It was just a matter of when Grady Sizemore would undergo surgery on the elbow that’s bothered him for months. He’d indicated that he intended to finish the year and then undergo the procedure, and he likely would have followed through on that had the Indians been in contention. Of course, that hasn’t been the case for months.
As a result, he’s opted to shut it down now, even though he’s coming off his best month of the season. He hit .299/.385/.486 with four homers and 23 runs scored in 26 games during August. Overall, he was batting .248/.343/.445 in 436 at-bats. Especially after factoring in defense, he’s still been a fine regular for the Indians. However, he was down 70 points from his career OPS.
Replacing Sizemore will be Michael Brantley and Trevor Crowe. Brantley, as the better defensive center fielder, may have the edge when it comes to playing time, even after Crowe returns from his strained oblique. The 22-year-old Brantley, a product of the CC Sabathia trade with the Brewers, was a disappointment in Triple-A this year, coming in at .267/.350/.361 in 457 at-bats. However, he walked more often than he struck out (48/59 K/BB ratio) and he stole 46 bases in 51 attempts.
Crowe hit .297/.401/.400 in 185 at-bats for Columbus. He’s at .208/.271/.283 in 106 at-bats for the Indians. He’s three years older than Brantley, and the Indians really do need to find out whether he should be in their plans as more than a fourth outfielder going forward. He might be a reserve on next year’s club, particularly if Matt LaPorta remains primarily a left fielder. Brantley is too young for such a role and could well find himself beginning a second straight year in Triple-A in 2010.
Yankees place Nestor Cortes on 15-day injured list with left rotator cuff strain
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The Yankees placed Nestor Cortes on the 15-day injured list with a left rotator cuff strain that will sideline the left-hander for at least two starts.
The move is retroactive to Monday and Cortes will be shut down for at least 15 days.
After Tuesday’s game, Cortes said the shoulder has been bothering him between starts and more so after he pitched five innings May 30 in Seattle.
“I took two days off and when I got to LA and threw that first day, I didn’t feel right,” Cortes said Tuesday. “But it was first day coming back from pitching so I knew it was going to be nagging a little bit. So I waited a little bit.
“That second day in LA was when I said something because it felt like I had pitched yesterday. So I wasn’t recovering in time.”
Cortes is 5-2 with a 5.16 ERA in 11 starts and has particularly struggled later in outings. Opponents are hitting .447 when facing him for the third time in a game.
Last year, Cortes was an All-Star and went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts.
Randy Vásquez was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to take Cortes’ spot in the rotation and will make his second career start in Thursday’s doubleheader. Vásquez made his major league debut May 26 against San Diego when the Yankees needed a starter because Domingo Germán was serving a 10-game suspension for using sticky substances.