Jesus Flores: 'I don't see any opportunity to start Opening Day'
This morning, Jim Riggleman said Jesus Flores's injured right shoulder will not let him play in the initial Nationals spring training games, which is not surprising considering he most often flips the ball to a coach after the ball hits his mitt.
It has been speculated that Flores will not be healthy enough to play even by Opening Day, and Flores himself admitted as much today.
"I don't see any opportunity to start Opening Day," Flores said. "But I'm not thinking much about it. I'm taking it day-by-day. I'm doing what I can to feel positive."
Flores, recovering from SLAP (superior labrum from anterior to posterior) repair surgery, is pleased with how his shoulder is coming along. His throwing program has him playing catch every other day, with the distance increasing each time. He started at 45 feet. Yesterday, he got up to 90. Tomorrow, he's hoping for 100. By next week, Flores hopes he'll be swinging a bat.
That's progress. But even more than a month away from the regular season, Flores knows it's not enough. The Nationals will have Wil Nieves and Ivan Rodriguez as their catchers, and Flores will go back to being, hopefully, their catcher of the future.
By
Adam Kilgore
|
February 27, 2010; 1:34 PM ET
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Posted by: periculum | February 27, 2010 1:52 PM | Report abuse
MLB trade rumors:
"This seemingly conflicts with Ruiz's agent Jorge Luis Toca's quote earlier this month that 'the idea is to find a team where he'll have the best opportunity to rise the quickest,"
This could be the Nats if they should lose Dunn? Now, I understand why Andrew Stebbins thought this guy might be who they were secretly pursuing?
Posted by: periculum | February 27, 2010 1:59 PM | Report abuse
Flores just needs to get back to 100% and not worry about Opening Day, 2010. If he's healthy & ready to go by June-July 2010, it's all the better.
Posted by: BinM | February 27, 2010 2:18 PM | Report abuse
I concur, BinM. I'm actually kind of glad that he apparently won't be rushing at all to try to make some artificial deadline.
Posted by: Scooter_ | February 27, 2010 2:31 PM | Report abuse
Is it just me or do the Nats seem like the walking wounded at this point?
Posted by: periculum | February 27, 2010 2:44 PM | Report abuse
@peric: [Snark warning]
It's just you; Go ahead & take it personally that every team you have an interest in ends up with a mile-long injured list, and is at the bottom of the pond. Thank goodness you don't care about hockey, or the greater DC area would have nothing to look forward to in the playoffs. [End Snark warning].
Posted by: BinM | February 27, 2010 3:08 PM | Report abuse
I've been looking for a current injury list, without success (any recommendations?) but they don't seem to have an inordinate number of new injuries. Plenty of carry-over injuries from last year.
Posted by: Sec3mysofa | February 27, 2010 3:53 PM | Report abuse
that should have been MLB-wide injury list, btw
Posted by: Sec3mysofa | February 27, 2010 3:56 PM | Report abuse
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Perhaps the Nats should be pursuing Jose Julio Ruiz? If they lose Dunn all they have is Marrero ... that guy has speed plus power more of a Cuban Texiera; maybe better?
Based on what Bergmann said it sure seems like Dunn could leave if they have another losing season, which seems likely. Nothing wrong with hedging your bets given Dunn's age. And Ruiz also seems like the "frugal" choice.