Good news on Troy Patton
Pitcher Troy Patton, who is trying to come back from surgery to repair a torn labrum, is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session on Monday, though it will take place in the Houston area rather than the minor league facility in Sarasota, Fla, where he's been rehabbing.
(I'm pretty sure I can take that sentence to my tailor and have it shortened).
Patton is staying with his parents in Tomball, Texas because some of the Astros' coaches have been living in his house in Houston since the Miguel Tejada trade. He'll head back to Sarasota in a few weeks for the fall instructional league, which runs until Oct. 17. He expects to pitch in a game toward the end.
Patton has been long-tossing on flat ground at the complex as part of a regimented throwing program. At first, it was sets of 25 throws from 60 and 90 feet. Eventually, he progressed to 50 throws at 120 feet. But Monday will be his first time back on a mound.
He'll have another bullpen session in Houston before eventually throwing live batting practice in Sarsota.
"I'm pretty much back to where I was as far as arm strength and everything. I'm back to normal," he said. "They're not too worried about me throwing on my own. It feels great. I'm right on schedule. We haven't been rushing it. We haven't taken any days off, but we haven't been rushing it. There was no reason to rush when I had all of the offseason. I wasn't coming back this season anyway. I haven't been backed off or rushed."
If there are no setbacks in Sarasota, the Orioles will shut down Patton for about six weeks - no throwing allowed - and rest at home before starting up again in December, as he would any other year before reporting to spring training.
When I asked if he was certain that he'd be ready for spring training, Patton said, "No doubt in my mind." For now, he's just happy to be throwing again. Much like reliever Jim Hoey, who also underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum and will be his roommate in instructional league, Patton has been fighting the boredom that comes from not being allowed to pitch.
"You forget how exciting it is to throw a bullpen when you don't get to do it for a full season," he said. "Getting to do the smallest things, like playing catch every day, is much more exciting than it used to be. It's another step to get back on the mound. Hoey and I are dealing with it together. We took up fishing - anything to pass the hours. You get tired of watching SportsCenter and watching everybody else play, and the movers and shakers in the baseball world."
Patton has no regrets about choosing to have surgery, which Matt Albers elected not to do despite having a similar tear.
"I don't, and I'll tell you why: I gave it as many chances as I could," said Patton, who was shut down in spring training before undergoing the procedure. "I rehabbed it twice with the intention of coming back. I followed the program that was set up for me. We took all the precautions that we could and my arm wasn't rebounding, wasn't bouncing back through the regular rehab process. I knew that without doing something dramatic, it wasn't going to get any better.
"(Albers) had a little bit of a different tear. I hope it works out for him. I don't think he was as worried about his tear. He had a lot of confidence in throwing the ball and stuff like that. I was throwing hand grenades from 90 feet. I couldn't throw line drives. I was completely falling apart as far as arm strength went. He still had arm strength. He was just dealing with pain."
Patton is hoping to at least have the chance to compete for a spot in next year's rotation, and he certainly will if he's healthy. In the meantime, he hasn't been following the team too closely, but is aware that the Orioles are going through a bad stretch.
"I've been seeing a lot of different names in the boxscores," he said. "That's another way I know that they're struggling."
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko |
"because some of the Astros' coaches have been living in his house in Houston since the Miguel Tejada trade."
Sorry to concentrate on the minor filler part of the story but let me get this right. Patton can't move into his house because its infested with Astro coaches? I hope they are at least paying rent.
Very nice to hear he is doing well, hopefully the O's can get some production next year and lets hope he gets a chance to crack the rotation in '10.
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Yes, he's renting it out to them. I didn't mean to make them sound like squatters. - Roch
That's a good way to put it. "I've been seeing a lot of different names in the boxscores," he said. "That's another way I know that they're struggling." No kidding, there must be at least 100 different players used during the season. I wonder if that's actually true? Can anybody find out?
Pomball? or Pomball, Texas? If it's the latter, that's a heck of a name for a pitch. Imagine Gary Thorne saying, "Pomball, Texas, strike 1! Oh wait, I thought that was a town?"
I didn't see yesterday's game, only followed it on Gameday, and then mercifully saw the game on Sportscenter. Yeah, from now on, all I'm doing is just to watch. Not cheer, support, or anything like it. Because face it, there's not much to cheer or support about.
And, just to further my post a little more, and get a bit more serious....
Roch, which free agent pitchers would you think the Orioles would go after?
They have to go after the free agents even if MacPhail has consistently said he will not do it. Look at the pitching staff, rotation and bullpen included, we got nobody left at this point. They're running on toxic fumes. And, for next year, our rotation is mostly of young pitchers. We really need to go and get an Ace/Veteran who knows how to pitch. I'm not talking Traschel, Benson, these "I know how to pitch, but I really don't" types. I'm talking Burnett, Sheets, Sabathia, these kind of guys. At least get in the running for one of these men.
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You don't want Steve Trachsel? Of the others that you mentioned, best shot is Burnett because he's more likely to want to come here. And the Orioles aren't going to grossly overpay for anybody. - Roch
Good news on Patton. Hoepfully he can help for a full season next year. As for Albers, that may be another story.
Rob - My point about F. Robby and Boog Powell is that you don't take the bat out of the hands of your two best hitters. You may be too young to remember, but they hit third and fourth in the O's lineup for years.
Hopefully Dave Trembley would not bunt Markakis with Huff in the ondeck circle. Golden Rules are sometimes made to be broken.
Roch, you took a sucker bet. The Skins will win tonight...
Sounds like Patton will be back. He may not throw quite as hard as before, but he probably will be pain free & able to compete. Roch, tell him to just ignore that clicking sound from his shoulder that he might hear as he throws, it's nothing to worry about.
Thanks for the update Roch! That really helps to uplift the spirit a bit during the rough stretch. I keep forgetting we have some sweet talent hitting the field (mound) in the spring.
Since you mentioned Hoey and Patton hanging out a bit, does anybody else on the team spend time together off the field, bonding or talking shop?
I know Millar's mention something to that effect. I would think it can build a good team atmosphere as well as keeping your head in the right place.
You don't want Steve Trachsel? Of the others that you mentioned, best shot is Burnett because he's more likely to want to come here. And the Orioles aren't going to grossly overpay for anybody. - Roch
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Yeah, Burnett's family lives in Maryland, don't they? What kind of deal would you give him? I would say 2 years, but I don't know the dollar range for him at this point. If we sign him, I would have the rotation as:
1. Burnett
2. Guthrie
3. Bergesen
4. Patton
5. Cabrera
That's a lot better, and gives Guthrie some breathing room, so he doesn't have to face the Ace, and Cabrera can go all the way down to number 5.
Uh, given that he still has a left arm and a beating heart next spring, I think it's safe to say he'll have a shot to make the starting rotation.
Not only should he get a shot at the rotation, he should make it in with room to spare. Don't tell me they'd give away his spot to a Brian Burres. And Olson and Liz haven't showed a thing so far.
Rock Man,
Troy should have stayed in the basement, while he learned from the coaches upstairs in his house. Troy and Matt Albers should be an welcome addition to the spring training would-be candidates for the starting rotation.
I would sign AJ Burnett and extra ballgirls. We need to protect the fans. Many injuries can be avoided, if we line the foul grounds with elederly ballgirls.
Regarding the ORIOLES..."HARRY O 29"
I am a veteran high school umpire. I know the Strike zone.
Rocky Cherry got HOSED by NELSON the plate ump in the ORIOLES Game yesterday.
COME ON...Cherry painted the INSIDE corner with a good strike on DUSTIN PEDORIA (SP?) and this UMP calls BALL FOURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
THEN KOTSAY..comes up and blasts a triple over the head of ADAM JONES.. I think Jones foot is still sore...and Also.. Thank GOD that JONES had enough sense not to run into the Wall in an attempt to catch that ball..with our Record.. WHY GET INJURED MORE?
You can't ever tell me that the UMPS do NOT Favor the REDSOX and YANKEES in September.
TV wants a market presence in the NORTH EAST.
I mean..who is gonna watch TAMPA (RAYS) in the PLAYOFFs??
Glad that you are on MASN..ROCH ON..or is it RAVE ON?
Harry O'
sykesville, Md
Roch...Never heard of Pomball, Texas
Sure you didn't mean Tomball, Texas...a suburb of Houston?
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I may have to take your word for it. I had Patton repeat it and spelled it for him, but "P" may have sounded too much like "T." I'll check. - Roch
Actually, I would sign AJ Burnett and Ted Lilly. Is Ted Lilly a free agent? If he is, these two would bring an awesome reputation as actual pitchers, and we all know what both of them can do when they are at the top of their game.
Regarding the ORIOLES..."HARRY O 29"
I am a veteran high school umpire. I know the Strike zone.
Rocky Cherry got HOSED by NELSON the plate ump in the ORIOLES Game yesterday.
COME ON...Cherry painted the INSIDE corner with a good strike on DUSTIN PEDORIA (SP?) and this UMP calls BALL FOURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
THEN KOTSAY..comes up and blasts a triple over the head of ADAM JONES.. I think Jones foot is still sore...and Also.. Thank GOD that JONES had enough sense not to run into the Wall in an attempt to catch that ball..with our Record.. WHY GET INJURED MORE?
You can't ever tell me that the UMPS do NOT Favor the REDSOX and YANKEES in September.
TV wants a market presence in the NORTH EAST.
I mean..who is gonna watch TAMPA (RAYS) in the PLAYOFFs??
Glad that you are on MASN..ROCH ON..or is it RAVE ON?
Harry O'
sykesville, Md
Roch,
I'm so glad the O's are calling up Brandon F. and O. Santos.
Of course, if I know anything about the Rockies, I could say that I'm glad they're bringing up Joe Koshansky (.300 avg 30 + homers, 120 or so RBI's) and one of their top prospects, Dexter Fowler (could be an Adam Jones clone).
But we've been told that it wouldn't be good to bring up any O's top prospects (if there are any besides Nolan and Matt), so maybe we should just be patient until 2012 or so?
OK, I get it, watch other teams who have prospects coming in.
Having lived in Houston and knowing the area where he grew up, it's "Tomball."
Torn Labrums are Pitching Career Killing injuries. It's not impossible to come back from them but it's a tough one. The things in the favor of some of these guys is if they are young (18-25) the odds are better. The other thing to look out for is if they are able to throw without pain or discomfort. If he's gotten his arm strength back that really is a great sign.
Os fans, I wouldn't write off Mr. Patton just yet. Keep him on the "Players To Keep An Eye On" list. Thus far, this regime has targeted specific players in trades and pretty much every key piece has proved the Front Office right. Patton was the centerpiece in the Tejada trade. Considering how the "throw-ins" turned out so far, Patton is an intriguing piece (i.e. LF Scott, SP/RP Albers, SP/RP Sarfate).