Should we DL Chavez?

by LoveDemAs on Jun 22, 2006 6:02 AM PDT

I'm not questioning Chavez's desire by any means-- I think the guy is playing through a tremendous amount of pain right now, but:

-- He seems very upright and stiff at the plate and is mired in a pretty bad hitting slump right now

-- Late last night he missed a ball in the hole that I thought a healthy Eric Chavez would have gotten to

-- He runs like his leg could fall off at any moment, and I wonder if the collision at the plate last night was at least partly due to the fact that he's not comfortable enough to slide

So I think Eric needs some time off to heal up. If he sits through the All Star break, that's basically three weeks of healing time. I'd rather send Eric to the DL right now and have him healthy (or healthier) in Aug/Sep (and hopefully October).

Yeah, the offense doesn't look to good with Frank Thomas and Bradley out and Crosby still nursing the bruised hand. But Chavez isn't contributing a lot now (except his presence in the lineup, which I don't completely discount) and I worry about a catastrophic injury that would cause him to miss the rest of the season.

Poll

What should we do with Chavez?

FIRE MACHA NOW and let Chavez be player-manager

8 votes

Put him on the 15 day DL

19 votes

Let him DH for a while

11 votes

Let him tell Macha and Davis when he needs a break

6 votes

Play him until the leg falls off

2 votes

46 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I'm torn between "DL" and "DH"

But I went with "DL"... I can definitely live with Rouse at 2nd and Scutaro at 3rd for 15 days -- even a couple of days of Perez 3rd, Scoot SS to give Crosby's hand a rest -- if it means Chavy can heal up a bit. Unfortunately, though, he's not going to really heal until the offseason (from what Davis says about the nonsurgical nature of the leg thing)... so even with 15 days off right now, he might still be hurting just as much again by September.

Putting the "fun" in "perfunctory"

by Poppy on Jun 22, 2006 6:39 AM PDT reply actions

Please

Don't use the word "torn" in any way when discussing Eric's health issues. My heart can't take it...

by LoveDemAs on Jun 22, 2006 8:19 AM PDT up reply actions

heh... sorry!

What about the "live with Rouse" part? LOL

Putting the "fun" in "perfunctory"

by Poppy on Jun 22, 2006 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions

The hammy will need 4-6 weeks to heal

And that's best case scenario. If you put Chavvy on the DL that long you can kiss this season goodbye.

That said, putting him on the DL after Thomas gets back might be a wise move. Even a little rest can only help.

Why yes. I am a ray of warm and fuzzy sunshine.

by grover on Jun 22, 2006 8:41 AM PDT reply actions

I think it's a tough call

Let's assume he's DL-ed today and really is out for six weeks. With the All Star break that's about 35 games without Chavez (with no guarantee that he comes back completely healthy) vs. 90 games with Eric playing like a shadow of himself (and the possibility of losing him for the season if the hammy goes completely).

Right now we're leading a weak division. Seattle's showing some life but the Angels seem moribund. I'm expecting Texas to start tanking just like they do every summer because of the heat in Arlington. My amateur GM call is to rest Chavez, lose a few games in the standings if need be, and then pour it on for and August/September run.

by LoveDemAs on Jun 22, 2006 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions

Only the A's know

if playing can aggravate the injuries. If not, I think Chavy is doing the right thing by playing while so many others are out. I think his presence really does mean enough to warrant playing through decreased performance.

No question, if he goes on the DL it should be right before the ASB, which would mean June 27th--only the fact that the division is so weak makes it possible the A's could afford to do this. FWIW, this timing would mean missing a 4-game series with LAA, a team that is 8 games under but only 7 games out.

by Nico on Jun 22, 2006 8:55 AM PDT reply actions

The A's have actually said...

...that as far as the leg is concerned, he doesn't need surgery and the only thing that will help it is rest. So I assume that if resting will help it, playing will aggravate it.

Putting the "fun" in "perfunctory"

by Poppy on Jun 22, 2006 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions