Phillies’ Dombrowski: Harper likely to report in 2 weeks MLB’s bigger bases could lead to more steals, fewer injuries

Bryce HarperWe’re a couple weeks away from arriving at spring training camp as the Philadelphia Phillies batter is recovering from elbow surgery.

Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that Harper is batting at home in Las Vegas and will report March 8 or 9.

Harper underwent surgery on his right elbow in November after leading the Phillies to the National League pennant. The Phillies then said that Harper was expected to return as a designated hitter by the All-Star break and be able to play on the right field by the end of the season.

“He’s doing great in terms of recovery,” Dombrowski said. “In his progress, doctors are happy where he is.”

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said the next step in the rehabilitation process would be for Harper to hit the ball and make a soft shot in the cage.

In April, 30-year-old Harper suffered a minor tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. He last played right field in Miami on April 16.

In May, Harper was injected with platelet-rich plasma and switched to DH. He went on to help the Phillies reach their first World Series since 2009, and they lost to Houston in six games.

He hit .349 with six homers and 13 RBIs in 17 postseason games.

Harper missed two months last season after breaking his thumb on the field in late June. The two-time NL MVP hit .286 with 18 homers and 65 RBIs in 99 games.

THOMPSON OFFERS ARBITRATION ANALYSIS

Tampa Bay pitcher Ryan Thompson called for more transparency in the arbitration process after losing his case last week. Thompson would make $1 million, not the $1.2 million he was looking for.

“The biggest problem with this process for me is that the arbitrators can make whatever decision they come up with without explaining or defending the decision,” Thompson said in a long Twitter thread. “In any other court case, the decision is public, for some reason it is very secretive and secret.

“If the process is created for the sake of justice, then why don’t we study the laws of the country? In a sense, we were shooting in the dark, not knowing what the referees relied on and what they did not pay attention to. This understanding matters.”

Major League Baseball and the Players’ Association agreed when they established arbitration for 1974 that only an award would be made without any explanation.

Thompson said he had no hard feelings towards the Rays and said that they were “as professional and respectful as you can get, given the circumstances.” But he had problems with the statistics that were used to gauge his worth as a center pitcher.

Thompson said he considers holding and leverage index to be the most important statistic for the average pitcher or a lineman like himself. He said the Race discredited his stats in those categories and noted his botched saves, lack of use against left-handers, and what he called a Fangraphs metric called “melts”, which essentially measures whether or not a pitcher increased the likelihood of a loss. his team due to a certain amount.

Thompson also noted that he was told not to disclose the date of his case, so that the arbitrators would not investigate it in advance and create bias.

“However, they all have phones when they enter the hearing and use them freely during breaks,” Thompson tweeted. “After the case, they don’t sit in the room and discuss the decision, but had to go to the hotel bar. It is extremely embarrassing that the arbitrators communicate, drink and use their devices before making a decision. (Not at all assuming foul play.) Just an obvious flaw that I’ve witnessed.”

Thompson, 30, went 3-3 with three saves and a 3.80 ERA in 47 games last season.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burns said last week there was “no doubt the relationship has definitely taken a hit” after the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner heard the team’s arguments during a hearing he lost, resulting in a salary of $10.01 million , not the $10.75 million he asked for.

Major League Baseball proposed in negotiations last year to replace arbitration with a metrics-based system, but the players’ association preferred the current system.

CORTES CONTINUES PROMOTION

Southpaw, New York Yankees All-Star Nestor Cortes worked out an inning in his first simulated game as a right hamstring strain resulted in a 10-day layoff.

The injury cost Cortez his chance to play for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

Cortez, who struck out Anthony Rizzothere will be another simulated game before it possibly appears in the spring practice game.

“In fact, everything was much better than I thought,” Cortez said. “Just because it was my first gig, I didn’t know how my foot would react to the intensity and the impact of these guys.”

Cortez went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts last year.

Ben Gamel CONNECTS RAYS

Outfielder Ben Gamel and the Tampa Bay Rays signed with the minor leagues.

Gamel, who turns 31 May 17, hit .232 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs in 115 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He’s a .253 career hitter with 40 homers and 198 RBIs in seven seasons with the New York Yankees, Seattle, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

PEORIA, Arizona. Like a violin virtuoso playing a new music stand, third baseman for the San Diego Padres. Manny Machado immediately noticed the difference.

Not only are the bases bigger, they also feel different.

“Of course, it’s definitely different,” said Machado, a two-time Golden Glove winner. “They look better. I just have to keep playing with it, stepping on it and kind of feeling it. But it’s definitely different.”

Larger bases ranging from 15 to 18 inches are part of a series of Major League Baseball changes designed to bring more activity and athleticism back into the game and make it more appealing to a younger generation of potential fans.

When the 11-member baseball committee passed the new rules in September, four players in the group supported larger bases and voted against the use of pitching hours and restrictions on defensive changes.

New bases – “They look like a pizza box,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, “shortened the distance between the bases by 4 1/2 inches. The distance between the third and the house, as well as the house and the first, was reduced by 3 inches.

Doesn’t sound like much, but the impact can be significant.

Instead of waiting for a three-run homer, major league teams could try a more aggressive approach at the base lanes. Combined with new restrictions on what MLB calls outings — stick tries or rubber moves — it’s more important than ever that pitchers get to the plate quickly and strong catchers stay alert with running backs.

“The run game, the prevention of the run game, that’s what we’ve been talking about and going to keep talking about because… I think the number of base steal attempts should increase significantly,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. said.

Major league teams finished with 2,486 interceptions on 3,297 attempts last year, down from 2,214 interceptions and 2,926 attempts in 2021, but much less than 3,229 interceptions and 4,365 attempts a decade ago in 2012, according to Sportradar.

In testing the junior classes, the two Triple-A leagues used larger bases during half of the 2021 season. One had a 2.2% increase in the number of successful thefts, while the other had a 0.7% increase.

Season 2012 – when Mike Trout led the Majors with 49 stolen bases—the last time the major leagues topped 3,000 steals and 4,000 tries.

“I’ve definitely been thrown out less than (4 1/2) inches … so maybe that’s starting to affect the results,” the Chicago Cubs second baseman said. Nico Hornerwho won a career-best 20 bases in 22 attempts last year.

Of course, it also gives the Majors’ best first basemen an even better chance of keeping runners off base at all.

“I think it might help. It will give me another inch or so of reach on a throw that wants to push me off base,” the Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman said. Christian Walkerwho won his first Golden Glove last year.

In addition to being active on base lanes, Major League Baseball is hoping this change will help reduce injuries. When testing big bases at the Minors from 2021 to 2022, what the league calls “injuries near the bases” is down 13%.

First basemen have more room to avoid stepping on them or pulling their hand back in time to prevent the batter from running down the line. This should also help avoid collisions throughout the diamond.

“When you walk down the field, you don’t really notice it, but as you get closer to the bag, you definitely notice it,” the Cubs baseman said. Eric Hosmer, four-time Golden Glove winner. “It also seems a bit flatter. Not only bigger and longer, but definitely a little flatter.

“But yes, I think it will prevent some injuries, so I think anytime you can even knock that number off one or two guys, it’s worth it.”