Wieters Shut Down For a Few Days (Elbow Tendonitis)

[Redskins Rick]

I've been touting Lavarnway. Never like Arencibia. And if you don't like bad defense at catcher, JP is not your man. Can't possibly imagine a Joseph/Clevenger platoon, but crazier things have happened.

Is JP as bad as Clevenger was last year?

[Redskins Rick]

Well, it certainly isn't "good" news. The only question is whether or not it's "non-news."

Time will tell.

[Rene88]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Wieters will be shut down catching for a week. Tendinitis. Team said its normal part of rehab process</p>? Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) <a href="

">March 18, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script

3 things:

1. Usual process my behind, please

2. Boras and Matt had no interest in an extension, looks real smart now. Hey Matt, more to life than money

3. I am comfortable if we just trade MW and go with what we got. Whatever. Overrated. He is a double play machine.

[Beef Supreme]

My point, we only have one previous everyday starting catcher to have gone through this, so a very SSS to base judgements on how MW will come back.

Point taken. Google "position players tommy john surgery mlb" There's a page that links to excel-looking .pdf. It's not pretty. Maybe catchers with tendon tears know they're done behind the plate and it's not worth coming bat because their bat doesn't have a place. Not that I am predicting anything. I hope Matt returns full-strength, whenever he does. I believe more strongly than many that his defensive contributions over the past five years have been the foundation for the Orioles becoming a winning ballclub.

[Beef Supreme]

Is JP as bad as Clevenger was last year?

Yeah, he has a body of work at the MLB level that proves it, as opposed to Clevenger's light duty. One he he has going for him: he's a very good pitch framer! The rest of his defensive game is below average, to be kind.

[Rene88]

3 things:

1. Normal process? Please, don't insult us.

2. Boras and Matt were contacted about a short extension. Would have benefited both parties. Good job Scott and Matt passing on that.

3. I am fine with no Matt all year or trading him when (and If) healthy. Terribly overrated. Double-play machine at the plate.

[BradyBunch]

The only thing that would have made up for Cruz would have been signing a 35-homer leftfielder. It's some kind of nonsense when they say we'll make up for the loss of power with production from two or three other position players. Maybe the Orioles wanted to take a different direction with De Aza -- and now Everth.

And counting on Wieters to step in and hit 20+ homers was ridiculous. I started a thread/quiz about MLB catchers who came back after TJ. Only Todd Hundley had any success from an offensive standpoint.

Wieters, had he been healthy, would have helped the team last year and this, despite the overemphasis by some on pitch framing. Imagining the entirety of Wieters' defensive prowess is negated by pitchframing is myopic, to put it mildly. I have thought for some time he would start the season on the DL. This is a big blow.

No, this argument we needed another LF who could hit 40 HRs to make up for Cruz doesn't understand that the O's in 2013 hit more homers then the 2014 Orioles. It's a joke to seriously think this team can't hit 211 HRs. Manny and Wieters were injured most of the season.

Wieters is a 20 HR guy, period. He's gonna be fine because those Catchers who in the past have had the surgery have had other medical issues and Minor and backup catcher material. None of them except for Todd Hundley had a MLB career or even a chance at it. Now with that said.. Wieters is probably gonna end up DHing 40-60 games a year from now on. But having Tennis Elbow or Golfer's Elbow (for the layman out there).. is not a big deal. Wieters has been working on the backfields all season and having throwing sessions between innings. He's just a little sore. It happens.. So don't hit the damn panic button yet. Rather accept the reality that it happens, we all get this type of "injury" and a week off is what they (Docs) tell you to do.

[wildcard]

I think Joseph catches 80-90% of the time until Matt is back. Probably 5 games a week.

[jjnono]

Shortly after getting clearance from my doc to resume playing baseball after RC surgery #1, I felt searing pain in my shoulder while turning two. I was very worried that my rotator cuff was torn again. I saw my doc, and he said I was probably just working through some scar tissue. He was right. I was playing again in a week, pain free.

So, Wieters discomfort could in fact just be part of the process. I'm not necessarily jumping to devastating conclusions. I do think it's funny though that are already some folks down-playing his contribution to our offense, when all winter all I heard was "Davis, Machado and Wieters" will make up for the loss of Cruz and Markakis." Are the rose-colored glass folks going to perform the Afred E. Neuman Pretzel Ballet in an attempt to downplay any negativism from creeping into our 2015...? Stay tuned!

[wildcard]

I think Joseph catches 80-90% of the time once the season start until Matt is back. Probably 5 games a week.

[AlbionHero]

I think its time to be worried about Wieters. Has he even gotten a hit yet in Spring training? He may be have been rushed back.

[sportsfan8703]

So a week from the O's means that I won't be expecting him back till the ASB.

[OriolesMagic83]

Weiters could really be kicking himself for not signing an extension w/ the O's. I hope he comes back healthy, but there's not much of a market for catchers who can't catch and hit for around .700 OPS w/ a little power and no speed.

That almost sounds like Delmon Young.

[BradyBunch]

My point, we only have one previous everyday starting catcher to have gone through this, so a very SSS to base judgements on how MW will come back.

Yep. Most don't realize those catchers who've gotten TJ besides Hundley were back ups, AAAA quality and had other injuries as well.

The whole "the sky is falling" is a joke. It's golfer's elbow/tennis elbow. It happens to everybody who has had TJ and everybody who hasn't had TJ. It's normal. Typical solution is about a week off from activities that causes it. So no catching/throwing for a week. Also considering Wieters has been throwing alot lately (back field stuff/between innings tossing and so on) it's nothing to be worried about yet. In a week if he's feeling discomfort still.. then worry abit.

[wildcard]

I think Caleb will catch 80-90% of the games once the season starts until Matt is ready. Probably 5 games a week.