SB Nation - Rick VandenHurk

Rick VandenHurk getting ready

craig — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:13:17 -0000

Rick VandenHurk has already started his offseason training with an eye on making the starting rotation.

RHP Rick VandenHurk is trying to give himself every chance to win a roster spot in spring training. He recently started long-tossing at home in the Netherlands. He will go to Puerto Rico soon to pitch for Carolina in winter ball. VandenHurk went 3-2 with a 4.30 ERA in 11 starts for the Marlins.

If VandenHurk can avoid injury it is very likely he could end up in the starting rotation. And that, I have no problem with. The young man has skills but he needs to go at least six innings consistently and cut down on the home runs. If he can do that, he will be a valuable addition to the rotation.

Walking Wounded Report

craig — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:20:54 -0000

It looks like Rick VandenHurk will be rejoining the team very soon. Jeremy Hermida not so much.

Starter Rick VandenHurk, who missed his turn in the rotation Sunday due to a sore side, threw on the side Saturday and again Sunday and reported no pain. He is available to start or relieve. …

Sidelined outfielder Jeremy Hermida, who has been out with an oblique injury since Sept. 2, said he has begun to do some light running and shag fly balls.

I'm guessing VandenHurk will once again be put into the starting rotation. Now, Hurk isn't Cy Young by any means, but he does go at least five innings and keeps the team in the game. And that is something that can't be said about some of the others.

Rick VandenHurk still ailing

craig — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:26:25 -0000

Rick VandenHurk is still feeling the pain from his last start.

Rick VandenHurk still was experiencing lower-back stiffness Wednesday, a day after he left his start against the Mets because of the problem. But the Marlins plan to wait until Thursday to decide whether he will remain in the rotation.

VandenHurk is scheduled to throw his normal, between-starts side session in the bullpen. If the pain lingers, manager Fredi Gonzalez said, the Marlins probably would replace him in the rotation with Chris Volstad or Andrew Miller.

This is not good. Neither Volstad or Miller were impressive during their time spent down in the minors. Oh sure, VandenHurk is not some Cy Young incarnate but at least he normally goes a pretty decent five innings and every now and then six. And if the stars lineup just right, the bullpen can take it home from there.

The way Volstad and Miller have been pitching lately, not that they aren't talents, they are, but this season generally the way they have been pitching requires the Hopper to keep the team in the game. Personally, I would rather have the Hopper at the ready instead of almost guaranteeing that he has to tag-team with one of starters. In other words, should a starter falter, then bring in the Hopper. Not having him warmup in the third inning because you know he is going to be needed. He can't pitch everyday.

Oh by the way, I'm still not convinced Hurk doesn't have an oblique strain. When he showed pain he didn't grab at his back, just saying.

Walking Wounded Report

craig — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:02:43 -0000

We are in that time of the year when some of the players drop like flies, the insect, and hopefully not the balls hit into the air. Anyway, a couple of things to report.

Rick VandenHurk left last night's start with "back stiffness".

Starting pitcher Rick VandenHurk left tonight’s game after four innings because of back stiffness.

"We didn’t want to take any chances and make it worse,’’ Gonzalez said. "I’ll give you a better evaluation tomorrow. Sean (Cunningham, team trainer) during the game told me in a day or two he may be able to throw a bullpen or he may not. If he needs an extra turn, we’ll give it to him.’’

---

"It didn’t get any better in the game I had it rubbed out in between innings but it didn’t really loosen up. In the fourth inning, I threw a pitch and I guess they saw my facial expression.

"It’s just some tightness I’ll be fine.’’

Maybe it was because of Rick's facial expression, but I'm guessing when grabbed his side that was the main tip-off. The thing that bothers me the most is that he grabbed his oblique muscle and not his back. While both are complex muscles, oblique strains bother me more than back stiffness. The latter may go away fairly quickly through treatment, the former does not.

If VandenHurk can't make his start on Sunday, it will either fall to Chris Volstad or Andrew Miller. Here is hoping that Hurk is good to go.

Speaking of hurting an oblique muscle, Jeremy Hermida is off the radar screen.

Outfielder Jeremy Hermida (strained oblique) doesn't appear anywhere close to returning to action. Gonzalez said it hurts Hermida to sneeze or laugh.

Folks, it is looking like this is going to take weeks. While I know Rich and Tommy answered LadyFish's question that it will be a couple of days, I'm not buying. And if it isn't, that's fine, Carroll and Maybin can fill in the outfield very neatly.

Fantasy Baseball: NL 2nd Half Command Leaders

raygu — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

4 months ago: San Francisco Giants' Jonathan O. Sanchez winds up in the fifth inning against the New York Mets in their baseball game at Citi Field in New York, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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Today we take a look at the NL Command leaders since the All Star break. Command, as I define it, is K/9-BB/9, and is usually a better indicator of how well a pitcher is pitching than Wins. There are so many variables in trying to predict a win such as run support and bullpen performance to name a few.

Here are the Command leaders:

Player	INN	W	L	K	BBI	ERA	WHIP	K/9	BB/9	CMD
Scherzer, Max SP ARI	37	2	2	45	10	5.35	1.51	10.95	2.43	8.51
Harden, Rich SP CHC	44	3	1	55	14	1.64	0.77	11.25	2.86	8.39
Lincecum, Tim SP SF	57.7	2	2	65	17	2.65	1.02	10.14	2.65	7.49
Vazquez, Javier SP ATL	50	4	2	50	12	3.6	1.1	9.00	2.16	6.84
De La Rosa, Jorge SP COL	46	6	1	47	13	4.11	1.33	9.20	2.54	6.65
Lee, Cliff SP PHI	65	8	0	53	6	0.97	0.8	7.34	0.83	6.51
Johnson, Josh SP FLA	44.3	5	1	40	8	3.45	1.04	8.13	1.63	6.50
Nolasco, Ricky SP FLA	50	3	1	50	14	4.5	1.16	9.00	2.52	6.48
Hanson, Tommy SP ATL	45.7	5	2	44	12	3.35	1.23	8.67	2.36	6.30
Sanchez, Jonathan SP SF	40.7	3	2	49	22	3.54	1.2	10.84	4.86	5.97
Haren, Dan SP ARI	44	3	3	38	10	4.91	1.27	7.77	2.05	5.73
VandenHurk, Rick SP FLA	31.7	2	2	33	13	5.12	1.39	9.37	3.69	5.68
Dempster, Ryan SP CHC	38	2	2	33	10	4.03	1.32	7.82	2.37	5.45
Petit, Yusmeiro SP ARI	38.3	2	5	35	12	4.46	1.33	8.22	2.82	5.40
Carpenter, Chris SP STL	62	7	0	47	10	1.74	1.08	6.82	1.45	5.37
Harang, Aaron SP CIN	51.3	1	6	47	17	4.91	1.46	8.25	2.98	5.26
Wainwright, Adam SP STL	56.7	5	2	42	9	1.59	1.13	6.67	1.43	5.24
Jurrjens, Jair SP ATL	42	3	1	35	11	3.21	1.26	7.50	2.36	5.14
Kershaw, Clayton SP LA	46	2	2	52	26	2.35	1.3	10.17	5.09	5.09
Wolf, Randy SP LA	55	4	3	43	12	3.11	1	7.04	1.96	5.07

A couple guys who sneeked onto the list that I did not expect are Tommy Hanson, Jonathan Sanchez, Rick VandenHurk and Max Scherzer. These are a few names that should be on your watch lists for possible breakout years in 2010.

Jonathan Sanchez seems to have turned things around since he was sent to the minors a few months back, and his no-hitter vs the Padres was not a fluke performance as he has pitched very well for the Giants since the All Star break.

If Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter continue to pitch like they have since the All Star break, they will both give Tim Lincecum a run for the Cy Young award this year.

Poll

Who gets drafted higher in 2010?

Max Scherzer

14 votes

Rick VandenHurk

1 votes

Jonathan Sanchez

5 votes

Tommy Hanson

66 votes

86 votes | Poll has closed

Gaby Sanchez recalled, VandenHurk optioned

craig — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:52:33 -0000

As expected the Marlins recalled Gaby Sanchez but in order to make room for him on the 25-man roster the Marlins optioned Rick VandenHurk.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Marlins optioned right-hander Rick VandenHurk to Triple-A New Orleans, and recalled infielder Gaby Sanchez from Triple-A.

A little surprised about VandenHurk especially with the Hopper still on the DL. VandenHurk didn't pitch badly, though it often took him a game's worth of pitches to get through five innings (sometimes he went six). I guess the club wants him to stay on regular rest and in the starting rotation. This also solidifies Sean West's spot in the rotation for the moment. VandenHurk cannot be recalled for 10 days.

So this probably means that Anibal Sanchez will be making the start on Aug. 22.

Now back to Gaby, whether he will play or not remains to be seen but hopefully he will see more than 2 pitches this time around. But I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Marlins-Rockies Double Header on Sunday

craig — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:08:39 -0000

To makeup for Saturday's postponement the Marlins and Rockies will play two on Sunday.

The game will be made up as part of a double-header beginning at 1:35 p.m. ET Sunday. Game 2 will begin approximately 30 minutes after the first one ends.

Beginning at 3:30 ET, FOX Sports Florida will televise the first game in progress and then carry the second game.

In Game 1, the Marlins will send Chris Volstad (8-9, 4.78 ERA) to the mound, while the Rockies counter with Aaron Cook (10-4, 3.93). The Game 2 pitching matchup will be Rick VandenHurk (2-1, 4.15) against Jorge De La Rosa (10-8, 4.78).

Should it rain on Sunday, a double header will be scheduled for Monday. Both teams have an off-day Monday. If it rains on Monday.... who knows. But these games will be played at some point in the season.

Rockies 0, Marlins 0: Rain forces traditional double header tomorrow

Poseidon's Fist — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:05:28 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

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Maybe it would have been better for the Rockies if we had played through the heavy rain. After all, the Rockies outscored the Marlins 3-0 once heavy rain started last night.

The game will be made up tomorrow as a traditional double header, with the first game starting at 11:35amMDT. Chris Volstad has been moved to the first game against Aaron Cook, and Rick VandenHurk slides to game two to be Jorge de la Rosa's opponent.

Apparently the Stephen Curtis Chapman concert is still on at Land Shark though.

Even though the Rockies lost yesterday and didn't play, they suffered more in the standings today than yesterday. The Giants beat the Mets in extras. Hiroki Kuroda and Doug Davis are pitching against each other tonight.

Rockies visit "Land Shark" for the first time

Poseidon's Fist — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:00:13 -0000

More photos » by Tom Mihalek - AP

Rookie Chris Coghlan, who was first called up this season before the Rox-Fish series at Coors in May, has really jumpstarted the Marlins' lineup.

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What a squirrely team. There's no other way to say it really. The Marlins have been all over the map this season, leading the NL East by 5 games with an 11-1 record, then being outscored by 44 on their way to a 3-13 record. They went a franchise record 20 games without a starting pitcher earning a win. And now?

Florida is a sizzling 15-9 since the All-Star Break, yet have been swept twice. That stretch includes yet another franchise record - coming into this series, the Marlins have recorded at least ten hits in 10 straight games, obliterating their previous record of six from 2000. The Yankees have such a streak of seven games, and five teams have managed streaks of six, but no one else has been close to this type of offensive productivity.

And yet...Florida has lost four of those ten games, meaning they lost ground to half their divisional foes and made up no ground in the wild card during the historic streak. Squirrely.

The Marlins' 32-27 mark at home is hardly intimidating for a contender, especially considering it's just a half game better than the Rockies' 32-28 road mark. They may have hot bats, but they are vulnerable, and the Rockies definitely have a chance to issue redemption for the series the Marlins took at Coors in May. But who knows. The Marlins are weird.

I have found the Marlins' fans to be quite friendly at FishStripes

Florida Marlins (61-54, W1, 2nd & 4.5 GB Div, 3rd & 3.0 GB WC)

Friday-Sunday : 3-game series at Land Shark Stadium

The Bats: B

Florida wasted a lot of at-bats on underperformers early in the season. Emilio Bonifacio, he of the miserable .276 wOBA, still leads the team in ABs. Brett Carroll and Cameron Maybin also brought down the offense by disappointing in the outfield. As a result, the squirreliness continues. Only one hitter in the lineup is below average (by both Fangraphs' wOBA and OPS+), yet the team team wOBA is below league average. Whatever. That's an indicator to give less credence to team-wide stats. The lineup Fredi Gonzalez fields now is not only capable, but they're so hot right now:

LINEUP	Avg	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Chris Coghlan - LF	.287	6	29	.369	.416	.351
Nick Johnson - 1B	.296	7	48	.418	.406	.368
Hanley Ramirez - SS	.351	17	71	.413	.563	.421
Jorge Cantu - 3B	.275	11	63	.336	.428	.334
John Baker - C	.280	8	37	.352	.443	.346
Dan Uggla - 2B	.240	20	60	.353	.448	.350
Cody Ross - CF	.264	20	64	.321	.483	.346
Jeremy Hermida - RF	.255	11	44	.344	.383	.323

That's a solid lineup all the way down. By wOBA metrics, the it features one hitter performing at a Superstar level (Ramirez), five solidly above average bats (Coghlan, Johnson, Baker, Uggla, Ross), one average hitter (Cantu), and one slightly below average hitter (Hermida). That spread of wOBA across those ranges is quite reminiscent to the Rockies, but Florida does it in a pitcher's park.

The aforementioned ousted Bonifacio (.249, 1, 24) is listed as a bench infielder, but with only three outfielders on the roster total, Emilio logs innings in the outfield as well as being the only potential reserve middle infielder, though Coghlan could slide in from left if necessary. Ross Gload (.267, 4, 19) and Wes Helms (.268, 2, 23) serve as corner infield pinch hit LR platoon types, and Ronny Paulino (.267, 5, 17) fills in as the reserve backstop.

I'm going to ignore the below average OPS+ and wOBA and give the offense a B. The additions of Johnson and Coghlan have squelched two huge problem areas and legitimized the whole lineup. Their depth is a threat, though the lineup is also atypically erratic. They are capable of scoring 14 runs one night, then turning around and scoring one the next two games. The fact that the young lineup is overflowing with confidence must be taken into account.

Hop after the jump for the scouting report on the arms, the D, the pitching matchups and the hot/cold players.

The Arms: C

The Rockies draw the Marlins' ace tonight, an underrated 25yo who is sixth in ESPN's Cy Young Predictor. The other two starting pitchers are not quite as scary. Chris Volstad has taken two large steps back from last year despite practically identical BABIPs, and Rick VandenHurk is no one to worry about particularly. The staff has a very average 4.35 ERA (17th), with an ERA/FIP/tRA split for the rotation of 4.67/4.27/4.86. For the bullpen, it's 3.79/3.95/4.42. Nothing too fantastic.

25yo and former Royal Leo Nunez has replaced Matt Lindstrom as the closer.

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Leo Nunez	3-4	4.01	1.24	47	20

Renyel Pinto and Dan Meyer are Fredi Gonzalez' lefties. Former closer Matt Lindstrom is back from injury, and he's joined on the right side by Kiko Calero, former replacement play Brendan Donnelly, Chris LeRoux, and Brian Sanches. Calero has been the greatest asset out of the pen.

The D: D

Florida's 73 errors are 8th in MLB, while their UZR/150 is below average, yet those numbers have the benefit of positive defensive play by Bonifacio and Maybin that the Marlins just aren't getting now. Hanley Ramirez is a decent fielding shortstop these days, and Nick Johnson is an asset at first. Otherwise, it isn't pretty. The starting outfield has very poor range and defensive values off the board, and let's just say Dan Uggla's performance in the All-Star Game last year wasn't as much of an anomaly as he'd like you to think.

The Ballpark: Moderate Pitcher's Park

Land Shark Stadium (formerly Dolphin Stadium) has a park factor of 97 this year, though it is 99 in the multi-year spectrum. It strongly limits home runs but has a soft spot for triples.

Probable Pitchers:

Tonight, 5:10 pm MDT

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jason Hammel	7-6	4.66	1.52	81	25

W-L ERA WHIP K BB

2009 - Jason Hammel 7-6 4.66 1.52 81 25

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Josh Johnson	11-2	2.92	1.10	129	37

Hammel's ERA on the road is still under 3, has quietly won consecutive starts to push him over .500, impressive for a fifth starter, especially considering his competition of late. He's faced the ace or #2 pitcher in every game of the second half - Kevin Correia, Matt Cain, Johan Santana, (Jamie Moyer), and now Josh Johnson. The .363 BABIP he is allowing is 75 points higher than last year in Tampa. Often, a starter with an ERA under 3.00 is a bit lucky. Not Johnson - his FIP is 2.99. He has tossed quality starts in 18 of 20 and allows HR at the 9th lowest MLB rate by inducing the 8th-most ground balls. His big weapon is that 95mph fastball, though his slider and change are well above average too. Favors: MARLINS strongly

Saturday, August 8, 4:10 pm MDT

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Aaron Cook	10-4	3.93	1.41	73	41

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Rick VandenHurk	2-1	4.15	1.38	24	10

W-L ERA WHIP K BB

2009 - Aaron Cook 10-4 3.93 1.41 73 41

W-L ERA WHIP K BB

2009 - Rick VandenHurk 2-1 4.15 1.38 24 10

Cook is coming off a toe injury, hopefully the cause of the atypical 3 HR he allowed in the last two games. In his last start, he lost for the first time in 11 games, helped in part by a career-high strikeout rate. His Dutch counterpart will strike guys out very well, which could be a problem for the Rockies' lineup, but he walks a fair amount and has a tendency to allow the big fly, which of course, play to strengths of the Rox. His FIP and tRA suggest an extremely fortunate first five starts this season. If Cook remains healthy and we don't see Adam Eaton...
Favors: ROCKIES moderately

Sunday, August 16, 3:05 pm MDT

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jorge De La Rosa	10-8	4.78	1.38	131	54

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Chris Volstad	8-9	4.71	1.32	96	44

W-L ERA WHIP K BB

2009 - Jorge De La Rosa 10-8 4.78 1.38 131 54

W-L ERA WHIP K BB

2009 - Chris Volstad 8-9 4.71 1.32 96 44

Jorge has now thrown 130 IP the last three years each, on the nose. The first out he records will be a career high, and he can set a career mark with his 11th win as well. He has been the pitcher of record in 15 straight starts, winning 10 of his last 12, so there's a good trend there. Volstad has talent but has struggled this season more than anyone expected. Part of the reason is that he's allowed 23 HR, third most in the NL, disturbing in the HR squelching environment of Land Shark. Other than his HR/FB, peripherals show no regression from his rookie year. BABIPs and GB rate are in line, walks have decreased and strikeouts have increased. He has a lot of talent though....Favors: ROCKIES slightly

In the last ten games, Hanley Ramirez is hitting .429, Chris Coghlan is at .438, and Dan Uggla is a respectable .394. Coghlan has a 12-game hit streak, which started with nine straight multi-hit games. Nick Johnson is hitting .308 with a .500 OBP since joining the Marlins. The team is hitting .315 with an .887 OPS in August. Pinto, Donnelly, Sanches, and Calero all have ERA's under 2.0 since the ASB.

Jorge Cantu is the big name struggling through the August streak, hitting .196 (10-for-51). Cody Ross is hitting just .212 since the All-Star Break, though he leads the team with 6 HR in that span. Dan Meyer has been scored upon on half of his last 4, and Chris Volstad has allowed 6 HR and 21 ER in 34 IP since the break.

Anibal Sanchez (shoulder - 6/3), Alfredo Amezaga (knee - 5/17), and Scott Proctor (elbow - 3/27) are on the 60-day DL. Burke Badenhop (trapezius - 8/2) is on the 15-day.

Poll

Who wins?

The Rockies in a sweep: Florida is vulnerable at home and can't win games with hot bats....it only gets worse for them against good pitching

19 votes

The Rockies 2-1: The Marlins continue their BABIP streak while still managing to lose games.

141 votes

The Marlins 1-2: Tonight's game is a tall task, and Florida is a hot confident team. Winning a series would be tough.

51 votes

The Marlins in a sweep: All three Rockies pitchers are slight question marks due to recent starts. The Marlins will pummel them

14 votes

225 votes | Poll has closed

Kuroda, Dodgers Look To Rebound Against Marlins

Eric Stephen — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:33:31 -0000

More photos » by Matt Sayles - AP

The O-Dog will try to lift the Dodgers above the Marlins tonight.

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Hiroki Kuroda has struggled over his last seven starts, with a 2-4 record and a 5.49 ERA. However, I believe most of that struggling has been superficial. Kuroda has still had excellent control, walking 1.32 batters per nine innings over that span, and his FIP is 4.19. Opposing batters are hitting .269/.294/.444, perhaps a bit more slugging than one would like, but still relatively solid overall. One thing to be concerned about is that Kuroda has struck out only four batters total over his last three starts. As David Ely of MLB.com reported, it might be nothing more than a mechanical flaw:

When at his best, he gets ahead in counts and makes defensive hitters chase splitters in the dirt, but it hasn't been happening a lot lately. Manager Joe Torre believes Kuroda overthrows, causing a mechanical flaw that results in pulling his pitches as they are delivered.

Dutchman Rick VandenHurk is starting for the Marlins, making just his second start of the season after being recalled from New Orleans on Monday. Perhaps you've heard of the "Three True Outcomes." They are a walk, strikeout, or home run, the three outcomes that take the defense out of the equation and depend entirely on the pitcher/batter matchup. Adam Dunn or Jack Cust are examples of 3TO players, but if there was ever an example of a three true outcomes pitcher, Rick VandenHurk is it.

In his brief career, all of 101.2 innings, VandenHurk has allowed 5.31 walks, 1.59 home runs, and has struck out 9.38 batters per nine innings. An astonishing 38.57% of plate appearances against VandenHurk end in one of the three true outcomes. Among starting pitchers, only Rich Harden has had a higher such percentage from 2007-2009, at 41.32%. The MLB three true outcome percentage from 2007-2009 is 28.73%.

For the record, I believe Rick VandenHurk would perform much better if he went by his given first name, Henricus.

Craig over at Fish Stripes takes a look at the types of pitches VandenHurk threw in his last start, and came to this amusing conclusion:

The interesting thing is when I looked on fangraphs, they had no idea what he was throwing. Believe it or not, this is a good thing. Neither Pitch F/X nor fangraphs has any clue as to what Nolasco is throwing when he is throwing those hard breaking pitches of his. And believe me if the super duper technology can't identify it on the way to the plate, the hitter sure can't in less than half of a second.

The Dodger outfield starters are on fire in July:

Outfielder	PA	Runs	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Manny	61	10	17	.327	.426	.712	1.138
Kemp	71	13	14	.367	.465	.583	1.048
Ethier	78	14	9	.274	.321	.548	.868
Totals	210	37	40	.319	.400	.605	1.005

Get your guesses in for today's "Clogging The Bases" here.

Game Time: 7:10pm

TV: Prime Ticket

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