Kirk Nieuwenhuis Avoids Ligament Damage, Diagnosed With Bone Bruise

42 Comments + Add Comment

• RandomGuy March 3, 2013 at 4:38 pm

  Den Dekker, now’s your opportunity kid, jump on it.

  Also, anyone think Dillon Gee might pitch superbly this year? He has to know that his name has just been tossed away in the aspect of the “future” and what our rotation will hold. Maybe he turns it up a notch, trying to prove he deserves to be here, and deserves to stay long term.
  • van March 3, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    I think he will. He was doing fine last year, without even being able to feel his fingers. Now that the problem has been fixed, I am expecting a very solid year from him.

    actually, looking for a nice rotation without any #5 types, just 3/4 at the back end.

    If that happens, it can really keep you in a lot of games.
    • RandomGuy March 3, 2013 at 5:02 pm

      I mean realistically speaking, we could be looking at a rotation by the end of this year, let alone by next year that has Dillon Gee as our number 5 starter, and he could easily pitch to an under 3.80 this year, which is fantastic out of the 5 hole.
• Mr North Jersey March 3, 2013 at 4:38 pm

  Noooooooooooo!
  • Mitch Petanick March 3, 2013 at 4:39 pm

    You down with MDD?
    • Mr North Jersey March 3, 2013 at 4:40 pm

      Yeah you know me!
      • Hitman March 3, 2013 at 4:51 pm

        Who’s down with MDD?
        • van March 3, 2013 at 4:53 pm

          I’m down with a head cold. is that the same thing?
        • Mr North Jersey March 3, 2013 at 4:53 pm

          Every last homie!
          • Perseus March 3, 2013 at 5:05 pm

            The ladies too, if I remember correctly…
    • The Closer March 3, 2013 at 5:18 pm

      I still don’t think MDD makes the team, but Jordany Valdespin will for sure. He played a little CF last year and did a sold job. I can see a platoon with him and Cowgill in CF, with Duda, Byrd and Baxter in the corners. Brown has struggled and at this point will not make the team.

      Turner and Hicks/Quintanilla (Q has the lead right now) will be the backup IF’s, although Zach Lutz deserves an opening day role the way hes been hitting, but will likely be in Vegas, which on paper is looking to be a very good AAA team.
      • Chicago Days March 3, 2013 at 7:16 pm

        Great NYT piece today on MDD. He’s a human highlight reel in the making. Damn the bat: let him adjust to MLB. He should be our starting CF–if we want to shore up our Middle D.
• Mitch Petanick March 3, 2013 at 4:39 pm

  According to Adam Rubin: Terry Collins said he’s unsure of severity of Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ knee but it was “giving” a little.

  I’m not doctor, but I’ve been around sports injuries enough to know that when something “gives,” it’s usually a tear.
  • Dick Young Lives March 3, 2013 at 4:45 pm

    If it’s giving a little it’s a ligament tear which is what keeps the joint stable “not giving”. If true, he’s done for 6-8 months.
  • Valdespin1 March 4, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    Just a bruise
• Cthomp519 March 3, 2013 at 4:46 pm

  he always goes full throttle and seems to pay the price for it a lot. I don’t know, considering what the outfield situation is, I was kind of hoping Cowgill would win the job outright without having to platoon. He seems to be a great spark plug and capable of hitting righties.

  I really think needs more time in AAA to work on his hitting. He still seems like he hasn’t made any adjustments since last year. Lets remember that he missed a lot of the second half last year and didn’t get to used that time developing in AAA. Cowgill seems as if he done developing and just needs some playing time.

  This also might give Den Dekker is legit shot at making the club, but I wouldn’t want him platooning either. He could be a legit 20/20 guy with plus defense and having him sit half the time wouldn’t be that great for his development.

  All this could have been moot if they acquired a damn major league outfielder, but at this point, you have to hope the spotlights they’ve shined on some of the younger pitchers will translate into them hopefully making a trade at some point this spring. Time will tell, but Montero and Robles certainly seem to be the two pitchers that they want the league to fall in love with.
  • van March 3, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    I could live with giving MDD his shot. He is not a young kid, so if he is going to make it, it needs to be soon anyway. And yeah, if they are going to give him a shot, just let him play everyday to see if he can be a regular.

    If they platoon him straight up, you still won’t know if he can be more than that.

    so let him play at least 1/2 the time vs. LHSP and hope he rises to the occasion.

    COwgill is the only other CF they have, so he will be in the mix too, and I suppose could win the job outright. But even if they go with MDD, Cowgill should get plenty of PT in RF and spotting Duda (and of course, defensive replacements)
• van March 3, 2013 at 4:49 pm

  Well, cowgill might get a FT job out of it, but Kirk really had nothing to do with him making the team.

  If this opens a door for anyone, it is Dekker.

  assuming of course it is serious enough to keep him out OD, or even just missing a lot of ST.

  unless a bag of ice and some tylenol has him back playing by Tuesday, hard to see him not starting in the minors.
  • srt March 3, 2013 at 5:56 pm

    Agree with your points here.

    Injury aside, so far Kirk hasn’t shown much at the plate. I think he has one hit. If he continued down that road, I really thing he’d be starting in triple A.

    I have a feeling Spin will wind up getting a spot but there’s seems to be some disharmony with him in that clubhouse. Listened to the game on WFAN today and Duquette mentioned ‘his teammates having a problem with him’. The way he threw that comment out there made me think he believes this was common knowledge.
  • Brendan March 3, 2013 at 6:15 pm

    Cowgill is not a full-time player. Under .600 OPS in minors and majors against RHP. If he plays everyday, Mets lose an extra 10 games because of him alone. His WAR could be -7 or worse.
    • van March 3, 2013 at 6:27 pm

      well, that is a huge exaggeration. Especially on the WAR. Even a guy that played solid D and never got a hit would be that low!

      and they could probably play with 2 OFs and not lose an additional 10 games…
      • Brendan March 3, 2013 at 6:50 pm

        Point it you cant make baseball decisions like on no worries we’l play Cowgill everyday. Real decision makes don’t do that and know Cowgill is not an everyday player. This means either Byrd is lock for team, or MDD gets a shot.

        No front office would give lefthanded at bats to Cowgill and say no worries.
        • Little Nicky March 3, 2013 at 7:05 pm

          Agreed that he’s nothing more than the short end of a platoon player, would be worse than when Minaya made Franceour an everyday player. But you definitely were way off on -7 WAR. But this is a moot argument anyway because Sandy isn’t that dumb. Like you said, more PT for Byrd or MDD.
    • Valdespin1 March 3, 2013 at 9:57 pm

      What was the lowest WAR in mlb, don’t think it was near -7
• Hitman March 3, 2013 at 4:52 pm

  Is it just me or does Nieuwenhuis seem to be, you know, injury prone? How many times has he gotten hurt the last 3 years?
• Matt March 3, 2013 at 5:00 pm

  Guess that narrows down the CFer search a little more.
• Matt Mosher March 3, 2013 at 5:03 pm

  Bring on den DeKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKer.
• pal88 March 3, 2013 at 5:17 pm

  A blessijg in disguise?
• Valdedpin1 March 3, 2013 at 5:24 pm

  Was at the game. Kirk slid into second and could not stand up afterwards. A few innings later he was on the cart.
• Gina March 3, 2013 at 5:35 pm

  Noooo!!!!!
• Cackletta March 3, 2013 at 5:43 pm

  *__*
• Hitman March 3, 2013 at 6:16 pm

  With Kirk’s injury, I hope the Mets pick up a veteran OF. Word on the street is that Vladdy is trying to make a comeback.
  • Mr North Jersey March 3, 2013 at 6:18 pm

    Can’t we just trade for Andres Torres. The Giants signed him so how bad can he really be?
    • van March 3, 2013 at 6:27 pm

      you are a mean man mr. NJ!
    • Hitman March 3, 2013 at 7:24 pm

      Don’t even joke like that.
• Craig Roth March 3, 2013 at 7:13 pm

  Well the baseball gods have spoken, This is the deal Platoon MDD and Cowgill in CF to start
  and let Spin and TC’s beloved Byrd platoon in RF! Byrd will run out of gas in a month or two
  and Spin will be the full time RF! If not I guess you will hopefully have a very good platoon
  in both CF and RF!! I hope Kirk recovers soon so he can be the CF in AAA!
• ronbo March 4, 2013 at 7:51 am

  with a outfield of whose who I see no reason why the Mets do not give MDD a long look in CF, what I have read is that his defensive skills are not in question and has good speed to cover the gaps,the Mets are trying to find or make spots for Flores at 2nd base a for Spin in the OF who has very little expierence in that position but because they love both there bats and the Mets are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.The Mets best OF in the minors is MDD and since the Mets are trying to make pieces fit how about actually giving MDD a shot at playing the position that he is being groomed for.
• jdon March 4, 2013 at 3:36 pm

  Byrd bats righty.
• Valdespin1 March 4, 2013 at 4:10 pm

  Didn’t look bad at the game. Just a normal steal but then a scare getting up.
• VA Met Fan March 4, 2013 at 4:40 pm

  Bone bruise? That’s nothing! Ike and Beltran had bone bruises and hardly missed any time thanks to the highly skilled doctors the Mets employ.
• Markcomic1 March 4, 2013 at 10:45 pm

  Rumor has it D Murph is on the trading block…and Flores is to be the new second basemen. Anyone else hear this?
• Mr North Jersey March 4, 2013 at 11:07 pm

  Maybe Kirk’s injury will yield the same results as Wright’s finger last year and he’ll get on a tear but with the bat instead.