Notes: Hernandez back with Royals
07/20/2006
KANSAS CITY -- It wouldn't be fair to expect Runelvys Hernandez, who will be recalled from Triple-A Omaha to start Friday against the Angels, to completely fill the shoes of the pitcher he's replacing in the rotation. Still, the Royals will take what they can get.
"We need a pitcher and he's the guy," manager Buddy Bell said.
Hernandez's promotion comes after right-hander Scott Elarton, who hasn't missed a start this season, was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a right shoulder strain. The full medical report on Elarton is forthcoming. Team physician Steve Joyce will evaluate an MRI performed on Elarton's shoulder Thursday.
Bell deferred further inquiry to head trainer Nick Swartz, who said that nothing could truly be determined until Joyce's evaluation. It appears the problem is not something that can be healed with normal rest.
"It's not good," Bell said. "I don't know if it's a cuff or a labrum."
Could the injury be season-ending?
"I think there's a good chance," Bell said. "I'm hoping that's not the case. But that's certainly something that's been talked about."
Hernandez was 1-4 with a 7.44 ERA in seven starts with the Royals from late April to late May. He began the season on the 15-day disabled list due to issues with his weight and stamina.
He failed to get out of the first inning in his most recent outing in the Majors, yielding five runs in two-thirds of an inning May 28 at Yankee Stadium. Including his season-opening stint at Omaha, Hernandez compiled a 5-6 record and a 4.59 ERA in 12 games there. All but one were starts.
"He has the recommendation of a lot of people, first of all our Triple-A staff, who I have a tremendous amount of confidence in," Bell said. "They say he's throwing the best, taking care of himself.
"Hopefully Runelvys will come up here and give us a chance to win as Scotty did pretty much every start."
Mac's back ... sort of: Closer Mike MacDougal hopes to make his first appearance at home this season sometime during the series against the Angels. He had spent the entire year on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain until being activated last Thursday.
"That was kind of the good thing about being here all year," said MacDougal, who rehabbed with the team. "It doesn't feel like I'm the new guy coming in. Not really a homecoming. Just the first time I've pitched here this year."
MacDougal threw one scoreless inning apiece on Saturday and Sunday in Detroit, notching his first save of 2006 in the series finale. He's glad to be back at Kauffman Stadium and has confidence in the outfield's abilities to patrol its spacious dimensions.
"That's definitely a plus," MacDougal said. "When you have guys like [David] DeJesus and [Joey] Gathright out there, it makes you feel pretty good that you can throw balls in the air."
Just doing his job: Reliever Joel Peralta spent nearly seven seasons in the Angels' organization before joining the Royals in the offseason. But that won't be on his mind should he be called upon during the next four games.
"Anyone I face, I want to get them out no matter what," Peralta said.
Peralta signed as a Minor League free agent with the Angels in February 1999. An outfielder at the time, the club converted him to pitcher. He was 1-0 with a 3.89 ERA in 28 relief appearances for Los Angeles in 2005.
"I'm grateful to those guys," Peralta said. "They gave me a chance last year, called me up. But right now I'm on the Royals and I'm going to try and do whatever I can to help this team out."
Injury roll call: Six Royals are currently on the disabled list, including catcher Paul Bako, designated hitter Mike Sweeney and right-hander Mike Wood. The timetables on each are uncertain.
Bako has missed nine games with a partially torn right oblique.
"He swung the other day and he's starting to feel better," Bell said.
Wood, meanwhile, has thrown once off a mound since he went out with back inflammation July 3.
Sweeney has been away the longest, unavailable for 71 games since May 2 with a bulging disk in his upper back. Before the All-Star break, he hinted that he might be sent out for a Minor League rehab assignment during the club's recently completed seven-game road trip. That was not the case.
"My hope is in the last two months of the season I'll be able to contribute in a mighty way," Sweeney said.
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
KANSAS CITY -- It wouldn't be fair to expect Runelvys Hernandez, who will be recalled from Triple-A Omaha to start Friday against the Angels, to completely fill the shoes of the pitcher he's replacing in the rotation. Still, the Royals will take what they can get.
"We need a pitcher and he's the guy," manager Buddy Bell said.
Hernandez's promotion comes after right-hander Scott Elarton, who hasn't missed a start this season, was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a right shoulder strain. The full medical report on Elarton is forthcoming. Team physician Steve Joyce will evaluate an MRI performed on Elarton's shoulder Thursday.
Bell deferred further inquiry to head trainer Nick Swartz, who said that nothing could truly be determined until Joyce's evaluation. It appears the problem is not something that can be healed with normal rest.
"It's not good," Bell said. "I don't know if it's a cuff or a labrum."
Could the injury be season-ending?
"I think there's a good chance," Bell said. "I'm hoping that's not the case. But that's certainly something that's been talked about."
Hernandez was 1-4 with a 7.44 ERA in seven starts with the Royals from late April to late May. He began the season on the 15-day disabled list due to issues with his weight and stamina.
He failed to get out of the first inning in his most recent outing in the Majors, yielding five runs in two-thirds of an inning May 28 at Yankee Stadium. Including his season-opening stint at Omaha, Hernandez compiled a 5-6 record and a 4.59 ERA in 12 games there. All but one were starts.
"He has the recommendation of a lot of people, first of all our Triple-A staff, who I have a tremendous amount of confidence in," Bell said. "They say he's throwing the best, taking care of himself.
"Hopefully Runelvys will come up here and give us a chance to win as Scotty did pretty much every start."
Mac's back ... sort of: Closer Mike MacDougal hopes to make his first appearance at home this season sometime during the series against the Angels. He had spent the entire year on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain until being activated last Thursday.
"That was kind of the good thing about being here all year," said MacDougal, who rehabbed with the team. "It doesn't feel like I'm the new guy coming in. Not really a homecoming. Just the first time I've pitched here this year."
MacDougal threw one scoreless inning apiece on Saturday and Sunday in Detroit, notching his first save of 2006 in the series finale. He's glad to be back at Kauffman Stadium and has confidence in the outfield's abilities to patrol its spacious dimensions.
"That's definitely a plus," MacDougal said. "When you have guys like [David] DeJesus and [Joey] Gathright out there, it makes you feel pretty good that you can throw balls in the air."
Just doing his job: Reliever Joel Peralta spent nearly seven seasons in the Angels' organization before joining the Royals in the offseason. But that won't be on his mind should he be called upon during the next four games.
"Anyone I face, I want to get them out no matter what," Peralta said.
Peralta signed as a Minor League free agent with the Angels in February 1999. An outfielder at the time, the club converted him to pitcher. He was 1-0 with a 3.89 ERA in 28 relief appearances for Los Angeles in 2005.
"I'm grateful to those guys," Peralta said. "They gave me a chance last year, called me up. But right now I'm on the Royals and I'm going to try and do whatever I can to help this team out."
Injury roll call: Six Royals are currently on the disabled list, including catcher Paul Bako, designated hitter Mike Sweeney and right-hander Mike Wood. The timetables on each are uncertain.
Bako has missed nine games with a partially torn right oblique.
"He swung the other day and he's starting to feel better," Bell said.
Wood, meanwhile, has thrown once off a mound since he went out with back inflammation July 3.
Sweeney has been away the longest, unavailable for 71 games since May 2 with a bulging disk in his upper back. Before the All-Star break, he hinted that he might be sent out for a Minor League rehab assignment during the club's recently completed seven-game road trip. That was not the case.
"My hope is in the last two months of the season I'll be able to contribute in a mighty way," Sweeney said.
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
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