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While it seems inevitable that injuries occur in Major League Baseball, there have been quite a few players who have become the walking wounded already.

With just three weeks to go until Opening Day, many general managers are already busy on the phones, trying to come up with backup plans and alternative solutions in order to compensate for the loss of their star players.

While some of the injuries may just be for the short term, others are much more serious and have much more far-reaching solutions. Some of the teams involved can get by with a bench player, while others will be frantically searching for a longer-term suitable replacement.

In either event, it’s certainly a lousy way to start a season, especially when that injured player may have been a key piece of the lineup.

Bleacher Report will rank the top 10 stars who have suffered injuries thus far during spring training, and we will gauge the importance of that player’s loss for each team.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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The 2010 Major League Baseball season provided fans with a tremendous amount of excitement in terms of play on the field.

From rookie Jason Heyward hitting a mammoth home run in his first major league game, to the perfect games thrown by Roy Halladay and Dallas Braden, to the near-miss perfect game thrown by Armando Galarraga, to the exploits of recovering addict and American League Most Valuable Player Josh Hamilton, to the San Francisco Giants winning their first World Series since 1954.

However, all the excitement generated on the field during the 2010 season did not generate excitement at the turnstiles.

Attendance was down slightly, compared to 2009 and 17 of 30 teams suffered down years at the gates. Even parks that typically draw well (Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium) saw drops in attendance during the 2010 season.

So, the question is asked—what can MLB do about it?

Well, the answer to that question may actually arise from what is currently happening in two other major professional sports leagues—the National Football League and National Basketball Association.

Just last week, the NFL extended by one week its deadline for an owner lockout, as owners and the players’ union continue to work through a mediator to resolve their differences and agree on a new collective bargaining agreement.

However, several reports have indicated that while the two sides are talking, they remain far apart on several key issues that could very easily delay the start of the 2011 NFL season.

The same goes for the NBA.

During NBA commissioner David Stern’s annual message at the NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, he was less than optimistic about the ongoing negotiations between players and owners.

“We both have the capacity to shut down the league. There’s no magic that’s going to keep this league operating if we don’t make a deal,” Stern told ESPN.

The current collective bargaining agreement in the NBA expires on June 30 and the two sides still remain far apart on key issues like hard salary cap, rollback of current salaries and rookie salary scale.

The last lockout in the NBA occurred in 1998, and when it was finally resolved after 204 days, the schedule was reduced to 50 games.

Meanwhile, Major League Baseball is enjoying peace among its players and owners and while their collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to expire at the end of this season, there has been no contentious bickering in terms of negotiations whatsoever.

A lockout in the NFL would devastate the league, as the possibility of another decertification of the NFL players’ union looms and the likelihood of lawsuits that would almost certainly occur as a result.

With nothing for fans to look forward to, MLB could take a huge step in restoring overall attendance and regenerating gate revenues.

They already have a superior marketing plan, in terms of keeping fans involved and with the possibility of two major professional leagues closing their doors for an undetermined length of time, Major League Baseball could once again shine in the eyes of sports fans throughout the world.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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When Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Scott Kazmir walked Juan Pierre on four pitches to start yesterday’s spring training game with the Chicago White Sox in Tempe, AZ, the 5,100 fans in attendance at Temple Diablo Stadium were probably thinking, “Oh, great, another stinker of a year from Kazmir.”

However, Kazmir settled down and pitched three strong innings for the Angels, giving up just two hits and the lone walk to Pierre, striking out one and throwing 24 of 41 pitches for strikes.

The game between the Angels and White Sox featured two comebacks of sorts: Kazmir coming back from a season during which he was 9-15 with a 5.94 ERA and decreased velocity with his fastball and White Sox starter Jake Peavy, who was felled in July 2010 with a torn latissimus dorsi muscle in his back.

Peavy was also effective, throwing two innings and allowing no hits while striking out two. Peavy hit 92 MPH at one point on the radar gun and threw 26 pitches overall.

However, Angels fans were much more concerned about Kazmir, especially after a rough first spring outing, when he gave up five hits and three runs in two innings of work. But his second outing clearly showed he is headed on the right track.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia no doubt breathed a sigh of relief after the outing by Kazmir as well.

“He’s feeling good physically. He feels much better with his delivery. And I think you’re seeing better results,” Scioscia told MLB.com. “We need him to feel good about where he is and start to execute pitches because he has talent.”

Especially encouraging was Kazmir’s ability to throw both his signature slider and his changeup for strikes. Last season, Kazmir completely lost confidence in his slider, once considered one of the nastiest among left-handers in all of baseball.

While Kazmir was satisfied with the results, he is still looking for more.

“It’s getting there,” he said. “Just picking up a ball and playing catch, everything feels so much better. But I’m not going to say I’m there, because I’m definitely not.”

Yes, it’s still early in spring. However, seeing anything positive from Scott Kazmir at this point in time is encouraging, considering the dark place that Kazmir is coming from.

For continuing coverage of the Los Angeles Angels, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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It’s a fickle life in Major League Baseball. Here today, gone tomorrow is a phrase often used when referring to ballplayers who had a quick run of success before seemingly losing it altogether, or players felled by injuries who were unable to make it all the way back.

The stories of great fame and then injury go back many years in baseball, especially among pitchers. Dizzy Dean was a classic example.

Known as the Ace of the Gashouse Gang for the St. Louis Cardinals, Dean was the last pitcher to win 30 games in the National League, reaching that mark in 1934.

However in 1937, Dean was struck by a line drive off the bat of Earl Averill, during that year’s All-Star game, fracturing his left big toe.

When Dean attempted to come back too soon after the injury, he altered his motion, which hurt his throwing shoulder, thereby robbing him of his famous fastball. Although Dean continued to pitch for several more seasons, he never approached his earlier success.

Another example was Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass. Between the years of 1968-1972, Blass was one of the better and more durable pitchers in the National League.

He amassed four 15-win seasons in five years, his best in 1972, when he posted a 19-8 record with a 2.49 earned run average, earning him a runner-up finish behind Steve Carlton in the NL Cy Young award balloting.

Blass also won two games for the Pirates in the 1971 World Series, including the clinching Game 7 victory in which Blass threw a four-hitter in Game 3.

However, in 1973, Blass slipped to 3-9 with a 9.85 ERA, and was in the minors the following season. Blass completely lost the ability to throw strikes, and his control never returned. He was out of baseball by 1975.

This season, there are quite a few pitchers who are attempting to either come back from injuries, or trying to salvage a mess of a season the year before.

We rank the top 10 pitchers who will be attempting a comeback to glory for the 2011 MLB season.

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When the Texas Rangers ponied up and offered free agent Adrian Beltre a six-year, $96 million contract, incumbent third baseman Michael Young, the Rangers all-time leader in hits and several other offensive categories, indicated that he was okay with moving to the role of full-time designated hitter.

Then, the Rangers acquired Mike Napoli from the Toronto Blue Jays, and shortly thereafter, all hell broke loose.

Two weeks prior to the start of spring training, the Texas Rangers went public in saying that Michael Young had demanded to be traded, with general manager Jon Daniels saying that Young had a “change of heart” regarding his role as designated hitter and utility infielder.

One day later, Young ripped the Rangers, telling Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

“The suggestion that I had a change of heart and asked for a trade is a manipulation of the truth. I asked for a trade because I’ve been misled and manipulated and I’m sick of it. Other than that, I’m not going to reveal any details about how this process unfolded. It’s not my nature to start blasting people publicly when I don’t think it’s necessary… But at the end of the day, I know the truth. And so does JD.”

While the Rangers said that they would honor Young’s request for a trade, there have been no significant discussions with any teams, and now, with the calf injury to Beltre early in spring training, the Rangers will certainly be in no hurry to accommodate Young’s request.

While Michael Young has been a consummate professional throughout his career with the Rangers, the current situation is still a distraction, regardless of what Young or anyone else on the Rangers says publicly.

The Rangers can still salvage the situation and try to trade Young, but there are only eight teams on Young’s contract that he has agreed to be traded to: the Yankees, Twins, Astros, Cardinals, Padres, Dodgers, Rockies and Angels. Young has also indicated that he would we willing to waive his no-trade clause to other teams “on a case by case basis.”

So, with that in mind, here are ten ideas that the Texas Rangers can use in order to save face and get value for Michael Young in return.

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During their heyday of the mid-1950s, the Brooklyn Dodgers dominated the National League. And the Duke of Flatbush led the way.

Duke Snider, who smashed 407 home runs and played center field with the grace of a gazelle, passed away on Sunday at Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, Calif. He was 84.

Snider, who patrolled center field for “Da Bums” alongside such greats as Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson, wore Dodger blue for 16 seasons, finally ending his stellar career with the rival San Francisco Giants in 1964.

Snider was an All-Star for seven consecutive years beginning in 1950, and led the National League in home runs in 1956. He went through a stretch during which he hit 40 homers or more in five consecutive seasons, and finished second in the National League Most Valuable Player award balloting in 1955, bested by fellow Dodger, Roy Campanella.

In a statement released through the Los Angeles Dodgers, longtime broadcaster Vin Scully said, “When he had a chance to run and move defensively, he had the grace and the abilities of DiMaggio and Mays, and, of course, he was a World Series hero that will forever be remembered in the borough of Brooklyn. Although it’s ironic to say it, we have lost a giant.”

Snider hit the last home run ever hit at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field before the Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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In today’s day and age, where obesity has become such a concern that the NBC show The Biggest Loser is actually one of top rated shows on the last-place network, even star athletes are taking note.

Over the rigors of a 162-game schedule, combined with six weeks of spring training and the possibility of an extra four weeks of playoff baseball, the human body takes on a heavy toll, so to speak. Stamina becomes a major issue and for players who may be packing on a few extra pounds, late season injuries can certainly become a concern as well.

To that end, many players are now working on offseason conditioning programs that address weight concerns and overall BMI (Body Mass Index), as well as strength training and flexibility exercises.

Athletes’ Performance in Phoenix, Ariz. goes so far as to employ nutrition experts in order to educate athletes on proper nutritional requirements that enable them to eat properly during the season without adding fat, but at the same time ensuring that energy needs and daily requirements of vitamins and nutrients are provided to aid in overall performance throughout the stress of a long season.

In this list, we will take a look at players in Major League Baseball who have taken to heart the need to reduce weight and body fat and make determinations as to who in baseball is The Biggest Loser.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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Justine Siegal has been all about breaking down barriers, and on Monday, it was only natural for her to break one of the biggest barriers of all.

Siegal became the first one woman ever to throw live batting practice to Major League hitters when she threw for the Cleveland Indians earlier on Monday.

Siegal became the first woman ever to coach on a professional baseball team when she was named the first base coach of the Independent League Brockton Rox in 2009.

A Cleveland native, Siegal was able to fulfill her dream with the help of Indians general manager Chris Antonetti, whom she approached with the idea at baseball’s winter meetings last December.

Siegal threw to Paul Phillips, Lou Marson and Juan Apodaca, and a few minor league players as well.

To bulk up her arm for the challenge, Siegal enlisted the help of personal trainer Mike Zolkiewicz, a former Atlanta Braves intern, and she is also slated to throw batting practice again for the Oakland Athletics this coming Wednesday.

Siegal has been involved in baseball for many years, and was the only female in the country to coach at the men’s college baseball, serving as an assistant coach for Springfield College from 2007-10.

Siegal told the Associated Press that “I want to show that baseball is a game for all and that both boys and girls love this game. My throwing BP is proof that dreams really can come true.”

When Siegal threw batting practice for the Indians, she wore a memorial patch on her uniform for 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, the young girl killed during the Tucson shooting tragedy in January that left six dead and 13 injured. Green was the granddaughter of former Major League manager Dallas Green, and her father, John Green, is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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Legendary New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle was without a doubt one of the best center fielders that ever played the game of baseball. His five-tool skills, combining hitting for average, hitting for power, base running skills and speed, throwing ability and fielding abilities were matched only by Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr.

However, a new young buck has entered the fold. Los Angeles Angels top-rated prospect Mike Trout is already drawing comparisons to the great Mickey Mantle, and Trout has yet to play a game above the single-A level.

It’s a pretty heady comparison for a kid who has yet to play a game at the Major League Baseball level. But thus far, Trout has not done anything to dissuade those who marvel at his abilities.

Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels out of Milville, NJ in the first round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, Trout has excelled at every stop thus far in the Angels’ minor league system, hitting .360 in the Arizona Rookie League after the draft, and then hitting a combined .341 at the single-A and advanced single-A levels last season.

Trout’s 56 stolen bases last season only added to his overall allure, and his .428 on-base percentage showed a disciplined plate attitude, considered exceptional for a player who was only 18 years old at the time.

The accolades and awards have already started to pile up for the young stud, being named the Most Valuable Player of the Midwest League and earning Class A All-Star honors by both Topps and Baseball America.

Late last year, Trout was named the number one minor league prospect by MLB.com.

However, the comparisons to the great Mantle are certainly premature. Remember when the sweet-swinging Will Clark was compared favorably to Ted Williams?

The Angels have already said that they have no intentions to rush Trout to the big leagues, despite his meteoric rise. The Angels have had a history of can’t-miss prospects who never lived up to the hype (Dallas McPherson, Casey Kotchman), so they are understandably taking their time with the young Mike Trout.

With Peter Bourjos, Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter manning the outfield for the Angels, Trout will have time to continue to develop the skills that many believe will lead to a Hall of Fame career. Abe Flores, the player development director for the Angels, says the hype is all great and good, but that it’s important to not get over-excited.

“I wish everyone would just take a deep breath here,” Flores told the Los Angeles Times. “There’s been a lot of momentum around him, but everyone should keep their feet on the ground.

“I’m trying to quash people who are losing their minds comparing this kid to someone in the major leagues.”

The Angels only have to look to Brandon Wood, who was the next can’t-miss prospect for the Angels. Wood suffered through a terrible 2010 season after being named the starting third baseman for the Halos, batting just .146 overall. While Wood will still battle for playing time in 2011, the expectations of greatness are far from fulfilled.

As for Trout, one baseball expert believes that the sky could be the limit.

“I haven’t talked to anyone who’s seen Trout who hasn’t raved about him,” said Jim Callis, an editor at Baseball America. “One scout I talked to said Trout was the favorite prospect he’s ever scouted.

“Another told me he saw him hit a 400-foot home run, and in his next at-bat, he dropped a bunt and got to first in 3.65 seconds. Four seconds is top speed for a major leaguer.”

Mickey Mantle was a legend. Mike Trout could be a legend in the making.

For continuing coverage of the Los Angeles Angels, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When Los Angeles Angels slugging first baseman Kendry Morales celebrated a walk-off grand slam home run to defeat the Seattle Mariners on May 29 last year, the Angels’ hopes for the 2010 season shattered along with Morales’ left ankle on that fateful day.

Now, almost nine months removed from that forgettable incident, the ankle of Kendry Morales may not be fully healed in time for the 2011 season opener on March 31.

During the surgery to repair his left ankle, Morales had six screws inserted to hold the ankle in place. The screws are still there and will likely be there for the rest of his life.

Last week, Morales got a full check-up on the ankle by Dr. Phillip Kwong and Dr. Lewis Yocum, and both were pleased with the overall progress. However, Morales just started a light jogging program last month to regain range of motion and was running at about 50 percent before the Angels shut him down when he arrived at camp in Tempe.

The Angels will err on the side of caution when it comes to the progress of Morales. While they have not said that Morales won’t be in the Opening Day lineup, they are clearly being conservative.

One issue that Angels manager Mike Scioscia is not worried about is the bat of Kendry Morales. In an interview with Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Scioscia said, “It’s not like this guy’s missed two seasons. What you lose is the experience of facing pitchers, that experience of being able to say, ‘I remember facing this guy in August and he did this and he did that.’ That’s what you lose out on.

“You don’t lose out on the ability to square up a fastball or the ability to catch up with fuzz. He lost some game experience from the injury. But he’ll get back on the horse and go from there.”

For his part, Morales is itching to get back to live action.

“I’m not the one who makes the decision. I hope to be ready for Opening Day. That’s what I want. I want to be in that lineup on Opening Day,” Morales said.

The Los Angeles Angels are clearly looking for Morales to be in that Opening Day lineup as well. In 2010, the Angels scored 202 runs fewer than the previous season and suffered their first losing season since 2003. Morales’ return to the lineup will give a much-needed boost and coming off a career year in 2009 in which Morales hit .306 with 34 home runs with 109 runs batted in, his power will be a welcome sight.

Still, Scioscia knows that rushing the recovery of Morales is not prudent for anyone, including the Angels.

“The long-range prognosis is very good,” Sciosica said. “Short range, we’re going to ease him into what he needs to do and have a timetable of when he needs to do it. He’s not a guy who’s going to need 80 at-bats this spring. He’s not a guy who’s going to need to play 25 games in the spring. …I think our first goal is to get him running 100 percent.”

And for the Angels, Kendry Morales at 100 percent is exactly what the doctor ordered.

For continuing coverage of the Los Angeles Angels, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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