Reds Insider: Gonzalez update

Monday, April 14, 2008

Gonzalez update

An MRI showed Alex Gonzalez still has fracture in his knee. He can take groundballs but he can't run for 2 to 4 weeks.

45 Comments:

at 5:38 PM

jc said...

guess mr. encarnacion gets some more time.

at 6:30 PM

Stacy said...

Instead of Keppinger moving over to 3rd my guess is we'll see more of Mr. Freel at 3rd base until Gonzo is ready.

at 6:52 PM

Unknown said...

Another misdiagnosis? Big surprise.

at 7:02 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

Surprise, surprise. The Reds and the medical staff not disclosing the real extent of an injury.
ST CSA

at 7:06 PM

Steven Ross said...

In other words, two to four more weeks of EE's propensity: errors. Nice. Unless he's tearing the cover off the ball (he isn't) send him down, move or trade him. The dude has shown the hot corner isn't his bag baby! Doh!

at 8:11 PM

Matt P. said...

Makes me sad to think that EE gets to be a major league ballplayer. I am sure there is a guy in the minors who can hit above mendoza line and make the throw from third to first.

at 8:21 PM

Joe said...

Tough one to take. I can't see Freel at 3B for an extended period, he just does not hold up or stand up to everyday play. Gotta love the way he plays. I remember the game he dove head first into the stands for a foul ball. If he had hit his head on a chair arm, he may not be playing today. Tough one to take. EE may work through this tough spot in the mean time.

at 8:21 PM

Another losing season said...

Fay, do you post all comments submitted provided they are not offensive?

at 8:59 PM

jc said...

bailey went 6 1/3 tonight. 2 runs. 4 strikeouts and one walk against pawtucket. 81 pitches.

at 9:14 PM

John Fay said...

I post almost everything. Name calling, words you can't say on TV get you rejected. The in fighting among posters has worn me down to the point that I let a lot of it go. I get two emails for every post so it takes a lot of time to deal with these posts. If you've been rejected, you can probably figure out why. If you can't, email me and I'll explain.

at 9:40 PM

Joe said...

John: I think you do a great job filtering the posts of a bunch of guys who think they know more about baseball than everyone else. There has to be a lot work to reading all the posts just to filter for the stuff you can't publish. Just think if you had this group over to your place for beers, a doubleheader and a discussion on the Reds! A whistle and striped shirt wouldn't get you through that afternoon!

I appreciate being able to participate and read the ideas of others, even Zippy and Another Losing Season.

at 10:16 PM

Another losing season said...

It's not that important. I submitted two posts within the last day that were not remotely offensive in any way and they did not get posted. Perhaps it was pilot error on my part. Either way, no big deal.

Monitoring a blog is a huge undertaking and quite frankly I don't know why someone would do it. Does your family hate your Blackberry? I've also grown tired of certain poster's who seem to take pleasure in ripping on everyone's post.

I'm done here.

at 10:56 PM

Joe said...

Aaron: EE at first, certainly is an interesting idea.

Doggie did start at 3B and he was a fairly decent at 1B when all was said and done. That happened quite some time ago, but I think a good part of the decision to move Tony to 1B from 3B was to enable the move of Rose out of LF to make a spot for a guy named Foster. When that happened...well, you know what happened when that happened.

Wonder if Votto has enough arm to play 3B?

at 11:17 PM

Joe said...

another loosing season: I hope this does not mean you are done participating with us!

Hey, everyone has an opinion and everyone likes to think their opinion is right. The key from my perspective is knowing that most of the time someone else is going to be more right than I am. Krivsky and Baker do for a living, they are the ones who need to take this stuff seriously, not you or I. Have some fun. And, change your handle. It may change your attitude if you don't have to live up to the negative nickname, "Another Losing Season". My bet is changing it will save you some embarrassment in October.

at 12:23 AM

bluegrass said...

Having seen Votto play at Louisville and in Cincinnati late last year he looks in my humble opinion to be an accomplished at first with the possibility of being an All Star this year. Really! However, it isn't going to happen because he isn't playing as much as possible. He is so much like Hal Morris with power. Haven't you seen that more often than not lefties in that position can hit better than most pitchers from both sides?

at 12:36 AM

Swan Lewis said...

I think EE was perfectly fine for the majority of last year; both in the field and at the plate. I think our team is fine except for what JF points out as not being bale to hit lefty's. That is completely puzzeling to me. I mean, we have some righties that hit righties...what exactly can we do to get it going against a southpaw? Seems like Dusty has tried a few things, as Naron did last year.

Redlegs!!!

at 12:46 AM

bluegrass said...

Is it a real big mystery why the Reds aren't winning? They are just doing terrible on the left side of the diamond. They are strong on the right side and down the middle. This isn't a personality thing. They are just going to have to change things on that side entirely if they want to contend. However, don't insult Votto by talking about playing him at third.

at 1:03 AM

Rob Dicken said...

Well, at least Keppinger is going to be in the lineup. That's really all I care about.

I am hoping that this slump of EE's turns around real soon. When he's hot, he's hot! Not to mention, probably the most clutch on the team when he is.

In general, the Reds just need to hit.

It will definitely be nice to watch them play the Cubbies. And an even greater pleasure to watch them beat the cubbies! :)

Gotta love it when those Cubs fans see a butt kicking from out Redlegs!

GO REDS!!

at 6:09 AM

JackBlueAsh said...

john..I dont think there has been a great deal of fighting on this blog since the season began.. I have enjoyed the interface.

Frankly, I have found myself laughing out loud at many of these bloggers that attacked me all winter long for suggesting that this team would probably go. 500
Now, these very same bloggers rip this team apart everday with a vengance

Yet..it appears that if you dont agree with certain bloggers they feel that you should not be allowed to blog..

Another Losing Season..he expresses his unhappiness with bloggers that attack other posts yet in doing so he is attacking other bloggers..sorta hypocritical if ya ask me

As to the issue at hand..I told you when it was first reported that compression fractures are very serious and can even be career ending

I wish EE the best but I am more that happy with Keppinger playing SS

at 7:29 AM

Mr. Doom and Gloom said...

this also guarantees castro will remain on the roster for at least another month...we need a right-handed bat with some pop off the bench or for spot starts, barring an injury, and if the struggles against lefties continue, hopper is heading to l'ville...i don't see what other move they can make.

at 9:16 AM

LittleRedMachine said...

Its a shame that John has to deal with such nonsense. Its great to have an open forum to discuss the Reds like this. Too bad some cant express themselves maturely.
As for the Reds, some of you are making my eyes bleed with the EE stuff. Yes, he is struggling but if you think Gonzalez is anything but a fading glove with a little pop in his bat and no skills to get on base, you arent paying attention. If you think the mighty Freel will be an asset in the lineup, his glove is as bad as Edwin's. He does get on base but he is also cooked after 25 games and has a reservation on the DL all ready. Edwin needs a full year, something he has never gotten.

at 10:41 AM

Ben said...

So we have no idea how long Gonzo will be out. He can't go on a rehab assignment until he can run. I wouldn't expect to see him until Memorial Day. EE really needs to hit.

at 11:33 AM

dedecorti said...

John,
Any truth to the rumor that the Reds are hot after Mike Piazza? It was reported that Dusty thinks he can convince Piazza to come to the Reds because of a close relationship with Tommy Lasorda.

at 11:39 AM

Marc in Kentucky said...

I agree with you bluegrass that Votto will hit either left or rand handed pitching if given the chance. Morris was a slap hitter and Votto has a sweet compact stroke for average and power. I like his potential.

I think one of the most over rated stats in the game is the lefty righty hitting/pitching matchups. Hitting breaking pitches from the same side of the pitching is really all about recognizing the pitch and going with it instead of trying to pull it. I learned that in High School. I actually preferred to hit off of right handers because of the breaking pitch and go the other way. I guess I'm weird, because everyone seems to think it's harder. I say let Votto and others play if you think they're going to be more than platoon players. It's the only way to get experience.

The weekend was disappointing. I was hoping for a sweep in the other direction coming off the Brewers series. But, hey, the season is young. We're fairly young. We should get better as the year progresses.

GO REDS!

at 11:41 AM

Reds Fan of Toledo said...

First time boster long time reader. We all know that EE is having his trouble this year. But you cannot give up on the guy. After his recall from AAA he was solid in the field with only 10 errors compared to his 6 before the send down. Not Great but workable. He also improved greatly at the dish. Give him time to work through this we are only two weeks into the season.
Now I know everybody is not happy with Adam Dunn. I would agree he K's too much, and refuses to try and beat the shift. All of you talk about moving Dunn down in the order, but I think we should move him up. His best numbers he has posted have been as a number two hitter. He is a lifetime .278 as a hitter in the two hole. That would finally move phillips up to the three sport where he needs to be and would give JR protection with Kep, Votto and EE behind him. That Lineup would be
Patterson/Freel
Dunn
Pillips
JR
Keppinger
Votto
EE
Bako/Ross
and Javy as a needed proven pinch hitter
Finally be positive people. Everyone knows this team has improved from last year, but obviously more needs to be done. The horrible attitudes on here have not been fun to read. Debating is one thing but this negativity is like nothing I have ever seen before. Stay Positive and go Reds

at 12:02 PM

HoosierRedsFan said...

Since we're talking about moving guys around, how about letting Votto play left and give Dunn some time in Louisville to get his stroke back. If EE goes down so should Dunn. He's not any better of a fielder and his batting average is worse (if that's possible). I think they just are slow starters. There is still 149 games to go and the weather still hasn't warmed up just yet. The Big Red Machine teams were usually slow starters too. But when the weather got hot so did they. (Please don't infer that this is a Big Red Machine team, that would be nuts). Have some patience is all I'm saying. Go Reds!!!

at 12:11 PM

jc said...

on another subject. will be interesting to see how belisle... and to a lesser degree of importance... ross fare tonight in louisville. the only way to get something of quality is to give something of quality. hamilton for volquez. there are a couple of teams absolutely desperate for pitching at the moment... namely the tigers and atlanta... especially now that glavine has yanked his hammy. mccann will be the catcher for a long long time and perhaps desperation will enable them to give up pena. belisle cut his teeth in atlanta

at 12:16 PM

RickDinChicago said...

I like the idea of moving Dunn and EE up in the order. Not both, but one of them would be acceptable. It's too bad Philips or Keppinger isn't more of a leadoff hitter - it's a disservice having Patterson leadoff. I like Patterson but he's a 6/7 hitter.

at 12:43 PM

Eric S. said...

I'm telling you Mr. Fay, you need to go to a social interface with this blog. Make these people attach their face, age, name, location to their posts. Good chance you get less garbage, more valid input.

I was in Cincy for the Volquez game against the Phillies, had a philly fan next to me. He said "Where'd you get this guy, he pitches like this you guys have a chance."

We need to scrap our "leadership" group and start over there, Griff, Dunn, Hatte just don't present the right mentality this team needs. B. Phil has it right, but looks like those "older" guys are riding over top of him, limiting his ability to really take over. Every game, that guy looks to make a major impact, he attracts it with his mentality.

Griff attract achy bones, Dunn strike outs, and Hatte pine time!

Bring up Bruce!

at 1:22 PM

MJ said...

Piazza to the Reds? Tell me this isn't true. He's barely at this stage of his career better than what we've already got on the big club and we also have two catchers in the minors hitting over 400. The Reds aren't winning right now because the entire team isn't hitting. Especially the 4-6 hitters. Adding an over the hill catcher way past his prime does nothing to help this team in the long term and barely helps it in the short term.

at 1:33 PM

Anonymous said...

I think bringing Piazza to the team will help us. Like Dusty said, Piazza could probably hit 25 homeruns in GABP. But even if he doesnt do that, he brings a right handed bat and is still better than any catcher we got now. We could sign him for real cheap. Definitely a non-risk move. What do you think John? Is there any truth to this?

at 1:35 PM

mrtonyb40 said...

are you freaking kidding me? mike piazza!!! what a joke. maybe we'll get mike schmidt to play third. another stupid move.

at 2:22 PM

ST fan said...

Be patient with this team. Yes, a righthanded power hitter to platoon with Vatto and spell Dunn or Jr once in a while, and pinch hit is badly needed. But realistically, if Jr and Dunn can't handle lefty pitching, this team will fall short. Odd player out maybe Hatteberg or Hooper/Freel. I hope One of the GMs can find the right guy, because it sure is a shame to waste the good pitching we are seeing this year.

at 2:43 PM

MJ said...

Why not make a serious push for a long term guy like Saltemaltica from the Rangers? Pizza is short term stop gap stuff. Hardly someone for the future that the Reds are in desperate need of. They drafted a guy this year that has promise but he's hardly close to being ready for Prime Time.

at 2:45 PM

MJ said...

Unless the ENTIRE team starts to hit soon more good pitching being wasted is exactly what you'll see.

at 2:50 PM

robby said...

Anyone who saw Gonzalez itroduced on opeing day knew he would be out a long time, so no surprise there. So not to stay on my Krivsky kick, but why was Cantu allowed to walk? He looked okay last year. Sure would be a heck of a lot better off the bench than Castro, Speaking of Castro, who gave him his current contract?

at 3:10 PM

MPCB said...

It is dissappointing to hear that Gonzo is out for potentially another month. I was really hoping to free up Keppinger to move to third.

On another point, I have never understood the platoon of two lefties at first base. I understand that Hatteberg is insurance against Votto struggling, but Votto will continue to struggle if not playing everyday. You can see it as the season progresses that he gets more comfortable with every at bat. If you have to platoon him, at least go with a righty/lefty setup with another player. Which leads to the following....

Although I find it hard to believe that the Reds would take a flier on an aged Piazza...I do think, if he can still hit, he might help as a 1B-backup/catcher-backup on this team. Not to mention adding a lot of pop off the bench from the right-side.

The question becomes...who is expendable in that situation. Valentine makes too much money to just let walk and has proven himself valuable off the bench. While Bako has been a huge suprise at the plate, seems to work well with the young pitchers, but is relatively cheap. Perhaps a trade involving Hatteberg and one of the catchers for another arm or even better..a third baseman.

at 3:34 PM

MJ said...

I'd trade Hatteberg and Freel both to Texas right now for Saltemaltica or Laird just to avoid signing Pizza. I wouldn't throw a hissy if they sign him but I'd rather sign the future not a stop gap with silly puddy guy. Whether or not he can hit makes no difference because we already have that.

at 3:38 PM

Anonymous said...

Mike Piazza isnt that bad. Once again this is a low risk move. If you want to win now, you have to stop tryin to plan just for the future. That drives me nuts how some Reds fans brag about our farm system. I mean like Doc said, the RedSox can brag about winning the world series. We say, "We have a better farm system than you!" I think Id rather be braggin about a world series myself. We have guys down in the minors who will be ready in the future. Why not bring Piazza? Because there is no chance that we are gonna get Salty! Does anyone have his stats at Great American?

at 3:44 PM

Mike said...

Can we get a lineup, Fay-man?

at 3:44 PM

Bogey said...

I believe that both Freel and Hatteburg will have some market value before the allstar break. While I would like to see different kinds of players than them I understand why they are still here and will be patient until the break.

I don't believe either Castro or Hopper will have any market value period. I also don't believe either brings much to the table that can't replaced by someone with more to offer, now.

at 4:30 PM

John Fay said...

No lineup posted yet.

at 4:37 PM

Joe said...

Name recognition aside, I don't think Piazza give you much more than Valentin at this point in his career.

Three wins in Chicago and we'll be talking about the playoffs again!

at 4:58 PM

REDLEGS said...

Bottom line EE has 2 weeks 2 get his act together or its back on the farm he goes. It amazes me how he can just do enough(which is nothing)to get by when you have people like Jolbert and Jerry tearing the cover off. So to EE your clock is ticking buddy. GO REDS !!!

at 4:59 PM

REDLEGS said...

Previous Posts

Monday, April 14, 2008

Gonzalez update

45 Comments: