Morning Update: My Head Hurts

Okay I want to get some of this stuff out of the way before get to the game and the injuries and all the other stuff..

Rumors have been running RAMPANT this past week with Mark DeRosa being traded or being on the block.

For whatever reason, teams need first and third baseman and DeRo is a popular name being throwing around.

Why?

Looks like the Indians just want to go with Luis Valbuena full-time? Even though he's shown nothing really to give him a starting spot?

Not a fan of this idea.. Just not a fan of this idea. Maybe Valbuena gets the job full-time and goes off, I don't know, but you can't bank on that fact.

There's been rumor after rumor about the Indians shopping DeRo and ideas that teams are interested.

I'd much rather trade a Trevor Crowe or an outfielder than Mark DeRosa quite honestly. We've got an overload on Outfielders, not infielders.

From that same Jayson Stark article, Brad Penny could become available if the calvary comes in for Boston's starters? And he wouldn't be worth much?

I'd consider it.

You could always throw the hard thrower into the bullpen since he's injury prone.

Anyway... I'm not sure what we could get for DeRosa that helps this team this year from a team like the Mets.. Maybe the A's, but if they get DeRosa that means they aren't giving up either. I don't know who else would be interested in him.

I think it would be a mistake at this point, but then again, we do need pitching. Arggh..

I addressed the crazy trade rumors of Vic and Cliff over at Fantasy Baseball Hot Stove, my second Q&A with the site concerning Indians fantasy news.

Anyway on towhatever else we have.

Let's start with the injury to Grady Sizemore, which doesn't have him out of the lineup, but has him relegated to DH duties these past few days. No more DH on Friday, so he'll either have to play the field or sit.

He's expected to play.

"His elbow has been a little bit sore," Wedge said. "We've been trying to do a couple of things, obviously, to get his mind off things a little bit and get him off his feet a little bit."

Is that like, really wahat's going on here with his struggles? I don't know but.. If he's a little hurt, sit him down, let him get better, and go.

Sizemore said that it started a few weeks ago and it's mostly when he throws.

"I'm feeling the majority of pain from throwing," he said. "They just want to give me a couple of days off from throwing."

Anyway... I think the Indians are starting to get a little bit of confidence under them with these wins. They realize they should have probably swept the Royals and hey they could have won more games than they have this year if they didn't make certain screw-ups and stuff.. But the difference here is they've actually won two series this week and last. So maybe things are starting to turn in their favor a little, they realize that, and it's go time? Maybe? Hopefully?

Especially the way they got to Greinke.

"We really made [Greinke] work hard, and they made Carl work hard," Wedge said. "You got a couple of guys pitching well, and they're out of the game after the sixth inning. So it was left up to the bullpen, and our guys really stepped up down there. It should be a big boost for them."

Greinke said it just might be him against Cleveland and how they sort of have an idea how to work him. It could be.

Oh and don't forget, aside from Kerry Wood's blunder on Tuesday, this bullpen has stepped up, Betanccourt, Herges, Vizcaino.. I mean jesus, not the names ou thought.

"I think the bullpen is headed in the right direction," said Wedge after his team won only their third series of the season.

Oh don't forget Carl Pavano won game number four, thanks in large part in his ability to go one more inning.

"I wanted one more inning. I felt strong at the end," Pavano said. "I asked for another inning. I knew they were talking about it, because in the past I've been getting to 90 pitches and my stuff has been kind of lacking and coming up short. I felt better day."

Pavano and Lee, Carmona on most days before he explodes at the end of his outing, we've got some good starting pitching contributing right now. Hopefully Reyes can get himself and maybe we'll see Huff settle down on Saturday.

Something that was posted a few days ago but really needs a read and a mention. The Road to Recovery is in progress for Juan Lara and Anthony Castrovince has a nice update of how he's gotten to this point.

"I was happy to see all my teammates and be back on a baseball field walking around," he said. "But as I was walking out, I was sad. I just felt I should be there playing and hanging around with my teammates, and I couldn't be. I got in that mode where I was down a little bit. I couldn't help it."

Lino Diaz, the director of the Indians Latin American operations says it's a downright miracle that he's pitching again, but that Lara is on a plan to be throwing full-time bullpens next month.

"By mid-June," Quinlan said, "we hope to have him throwing bullpens with just two days in between and throwing all his pitches."

There's so much more in this article though. Give the entire thing a read, from the start to the end, where Lara's been, his thoughts on the death of Nick Adenhart, what the opportunity to be back on the field means and just everything.

Starters Note: The Indians will not be seeing Edinson Volquez at all during this series. He was supposed to pitch Friday, got pushed back, and is now on the Disabled List. To take his place in the rotation and is start on Saturday, the Reds called up Homer Bailey. Remember that Bailey made his ML debut against the Indians a few years ago. I think.. Or at least I'm trying to remember.

Kerry Wood has ridded himself of the goatee and it might be gone for awhile now. He didn't want to, but a shaving mishap caused it and now that the Indians are 2-0, it won't go anywhere.

Well the Indians and the rest of the AL Central dodged a bullet when Jake Peavy declined a trade to the Chicago White Sox. That's all we needed.

But one Padre did get traded, and he's my friend. Not really, but I would like him to be. Jody Gerut is headed to Milwaukee, to play for his third NL Central team..

Finally... The Indians memorial day cap has been changed because... Well Chief Wahoo having the stars and stripes is... whatever something?



Yeah I don't know, nor care. That's silly. I'm going to be buying two new hats soon, one with the I and one with the block C.. People need to stop complaining about Chief Wahoo.. I personally don't care either way. It's a logo and a cap. Blargh.