Banta-Cain Has Abdominal Surgery (UPDATED)

Patriots outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain underwent surgery for an abdominal tear on Friday, according to a league source. It was an injury he had been dogged by last season, and it flared up during recent offseason workouts. (The usual recovery time for such an injury is approximately 4-6 weeks.)

Banta-Cain is a guy I undervalue every year. Last season he surprised me once again with 50 tackles and 5 sacks. Sure those aren't all that impressive, but consider the leader of the Patriots in sacks had 5.5 this is actually a hit for the Patriots. In a way I am glad, I never liked Banta-Cain, I think he's weak and I hope this pushes the Patriots to add someone, but it won't. They will end up hope Cunningham or someone surprises them and can be their next pass rusher.


***UPDATE***

Or maybe the Patriots won't wait for him to comeback...

"ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Tully Banta-Cain has been told by the New England Patriots that he will be released."

Obviously, the Patriots could just resign him once he is healthy again.

Buchholz Progressing

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz, on the disabled list since mid-June due to a muscle strain in his lower back, threw 30 pitches off a bullpen mound -- his first session off a mound since the end of June in Philadelphia -- and proclaimed the session to represent a significant marker in his progress back to the rotation. Buchholz threw a "short box" session, in which the catcher sits in front of home plate, and suggested that he got through the session with only minor soreness that he was quickly able to manage.

"This is I think the biggest step in the right direction so far in this process," said Buchholz. "There was still a little soreness coming off after I threw. Sat down for about 10 minutes, did a couple stretches and it felt better (WEEI)."

As well as the Red Sox are playing they are going to need Buchholz if they are going to have any chance of winning it all. Beckett and Lester can get them so far, but in the playoffs having a 3rd good pitcher is huge. I have to admit this update does not make me overly optimistic. Why is he still having soreness? I mean he only threw 30 pitches, and he is still feeling soreness in his back. That can't be a good sign. What happens when he pitches in a game and pushes it? Or if he is in a game and it's raining and it tightens? Sorry, but this doesn't sound good and I am starting to get worried. I hope the Sox are right and this is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't sound all that good to me.

Crawford Getting Closer

"The Boston Globe reports that Red Sox OF Carl Crawford could be ready to take the next step in his rehabilitation of his strained left hamstring. Crawford will get examined by team physician Dr. Thomas Gill on Monday, and he could possibly be cleared to begin baserunning drills. “He has to do some more baseball activities, but he has to go full speed on the bases for his own peace of mind,” Francona told reporters (CBS Sports)."

At least he seems like he is getting better. The Sox could certainly use him back. I know he hasn't been very good this season, but he is still better then anything else they have out there, and if a great defensive player. They Sox need to be careful though, if they bring him back to early it could cost him the season because of how much he relies on this legs.

Jeter To Return Monday

Word is Jeter just through a full practice, and was able to run around the bases 100% without any problem. The goal is to have him playing minor league games this weekend and be back with the Yankees as early as Monday. Jeter is just 6 hits short of the 3,000 hit marker and I am sure Yankee fans are just drooling over that, but you have to wonder if the Yankees have been playing ball better without him around. The Yankees have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games. Nunez is good in the field and has much better range, but I still think Jeter is the better player at this time.

Trail Blazers Still Haven't Learned

The Trail Blazers have offered former No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden an $8.8 million qualifying offer to stay in Portland. The offer means the often-injured 7-foot center becomes a restricted free agent. The Blazers can match any other offer made for him. For the Blazers sake I hope they don't match any offer, because Oden is never going to play a full season in the NBA. If you got him cheap, that's one thing, but the NBA has such a hard-on for big men that I bet some over spends. He is only 23 years old, but with microfracture surgery on both needs already you have to think his time on the court is going to be short. He has showed some promise when he has played averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds, but he looks like he is 50 years old and I just don't trust him at all.

Roethlisberger's Foot Still A Problem?

Ben Roethlisberger recently made comments that he may need foot surgery, and there has been an uproar from fans, because of it. It seem they are backing off those comments today...

"There's nothing new there," Tollner (Roethlisberger's agent) said. "The doctors elected not to do surgery and to let it heal. If it ever got worse, they might have to do something. Ben is kind of surprised that it's getting the attention. He hopes and expects never to have surgery on it. The foot was feeling better after the season, with the extra time this offseason, it's feeling great."

It sounds like Big Ben will be good to go, but the fact that surgery is still being discussed has to be a little concerning. I think they are going to have to wait till they get him in some serious practices and see how that foot reacts. The good news is that it doesn't sound like the foot has got any worse.

Owens Career Over?

Terrell Owens has undergone surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees following a previously undisclosed injury this offseason. Owens has not confirmed the surgery, but sources say he had it within the last month. The prediction is that it will take about 6 months for him to get back on the field, so he probably wouldn't be ready to go till December. If that's the case you have to wonder if anyone will have interest. He is coming off a great year, but teams usually shy away from Owens, because he is a head case. Now you can add injury, to him being old and crazy. It will be very interesting to see if we ever see Owens in the NFL again.

Yankees Rotation Coming Together?

The Yankees have sustained injuries to their rotation, but they seem to be on their way back. Hughes is expected to make two more rehab starts before being activated from the disabled list, and Colon is expected back the first or 2nd week of July. Even with this news I have my questions with the Yankees staff.

For one I have not been impressed with Hughes. In his rehab start he started out throwing 95 MPH, which was great news. Then it quickly feel, and by the 5th inning he was back to throwing 88. He is not going to be affective at that speed.

I still feel Garcia and Colon are on borrowed time, and even though the Yankees are playing well right now they won't do too much unless they make a trade for more starting pitching.

Pujols Out 4-6 Weeks With Wrist Fracture

Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols is out four to six weeks with a small fracture in his left wrist. Pujols left Sunday's game with the Royals when he collided with Wilson Betemit. It's really too bad, because he had just started to really get it going hitting .317 with 8 HRs in his last 17 games. This is also really bad news for the Cardinals who are tied for 1st place in the NL Central, but are just 3-7 in their last 10 games.

Buchholz/Lowrie Injury Update

As DP stated earlier the Sox won last night, but it came with some cost. Buchholz and Lowrie had to leave the game. Here is the latest on both...

Buchholz left after the fifth inning due to a stiff lower back. This has been bothering him for awhile, and if you have ever pulled a muscle there you know it takes forever for it to go away. The good news is that I think he won't have to go on the DL. The Sox have already stated that they are bringing up Andrew Miller, and that he will start Monday. They also have 2 days off in a 5 day span. That's huge, and means the Sox can't wait awhile, and see how he responds to treatment. That could be enough to keep him from a stint on the DL.

Lowrie meanwhile I think is going to need to go on the DL. His left shoulder has been bothering him for nearly 3 weeks, since his collision with Crawford. It is really causing him to slump. In his last 10 games since the collision he is batting .163, while Scutaro has been playing well. I think it is time to sit Lowrie down for awhile call up someone like Drew Sutton, and I think that is what they are going to do as he was pulled from the PawSox game yesterday. Lowrie has been great, but he needs to be healthy, and with the way this lineup is hitting the Sox can deal with losing him for a couple weeks.

Mauer Finally Coming Back

It sounds like Joe Mauer will be back Thursday. He is going to catch a couple more games, but the Twins seem happy that he has been able to play back-to-back games behind the plate, and feel he is ready to come back. The Twins have been given a lot of shit, for not having Mauer come back to be a DH, since he would've been back a lot sooner. It is an interesting argument, because right now the Twins sit in last place in the AL Central and 9 Games back of the Indians/Tigers. I don't see them being able to get back in this race, even though they are 8-2 in their last 10 games. Mauer means so much to this team, but with him being out so long they look like their season may already be over.

Pedroia To Have Surgery?

Very interesting report has surfaced today saying that Pedroia might need to have surgery on his right knee. He is having it checked out today in Boston, and they are going to put a camera into his knee to see the extent of the damage. If there are major problems he could have surgery on it as early as tomorrow.

CBS Sports has an unnamed Red Sox official that says that he doesn't expect Pedroia to need surgery and that "Pedey is overly dramatic," the Boston Herald quotes an anonymous source. "At this point, I honestly think we're just being cautious."

Pedroia has really struggled this year hitting only .241 with 4 HRs and 22 RBIs. I have wondered all along if it is his foot. I still think it is, and I am not really buying this knee thing either. It just seems like he is looking for an excuse for why he is playing so bad, and he has such a big ego that he need to think it's physical. Bottom like is that he won't be 100% until he gets that screw out of his foot after the season ends.

Brendan Haywood Done In Finals?

Haywood was able to play in Game 4, but was only able to play 3 minutes. It sounds like his hip isn't getting any better, and doctors say his injury usually takes 4-6 weeks to heal. Obviously, Haywood will keep trying, but it is sounds more and more likely that Haywood has played his last minutes in the Finals. It's not the end of the World for the Mavs, but it does hurt their rebounding which is something I thought they could have an advantage in going into the series. Ian Mahinmi will likely take his place.

Brett Anderson To Get Tommy John

Brett Anderson looked rough when he went against the Red Sox, and now we might know why. Reports say that Anderson thinks he may need Tommy John. It is really odd to actually hear from from a player, but for a player to come out and say this you would have to think it is true. I actually really hope it's not because I am a big fan of Brett Anderson.

If it is true then obviously he will be out for the rest of the season. This could cause the A's to start a fire sale. Usually there are a bunch of starting pitchers sent out the door, but I don't think this will be the case. Guys like Coco Crisp, Josh Willingham, and bullpen guys (Balfour, ect) would be the ones on the chopping block. Grant Balfour could be a guy who would interest the Red Sox, but we will have to wait and see if Anderson's theory is correct.

Horton Out For Rest Of Finals (UPDATED)

The Bruins announced Tuesday morning that first-line right wing Nathan Horton is out for the remainder of the Stanley Cup finals due to a severe concussion. It was pretty obvious the second he hit the ice that he was going to be out for the rest of this series. Horton is a key part of the Bruins offense. Last night when I saw the hit I thought "fuck, that's it the Bruins are toast". This morning I feel a bit different. Once Horton went down the Bruins got some life. The lines were played with a bit, and this team seems to be out for blood. The question now is how long this energy boost will last.

It was a dirty hit, and they had a hearing at 11am today with the NHL. We will let you know when we hear the punishment for Rome.

With Horton out Seguin should be back on the active roster.

***UPDATE***

Allen Rome is suspended gets a 4 game suspension, which is the rest of the Finals and is exactly what he should get for the dirty hit the NHL is trying to get rid of.

Peavy Back To The DL

Looks like the White Sox 6 man rotation has finally worked itself out, as Peavy looks to be heading back to the DL (shocking), this time with a strained groin. It's actually too bad, because before his outing against the Tigers he had thrown a gem (CG, 3 hit shutout against the Indians), but this guy can't seem to stay on the field. At least this time it isn't his arm, so it shouldn't be too much of a long term injury.

The guy most thankful for this? Well, that would be Mr. John Danks who really deserves to be riding the pine.

Ok Dice-K Is Gone, What Now?

As DP reported yesterday Rice-K is gone, so the question is what happens now. Well, the Sox are going to have to hope that Lackey can comeback and be solid. He doesn't have to be great, but solid (ERA under 5 and win 50%), because otherwise the Sox will be filling two spots instead of one.

As for taking Dice-K's spot, for now if will be Wake/Aceves. They can hold on to it for awhile, but I don't see either as a long term solutions for the rest of the season. The guy that is interesting is Felix Doubront. He is finally healthy again and he has a 1.59 ERA and .172 batting average against in five starts for the PawSox.

The only problem I see for Doubront is if Hill is out for the season and the Sox don't find a guy to get lefties out. Dourbount did that pretty well last year against lefties (.189 BA), so they might need him to fill that role. I would rather they find someone else, and see what this kid can do starting, but we will have to wait and see, because the other option other then the 3 I have mentioned it Milwood and none of us feel like dealing with his 82 MPH fastball.

Posey Done For A Long Time

"Buster Posey sustained no knee damage in his collision with the Marlins' Scott Cousins, Giants head trainer Dave Groeschner told reporters, including Al Saracevic of the San Francisco Chronicle, meaning he may be able to return to the Giants this season. It was feared he was out for the season following Wednesday night's scary incident at home plate.

Posey is expected to be out six to eight weeks or longer after suffering a broken fibula and severely strained ligaments in his left ankle. The 2010 Rookie of the Year underwent three MRIs on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury (CBS Sports)."

There were a lot of worries that he destroyed his knee as well, but he was lucky and it's fine. If Posey does return it won't be until very late in the season, so the Giants have started to look around for a replacement catcher. One name that has already come up is Ivan Rodriguez, which seems like the perfect stop gap option.

As for this whole "we need to change the rules to protect catchers"... Shut the fuck up. There doesn't need to be a rule change every time a guy gets hurt.

Guess I'm Not The Only One Worried About Pedroia

A couple days ago I wrote about how I was worried about Pedria (click here for post). Well, apparently I'm not the only one who is worried...

"Gammons also noted that second baseman Dustin Pedroia is "not going to be right all year with that screw in his foot." Pedroia missed a game after spraining his ankle in Monday's loss to the Indians but returned in Wednesday's 14-2 romp with a home run and three RBI.

"It's amazing what he's done considering how often he plays in pain," Gammons said. "His OPS is down about 190 points. His slugging is down from like 490 to 313 going into [Wednesday], but he plays through it. He never complains about it. The great thing about Dustin is he shows up at the park and says, 'If I can't do this, I'll do this [instead] and try to win.' There aren't athletes in too many places like him who show up every day and try to find a way to win. That's what he does (WEEI)."

I know he went off yesterday (who didn't though), but I am concerned about his foot. In the field I haven't really noticed it, but his stats are down across the board at the plate (as Gammons noted). As long as that screw is in his foot agree with Gammons that I don't think he will be a the player we have been seeing the last couple of year.

Pedroia plans to have that screw removed after this season.

Rafael Soriano Could Be Gone Awhile

"A third MRI on Rafael Soriano's elbow has prompted the Yankees to send the pricey reliever to see Dr. James Andrews, report Mark Feinsand and Sean Brennan of the New York Daily News. The writers note that this marks Soriano's sixth elbow-related DL stint; he's a survivor of Tommy John surgery and ulnar nerve transposition surgery (MLBTradeRumors)."

Wow, what a fucking bust. Anytime you hear the name Dr. Andrews you know it's bad news. Soriano was on his way back, but suffered a setback while throwing a bullpen session. From the sound of it the Yankees did not like what they found in their MRI and now are sending him to see a specialist.

You know right now is sitting in a dark room evilly laughing to himself. He told the Stienbrenners that this was a terrible idea, and as the article goes on to say, if this is indeed a long term problem the Yankees are going to have to go out and spend more money (and maybe prospects) to fix their bullpen. Oh yea, let's not forget they will probably need a starting pitcher or two.