Baldelli, out since '07 with hammy injury, could be ready for minor leagues

by RaysOfHope on Jun 12, 2008 11:24 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Rocco Baldelli could be ready for the next step in his attempt to play in the majors again.

Baldelli

The Tampa Bay Rays center fielder, sidelined since May 2007 because of lingering hamstring problems and what doctors have told him and the Rays is a mitochondrial disorder that causes extreme fatigue, is expected to meet with team officials in the next couple days about possibly joining one of Tampa Bay's minor league teams.

"This is probably the first time since the beginning of spring training where I actually felt that I was going to be coming back and playing," Baldelli said after going 0-for-5 as the designated hitter in his final extended spring training game on Wednesday. "We're going to sit down and decide what the next step is. Hopefully go out and get some [at-bats] on some kind of rehab assignment."

The 26-year-old Baldelli, placed on the 60-day disabled list during spring training, resumed playing as a DH for the Rays' extended spring team May 29.

When asked if he feels physically ready to DH in minor league games, Baldelli said "Yes."

"My body is responding pretty well, so I'm happy," he said.

Selected sixth overall in the 2000 amateur draft, Baldelli has a .282 batting average with 48 homers and 221 RBIs in 419 career games. His 26 assists during the 2003-04 seasons were the third most in the majors. However, he has been limited to just 127 games since the start of the 2005 season.

hey so is he going to go through every minor league level? from A to AAA and probably spend about a week in each spot since he has only 20 games to complete this rehab assignment?

here is the source http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3437979

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Return of Bubbleboy!

In the name of Sinji Mori, we shall win!

by thebaddancingraysfan on Jun 12, 2008 11:39 PM EDT 0 recs

Anyone else find it appropriate that RaysofHope posted this?

by rglass44 on Jun 12, 2008 11:44 PM EDT 0 recs

hey rocco is my boy and every little info i can find on him i share it with you guys

and patrick now i know y i failed at science, too many big words for me lol

by RaysOfHope on Jun 12, 2008 11:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

I just meant cause you have "hope" in your name

by rglass44 on Jun 12, 2008 11:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

oh i thought is was because i post everything about rocco

i just have alot of “hope” for this organization and the last couple of years with player development and FA moves and resignings i have really high “hope” for this organization in the present and future

by RaysOfHope on Jun 12, 2008 11:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

Hey

I barely made a ‘B’ in Chemistry, same with Biology. Science is my weak point.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Jun 13, 2008 12:01 AM EDT up 0 recs

man i had to repeat science in 11th grade and still dont understand a damn thing about science lol

by RaysOfHope on Jun 13, 2008 12:09 AM EDT up 0 recs

Wait until you get to college.

It will only get better.

In the name of Sinji Mori, we shall win!

by thebaddancingraysfan on Jun 13, 2008 12:10 AM EDT up 0 recs

not going to college dont have enough money to go

by RaysOfHope on Jun 13, 2008 12:14 AM EDT up 0 recs

Who knows?

He didn’t particularly do all that well in the Extended Spring Training ABs he got. I kept seeing ‘1 for 5’, ‘1 for 5’, ‘1 for 5’ in the paper every other day, and that wasn’t against great competition. Now granted, it’s also a small sample size, but methinks that Rocco is still a very long way from coming back and becoming an effective contributor.

This mitochondrial disorder doesn’t appear like something that would get better with rest and rehab. I mean, and I’m just taking this from my limited knowledge of Biology, but if it’s a mitochondrial issue it’s something that is prevalent in the cells of his body. Given its rarity and the chronic fatigue problems that it begets, I don’t know how you correct that. We’ve heard nothing whatsoever of his treatment regimen, so I am still very skeptical as to how he could come back so quickly from something originally considered so serious.

I don’t know, maybe it’s just the eternal pessimist in me. I should be happy just to hear that Baldelli is set to play in official games again, albeit at the minor league level. More than anything else, I should put my trust in his doctors who know far more about this stuff than I do, as well as team officials who have been very judicious in the past about handling injuries. But I just can’t wrap my head around how he is able to come back from something originally considered fatal to his major league career.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Jun 12, 2008 11:44 PM EDT 0 recs

didn't A Rod go 1-5 in E.S.T?

In the name of Sinji Mori, we shall win!

by thebaddancingraysfan on Jun 13, 2008 12:11 AM EDT up 0 recs

I don't know

Probably not consistently, and I know he hit a bomb off of Price in that one outing.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Jun 13, 2008 12:12 AM EDT up 0 recs

GL Rocco

RJ is not an elitist douchebag who hates scouting

by ttnorm on Jun 13, 2008 12:52 AM EDT 0 recs

Im less worried about his production right now

more concerned with how he reacts to increased PT. His bat I don’t worry about. I know a lot of people do since he has missed so much time, and since he had a month long slump before going on the DL 1 year ago, but I fully believe his bat will be just fine. I question how he plans to stay healthy

by blazinrayz on Jun 13, 2008 2:25 AM EDT 0 recs