TDA Bullpen - Our Writers' Blog

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Clash of the Sleeping Titans

With interleague play now in full blossom, there are a couple of intriguing matchups between teams who have managed to stay afloat while battling injury troubles

The first matchup is the Twins and Phillies in Minneapolis. The Twins are just now getting a chance to play with a nearly full strength lineup. Torii Hunter, Shannon Stewart, Joe Mauer, Matthew LeCroy, and Corey Koskie have all spent time on the DL. Stewart is still there with plantar fasciitis, and no return date has been set. Guys like Lew Ford, Henry Blanco and Michael Cuddyer have filled in, but without a doubt with the regulars back the Twins are a deep, deep ball club. Having just swept the Mets, they may be poised to make a move in the AL Central, a move that will only be strengthened now that Johan Santana has finally gotten a handle on his straight change and breaking ball.

The Phillies have had to endure recent injuries to starters Vicente Padilla and Randy Wolf. Closer Billy Wagner has just come back from a groin injury that forced him to miss most of May. Jim Thome has been playing hurt pretty much all season. Yet the Phillies are still within a couple of games of the Marlins at this time. They're still the class of the NL East if they can get their starters back; if not, and it will be a struggle for the Wild Card.

The other series I have in mind is Angels-Cubs, taking place in Anaheim. The Angels have absorbed injuries that would cripple lesser teams. Garrett Anderson, Troy Glaus, and Tim Salmon have all missed a month or more. Glaus may be out for the season, and Anderson and Salmon are just coming back after lengthy absences. In Anaheim's case, it's been guys like Chone Figgins and Jeff DaVanon filling in and giving support to Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Guillen. Throw in Darin Erstad and the Angels have a potentially devastating lineup, plenty good to offset a shaky but reasonably serviceable rotation.

The Cubs have had to work around perhaps the most high-profile set of injuries. Mark Prior has just come back after missing the first 9 weeks of the season with a slow-to-heal Achilles tendon. Given the battering he absorbed at the hands of the Cardinals, he still has a few more kinks to straighten out before he can return to the form that allowed him to dominate in the final two months last season. The Cubbies are also being ultra-careful with Kerry Wood and Sammy Sosa, though both may be back in a couple of weeks. Injuries have kept the Cubs starting middle infielders, Mark Grudzielanek and Alex Gonzalez, out for most of the season. In the Cubs' case it's been guys like Todd Walker, Todd Hollandsworth, and Jose Macias that have filled the gaps. Big seasons by Moises Alou, Aramis Ramirez and Michael Barrett haven't hurt, and Derek Lee is showing signs of coming into the .900 OPS post-May form that he has traditionally produced.

The recurring theme is that injuries have robbed these solid ball clubs of their depth, but they have nonetheless perservered to remain in the thick of their respective divisional races, at least up to now. The results of these upcoming series will determine who will fall into a little deeper hole, and who might look back in September and point to these series as turning points in their seasons.

posted by Tom Renbarger 9:22 PM