Giancarlo Stanton isn’t blaming his elbow on torpedo bats, but … could that be it? I’ll admit the discussion over the bats largely bored me. Either they will work or they won’t, but with Stanton being Patient Zero for the bowling pins (and that’s what they look like to me) and having a very unusual bilateral issue, the mere coincidence bears discussion and testing.
The idea that a new bat might also redistribute forces isn’t unthinkable. Almost everyone I spoke to in the field thought it was reasonable, if untested. There are studies out there that show that changing how a bat’s weight is distributed affects the forces. That Stanton would have a very unusual injury after using a new bat and having the most extreme forces is plausible, yet not proven. Which means that everyone else behind him becomes test subjects.
Elly De La Cruz is probably the next most extreme swing, as well as a body type that is hardly common. What I don’t know is how long he’s been using the torpedo bat. He didn’t just grab a lathe and turn one like he’s Ben Napier; De La Cruz and others have known about this bat and gotten their own versions.
This certainly bears more testing and I’m curious if we can see anything from simple Statcast numbers, or if it would take more advanced testing to see the actual forces. With motion capture and Springbok, it would be possible to get that data relatively quickly and it’s a combo that several teams have on hand.
While most will just give hot takes on the bat and move on to the next screaming topic, I’m hoping that behind the scenes, the baseball boffins will not only do the work, but show some of it.
Don’t think I have nothing to say on Val Kilmer. I just need more time. For now, on to the injuries, Iceman:
JURICKSON PROFAR, OF ATL (PED suspension)
If you look closely at the footage of Jurickson Profar’s first major league home run, you’ll see me. I was just behind the Cleveland dugout on the third base side as Profar went deep and as he rounded third, you can see me. I’m not sure that this is doing huge YouTube numbers or that anyone cares, but it’s a fact. Those September games were fun to be at, aside from the night before when I was nearly hit by a flying bat, but that’s part of baseball.
Which is to say, I’ve been following Jurickson Profar for a long time, largely because of Jamey Newberg and Scott Lucas pointing out early how good he could be. While Profar never quite matched the early promise, he’s had a nice if oddly shaped major league career. Now, at age-32 and in position to head back to the playoffs with a new team, instead Profar is out half the season and all of the playoffs after being suspended under MLB drug policy. He tested positive for hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a substance that is most often used for “post-cycle therapy” after using testosterone or other steroids. Essentially, hCG helps trick the body into re-starting natural testosterone production in the testes and reduces shrinkage.
While it isn’t technically a PED in itself, it’s often used in association with drugs that are, and it is definitely a banned substance. HCG is easily detectable in urine and often overlaps with steroids in tested urine and hair. We’ve seen several other athletes, most notably Manny Ramirez and JC Romero, as well as other sports like Robert Mathis in the NFL, test positive with various excuses. Mathis famously said it was part of a fertility treatment, while Romero said he took a tainted supplement, going as far as suing the manufacturer. By the way, that manufacturer was Patrick Arnold, who you might remember.
There’s been no reason for the adverse test given by Profar, though he’s said all the expected things in an MLBPA-released statement. While some are already questioning Profar’s 2024 results, remember that he was subject to the same testing and did not test positive for hCG or any other banned substance. The way that any testing program should work is that not only do we trust the tests when they catch someone, but they we trust the tests when they say clean. MLB’s program has largely worked, which is not to say that it is perfect.
For the Braves, losing Profar makes signing Alex Verdugo make even more sense., though the upside is lower. With Ronald Acuna still out and losing the first four games of the season, this is a tough blow and will put more pressure on Profar to show his newly signed three year deal was deserved.