sure if Lilly will be able to pitch in a Cactus League game. He is not expected to be ready by Opening Day but perhaps the middle of April or early May.
“You always look for any bumps in the road that might come up and hopefully limit the time if there are any,” Rothschild said. “He’s already had the virus so hopefully that’s all behind him.” Muskat Ramblings.
Don’t allow yourself to hope for a return before May 1, and you won’t be disappointed. That said, Lilly’s return is critical, and every start he misses is another opportunity to tax what could be a thinly-stretched bullpen. Hopefully he stays on track, and makes his way back in April without the need for a substitute starter.
ShareGod’s Wrath Watch: Ted Lilly is Sick
Chicago Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly is just waiting for the plague of frogs.
It’s been a rough offseason for Lilly, who is recovering from knee and shoulder issues, has been sick all week. Everyone hoped it wouldn’t actually be a set back, given that Lilly was largely resting anyway, but Lilly himself said it’s been a problem.
Lilly, already behind the other Cubs pitchers because of rehab from minor shoulder surgery in November, returned to camp Friday and threw lightly but still wasn’t back to his strength level of last weekend.
Unable to pitch for five days because of a virus, Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly has lost strength and probably won’t be able to meet his goal of starting the season on time. “I needed this time,” he said.
”This is definitely a setback,” said Lilly, the Cubs’ lone 2009 All-Star, who was trying to beat the team’s estimate that he’d return two to four weeks into the season.
”I lost, due to this, valuable time in spring training. I needed this time. I’m behind now, as far as training goes. I haven’t really been on my feet much at all in the past five days. Being out the four or five days that I’ve been out, it’s going to cost me more [rehab time] than that. … I guess in one regard it’s fortunate it’s not my shoulder or anything like that.”
Lilly, who leads the Cubs with 44 victories in the last three seasons, said he’d still like to work his way back to opening the season on time but didn’t sound very confident about it.
”I don’t know,” he said. ”I’m just going to get back as soon as I can. I don’t want to start the season on the disabled list. I don’t feel good about that. I don’t like being on that list or associated with it in any way, shape or form.
”I’ll work to get back out there pitching as soon as possible.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
If all this means is that Lilly won’t meet his personal goal of being ready to go for the first week of the season, so be it. It was a very optimistic goal anyway, and the Cubs can stand to go with four pitchers for the first couple of weeks anyway.
Any additional delay beyond that, however, and it could have a profoundly negative impact on a Cubs team whose margins for success are already razor thin.
ShareExhale: MRI Reveals No Serious Problems for Ted Lilly
We learned on Thursday that Ted Lilly had experienced pain in his right knee when trying to start throwing in Spring camp. He went for an MRI yesterday, and we all felt unsettled.
Whew. You can unclench.
An MRI of Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly’s right knee showed nothing but “normal wear and tear,” so the only change the left-hander needs to make will be to cut down on his running and switch to bike riding.
“It felt better,” Lilly said Friday after playing catch. “It wasn’t something I was real concerned about. … I want to do everything I can to be healthy and have the best season possible.”
Lilly had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last July, but said the soreness he felt in recent days wasn’t as bad as last year.
“The MRI showed he had a little wear and tear on his knee, but he was able to do his work, get his throwing in and he had no discomfort at all,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “We’re going to modify his training program, probably a little less running, a little more bike, those sort of things. We’re just going to monitor it and see how he is. It’s good news for us. It could’ve been a lot worse.”
Lilly does like to run but understands he needs to switch up his cardio workouts.
“The idea is to stay off it,” the left-hander said of his knee. “That’s the advice I’ve been given. It makes sense but it’s not as much fun. You do whatever you can do and whatever adjustments need to be made.” cubs.com.
Hopefully the rest that his knee will now need will not slow his shoulder recovery, but it’s hard to imagine that it will have no impact at all. Obviously this is good news, but it certainly puts a crimp in Lilly’s hopes to return by Opening Day or even within the first couple of weeks of the season. I think it’s more likely that we’re now looking at Lou Piniella’s original time line of Lilly returning around May 1.
ShareGod’s Wrath Watch: Ted Lilly’s Knee Feeling Owwy
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ted Lilly had knee surgery last summer to clear up some minor issues. So the fact that, when he threw for the first time in several months this week, he had some pain in his knee is no surprise.
Except, his prior surgery was on his left knee. This pain is in his right knee. Crap.
“Hopefully, it’s just a minor little thing,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said of Lilly’s knee. “As far as his shoulder is concerned, he’s gaining strength and feeling good. We’re just having to hold him back so he doesn’t take a step backwards.”
Lilly was to be examined late Thursday. He said his knee was “barking a little bit.”
“I ran on it yesterday, and it’s not something I’m going to make a big deal out of,” he said. “I’m just going to have it looked at.”
Last July, Lilly needed arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, and he joked Thursday that maybe he’s a little “fragile.”
His shoulder, though, feels strong.
“My shoulder feels good, and I’m real optimistic about that,” Lilly said. “I’m happy with the way it’s coming along. I have expectations to not be too far behind.” cubs.com.
Lilly was to have the knee checked out late yesterday, and maybe will even have an MRI.
Share
