Susan Slusser on melting Giants + Injury updates across the league

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hey, we're talking to Susan Slesser right now. You can hear her as a regular guest on splash it territory and also, of course read everything in the San Francisco Chronicle from where the Senior Baseball beat reporter and lately Susan, the headlines have not been pretty. How you doing and how tough is it to watch this Giants team? Like there are some guys on there that seem like they're fun to root for as a team with actually some names compared to what they had a few years ago, and it is just not working for them right now.

00:00:30
Speaker 2: What are you seeing a lot of guys who are kind of traditionally slow starters and have started extremely slow. And Louis a Rice who is very good and has just been very good. So he's been sort of with the lineup that we all just i mean projected to be much better than last year's, he's really been the one consistently bright spot along with Casey Schmidt. Maybe who's you know, a guy who's an elite infielder defensively and yet has somehow been an excellent DH. So all very strange, and then the Giants go into a little bit of shake up mode here, as I reported last night, So they've actually been interesting. The games themselves have been varied from either they either play some sort of wild, crazy thing like the other night with a disallowed home run or the two walk off lost double header the other day, or they get shut out.

00:01:25
Speaker 3: That's it, Susan, We love you. But does interesting mean good because they're not good? They're not good. No, Okay, I just wanted to clarify that because you're like, they're interesting, they're not good, and this is kind of you know, everyone wants to talk Vitello, I Tello, I Tello, but this is a roster construction thing. I feel like it's they're just not a good they're not well put together team. They're just not and it sucks because the Giants traditionally have always been well, especially out there at the ballpark and all that. But what can they do? You know, you mentioned the roster shakeup, Eldridge coming up. They're trying to make some moves, but is this gonna help them? And can this answer the questions that this roster has.

00:02:09
Speaker 2: I think this is more of a shake up thing than anything else. But look, Eldridge and Hay sus Rodriguez. I'm very excited to see. He's a he's a bright spark. He brings a lot of energy, and he plays everywhere, including catcher. A kind of guy who maybe could make a little bit of a difference even in the clubhouse, even as a rookie who's never played in the big league. Everyone loved him during spring training. He's just he's terrific. Eldridge obviously has a big bat. The Giants are last in runs, they're last in homers, they're last in walks. I'm not sure necessarily, surly it's roster construction, because this lineup should be good. You've got Willia Domas, You've got Rafael Devers, You've got Matt Chapman. You've got Jung Hu Lee, who for a couple the three weeks was hitting up a storm. He's shown that he's capable, but he's gone back into a funk. And Elliott Ramos, who has power and has actually played pretty well. Casey Schmidt like this, this lineup should be producing so much more. The problem is really these big bats. So you bring up Beldridge, maybe some guys start to feel some heat. Look, I don't think this is a lack of effort on anyone's part or work. I see it their work in they're trying. Maybe it's too much, Perhaps you just shift the dynamics. I don't know. I don't you would know more than I.

00:03:31
Speaker 3: AJ.

00:03:32
Speaker 2: Does something like that help a team that's underperforming, a little shake up like this, bring up your top prospect and then a kid that can play everywhere and is incredibly energetic.

00:03:43
Speaker 3: I don't know now, team approach, okay, AJ answered it. No, it's not unless they come up and they hit, unless they come up and just start banging. No, it doesn't do it. It's cool to see guy, I mean, crowds agrees with me that it doesn't. It's you. Guys aren't trying to suck, Susan. They're really not trying to suck. Contrary to what fans think. Guys aren't trying to suck. They're doing the best they can and bringing up guys and trying to shake it up. It doesn't do anything. And you know what, the guys that are there saying, man, look at this front office. They're really panicking. They're making all these moves, Like when Tony Vaitelo after two games had to come to Jesus talk that he have with the team and everyone's looking at him like, what are you doing? We have one hundred and sixty more games to go here, right Like, it just doesn't send a message of hey, we believe in you guys. That's why I find the Mets thing with Carlos Mendoza so fascinating that David Searns would come out and say that, because it shows, hey, I believe in you guys a little bit. Even though he might not, but at least he said it, and now they don't have to worry about it. So no, I don't think it helps at all. But I don't know, just my opinion, and my opinion doesn't matter.

00:04:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think you're wrong, But this offense is underperforming and they're bringing up to you guys who are hitting. Well, maybe they come in they maybe they do great, Like there is a little bit of leeway here on this roster with Harrison Bader being out and Patrick Bailey. I think everybody knows I am so high on his defense. He's such an elite defender, but he's just providing nothing offensively. They either have a kid who's hitting who could catch, or they have a third catcher and that frees them up to do more things potentially and not worry about losing a backup catcher if they pinch hit for Bailey's say, more often, or use a catcher to DH. I like that idea a lot.

00:05:35
Speaker 1: You know, we don't always have to do things because that's how it's always been.

00:05:39
Speaker 3: Look, people consider me old school, and I thought I was, but then we had to pitch clock and the abs and ban on shifts and all these things that we've had for a long time in baseball. And you know what, much like mitt Mobile and the other mobile carriers, I'm here for the new school and the changes that have been made. It's a good call.

00:05:55
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00:06:36
Speaker 4: When you watch this team, do you feel like they're having poor team at bats?

00:06:41
Speaker 3: Like I was?

00:06:42
Speaker 2: Like.

00:06:42
Speaker 4: My example was when I watched the Phillies in their skid that they were playing. You would watch the team and every at that was four pitches or less, every at bat was take a strike, which is like, okay, now we're trying to work the count and then flail at something. So when I watched the Giants get swept by the Phillies after they changed managers, I was like, holy cow, the Giants they must have been hitting in the Phillies cage because in that series that's what I saw, and the Phillies started to hit. So is that what you're seeing on a day in and day out basis what.

00:07:15
Speaker 2: I've seen is really it's been a little strange. They tend to do nothing against a you know, a very good starter. Pretty yeah. The other night mclanhan good instance, do very little against him, and then they finally get to the pen and that's somehow then get worse late in the game. We are seeing some of the worst and I don't know if that's pressing, like, oh my gosh, you know, we haven't scored yet, We've only scored one run. We're down and trying to dupe too much. But we see guys going out of the zone late so much, and they are just they're just not good in late any situations. They keep showing that time and time again.

00:07:57
Speaker 3: What about the homers, Susan, we're the homers. We just showed their homers. They've went on how many they went on? What a seven game road trip and didn't hit a homer? I mean, has almost that many? Just saying second place?

00:08:16
Speaker 2: It's bad, it's bad.

00:08:21
Speaker 3: I mean, is elger answer is he? Is he the answer to homers?

00:08:26
Speaker 2: Probably not, but I'm can't imagine he's not going to hurt at this point. They need devors to get going, They really need divors to get going. And he shows small signs. You know, he hits one out the other way, you go like, okay, that's it. He's getting locked in. That's usually a good sign, and then kind of drops back. He's kind of not even a lot of extra base hits lately. Nobody's walking, which hurts. You know, that hurts too, But they they are not patient, they're not taking walks, they're frank. They look like they're not that hard to pitch too right now, so they need to get it together. And these are guys with good track records, you know, and Adamis can hit thirty in a season, Devers can hit thirty. Chapman's a twenty five plus guy. Nobody's doing anything, so I can't look. If they knew, you assume they'd fix it. If I knew, I would write it like it's just it doesn't make any sense. Maybe if things even out, they get super hot and make up for it at some point, but we're not seeing even the slightest signs of that happening.

00:09:38
Speaker 4: All right, So obviously everyone points to coaches. Well, it must be the coaches fall they're all new. Well, I know for a fact that guys like Jace Tinkler and Shane Robinson are you know, guys who've played in the big leagues or guys who have played professionally. Is too much being made about the whole Tony Vitello and even with the with Kevin Anderson just the other day the umpiring crew, like were that was that umpiring crew? The things they were saying, just saying out loud, what other umpiring creuse or how the industry is looking at at this team or is this just a one off by this crew.

00:10:15
Speaker 2: Well that crew is the crew that also ejected Aaron Boone when a fan was criticizing them, So I'm not necessary, and they completely blew a home you know, it disallowed a home run that clearly went off the catwalk. I mean, there's just no doubt about it. Absolutely was a home run and they didn't see it. I think they knew it. And one reason I know they knew it is because Vic Carrapoza then later apologized to Elliott Ramos, So I think maybe that was it more than anything. But that to me was outrageous to you know, to say who do you think you are? To Frankie Anderson, to say say things about raw rab palm poms, to Tony Vaytello. First of all, it makes an umpiring crew look by Frankly like, well, we don't think you're the professional team, where you know, the professional team is on the other side. That's that's not right. They're supposed to be, you know, not weighing in on anything team wide or make it you know, if you're going to make it personal, make it personal in a I don't know. I don't want to see umpires square. But you know the tribnle you're a leap that's okay. I'm not taking you seriously because of your background. That's just not okay. So I don't know if that's an industry wide thing. That's certainly the first time I've heard of it happening, and you would think you would know. But maybe there's an undercurrent of it that we don't know, or it's subconscious that would not be okay. Now, the Giants have known, and I talked to Zach manasi In for a long time about this the other day. They've known that there would be a learning curve for Tony Vaytello, for the staff. This is built in, you know. I don't think that there is any chance we're going to see any massive shakeups. I don't think with the coaching staff. Uh, I mean, who knows, but certainly not with Fightello when they knew it would take a while, and he does bring a lot of energy. He clearly cares about his players. He's brutally honest, maybe too much so, but he does seem like he's starting to feel a little bit more comfortable in the role. But they it's going to take some time.

00:12:25
Speaker 3: We knew that, Susan, I know why this has happened, Hunter Wendelstadt, Where did Tony Vitello come from? What's school?

00:12:36
Speaker 2: Tennessee?

00:12:37
Speaker 3: Do you know who? Hunter Rendelstadt is a huge fan of Oh Oh Who, Florida? So he watched does he watched? Does he have he watched get the pomp Poms out of Tennessee for all those years? So Hunter wendel Staff understand the Hunter wendel Stadt just got to just, you know, took some shots at him. That's okay, It's okay. This is old school umpiring, Susan. You know you consider yourself an old school beat writer. This is some old school umpires. Remember Joe Wesson on the show. Umpires never take anything personal. So Hunter went else that it wasn't personal.

00:13:13
Speaker 2: Hmm, I'm gonna take your word for that, AJ, I'm not personal.

00:13:18
Speaker 3: Susan doesn't agree. Put that down. Susan not agree.

00:13:25
Speaker 2: I don't agree with AJ.

00:13:26
Speaker 3: What a shocker locker, No kidding, but I'm just saying the Hunter is a big Gator fan, and so maybe he just remembers, you know, the way Tony treated Florida sometimes, and he's getting back at.

00:13:40
Speaker 2: Look, hey, i've heard crazy your theories. Actually, if you're it's a joke.

00:13:45
Speaker 3: By the way, Susan, it's a joke. I want everyone out there to know. I'm joking. Okay, just I'm joking, but one of my I'm joking. I'm joking. He would Hunter would never do that. Hunter would never do But I do. I did love talking Hunter about Gator football when he was behind the play. We had lots of good talks. All right.

00:14:03
Speaker 2: Did that help you?

00:14:04
Speaker 1: Do you think?

00:14:06
Speaker 3: No? He still rung me up all the time, so maybe maybe it was just me.

00:14:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly.

00:14:15
Speaker 3: Thank you.

00:14:16
Speaker 1: I love when Susan comes on, and this is a perfect way to end it. Actually we'll let her drop the mic and also make sure you check out what she's got in the San Francisco Chronicle and of course listening to her frequently on splash Hit Territories.

00:14:29
Speaker 3: Well, thank you, Susan. Good to catch up. Thanks guys, Let's talk love life, ft family, I know it's an important part of everyone's life. But if you need help or if you don't, plutch you Gold is changing the game, and it is turbo charging your love life.

00:14:46
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00:16:35
Speaker 3: Hopefully he comes back better than ever. I yeah, good news. I guess right that it's not as bad as I thought. Injury suck man Andrew suck with the Braves. The Braves aren't missing a be with Acuna, without Acunya, with anybody. I mean, as long as they keep doing what they're doing. They're gonna be fine. They're playing really well and a Cunya. It sucks for Ronald. He seems to have an injury history where it just can't stay healthy for long stretches of time. But hopefully he'll be back sooner or later, and the Braves can just keep doing what they're doing, which just win every day house money.

00:17:06
Speaker 4: You're playing with house money of the fact that well, you know, it's not that bad. Other years it's like, oh, we got a claw and scrap for every win, Like, hey, go get healthy, good teams. This is this is why all wins are equal wins. But early wins help set you up for the rest of the season.

00:17:26
Speaker 1: And they're missing plenty of guys too. I mean, you know, Murphy's not back yet, Kim's not back. Yeah, it doesn't matter, right Schwellenbach, I don't know what his status is going to be. Smith Shauber will come back at some point. Waldrip for sure will come back at some point. Stryder just came back at some walk issues. We'll see how it goes for the rest of the year. As he's up for ice. South Glacias is hurt, like, there's plenty of talent that's down for them, and it just doesn't freaking matter right now. Michael Harris is on fire too, by the way. Whatever, Remember he made his changes in the second half of the year and then finished blazon in the last couple of months, and he's carrying that into this year. Matt Olson is one of the best players in baseball, showing us through consistency. Drake Baldwin, your boys sale still slinging it. He was money the other night. Again. We're going to get to that matchup. By the way, there's some issues on the other side of that matchup. We'll get to that. But anyway, good for the Braves that they're playing so well and then they can really take their time and make sure Ronald's feeling one hundred percent. Let's get to Joe, Ryan and the twins.

00:18:28
Speaker 3: What's the deal. By the way, after a couple of batters. By the way, it also helps that the rest of the NL East is not very good.

00:18:36
Speaker 1: That helps. Yeah, Braves are running away right now. I know the Phillies played well, you know over the last week now with Mattingly, but still Atlanta is a train. Like Kratz said, what about the lesser or another.

00:18:51
Speaker 3: Phillies not great. The Phillies play though Giants Giants Giants Marlins a no offense to Captain Phillips and his Marlins, but they ain't playing very well right now, and the Giants are a disaster. We're gonna talk about them.

00:19:12
Speaker 4: Max max Meyer looked nice. I've liked Max Meyer ever since they optioned him down for no reason a few years ago. So I like I like that pitching staff, not as much as Marlins fans love their entire organization pitching. But that's a whole nother topic.

00:19:27
Speaker 1: Well. Ryan Helsley also is on the IL. I know we mentioned the Orioles briefly earlier in the show. Uh right, elbow inflammation for him. Doesn't look like there's any long term damage there, but not great, especially for a team where that was the biggest question mark for me heading into the season. Has the bullpen going to look and Helsley's been pretty darn good for them, So he's gonna sit for a little bit of time. See him back, hopefully in mid May if he does the minimum stay. Did you guys see the Mets finally you know, get a really nice win, big first home run for Ronnie Mauricio and then the next day he slides into first base and breaks his thumb.

00:20:06
Speaker 3: Mets are gonna mat crazy.

00:20:10
Speaker 4: He has had injuries, he has been not the one chosen he has. It sucks because this was his chance to be Like, Okay, I'm not saying he was hot, but if he gets hot during this time, the Mets are trying to find somebody to play for them every day, and if you're swinging it right now, like this is your chance and Ronnie Mauricio, unfortunately, this sucks. Fractured thumb six to eight weeks. Who knows what the Mets are going to be in six to eight weeks.

00:20:37
Speaker 1: Well, they're looking for shortstops right now, or it's Bo because they're down there. Top two options s the door. Mauricio up for lindor Mauricio hurt. Maybe it's a sign that you shouldn't sign everybody and put them in different positions. Maybe Bo goes back to short, or eventually he plays second base and feels better at the plate on a more consistent basis. But that's just me.

00:21:02
Speaker 3: I mean, it could be worth used to play short ten years ago.

00:21:05
Speaker 1: He used to play short. YEP, I don't think he's going back there a couple more. Two more on the way out to be real nice and depressed Ryan Pepio out for the season. Hip surgery for him. Remember he showed some flashes too. He was in that Tyler Glasna trade and he had a little run, but injuries for him a j. The Raids look really good right now, but this I don't know, Maybe I'm just generalizing. You just see certain guys show you a flash and then they disappear for the rays for a while.

00:21:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, this sucks because I like Pepio two. He's been on the show. I've talked to him a few times. He's a really nice guy, and he was gonna be one of their big pieces in this rotation and missed the whole year. Stinks. Hopefully you get healthy, comes back next year stronger and better than ever. But I mean, hip is hip is hip is A hip is not when you hear a whole lot about Remember Mike Lowell had to hip a long time ago. Bo Jackson had a hip. You don't hear about a lot of hips. So hopefully this is something get fixed and he can get back and be a piece of rotation.

00:22:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, it sucks for him. Never throws a pitch here in the twenty twenty sixth season, But I mean he'd been healthy the prior too years. Thirty one starts last year, twenty six starts the year before, and you know some pretty solid numbers for this.

00:22:20
Speaker 3: You know what the Rays are gonna say, See, this is why we don't give guys thirty starts, because they get hurt, wear and tear.

00:22:29
Speaker 4: You got to figure out a way to win the world World championship at some point. I think thirty starts is probably a probably a place to start.

00:22:39
Speaker 1: I agree, you'd like to see that McClanahan, by the way, looking better and better for them, trying to get himself back to his.

00:22:46
Speaker 3: He's miss what three years? It feels like. It felt like it feels like three years.

00:22:52
Speaker 1: You're right, yeah, it was a long time, right. I think he went twenty three until twenty six? Is that what it was until actually firing a pit in the big leagues. I think that was what the mark was late twenty three and then pops back up here in twenty six, but used to be a number one starter for a team right now. That is I think second best in baseball in our second best in the American League. They've they had a really good weekend. We're going to talk about the team they swept soon. One more. You say, Kikuchi is hurt, and I feel like this one slipped under the radar because it is falling fast for the Angels. Halo Territory covered it over the weekend.

00:23:28
Speaker 5: I couldn't find a single article asking him about this new pitch, why he incorporated it, And I do wonder it's a very different, you know, type of type of pitch. I know, it's very trendy and it's very nasty when it works, But could it also have impacted whatever injury he's dealing with. If we're talking about him for the entire season, that's that's a big blow.

00:23:52
Speaker 6: Yeah. I always thought the splitter was a little tougher on the elbow as opposed to the shoulder. Is that what your understanding is? But the armslot, to me, it just seemed like something very strange to do in the middle of the season. You know, that's a spring training thing. You know, you get your mechanics down, you make a few adjustments here and there, and you take it into the season. He was tinkering back and forth from you know, a higher arm slot to a lower armslot than one in between. Just doesn't seem like the healthiest thing to do for a major league pitcher.

00:24:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, and here's the tweet from Jeff Fletcher that the Angels are still collecting info to determine the severity of the industry or the injury. For now, he's just on the il with inflammation. So they're talking about the splitter. By the way, how you know he was messing around with arm angles the pitch. I mean he was using the splitter. It was the second most used pitch. He didn't use it at all last year, so he's messing around with that. So you're never gonna know. But Trumbo Mark Trumbo on the show with Mike d. Givanna. They were just theorizing, doing a little conspiracy theory action to see what's going on. But not a good time for the Angels.