Shin-Soo Choo’s elbow ailment believed to be minor: Indians Insider

Written by: admin on 28th February 2011

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Shin-Soo Choo's left elbow is sore, but the Indians don't think it's serious. He'll DH Monday against the Reds and could be back in right field by the end of the week.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerSkydivers added some pregame color to the opening of the spring exhibition season for the Indians and Reds Sunday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Shin-Soo Choo, the Indians’ top position player, is expected to return to right field by the end of the week after receiving treatment for a hyper-extended left elbow.

Choo did not play in Sunday’s 7-6 loss to Cincinnati to open the Cactus League season. He will DH Monday against the Reds.

Sunday morning Choo played catch at 90 feet. He threw at 80 percent and said the elbow felt good. If he feels good Monday, Choo will play catch at 120 feet and extend it to 150 on Tuesday. After a probable day off, he could possibly return to right field Thursday.

Choo, who led the AL in assists last year, said he overworked his arm by throwing too far, too fast in off-season conditioning.

“[Trainer] Lonnie Soloff said I probably got too much extension on the elbow,” said Choo. “Then I got some inflammation. The good news is it’s not inside the joint.”

Choo had an MRI on the elbow because he had Tommy John surgery in 2007. “The Tommy John surgery is on the side of the elbow and that looked fine,” said Choo. “This is in the back of his elbow.”

The only time Choo feels pain is when he throws. “Everything else is good,” he said. “The hitting is OK. There’s no problem when I stretch. The movement in the elbow is normal.”

Said manager Manny Acta, “We just want to keep Choo off the field for a couple of days. He’s had the elbow checked out. He’s played catch at 90 feet. But we do have to be careful.

“We pretty much won more games than anybody last spring and they didn’t mean anything at the end. I need this guy when the season starts.”

The Indians were 19-9-3 last spring only to go 69-93 during the regular season.

Durbin update: Chad Durbin is expected to take his physical Monday. If all goes well, the Indians will officially announce that he’s signed a one-year, $800,000 contract. The deal includes $1 million in incentives.

Gametime: What happened in the Tribe’s 7-6 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday?

• Alex White, the 2009 No.1 pick, entered the ninth with a 6-5 lead, but turned it into a 7-6 loss by allowing RBI singles to Zack Cozart and Corky Miller. He was charged with the loss and blown save.

• Second baseman Orlando Cabrera looked awkward making the turn on a double play in the third. Cabrera, primarily a shortstop for his big-league career but the second baseman for the Tribe, also had a ground ball single bounce past him in the second when he tried to make a sliding stop.

“Orlando’s arm is not in shape just yet,” said Acta. “He’s a veteran guy. He knows what to do to get himself in shape. He’ll be fine.”

• Edison Volquez was scheduled to start for the Reds, but he has not received a work visa. He’s in Goodyear, but can’t pitch in exhibition games until he has one. He may have to return to his native Dominican Republic to get it.

• Tribe reliever Zach Putnam, handed a 6-1 lead to start the eighth, allowed four runs to make it 6-5. He gave up a two-run homer to Dave Sappelt and a solo homer to Chris Valaika.

• Jason Donald, who has a chance to win the third-base job, hit a leadoff double in the sixth and came around to score on Ezequiel Carrera‘s sacrifice bunt and Adam Everett‘s bloop single to make it 1-1.

• Lonnie Chisenhall, the third baseman in waiting, replaced Donald and hit a two-run double in the Tribe’s five-run seventh inning and a leadoff double in the ninth to represent the tying run. The rally ended when Carrera lined into a double play at first.

• Carrera, low in the pecking order as far as center fielders are concerned, is making an impression. He played well the two intrasquad games and hit a two-run homer in the Tribe’s seventh-inning rally.

• The Reds took a 1-0 lead in fifth when left fielder Travis Buck, battling the sun, dropped Jay Bruce‘s fly ball after it hit the glove. Bruce stole third and scored on a ground out.

“That ball was in the sun the whole way,” said Acta. “He did a fantastic job, he just couldn’t come up with it.”

• The Indians had a run disallowed when the Reds appealed that Everett left third base early on a potential sacrifice fly by Jared Goedert in the sixth. Everett was called out.

“I don’t think he left early,” said Acta, “but does it matter? It’s what they call. Plus I’m biased.”

Finally: The numbers of Hall of Famers Bob Feller (19) and Sparky Anderson (10) will appear in front of the Indians and Reds dugout at Goodyear Ballpark this spring. Feller, the winningest pitcher in Indians history, died on Dec. 15 at 92. Anderson, who managed the Reds to World Series titles in 1975 and 1976, died on Nov. 4 at 76.

“When I was with Houston and we went to Winter Haven for spring training, he was always there, always playing catch,” said Acta. “I always felt there has never been a Hall of Fame caliber guy that identified so much with his franchise. Bob meant a lot to us.”

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