Ryan's elbow causing Jays problems again
by Sports Xchange
Ryan, who had Tommy John ligament transfer surgery performed last May, previously looked sharp in his first appearance in a spring training game, March 14 against Tampa Bay.
Ryan, who hadn't faced major league hitters since last April 14, opposed three batters. He handled a bunt by leadoff batter Elliot Johnson and struck out both Carl Crawford and Willy Aybar. Ryan threw 12 pitches, eight of them strikes.
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"It was good. I was kinda coming out there anxious and nervous and not really knowing what to expect," Ryan said. "I went out there, talked to Rod (Barajas, his catcher) and said, 'Let's try to pound the ball down and throw some good, quality pitches and see what happens.' It was a good result today."
Ryan said he didn't take any baby steps.
"We didn't hold anything back. I threw what he called," Ryan said. "We moved it around both sides of the plate, threw a couple of good breaking balls, couple of crummy ones, but I figured that was what was going to happen today."
The Jays are still being cautious with Ryan. Following his appearance against Tampa Bay, he got two days off before his next outing. He threw one scoreless inning against Pittsburgh on March 17, allowing one hit and striking out one. He admitted to feeling some soreness in the elbow during the game.
Ryan is not expected to throw on back-to-back days during spring training, and if he starts the season with the club, he will not be used in back-to-back games at least through April, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said.
"I don't get nerves or anything while he's out there, but here it is, a little over 10 months post-surgery, and it's amazing how far he's come," Arnsberg said. "A year ago, we were putting the guy on the shelf. Now, we're able to let him go out there and work his magic and it's real fun."
Ross' status for Opening Day in doubt
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| David Ross may not be ready to start the season. (Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images) |
Catcher David Ross has yet to catch a pitch or hit a pitch in the first 18 spring exhibition games. When asked if Ross would be ready by Opening Day, manager Dusty Baker raised his eyebrows and paused for a long time.
"It is going to real tough on him," Baker said. "He hasn't done any hitting or squatting. He has to get his at-bats for his timing and also his timing for catching. I'd like to get him in there to catch some of the guys he has never caught." That's a long list: Josh Fogg, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Jeremy Affeldt, Francisco Cordero, Scott Sauerbeck.
The first two weeks, Ross tried to alleviate his back spasms by swimming daily at the local YMCA, but he is no longer doing that. Now he is doing daily routines on the stationary bike and the treadmill. He took batting practice for the first time Saturday and said he felt no pain but his back was still stiff.
Ross may begin the season on the disabled list, meaning the team could go north with Javier Valentin and Paul Bako as its receivers.
He participated in a simulated game Thursday, a prelude to an expected appearance in a minor league game Friday.
Maybin bidding to stay up
All spring, the Marlins have said they won't rush center fielder Cameron Maybin to the big leagues. But with the season less than two weeks from starting, he is making a strong case to begin the year as Florida's starting center fielder.
"A lot of times decisions are made before the end even comes up," said Maybin, 20. "In my mind, I feel like I'm doing what I set out to do, and that's to make the decision hard." Maybin had a stretch last week in which he had three home runs in two games, including two to the opposite field. His last homer was his most memorable of the spring: With two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning Thursday night, he hit a line-drive, two-run homer that lifted the Marlins to a 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals in Viera, Fla.
In all likelihood, Maybin will open the season in the minors, with Cody Ross or Alejandro De Aza starting in center. But manager Fredi Gonzalez said he might not decide until the final days of camp.
"Right now it's going to be one of those all-night meetings and maybe even early into the next morning to make that decision," Gonzalez said. "He's making it that tough on us, which is good."
Maybin was batting .250 with three homers and eight RBIs through Sunday. De Aza was batting .355 with three homers and nine RBIs. Ross still could prevail despite his numbers (.226).
The Marlins are keeping in mind that Maybin had only 49 major league at-bats last year.
"You don't want him to get here and be overmatched," said Marlins special assistant Andre Dawson, a former All-Star outfielder who has been working with Maybin. "They can lose a lot of confidence that way.
"You groom him slowly and you let him get a taste, like he's getting. He's in big-league camp, and he gets to see major league pitching.
"If he doesn't win the job, he goes back to the minor leagues and he has that experience. He knows he's going to get back -- it's just a matter of how hard he works."
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