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» Josh Reddick feels better after shoulder pain contributed to a subpar 2019 season.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A common sight during Josh Reddick’s abysmal 2019 season was a large ice pack on his left shoulder. The veteran Astros outfielder treated the pain after every game, still not completely certain what caused it.
“If I had to look back on one spot, it probably happened here in spring training,” Reddick said Tuesday, “running into that brick wall Pete Alonso.
“Seemed to be the only thing I can look back on that gave it that jolt.”
Reddick’s collision with Alonso — the 6-3 monster Mets first baseman who won National League Rookie of the Year honors — caught headlines at the time for its hilarity but the pain lingered throughout Reddick’s season. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder this offseason, hoping to be pain-free for his final season under club control.
Reddick finished 2019 with a .728 OPS. Only four qualified American League outfielders were worse. He mustered just a .676 clip during the second half, sullying what was a promising start in April and May. Reddick got away from using the opposite field and seemed to pull off the baseball regularly.
Given hindsight, Reddick believes his shoulder pain contributed to his cratering.
“It could be a pain-related issue, but I’m not going to lean on that and say that was my whole reason,” Reddick said. “I still could have done a lot better. I just have to go out there and stick to my routine — not overworking myself. The shoulder feels really good right now. I just have to do everything I can to make my body feel right and make sure I stay healthy.”
Markakis feels players need beating
Another day of vitriol from across the majors drew no reaction from Astros manager Dusty Baker, who made clear he’s done responding to comments concerning the team’s sign-stealing scandal.
Braves outfielder Nick Markakis join a list of players who have promoted physical harm to Astros players who participated in the 2017 electronic sign-stealing. Markakis, who Baker assumed was a quiet player, told reporters that “every single guy over there needs a beating.”
“That’s cool,” Baker said. “I ain’t commenting on everybody’s comments. Go ahead. You want to beat on us, go ahead.”
When Baker’s interview moved in a different direction, he interrupted a question to add one more thought.
“I didn’t think Markakis talked too much,” Baker asked. “He doesn’t. OK, maybe he had his Wheaties.”
Markakis’ comments come a few days after Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling acknowledged he’d “lean toward” hitting Houston batters intentionally as a form of retaliation. Injured Indians righthander Mike Clevinger claimed there won’t be many “comfortable” at-bats “for a lot of those boys.”
“And it shouldn’t be,” Clevinger said. “They shouldn’t be comfortable.”
Last week, Baker called on Major League Baseball to step in and stop the comments of “premeditated retaliation.” Commissioner Rob Manfred said Sunday any plunking of Astros hitters this season “will not be tolerated.”
Yet the comments continue. “I hear about it, but I don’t read it. I don’t care,” Baker said. “They can say what they want to say. You can’t control people’s mouths. Most of these guys, other than a couple guys, I don’t think they volunteered information. They were asked.
If they’re asked, they all have their right to state their opinion. If they’re not asked, they still have that right. It doesn’t matter. They can say what they want.”
Baker sees lefties hurt by reliever rule
The new three-batter minimum for relief pitchers will be “a challenge,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said.
The rule, which will be implemented in spring training before going into effect during the regular season, will force any pitcher, barring injury, to face at least three hitters before he is removed. There is an exception if a pitcher can end an inning by facing one or two batters.
“I think the challenge is especially for (the) lefty because he may go to the wayside,” Baker said. “That was a big job for some of these guys. We’ll see how it works.”
The rule doesn’t appear to drastically affect the Astros, who carried an all-righthanded bullpen for a majority of last season. Two lefties — Framber Valdez and Cionel Perez — could be in consideration for the opening-day roster, but a majority of the team’s experienced returning relief corp is righthanded.