The first two instances of this debauchery that immediately come to mind occurred a little over a year ago, during spring training leading up to the 2012 season. Supposedly healthy when they reported to camp in February, before long both Sergio Santos and Dustin McGowan found themselves being held out of games. In the case of Santos, then-manager John Farrell spoke to the right hander being too amped up too early trying to impress his new team, and that they wanted to slow him down to a more normal routine. For those who have somehow forgotten, Santos would make just six appearances during the 2012 season, before months of rest – and eventually surgery – was required to repair a bum shoulder.

With Dustin McGowan, the organization declared he was suffering from a foot injury and he’d be off the mound for a few days, but that he should be 100% in time for Opening Day in April. They even went as far as to sign him to an often-ridiculed (and rightfully so) two-year extension for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. That foot injury somehow turned into a shoulder injury over the course of a couple weeks, leading some – or at least me – to question whether the foot injury ever even existed in the first place. McGowan still hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays in the 13 months since he signed that fully guaranteed, major-league contract. Considering I haven’t read an article mentioning his rehab in a solid month or two, I wouldn’t hold my breath in anticipation of it happening any time soon, either.

The team was decimated by injuries during the season, but as all of them happened during nationally televised games – as opposed to hidden on backfields of a spring training complex – it was pointless for the organization to try and feed the masses any kind of bullshit. When Kyle Drabek throws a pitch and he immediately grabs his right elbow with a grimace on his face, you don’t need a medical degree to surmise that maybe he just injured his UCL.

February 24, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie (13) in the dugout against the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The offseason and spring training leading up to 2013 is a different beast entirely. Casey Janssen underwent shoulder surgery in mid-November, and the public didn’t even know he had been having issues with it until a week after he’d already gone under the knife. It was also just supposed to be a quick cleanup of some AC joint spurs, yet Janssen was just barely ready for Opening Day 20 weeks later, and is still on a very strict pitching schedule.

During March, starting third baseman Brett Lawrie left to represent Canada in the World Baseball Classic. In an exhibition tilt against the Cincinnati Reds on March 6th, Lawrie felt a grabbing sensation on his left side and removed himself from the game. Originally it was thought he might only miss the first round, but he needed to be evaluated by the Blue Jays back in Dunedin before a more accurate prognosis could occur. An article from the Globe and Mail, written by Tyler Harper on March 7th, quoted General Manager Alex Anthopoulos as saying

“He’ll be back on Monday, he’ll get some more exams, but he said it has improved today. It’s just one of those things that you need to rest. It’s very mild, which is certainly good news, and they’re saying two-to-three weeks on the really conservative side, which means there’s obviously a chance that it’s sooner than that.”

He used the words “very mild”, and “chance it’s sooner than that” when describing the two-to-three week timeframe. In reality, Lawrie missed almost six weeks, and it’s fair to say that with a healthy Jose Reyes, it might’ve been another week until our great maple hero returned.

In addition to Lawrie, Sergio Santos again made headlines this past spring. After appearing in a few games – and looking downright filthy, forcing many to question Janssen’s grasp on the closer job – he was shut down for a few days because of some right triceps soreness. Upon his return, while he still looked pretty good, there was a little missing. His fastball was still buzzing but he struggled to command it, and his monstrous slider wasn’t quite as sharp as it was when we saw it in early March. Regardless, he was declared ready to head north, and after making three appearances on the home stand, he was once again held out of the Detroit series because of that same triceps soreness. Santos pitched in back-to-back games against the Royals on the 12th and 13th, and was then officially placed on the disabled list yesterday with, unsurprisingly, a sore right triceps.

I can only really see two possible explanations for the inaccuracies in the diagnoses I mentioned above. The first, which is more than a little farfetched, is that the Blue Jays employ a training and conditioning staff composed of morons who can’t even operate an MRI machine, let alone comprehend and analyze the results it offers. Considering the Blue Jays are a professional sports team valued by Forbes at $337 million back in 2011, and are owned by a media conglomerate valued at $18.36 billion in 2011 (according to Wikipedia), I doubt those are the kind of doctors they choose to employ.

The second, which is far more realistic, is that the organization simply doesn’t find it necessary to keep the ticket paying public in-the-know when it comes to player injuries and recoveries. They may see it as a competitive advantage issue, as if the public knows, so do opposing teams. The thing is, baseball isn’t like hockey or football – both of which are far worse when it comes to “stretching the truth” about injuries to be fair – where a certain weak spot on a player could be targeted and exploited. What could the Yankees or Red Sox possibly gain by having the knowledge that Brett Lawrie’s going to miss six weeks instead of two or three? They’re not going to alter their roster in any way, shape, or form because of that news, and if they would, they have such a poorly run and reactionary front office that you really don’t need to worry about them anyways.

My question is, how much truth does a professional sports organization owe to the public when it comes to injuries? Fans, whether it is through ticket and concession sales or TV revenue, are the gasoline that runs the engines of professional sports. If the team was a corporation, the fans are the shareholders whose investments allow for the corporation to flourish, and without those investments the corporation will fail to survive. What kind of accountability should they be held to, for, perhaps not lying, but certainly stretching and smearing the truth for their own unforeseen benefit?

April 9, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) sits in dugout against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Lawrie situation hung with me all March and into April. Not necessarily in a “Why isn’t he back yet?” way, but as the weeks progressed and Brett, well, didn’t, I wanted to know why the team’s original timeline was so horribly far off reality. If a doctor says something will heal in two weeks and it’s still bothersome five weeks later, either a setback occurred or the injury was more serious than originally anticipated. The organization said neither of those things; simply that he was “progressing.”

What drove me to write this article are the shenanigans that are currently revolving around Jose Bautista, and I legitimately fear that this is once again a situation where the team is giving us half truths and paying us little more than lip service. Tonight will be the team’s 15th game of the year, and the sixth of which Bautista has missed due to three apparently separate issues – a sore ankle, a stiff back, and an ear infection. What bothers me even further is that the team constantly uses the “day-to-day” line. They’ll say he’s out tonight, but should be good for tomorrow and can pinch hit if needed. Manager John Gibbons has used that line on more than one occasion, and it was glaringly untrue last night. Down one run in the bottom of the ninth, both Rajai Davis and Maicer Izturis were allowed to bat, and both created outs to end the game. Not only did Bautista not pinch hit, I didn’t even see him in the dugout. Jose Reyes, he of the gnarly ankle, was seen sitting on the bench in both Chicago games, cheering on his teammates with a huge smile on his face. Where was Jose Bautista? At this point, how much trust can we place on anything the team says about injuries?

Won’t be seeing this again for at least 15 days. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Sergio Santos is no stranger to injury, as he spent 166 days last season on the DL due to a frayed labrum in his shoulder. It’ll be a huge blow to the Blue Jays bullpen, as he has given up only one run on a ridiculous neck-high home run to Mark Reynolds, while striking out 6 and giving up a walk and 3 hits over 4.1 innings. Hopefully it won’t be a long stay for Sergio Santos on the DL, as the team could use more of his swing and miss stuff.

The silver lining is that Brett Lawrie will be coming back for tomorrow’s game. He spent about 45 days being injured with and recovering from a ribcage injury, on the opposite side from his oblique injury from last season’s campaign. In rehab starts, Lawrie spent time at second base in order to utilize a stronger infield defense than what would be provided by having Emilio Bonifacio, Maicer Izturis and Mark DeRosa at either second or third base. But with Jose Bautista out of today’s game due to back spasms (which may or may not have been caused by spending time at third base), the team might look to have Jose return to right field and have Lawrie field at third base just to avoid further injuries.

Essentially, losing Sergio Santos at this time has forced Brett Lawrie to (possibly) come up from rehab assignment early. Hopefully that won’t result in further injuries down the road, as well. After the Blue Jays’ 2012 season, staying off the DL as long as possible is priority #1.

Mar 4, 2012; Bradenton, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Sergio Santos (21) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Blue Jays one “big splash” last offseason was trading starting pitching prospect Nestor Molina to the Chicago White Sox for closer Sergio Santos. The Blue Jays bullpen blew 25 saves in 2011 so a closer was a big need.

Unfortunately Santos only appeared in 6 games for the Blue Jays in 2012 before having a season ending injury. Sergio Santos’s injury was probably the most under-rated injury for the Blue Jays in 2012 because Casey Janssen eventually took the job and had great success doing it.

With all the Blue Jays offseason additions it’s easy to forget about a reliever you haven’t seen pitch since last April. If Santos stays healthy and pitches like the reliever the Blue Jays thought they were acquiring last offseason then watch out.

Santos is expected to be ready to go by Opening Day .Chances are Santos won’t be given the closer’s role back right away but that shouldn’t make him any less valuable.

In 2011 Santos saved 30 games for the White Sox. He had 13.1 strikeouts per 9 innings. To put that in perspective Santos had a better strikeout rate in 2011 than famous flamethrower Aroldis Chapman did in 2010 and 2011, 12.8 both years.

In 2011 Santos also broke a record held by Mariano Rivera himself for consecutive scoreless appearances on the road to start a season with 25. If you go back to the 2010 season it would be 30 straight consecutive scoreless appearances on the road.

2011 is a long time ago for a reliever and Santos is coming back from surgery on his shoulder. However, If Santos can stay healthy and come even close to being the pitcher he was in 2011, let alone be as good or better he will be a huge part of the Blue Jays success.

Apr 11, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Sergio Santos (21) celebrates with catcher J.P. Arencibia (9) after defeating the Boston Red Sox at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Red Sox 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

The Blue Jays bullpen blew 25 games in 2011 so they needed a closer badly. Santos was not just a temporary solution either. The contract he signed with the White Sox had him under guaranteed control until the end of the 2014 season, making a total of 8.25 million with options on his contract every year from 2015 – 2017. The Blue Jays also had not had the same closer to count on every year in a very long time.

It was the perfect trade. A good closer you could have for a long time with cost certainty.

Unlike other positions in baseball, relief pitchers are known to be very volatile and it’s a lot easier for them to lose their role than any other position. Sergio Santos made a handful of appearances in April, struggling in most of them, before getting injured and missing the remainder of the season.

While Santos was injured, Casey Janssen saved 22 games in 25 opportunities. Even though Alex Anthopoulos or John Farrell never said anything about Janssen being the closer for 2013, fans and media people in Toronto are already saying he should and will be.

The only player with a guaranteed contract that could possibly lose their role because they were injured or had a bad season is a closer or a reliever. Adam Lind has been one of the worst hitters in baseball since 2010 and he’s had injuries while David Cooper has filled in well for him during his injuries. No one has ever said “Cooper hit well while Lind was gone so I guess he’s the new first basemen.”

Brandon Morrow, J.P. Arencibia, Adam Lind, and Brett Lawrie all got injured this season but when they returned, they went back to their regular position. Jose Bautista, Drew Hutchison, Kyle Drabek, and Travis D’arnaud all went through long term injuries this season. Yet despite how long their recoveries are taking, they’ll all return to the same position. If Hutchison and Drabek end up in the bullpen instead of being starters, it’ll be because of what happened to their body during the injuries and not just because they happened to be injured.

Casey Janssen has 31 saves in his entire career which is just 1 more save than Sergio Santos got in 2011. Even though Santos has a guaranteed contract, he’ll have to audition for the closer’s spot in Spring Training or have to settle for a different role in the bullpen.

Unlike all other positions in baseball if you’re a reliever and you get injured your job isn’t safe, waiting for your return.

STATS discovered in their research that Santos’ slider was whiffed on a whopping 62.2% of the time, the second-highest of any pitch in baseball outside of the 68.8 % from Jonny Venters’ slider.

Clipped from: www.stats.com (share this clip)

Yahoo!, however, said that Santos’ slider, while still the second-highest, was whiffed on by batters a much lower 34.52% of the time. Romero’s had the 18th-highest curveball at 14.89% and his changeup ranked seventh at 23.79%.

Clipped from: sports.yahoo.com (share this clip)

- JM

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Image courtesy of SI.com

When the winter meetings kicked off yesterday, Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos hinted that he might leave with a closer before the week was over.

He got one in a swift move this afternoon, effectively putting an end to the countless offseason rumors. And in trademark fashion, he caught everyone by surprise by shipping standout pitching prospect Nestor Molina to the Chicago White Sox for Sergio Santos in a top-secret deal.

As most Jays fans know, it’s a homecoming of sorts for Santos, who returns to Toronto after being obtained by the Jays along with Troy Glaus when they shipped Orlando Hudson to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005. Then, Santos was a minor league infielder, whereas now, he’s one of the top relief pitchers in the game. Anthopoulos has said that Santos will definitely be his closer, so wondering who will receive ninth-inning duties is now no longer a concern.

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TORONTO

Image courtesy of tireball.com

The Jays got two full seasons of Troy Glaus. He came as advertised in his 2006 season, where he earned an All-Star appearance for his .252/.355/.513 line, along with his 38 HR, 104 RBI, 86 walks, and 134 strikeouts.

The next season, however, Glaus was hampered by foot injuries all year which caused his production to drop significantly. Jays fans started getting used to his griping about playing on turf, as well as seeing his tantrums after he struck out. He appeared in only 115 games in 2007, where he managed to club 20 home runs and drive in 62 runs, good for a .262/.366/.473 slash line. At the end of the year on December 13th, 2007, Glaus’ name emerged on the infamous Mitchell Report, but no disciplinary action was taken against him. One month later, the Jays shipped out Glaus out in a straight-up, one-for-one deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for Scott Rolen on January 14th, 2008. (more…)