Kjerstad still hasn't reported to alternate site [UPDATE: He's reported]

[Moose Milligan]

12 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

You can assume anything you want. You can not care and you can just assume everything is fine. You can make whatever assumption you want. I really don't care.

I find it odd that the Orioles GM spoke out to his timeline, made it seem like he was over his issue, and then when he doesn't arrive everyone gets real quiet. It's not like any situation I've ever encountered while covering this team since 1996. 

Feel free to have no concern and drive on with your day or you can freak out like some and call him a bust. I really don't care. I'm just stating the facts that we know, and stating that it's odd in how the organization is handling this particular situation.

I haven't made any proclamations about what I think is wrong with him nor am I bashing the organization, I'm just saying I've never encountered anything like this before. 

I really don't understand why a couple of you have an issue with anyone stating facts or feeling like something is not right just because they don't agree with your assumptions.

Something clearly has changed since Elias stated he would start at the alternate site and was excited to get started. You assume you know why. You may be right. But it still doesn't change that this is being handled very strangely, and that's from someone covering this team for 25 years.
 

 

 

Tony's nailed it here.  It is odd, to say the least.  

[Tony-OH]

8 minutes ago, LTO's said:

It's more that it is heavily implied in MASN's reporting that this is related to myocarditis (a very serious condition) and a possible setback in his recovery. Something that I'm not sure the Orioles wish to share at the moment, similar to the Mancini situation. You have shared innuendo about Kjerstad personally holding out because of anxiety/mental health issues. That is certainly not a fact. I suppose we will see but I don't find it to be as strange as you are saying. 

I have never done that at all. In fact, I made sure to say that I have no idea if that is true. I said I've heard from multiple sources that they heard he had anxiety issues in college. i then said I have no idea whether or not this has anything to do with him not showing up so please don't misrepresent what I've said.

You don't have to think it's strange. As I've said before, I don't care what you want to assume or believe. That's your right. It's also the right of the people who think he's a bust because of how his career has started. It doesn't mean I agree with them, but they have the right to think what they want.

 

[Tony-OH]

12 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Tony's nailed it here.  It is odd, to say the least.  

Let's also remember the team invited him to spring training thinking he was ok enough to arrive. He never arrived and then Elias said it was not related to his mycarditis and that he was excited to get back on the field and that was going to be at the alternate site after spring training was over.

The Alternate site has been open for almost two weeks and he has yet to arrive (as far as I know as of yesterday). Now some people don't think this is odd and that's there right.

But why would Elias invite him to big league spring training then say they talked to him and he would start at alternate camp and then he doesn't arrive and the organization gets quiet? 

I dunno. It's just all strange.

[Moose Milligan]

13 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Let's also remember the team invited him to spring training thinking he was ok enough to arrive. He never arrived and then Elias said it was not related to his mycarditis and that he was excited to get back on the field and that was going to be at the alternate site after spring training was over.

The Alternate site has been open for almost two weeks and he has yet to arrive (as far as I know as of yesterday). Now some people don't think this is odd and that's there right.

But why would Elias invite him to big league spring training then say they talked to him and he would start at alternate camp and then he doesn't arrive and the organization gets quiet? 

I dunno. It's just all strange.

Very strange.  If it was myocarditis related, why not just say he still has issues related to it and that's why he's not there?

[Ruzious]

Didn't the O's say back in February that they expect him to report to the alternate site in April - without giving any specific date in April?  And it still being April, maybe that's their logic in not saying anything now.  I'm not saying it's good logic, but I'm trying to think of a reason for them being so closed-mouthed about it, and that's the best I got.  They really owe it to the fans to say something about the situation.  

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Ruzious said:

Didn't the O's say back in February that they expect him to report to the alternate site in April - without giving any specific date in April?  And it still being April, maybe that's their logic in not saying anything now.  I'm not saying it's good logic, but I'm trying to think of a reason for them being so closed-mouthed about it, and that's the best I got.  They really owe it to the fans to say something about the situation.  

HIPAA.

If it is his heart, his anxiety or anything else medical the O's are restrained from talking about it.

I don't think saying "Something is going on that we can't talk about." would be a benefit. 

[LookinUp]

18 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

I find it odd that the Orioles GM spoke out to his timeline, made it seem like he was over his issue, and then when he doesn't arrive everyone gets real quiet. It's not like any situation I've ever encountered while covering this team since 1996. 

It's very possible that the O's spoke about myocarditis and were wrong to do so. In that case, they're quite possibly buttoning up about it now because they've been called to the carpet. But that's pure speculation on my part.

We do know something's wrong. We have no idea how likely that something is to derail this guy's career. Anything in that space IS pure speculation. The rest is just a desire to know details about what's wrong.

[Ruzious]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

HIPAA.

If it is his heart, his anxiety or anything else medical the O's are restrained from talking about it.

I don't think saying "Something is going on that we can't talk about." would be a benefit. 

Very good point.  

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

HIPAA.

If it is his heart, his anxiety or anything else medical the O's are restrained from talking about it.

I don't think saying "Something is going on that we can't talk about." would be a benefit. 

They already mentioned the myocarditis so there's nothing HIPPA related to them updating if that's the issue. 

Again, I'm not faulting the Orioles here because none of us know what's going on, but I just reject the people who think they know what's going on and it's perfectly normal for a high profile prospects to not show up when the GM said he would and then doesn't.

It's not normal standard operating procedure for this situation to occur. 

Again people can feel free to take any stance they want to include just assuming they know what's going on and getting snippy with those that just believe it's all strange. 

There have been times over the years where players have disappeared due to suspension or off the field issues, and I can remember everyone being quiet about Chris Smith after he arrived and couldn't throw back in the day after being drafted (talk about a wasted pick), but this is a weird situation because the GM appears to have been caught off guard now twice (invited him to major league spring training and then his comments about him ready to get started and would report to the alternate camp).

At this point though, we are all in the wait and see mode. Hopefully he'll show and ready to play soon.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Watch him show up and just ABSOLUTELY MURDER IT. 

[O's84]

I think this has something to do with Lew Ford.

[Frobby]

10 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

They already mentioned the myocarditis so there's nothing HIPPA related to them updating if that's the issue. 

Tony -

I’m not a HIPAA lawyer, but you shouldn’t assume that because the O’s were authorized to disclose he had myocarditis that they are authorized to provide further details or updates.   Even within the organization, except on a need to know basis.   

Still, I do find the situation weird and mysterious.  If I were Kjerstad, I’d want Oriole fans to know that I had a good reason for being out.   

I hope he will be OK and gets on the field as soon as he can.  

 

[Moose Milligan]

23 hours ago, Frobby said:

Tony -

I’m not a HIPAA lawyer, but you shouldn’t assume that because the O’s were authorized to disclose he had myocarditis that they are authorized to provide further details or updates.   Even within the organization, except on a need to know basis.   

Still, I do find the situation weird and mysterious.  If I were Kjerstad, I’d want Oriole fans to know that I had a good reason for being out.   

I hope he will be OK and gets on the field as soon as he can.  

 

I agree with your post but especially the bolded part.  

This makes me think it's a mental health/desire to play issue.  It's sad to say but many people don't understand mental health issues/anxiety issues...And if he all of a sudden doesn't have a desire to play or wants to back out of everything completely, that'd spark a backlash on social media from fans.  

I guess what I'm trying to say is that...if you're Kjerstad and these are the things you're dealing with, there's no real upside in making these issues publicly known.  22 years old, went 1-2 in the draft and just signed a contract for a few million and you're going to open up about your mental health issues or how you've lost your desire to play?

Let's be real, there's going to be a certain contingent of people out there that'll lash out against you.  "5.2 million to play baseball and you're depressed?  What a loser!"  etc, etc....tweets and comments on Instagram, etc.

It's probably best to just keep quiet and not say anything about it if you're Kjerstad and these are the things you're dealing with. 

[Can_of_corn]

12 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I agree with your post but especially the bolded part.  

This makes me think it's a mental health/desire to play issue.  It's sad to say but many people don't understand mental health issues/anxiety issues...And if he all of a sudden doesn't have a desire to play or wants to back out of everything completely, that'd spark a backlash on social media from fans.  

I guess what I'm trying to say is that...if you're Kjerstad and these are the things you're dealing with, there's no real upside in making these issues publicly known.  22 years old, went 1-2 in the draft and just signed a contract for a few million and you're going to open up about your mental health issues or how you've lost your desire to play?

Let's be real, there's going to be a certain contingent of people out there that'll lash out against you.  "5.2 million to play baseball and you're depressed?  What a loser!"  etc, etc....tweets and comments on Instagram, etc.

It's probably best to just keep quiet and not say anything about it if you're Kjerstad and these are the things you're dealing with. 

The one positive for anyone going through that is that Grienke is out there.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

I tend to think it also leans toward a mental health/anxiety issue given all the mystery surrounding Kjerstad's absence. I hate speculating at all, but when your number one draft pick from last year (and perceived as someone who will help return the Orioles back to glory) is MIA it's going to be noticed.