2017 is so far, the season of the DL for MLB stars; For the Pittsburgh Pirates, however, key players are sitting for a host of non sports-related reasons.
According to Spotrac, the online resource tracking team payroll, player valuation and a host of other totally geek-worthy bits of info on the MLB, NFL, NBA and MLS, the LA Dodgers lead Major league Baseball with 22 players on the disabled list in 2017. The Toronto Blue Jays with 19, Tampa Bay Rays with 18, and the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – tied at 16, round out the top five. The Pittsburgh Pirates are actually ranked an amazing 27th on the list with eight, tied with the Yankees, Tigers and Royals and in front of only the Twins, Brewers and Cubs.
Now, if Spotrac curated a list of the team with the unluckiest, strangest or just plain stupidest reasons they’re missing “star” players, the Pirates would be undoubtedly be ranked at #1.
The Strangest
The latest “star” player impacted is Francisco Cervelli. We’ve known that Cervy takes a beating behind the dish – and acknowledge that he is, in the words of Pirates broadcaster Bob Walk, “brittle.” Yesterday, however, the news from team on why Cervelli, who signed a three-year, $31 million contract last season, was again a scratch was as curious as it was troubling.
From Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Francisco Cervelli, the Pirates’ starting catcher, underwent a battery of tests Wednesday relating to an “acute-on-chronic” condition which has flared up at times this season, according to the team’s head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk. The results were reviewed by physicians for the Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers, and Cervelli’s status is uncertain.”
He goes on to explain that this acute-on-chronic condition dates back to the flu-like symptoms Cervy was said to be experiencing in April that caused him to miss a few games. The name, acute-on-chronic, just refers to a condition that is recurring and is exacerbated by an outside factor.
UPDATE: Today, Nesbitt reported that Cervelli has been placed back on the concussion DL. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review further reports that Cervy is heading back to Pittsburgh for additional evaluation by doctors, including a concussion specialist. Jacob Stallings is reportedly getting the call-up.
Do yourself a favor, don’t google “Causes of Flu-like Symptons.” The list is long and scary, and will give you nightmares about what could be ailing the Pirates’ beloved catcher (although I think it’s safe to rule out Toxic Shock Syndrome and Mastitis).
The Unlucky
Of course, Pittsburgh Pirates fans are somewhat conditioned to jump to dire conclusions after hearing the news about Cervelli. After all, ace-in-the-hole Jameson Taillon hit the DL with what was described as “groin discomfort” only to wind up being diagnosed with testicular cancer and undergoing surgery days later. He’s making a remarkable recovery, missing only five weeks before returning to the rotation and notching a win against the Rockies on June 12.
Jamo’s past is peppered with injuries from Tommy John surgery to a sports hernia, which kept him off the mound in 2014 and 2015 respectively. But those are the sorts of injuries “expected” of baseball players. No one expects a 25 year-old man, in peak physical condition, to be diagnosed with cancer.
It is inspiring to see Taillon get back to baseball so quickly, and get back to leading a young life so quickly as well. For that, we should all be grateful.
The Stupid
The PIttsburgh Pirates are also missing two star players due to personal foibles.
Outfielder Starling Marte is serving out the final weeks of his 80-game suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs. Announced April 19, two-time Gold Glover Marte tested positive for nandrolone, an injected “street steroid.” He apologized to his family, the team, fans and baseball in a formal statement, and went on to blame it on “neglect and lack of knowledge.” He is expected to return shortly after the MLB All-Star Break July 10-14.
Infielder Jung Ho Kang is still trapped in South Korea – unable to secure a US visa after being convicted of his third drunk driving offense in his home country. Kang was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two-years’ probation by a court in Seoul in early March. That probation is rumored to be the sticking point in his gaining re-entry to the US. Once he is allowed back in the states, he still faces potential disciplinary action by MLB and the Pirates for his arrest.
Hope Lingers
While fluky hits like these could wreak havoc on a team’s star line-up, the Pittsburgh Pirates continue grinding through it. Even though they currently sit in second to last place in the NL Central, they are only 5 games back from the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, and seem to be on a roll.
Andrew McCutchen, who was having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad season has found his footing batting sixth in the line-up and is hotter than Phoenix right now, with 17 runs, 6 homers and 19 RBIs and a batting average of .409 in the month of June. Additionally, rookies Adam Frazier, Jose Osuna and Elias Diaz and veterans John Jaso and Josh Harrison are contributing in a big way.
Things never seem to come easy for this team.
But in many ways, with every new blow to the line-up, the Pittsburgh Pirates seem to rise and conquer.
Image credit – Flickr Creative Commons
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