Jeff Niemann: Out For the Season

A pre surgery Jeff Niemann in 2003, along with Wade Townsend and Philip Humber. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Grundman/Associated Press)
A pre surgery Jeff Niemann in 2003, along with Wade Townsend and Philip Humber. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Grundman/Associated Press)

Bare with me for a moment. I fell for conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory when I was younger. I believed that the Freemasons ran the world, that George Bush meant one world order when he mentioned “new world order” in a speech, that the government obviously controlled the weather, so on and so forth. Not taking anything away from anyone that believes as much, I just don’t think that most conspiracy theories hold much water. That is to say, my perspective changed as I got older. Trust me, this analogy is going somewhere.

Rumors swirled around Jeff Niemann’s placement in the bullpen prior to the start of the 2013 season — unsubstantiated conjecture, or  conspiracy theories that I found hard to swallow at the time. However, when the news broke that the newly minted 30 year-old reliever would be having season ending surgery, my mind began to change.

Here is a pitcher that had yet to see any regular season action in 2013. A pitcher whose numbers were good in Spring Training, though his velocity was down. A pitcher who we were led to believe was placed in the pen — not in the starting rotation — as a means to build his arm strength and increase his velocity. In short, we were led to believe that there was nothing wrong with the tall RHP.

Niemann received a second opinion Monday by Keith Meister, the Rangers team doctor. Meister gave the prognosis of labrum and rotator cuff damage, giving Niemann a choice between surgery or an injection plus rehab. He opted for surgery after deciding rest wouldn’t be enough to get him back to full strength. Niemann’s surgery will be performed Wednesday in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by Meister.

This isn’t Niemann’s first bout with shoulder surgery. He initially went under the knife in 2005, a procedure which corrected an impingement among other things. More recently, he missed about a month at the end of the 2012 season with a shoulder strain, with the joint having given him some nagging trouble in the past.

The conspiracy theorist in me has to believe that the Rays knew about this beforehand. I’d also imagine this is why he was put in the pen in the first place. Why Roberto Hernandez got the fifth starter spot over Chris Archer is still confounding, though I suspect we’ll see him in the rotation at some point in the near future. To that end, the Rays pen is stronger with Brandon Gomes in there, in lieu of the chronically injured Niemann.

In the end, it’s a tough break for Jeff Niemann. Odds are good that he’ll face a tough rehab, plus a non-tender this offseason is in the future. Worst of all, this could spell the end of his career if the surgery does not fix his shoulder related issues. Then again, perhaps he could change positions…or pull an RA Dickey and develop a knuckle ball.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: The Pick Up the Pieces Edition

Well, at least this guy isn't behind the plate tonight. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times)
Well, at least this guy isn’t behind the plate again tonight. (Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times)

The Tampa Bay Rays are back in Arlington Tuesday night, following the rally killing — game ending — debacle which found them on the wrong side of a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers Monday.

All things controversial aside, the Rays seemed to be a half step behind the Rangers all night, not really putting the pieces together until late in the game. To add insult to injury, Tampa Bay extended their perplexing 0-9 hit-less streak with the bases loaded (0-11 going back to 2012).

And if the offensive malaise wasn’t enough, Jeremy Hellickson’s 26th birthday outing seemed more like a present for the Rangers than it did for he or the Rays. The outing was cut short after posting an inefficient 5.0 IP/5 H/3 R/3 ER/3 BB/1 K/2 HR slash line, tossing 98 pitches (59 for strikes).

Roberto Hernandez will get the start for the Rays opposite of Rangers newcomer, Nick Tepesch. Hernandez has lost his last five decisions against the Rangers, owning a 2-8 record in 12 career starts against them with a 5.37 ERA. He’s coming off a four run, 6-2/3 inning outing against Baltimore, where he fell victim to Chris Davis (4 RBI, 2B, HR) and the Orioles in the 6-3 loss.

The Rangers have had previous success against Hernandez in the past. Nelson Cruz (5-16, 3 HR), David Murphy (7-14), and Elvis Andrus 5-14) have all been particularly troublesome for the Rays starter.

Tampa Bay will look to ruin Rangers starter Nick Tepesch’s big-league debut. According to ESPN.com, Tepesch won the fifth spot in Texas’ rotation out of spring training, but the team elected to skip his first start due to an off day Thursday.

Tepesch did throw on his normal rest that day for Triple-A Round Rock, an outing where he surrendered five hits and an unearned run over five innings. He was 0-1 with a 6.50 ERA in 18 innings this spring. We’ll post the starting lineup when it becomes available.

Rays 4/9/13 Starting Lineup:

Jennings CF
Joyce RF
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Duncan DH
Escobar SS
Molina C
Johnson LF
Hernandez RHP

Noteworthiness:

  • Following his recent addition to the 15-day DL, news broke that RHP Jeff Niemann is in need of shoulder surgery which will “most likely” end his season, as per the team. Niemann’s velocity has been down since spring training, and he was injured a lot last year. According to Hard Ball Talk‘s Craig Calcaterra, it looks like a rough rehab plus a non-tender this offseason is in the future. Tough break.
  • Anyone with half a brain knew that Joe Nathan’s “strikeout” was ball four. Here’s a fun little snippet of four different announcers reaction to the botched call Monday night.
  • Catcher AJ Pierzynski became the seventh different player to homer for the Rangers in their seven games.
  • Tampa Bay’s first error of the season came in the second inning when Ben Zobrist was unable to snag Pierzynski’s grounder.
  • Longoria has 10 hits this season, all singles. This is the furthest he’s gone into a season without hitting a home run.

“That can’t happen in a major league game.”

That friends, is a ball by all accounts...except this one. (GIF courtesy of Cork Gaines/Rays Index)
That friends, is a ball by all accounts…except this one. (GIF courtesy of Cork Gaines/Rays Index)

Forget the fact that the Rays went 2-12 wRISP. Forget the fact that they are now 0-9 with the bases loaded, and 0-11 extending back to 2012. Forget the fact that Tampa Bay seemed to be a half step behind the Rangers all night; this has absolutely nothing to do with that.

The scenario: Down by one in the ninth with two outs, Sean Rodriguez at first and Molina at third, a very hot hitting Ben Zobrist came to the plate with hopes of either knotting things up, or extending the inning for Evan Longoria, who was on deck. Zobrist took strike one — a pitch that was clearly a ball, well outside the zone. Nathan proceeded to throw three straight balls and a borderline strike to put Zobrist in a 3-2 count. He followed that up by throwing a pitch that was well off the plate, and in the dirt. That pitch was clearly a ball to everyone by Foster. As Zobrist took off his helmet and gloves, starting to take his rightful base, Foster called the pitch strike three to end the game.

Marty Foster’s call on the final pitch of the game was, easily, one of the most atrocious calls I’ve ever seen in my life. Hell, even Joe Nathan couldn’t believe the call, mouthing the word “Wow” after Foster called the pitch a strike. “That can’t happen in a major league game,” said Joe Maddon in his post game presser. There are not enough words.

Both pitches number one and six -- both called strikes -- were absolutely horrendous. Bring us the head of Marty Foster! (Pitch f/x courtesy of Brooks Baseball)
Both pitches number one and six — both called strikes — were absolutely horrendous. Bring us the head of Marty Foster! (Pitch f/x courtesy of Brooks Baseball)

In a pool interview following the game, home-plate umpire Marty Foster was quoted as saying,

”I saw the pitch and of course don’t have the chance to do it again, but had I had a chance to do it again, I wouldn’t call that pitch a strike.”

Regardless of Foster’s admission, the Rangers’ 5-4 victory — and Joe Nathan’s 300th career save — is still on the books. Ben Zobrist summed things up well,

”Umpires make mistakes just like players do. It was a tough time to have a bad call… I hope it doesn’t ending up costing us playoffs in the end. I know it’s the first week of the season. But every win is important and we might have had a chance to win that one. Everybody makes mistakes. What are you going to do?”

Maddon took the field following the botched call — clearly perturbed — arguing well after the stands began to clear. According to Yahoo Sports, umpire crew chief Tim Welke indicated that he didn’t foresee a scenario in which Maddon would be disciplined.

Foster went on to say of Maddon,

”He was frustrated and I understand, he acted probably the best he can under that situation.”

It will be interesting to see how things pan out on the field Tuesday night, when the Rays again take on the Rangers in the second game of their 10-game road trip.

Noteworthiness:

Rays 4/8/13 Starting Lineup, Vogt and Chirinos Acquired by A’s and Rangers (Respectively)

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The Rays flew into Texas for a three game set against the Rangers following the royal 13-0 shellacking at the hands of the Indians Sunday. Jeremy Hellickson will try to right the ship opposite of Alexi Ogando in the 8:05 meeting. In case you missed it, you can read our series preview here.

Rays 4/8/13 Starting Lineup:

Jennings CF
Fuld LF
Zobrist 2B
Longoria 3B
Joyce RF
Escobar SS
Loney 1B
Molina C
Johnson DH
Hellickson RHP

Noteworthiness:

  • The Rays bus was in a small accident on the way to the Rangers facility Monday. Thankfully the accident was minor and no one was hurt.
  • Another day, another lineup. As of Sunday, Tampa Bay Rays skipper Joe Maddon utilized six different lineups in the first six games of the season. Shocker, I know.
  • Another fun fact: The Rays are 0-8 with the bases loaded thus far in 2013, and 0-10 extending back to 2012.
  • Happy birthday to Jeremy Hellickson, he turns 26 today. As per Marc Topkin, Rays starters are 4-1 when getting a start on their birthdays, including Hellickson in 2012 vs the Yankees.

Roster Moves:

Both C Stephen Vogt and C Robinson Chirinos have been acquired by the A’s and Rangers respectively. You may recall that both players were DFA’d prior to opening day in order to make room on the 40-man roaster for Shelley Duncan and Jamey Wright.

As per MLB Trade Rumors,

Vogt, 28, saw time in 18 games for the Rays last season but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A Durham where he hit .272/.350/.424 in 94 games. The catcher was the Rays’ 12th round pick in the 2007 draft and has spent his entire career in the Tampa Bay organization until now.

Chirinos, 28, missed the entire 2012 season after suffering a concussion. In 2011, he hit .259/.343/.376 in 319 Triple-A plate appearances, a disappointing offensive season after a breakout 2010 factored into the Rays acquiring him from the Cubs as part of the Matt Garza trade. After 2010, Baseball America wrote that Chirinos “always had shown an ability to handle the bat and control the strike zone, and now he has developed power to all fields.” They also praised his work behind the plate.

Both players were acquired for a player to be named later, or in the case of Vogt and/or cash considerations. Chirinos will go on the Rangers 40-man roster but will be in Triple-A, so he will not face the Rays this week.

Looking Backward While Moving Forward: The Indians Crush the Rays Sunday, While the Rays Head to Arlington

Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times
Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times

This is going to be an easy game synopsis. Tampa Bay got shutout by a score of 13-0 by the Cleveland Indians Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. With a 3-3 record on this young season, the Rays will embark on a 10-game road trip starting Monday in Arlington, where they will take on the Texas Rangers. Marc Topkin may have said it best in a piece that he penned,

Price had statistically his worst outing in the majors, allowing a career-high eight earned runs and 10 hits in only five innings in a 13-0 loss to the Indians before 21,629 at Tropicana Field.

Price fell behind hitters, left pitches over the middle of the plate and was knocked out of the game after three-run homers by Mark Reynolds and Lonnie Chisenhall. Reynolds also homered in the seventh off Kyle Farnsworth, providing two of the five blasts among the Indians’ 17 hits.

and

The Rays didn’t do much to support Price against Indians starter Justin Masterson. They loaded the bases with two outs in the first on a single by Ben Zobrist and walks to Evan Longoria and James Loney. But Yunel Escobar struck out for the first of three times.

That sums things up well. If you absolutely must indulge in our mediocre thoughts on today’s game, head here to read our blow by blow synopsis. Otherwise, the Rays and Rangers series preview follows:

Rays and Rangers series starters.
Rays and Rangers series starters.
Rays and Rangers offensive numbers.
Rays and Rangers offensive numbers.
More offensive numbers.
More offensive numbers.
  • Tampa Bay Rays series starters as per Rotowire: Hellickson gave up five runs over 6.1 innings Wednesday, giving up eight hits and striking out two in the win over Baltimore. Hernandez pitched 6.2 innings Thursday, allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts and was on the hook for the loss against the Orioles. Moore pitched six scoreless innings and allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out eight against the Indians on Friday.
  • Texas Rangers series starters as per Rotowire: Ogando had an impressive 2013 season debut Wednesday, striking out 10 batters and allowing just four hits and a walk over 6.1 shutout innings against the Astros. Tepesch has earned the final spot in the Texas rotation, though he didn’t begin the season on the Opening Day roster, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Holland struck out five and walked one while giving up two runs on six hits over seven innings in no decision Friday against the Angels.
  • The Rays offense regressed somewhat in the series against the Indians. Their conversion percentage wRISP dropped by 27%, while they scored five fewer runs overall, scored four fewer runs with two outs, and averaged 1.7 fewer runs per game. On the bright side, Tampa Bay gave up nine fewer runs with two-outs in their three game set against the Indians. Compare that to the 14 two-out runs the Rays gave up to the Orioles.
  • With the exception of the number of runs relented with two outs, Texas and Tampa Bay seem fairly evenly keeled offensively.
  • Hellickson is 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA in three career outings against the Rangers, including a loss in a 2011 AL division series.
  • Including the playoffs, Elvis Andrus has gone 0-8 against Hellickson. Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman, on the other hand, are a combined 5-8 with four homers.
  • The Rangers have a slightly different look from the team that collapsed down the stretch last season and missed out on the bulk of the 2012 post-season play. Josh Hamilton signed with the Rangers rival Los Angeles Angels, and Mike Napoli was picked up by the Red Sox in the off-season. The Rangers have added A.J. Pierzynski and DH Lance Berkman to a still potent lineup which still features Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler. Andrus has hit .310 in 32 career games against the Rays.
  • The Rays won last year’s series 5-4. Rangers lead overall 77-62, while going 46-26 in Arlington.

How Do the Rays Stack up against the Rangers Starting Rotation?

  • Alexi Ogando: The Rays have posted a combined .345 BA/.457 OBP/.517 SLG/.974 slash line against Ogando in 29 at-bats. Ogando — gave up three runs, five hits and two walks in 2 2-3 innings of a 4-1 home loss Aug. 31, 2011 in his only start against Tampa Bay. Match-ups to watch: Yunel Escobar (3-8, RBI, BB), Kelly Johnson (2-2, 3B, RBI), Matt Joyce (2-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Evan Longoria (2-4, HR, RBI), Ben Zobrist (1-4, BB).
  • Nick Tepesch: The Rays have never faced Tepesch, a 14th round draft pick by the Rangers in 2010.
  • Derek Holland: Derek Holland has been a bit of a thorn in the side of the Rays the last two seasons, holding Tampa Bay to a combined .234 BA/.294 OBP/.484 SLG/.778 OPS slash line in 124 at-bats. Holland is prone to give up the long ball though, having given up six to the Rays, three of which to Evan Longoria. Key match-ups: Kelly Johnson (1-3), Matt Joyce (2-3, RBI), Desmond Jennings (3-14, 2 3B, RBI, BB), Evan Longoria (9-22, 4 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB), Ben Zobrist (6-21, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI, BB).

Hot: Ben Zobrist (.429 BA/.458 OBP, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB), Evan Longoria (.333 BA/.417 OBP, 3-7, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Shelley Duncan (4-14, HR, 4 RBI, R), Desmond Jennings (.250 BA/.375 OBP, 5-20, 2 2B, RBI, 5 R)