First, my prayers are with Josh Naylor at this moment. I sincerely wish that he makes a complete recovery and we see him back next spring training. The prayers are because I was taken back to when Matt Whitney broke his leg in spring training. He was never the same again. I pray for a much better outcome for Josh Naylor.
Second, the loss of Naylor just puts in play the popular axiom next man up. I am not saying that Sam Hentges, Cal Quantrill and Eli Morgan have continuously lit it up since they were thrust into the lineup. Even Bradley Zimmer has come up to make positive contributions (more on this later). Bobby Bradley is still Bobby Bradley but he stepped up in a big way when he was called up.
Besides the disappointing performance by Owen Miller, the next biggest disappointment in our minor league system is the play of Oscar Mercado and Daniel Johnson. If just one of them would have played to their past performance (Mercado) or potential (Johnson) I would feel a lot better about our next man up in the outfield. Hey, as much as I like Naylor's drive and all-out play, on a good team he is just a very good 4th outfielder. Ditto, likely, for Harold Ramirez. However, it is been the disappointing play of Mercado and Johnson that has made these two guys (three, counting Zimmer) starters.
So, to Johnson, it is time to step up. BTW, 0-9 with a golden sombrero in one game this year after 1-14 last year is not stepping up, just to be clear. I truly hope you do better when you are called up this year, which might be in time for tomorrow's game unless Andres Gimenez is called up. If Johnson or Mercado is not called up it should be the final warning in their heads. They are better than this but because they can't put it together we had to play Amed Rosario in CF and we have to start 4th outfielder types. Guys, if you can't perform at the expecgted level we are going to need your 40-man roster spots to use on guys who will help this team win.
Regarding Zimmer, is it really possible that his myriad of injuries, including that bad shoulder injury, has totally zapped any power he has? He has become a stick-your-leg-out, look-for-a-walk, bunt-for-a-base-hit, slap-grounder-the-other-way guy. He has the other tools to play in the majors but it is really a shame that he doesn't have the power he once had as his current level is not even 4th outfielder level in the majors. Even if could learn to hit the ball hard to left left field like Rosario does to RF, even if he could hit to LF like Eddie Rosario does that would be something. And right now we need something.
Will Nick Sandlin, Kyle Nelson, Justin Garza and guys like that be productive major league relief pitchers or will they follow in the path of many of the guys we say pass through Cleveland in the 70s and 80s? I hope they do but watching the game today I was taken back to those years where he had high hopes for young relievers who just faded into oblivion as fast as they rose to Cleveland. Let's hope these guys stick for a lot of years. With Karnchak and Clase, young relievers like this could really make the next few years exciting. BTW, congratulations to Garza on your ML debut. You are short, righthanded and guys hit a lot of balls hard on you today. Still, I would rather have you on the mound learning as you go rather than some 30+ AAAA reliever...or starter. Plus, down the road, we may still be looking at Hentges and/or Quantrill permanently being quality fixtures in the bullpen...if we can find more starting pitching so our bullpen would be really solid if all these guys proved effective.
More on our minor league games today when I get some time tonight. Right now, my thoughts are with Josh Naylor. Get better, man. Get better. If he has to have surgery I pray that the surgeon does a great job.
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