- This is an odd headline: "Precautions for Cordero; Though not injured, Brewers reliever taking spring slow."
Before anyone hits the panic button, manager Ned Yost described the move as purely precautionary.If you recall, Coco was awful last April, causing him to lose his job as closer and precipitating his trade to the Brewers. Apparently, that was because he rushed to get ready for the World Baseball Classic and hurt his shoulder. There's no WBC this year, but I guess that's one of the benefits of acquiring your former players: you know them better.
"We're taking our time with him," Yost said. "He had problems last spring, and we're working slow with him so it doesn't happen again."
"Looking at Frankie's history, it's not been very good in the spring," Yost said. "He always comes up stiff and sore. We're trying to stay away from that."
- In even happier news:
Yost said that Weeks had made dramatic improvement with a sore right wrist over the last three days and could take part in soft toss on Monday. He has been limited to only hitting off a tee since getting a cortisone shot last week.Awesome. I realize the Brewers' history with injury disclosure isn't very good, and Yost is essentially a sunshine-to-butt pipeline, but this is better than their usual hemming and hawing.
"It's getting hard to hold Rickie back," Yost said. "He's hammering it off the tee. He's good. He's ready to go."
- Adam gets in a slight dig at Menchkins:
Outfielder Brady Clark is taking a novel approach to Spring Training: Just play ball.Thank god.
Fellow veterans Geoff Jenkins and Kevin Mench expressed displeasure last week with the potential for a platoon. But Clark said Sunday that he would rather not talk about the fact that the Brewers have seven outfielders with Major League experience in camp and the uncertainty that those players are facing.
"I would rather just take care of my own business," Clark said.
- In more injury-related news, Vince Perkins is almost healthy. If you'll recall, Perkins was claimed off waivers from Toronto last year with a sore elbow, and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery. Last year, Baseball America rated him the #10 prospect in the Blue Jays' system, with this comment:
Perkins' power arm rivals any in the system. The action on Perkins' heavy 93-96 mph sinking fastball has been likened to a bowling ball.The Brewers are converting him to relief, so keep him in the back of your mind along with Grant Balfour, whose name apparently keeps coming up. Two new power arms in the bullpen can never be a bad thing.
- Mike Jones is also healthy:
Right-hander Mike Jones, the team's top draft pick in 2001, is not pitching with any restrictions this spring. That is a plus for a player who has battled a number of injuries over the past six seasons, including a sore shoulder last season. Jones has one Minor League option remaining.I'd guess that means Jones really needs to make some progress this season or he'll be outrighted off the 40-man after his options are up next year. Not that anyone would probably claim him.
- Finally, I know it's Spring Training, and I know Adam's just feeding the hype machine, but you can't help but enjoy reading this:
Right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who vaulted to the top of the list of Brewers pitching prospects last season, drew some "oohs" and "ahhs" from Brewers hitters in bunting drills last week. Second baseman Rickie Weeks and outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. were among those who had trouble making contact with Gallardo's breaking stuff.It's probably the brilliant white light of pure goodness that he exudes that's messing the hitters up.
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