On the other hand, it is reasonable for Tucker to wait until he is fully healthy instead of pushing it at 80-90%. Because if he comes back early and don't look as good, that could also be used against him in contract negotiations. Looking at the past few FA's, players have not really been penalized for having their contract year cut short due to an injury unless they have had a consistent injury history or some thing in medicals.
I also read if a bad bone bruise is stressed too soon it can result in a new stress feacture or stress reaction.
We have three games vs the Dodgers this weekend and then get to face Skenes (PIT) on Monday while the M's will be playing the White Sox over the weekend (they face the Red Sox starting on Monday).
Its really strange on the conspiracy theories or angst that gets developed against injured players here... Obviously Tucker's leg was messed up pretty severely. Bruises/contusions/pain/inflammation/nerve issues all require rest. I know we all consider "surgery" to be the worst case scenario, but it actually has more set time tables for recovery/rehab (minus setbacks). Tucker will be out there when he's out there. The Astros have consistently said this timetable was based on when he was able to do all baseball activities pain free. Could they be better about giving minute to minute (or second to second) updates? Sure. Blame the CBA or players union on why that isn't required in baseball as opposed to other sports. But even with more updates, it wouldn't change anything about the actual recovery process or timetable. And unlike other sports, baseball doesn't lend itself to success while playing hurt. There are just too many variables when these guys have success (or failure) trying to swing a bat (or throw a strike in the perfect location when describing pitchers). Reminder: HOF hitters failed 7 out of 10 times when playing healthy.
I don’t know. The length of time Tucker’s been out is “strange”. It’s so strange that I wouldn’t take conspiracy theories completely off the table. For example, is it out of the realm of possibility that they might have been slow to bring him back because they might try and trade him at the deadline with only one year of control remaining? Probably not,but not an “absurd” thought in my opinion especially when you consider how The Astros have gotten by in his absence.
And the Astros holding him out for months claiming he’s slow to heal would be the best way to enhance his value? Case in point…
These people are ridiculous with the conspiracies. They are acting like a severe bone bruise taking a couple months to heal isn’t possible.
The only conspiracy is the Astros' lack of transparency regarding injuries. They may have their reasons for doing it, but it's clear that honesty doesn't play much of a role when speaking to the public. There's no doubt Tucker is injured -- it's just worse than what's being advertised.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024...n.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook The Astros are prioritizing starting pitching before Tuesday’s deadline. They seem to be casting a wide net in their pursuit of at least a mid-rotation arm. This morning, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times listed the Astros among the teams in on Rays right-hander Zach Eflin. Eflin is one of many arms on their radar. Russell Dorsey of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Astros and Cardinals are among 10 teams in contact with the White Sox about Erick Fedde. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported the Cards’ interest in Fedde over the weekend. Chandler Rome, Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of the Athletic report that the Astros are also among the teams in the mix for Cubs starter Jameson Taillon, a Houston-area native. Both pitchers have performed like #3 caliber starters this season. Fedde would command the more significant prospect package because of his affordability. A former first-round pick of the Nationals, Fedde never emerged as more than a back-end arm in Washington. He tweaked his pitch mix after signing with the KBO’s NC Dinos last season. After dominating en route to the KBO MVP award, he returned stateside on a two-year, $15MM free agent deal with the White Sox. To that end, The Athletic writes that the Astros are trying to offload Rafael Montero in trade packages. Houston re-signed Montero to a three-year, $34.5MM deal early in the 2022-23 offseason. (That came while Crane was playing an outsized role in baseball operations between the firing of previous GM James Click and before Houston tabbed Dana Brown as general manager.) It has proven a very poor decision.
Um... is no one taking seriously that Forrest Whitley is only 26 (remember Ronel broke out later) and has a 2.81 ERA in Sugar Land this year and is actually healthy....?
