Justin Ruggiano, OF

[Miamarlin21]

I was thinking the same thing.

[emkayseven]

While Giancarlo Stanton returned a day after being hit in the head by a 95-mph fastball, the Marlins received another health concern when Justin Ruggiano left the field early with tightness in his lower back.

Ruggiano, the front-runner to start in center field, also dealt with back spasms late last season. He was fielding a grounder in the outfield when he felt pain.

"It's not fun, it's annoying. I'm frustrated and angry that I haven't got ahold on why it keeps happening," said Ruggiano, who will remain out until the soreness subsides.

"I know it's not anything wrong with my back," he said. "I've had an X-ray and MRI on that. It's nothing structural," Ruggiano said.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/m...,2041750.story

[emkayseven]

Justin Ruggiano, the frontrunner to start in center field for the Miami Marlins, will not play in Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against St. Louis due to a lower back strain.

Ruggiano had an MRI Friday that revealed the strain. He felt a spasm in his back while fielding a ground ball in the outfield Thursday. It is a recurrence of a problem that he first experienced last August.

Manager Mike Redmond said Ruggiano’s return will depend on how his back responds to treatment during the next few days.

“I’d rather have it now than with two weeks left in spring training. At the same time, those backs can be touchy. Sometimes they just take a little bit of time. We’ve got to make sure that he’s healthy and ready to go for the long run, not just for spring training games,” Redmond said.

Ruggiano’s absence will open playing time in center during exhibitions games for highly regarded prospects Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick, both expected to play at Double-A Jacksonville this season.

Gorkys Hernandez will start Saturday, and Redmond has other options including Bryan Petersen and Kevin Mattison.

“I think it’s great experience for them. These guys can play too,” Redmond said of Yelich and Marisnick. “They’re good young players. I’ll be trying to get as many of these guys in these games as I possibly can.

“When I was with the Twins, [manager Ron Gardenhire] did a great job getting a lot of young guys in games. When those guys came to the big leagues, it wasn’t such an 'ah moment' for them. They already had a little bit of experience, and I think that’s huge for the young guys.”

Ruggiano was one of the few bright spots for the Marlins last season in his first extended playing time in the major leagues, hitting .313 with 13 home runs in 91 games. But injuries took a toll on him late in the season, first with back spasms, then with a right oblique intercostal strain. He missed the final 10 games after spraining his right shoulder attempting a diving catch.

Ruggiano was frustrated about having the back problem flare up, saying: “It’s not fun, it’s annoying. I’m frustrated and angry that I haven’t got a hold on why it keeps happening.

“I know it’s not anything wrong with my back. … It’s nothing structural.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/m...,3946637.story

[emkayseven]

Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond doesn’t know how long outfielder Justin Ruggiano will be sidelined with a lower back strain.

Ruggiano underwent an MRI after experiencing tightness in his back while fielding a ground ball on Thursday.

Redmond said Friday that Ruggiano is “getting treatments, and we’ll just have to (say) day-to-day. We’ll just have to see how that progresses.”

The 30-year-old Ruggiano batted .313 with 13 homers and 36 RBI in 91 games with the Marlins last season. He’s the projected front-runner in the starting center fielder competition.

Redmond says Gorkys Hernandez would start in center for Miami’s Grapefruit League opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/02/23...o-will-return/

[MiamiHomer]

Jayson Stark @jaysonst

Justin Ruggiano! RT @msimonespn: Leaderboard - Top 25 in % of AB ending in "hard-hit" ball (last column- WHAV) twitpic.com/coq5si

[Mainge]

I like that stat.

I mentioned the other day I feel like this guy leads the league in crushing one hoppers to short.

[Nick]

How do you define a "hard-hit" ball.

[Ramp]

interesting to see Omar Infante high on that list

[MiamiHomer]

I know it's a stat developed by Inside Edge (WHAV). It stands for "well hit average" but I can't find the specifics that go into calculating the stat.

[Namaste]

I feel like Miguel Olivo would be near the bottom of that list.

It seems like most balls he hits come off of the bat like a knuckleball.

[Nick]

Where does Chris Coghlan rank?

[MiamiHomer]

The site requires a subscription.

[Erick]

Ruggiano's line drive percentage is under 15 according to fangraphs.

Someone's lying.

Or do these hard-hit balls include groundballs that do not qualify as line drives?

[Mainge]

Ruggiano's line drive percentage is under 15 according to fangraphs.

Someone's lying.

Or do these hard-hit balls include groundballs that do not qualify as line drives?

It's pretty obviously the latter.

[HUGG]

Hopefully he stops being a negative defensively in CF soon, he wasn't last year.