7-4-14
John Fay, jfay@enquirer.com
Sean Marshall was all for the stem-cell infusion to help along the healing of his left shoulder after surgery. He wasn't so big on the process. The stem cells were extracted from Marshall's tailbone.
That's a bit painful.
"I didn't watch," he said. "It wasn't particularly comfortable."
Marshall had the surgery to clean up his shoulder on June 24. Before the surgery, he talked to Dr. Tim Kremchek about the stem cells. The stem cells are extracted, spun into injectable form, then infused to help the healing.
"It's something new they've been doing at clinic up there," Marshall said. "I read good things. I heard good things. They've had great success with in. It generates healing quicker, strength quicker, speeds up the process."
Marshall is wearing an immobilizer, but he's begun the comeback process.
"I started therapy the next day," he said. "It was really sore the first few days. There wasn't a whole lot as far as movement the first few days. But now I'm doing some movement and stretching, getting the range of motion back. The soreness has subsided already. I'm making some good progress."
Marshall is done for the season. He won't begin throwing until early in the offseason.
"It's a long process," he said. "But I'm ready to take it on. I have to generate new tissue, get that soreness out of there. I'll start throwing this offseason and feel like (Aroldis) Chapman. I'm excited about the process."
Marshall was kidding about Chapman, of course, but he felt he had to do something. His shoulder limited him to 16 appearances last year. He started this year on the disabled list after a setback during the spring.
Even when healthy, he struggled to get his fastball to 85 mph. He put up a 7.71 ERA and allowed 23 hits in 14 innings before shutting it down. In the four years since Marshall moved to a full-time relief role, his ERA had never been higher than 2.65.
VOTTO IN: Joey Votto was back in the lineup after a day off (he did pinch-hit) Wednesday in San Diego. The club was off Thursday. So Votto had nearly two days off.
He's been dealing with a bulky left knee/quad.
"The little bit of time off helps," he said.
Votto appeared to really be struggling with the knee/quad in San Diego. Wednesday's day off was scheduled.
"I think any time he gets a little bit of respite there's benefit in that," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I wish it wasn't a topic. I know it is. You guys watch him play. He's out there giving us everything he's got. It's difficult to talk about on a daily basis. He's not 100 percent. He's not going to be 100 percent. Hopefully, we extract all we can out of him."
Votto plans to keep playing.
"It's my responsibility to go out there and do the best I can for the team," he said. "That's my job."
Friday's game was the start of a 10-day, 11-game homestand. There was a lot of talk about how critical it is.
"We have to play well all the time," Votto said. "We're behind. We constantly have to put pressure on everybody above us and play good baseball. I thought we had an excellent road trip before San Diego. The wins – I don't want to say they came easily – but they did seem to come easily. What we did in San Francisco was almost stunning. We've got to play good baseball at home. It's an important time."
ALL-STAR?: The All-Star Team will be announced Sunday. The Reds will likely be well-represented. The two leading candidates are Johnny Cueto and Todd Frazier. Neither has made an All-Star team before.
"Heck yeah, you get excited," Frazier said. "I'd love to be there."
Price gave Frazier his endorsement again Friday.
"Absolutely, I don't think there's any question Todd deserves it," Price said.
SIMON'S INNINGS: Alfredo Simon went into Friday's start with 102 2/3 innings. His career-high is 115 2/3.
The Reds don't have a set limit on Simon's innings.
"He's 32 years old," Price said. "He's been pitching a long time – not only in the States, but in Winter Ball and the Mexican League. I think it's different than taking a kid out of college and letting him throw 220 innings.
"He's been our most durable relief pitcher over the last couple of years as far as how he bounces back. He's going to get the ball every fifth day as long as he performs ... At this point in time, I don't believe that's a concern."
TUESDAY PLAN: Johnny Cueto will start one of the games of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader with the Chicago Cubs. Price wouldn't say which one.
"His numbers in the daytime are outstanding," Price said. "But we haven't made that decision yet."
Cueto's ERA in day games is 1.15 – second-best in the National League.
Louisville right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, the two-time 19-game winner with the New York Yankees, is the leading candidate to make the start in the game if Cueto doesn't. The Reds are allowed to bring up another pitcher for the doubleheader.
Wang is 8-5 with a 3.43 ERA overall at Louisville and 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA in his last 10 starts.
John Fay, jfay@enquirer.com
Sean Marshall was all for the stem-cell infusion to help along the healing of his left shoulder after surgery. He wasn't so big on the process. The stem cells were extracted from Marshall's tailbone.
That's a bit painful.
"I didn't watch," he said. "It wasn't particularly comfortable."
Marshall had the surgery to clean up his shoulder on June 24. Before the surgery, he talked to Dr. Tim Kremchek about the stem cells. The stem cells are extracted, spun into injectable form, then infused to help the healing.
"It's something new they've been doing at clinic up there," Marshall said. "I read good things. I heard good things. They've had great success with in. It generates healing quicker, strength quicker, speeds up the process."
Marshall is wearing an immobilizer, but he's begun the comeback process.
"I started therapy the next day," he said. "It was really sore the first few days. There wasn't a whole lot as far as movement the first few days. But now I'm doing some movement and stretching, getting the range of motion back. The soreness has subsided already. I'm making some good progress."
Marshall is done for the season. He won't begin throwing until early in the offseason.
"It's a long process," he said. "But I'm ready to take it on. I have to generate new tissue, get that soreness out of there. I'll start throwing this offseason and feel like (Aroldis) Chapman. I'm excited about the process."
Marshall was kidding about Chapman, of course, but he felt he had to do something. His shoulder limited him to 16 appearances last year. He started this year on the disabled list after a setback during the spring.
Even when healthy, he struggled to get his fastball to 85 mph. He put up a 7.71 ERA and allowed 23 hits in 14 innings before shutting it down. In the four years since Marshall moved to a full-time relief role, his ERA had never been higher than 2.65.
VOTTO IN: Joey Votto was back in the lineup after a day off (he did pinch-hit) Wednesday in San Diego. The club was off Thursday. So Votto had nearly two days off.
He's been dealing with a bulky left knee/quad.
"The little bit of time off helps," he said.
Votto appeared to really be struggling with the knee/quad in San Diego. Wednesday's day off was scheduled.
"I think any time he gets a little bit of respite there's benefit in that," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I wish it wasn't a topic. I know it is. You guys watch him play. He's out there giving us everything he's got. It's difficult to talk about on a daily basis. He's not 100 percent. He's not going to be 100 percent. Hopefully, we extract all we can out of him."
Votto plans to keep playing.
"It's my responsibility to go out there and do the best I can for the team," he said. "That's my job."
Friday's game was the start of a 10-day, 11-game homestand. There was a lot of talk about how critical it is.
"We have to play well all the time," Votto said. "We're behind. We constantly have to put pressure on everybody above us and play good baseball. I thought we had an excellent road trip before San Diego. The wins – I don't want to say they came easily – but they did seem to come easily. What we did in San Francisco was almost stunning. We've got to play good baseball at home. It's an important time."
ALL-STAR?: The All-Star Team will be announced Sunday. The Reds will likely be well-represented. The two leading candidates are Johnny Cueto and Todd Frazier. Neither has made an All-Star team before.
"Heck yeah, you get excited," Frazier said. "I'd love to be there."
Price gave Frazier his endorsement again Friday.
"Absolutely, I don't think there's any question Todd deserves it," Price said.
SIMON'S INNINGS: Alfredo Simon went into Friday's start with 102 2/3 innings. His career-high is 115 2/3.
The Reds don't have a set limit on Simon's innings.
"He's 32 years old," Price said. "He's been pitching a long time – not only in the States, but in Winter Ball and the Mexican League. I think it's different than taking a kid out of college and letting him throw 220 innings.
"He's been our most durable relief pitcher over the last couple of years as far as how he bounces back. He's going to get the ball every fifth day as long as he performs ... At this point in time, I don't believe that's a concern."
TUESDAY PLAN: Johnny Cueto will start one of the games of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader with the Chicago Cubs. Price wouldn't say which one.
"His numbers in the daytime are outstanding," Price said. "But we haven't made that decision yet."
Cueto's ERA in day games is 1.15 – second-best in the National League.
Louisville right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, the two-time 19-game winner with the New York Yankees, is the leading candidate to make the start in the game if Cueto doesn't. The Reds are allowed to bring up another pitcher for the doubleheader.
Wang is 8-5 with a 3.43 ERA overall at Louisville and 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA in his last 10 starts.