There's still time -- it was in the Bay Bridge series last year that Coco Crisp dove headfirst into the DL -- but the Cactus League ended today with the A's in an unfamiliar position: relatively healthy compared to other teams.
It seems like this spring has seen a high number of casualties, with most teams reeling, starting with Zack Greinke's pickup basketball revelation and Adam Wainwright's Tommy John surgery -- rather significant losses to teams planning to contend in 2011 -- and Houston's loss of talented catcher Jason Castro to a torn ACL and meniscus. More locally...
...In the AL West, the Rangers are in flux courtesy of Adrian Beltre's calf, Tommy Hunter's hamstring, Brandon Webb's setback, and a starting rotation led by CJ Wilson (whose start yesterday was halted after 2 IP with hamstring tightness), Colby Lewis, and a series of question marks that have David Bush, Michael Kirkman, and Eric Hurley in a conversation the Rangers would rather not have.
With Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando also in the mix, Texas still looks to be ok right now, but the scare with Wilson shows the fragility with which Texas begins the season: Lose Wilson and the whole thing could implode quickly.
The Angels are relying on their starting rotation to keep them in the hunt, but will start the season with Joel Piñeiro on the DL, and are looking more and more each day like "Weaver and Haren, and the rest is barren."
Meanwhile, the A's have suffered mostly scares. The one injury of impact is the loss of Andrew Bailey in April, but not only are the A's pretty deep in the bullpen, the news on Bailey has been "best case scenario" since he clutched his surgically repaired elbow and hopped off the mound in pain. Josh Willingham keeps getting creamed by pitches, but keeps dodging the bullet if not the pitch -- he figures to be good to go on Friday, if not tomorrow.
Rosales, Harden? Those are "par for the course" amounts of injury no team will escape. The bottom line is that if the season started today (yes, please), the A's would be in good shape, physically, and not many teams can say that right now.
