Alexander Guerrero on Dominican Website - Claims his wrist Injury Is Getting Better, but Dodger Management Is Keeping Him from Returning Until He's 100%

Dodger news is about as dead as it gets.   Call it  the nothingness of November.  It's simply a month of no news.  The top stories in the sports world surround such topics as bullying and hazing.  Baseball awards have already been dispersed and next we wait for the winter meetings and Rule Five draft.  

Dodger news is limited to the loss of Nick Punto to the Athletics and rumors surrounding Dodger free agents such as Ricky Nolasco and Brian Wilson.  When the announcement of Dodger 2014 promotional giveaways makes top billing in the L.A.Times and prominent blogs, you know that there’s simply little to report.

Maybe that’s for the best though, as we trudge through the doldrums of late fall, it’s time to give baseball a bit of a respite from our minds.

There is baseball being played in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, but that stuff is so far removed most of us.  I am seriously considering a lengthy vacation to the Dominican Republic one winter though, as some Dominican friends have me convinced that going there and witnessing that league in it's splendor is now a bucket list item.

Reports on how our Dodger players are performing there are simply all we have at the moment.  It’s nice to chart their progress and all, but then again, in the back of our minds many of us are just hoping that our players emerge from those off-season leagues with a respectable performance, their confidence intact enough that their progress isn't hindered in any way.  Most importantly, that they return back to the states in good health. 

With health in mind, Alexander Guerrero hasn’t seen action for Los Gigantes del Cibao since his 3 for 3 night on November 12th when he homered and hit two singles.  It is reported that he has some sort of left wrist injury.  Meanwhile, Dee Gordon over at Licey continues to play centerfield and he’s batting .375 after 40 ABs in 10 games.   He even threw out a runner at third base with that cannon arm of his the other night.  Perhaps the outfield is Gordon's future home in the big leagues.

Tonight I ran across this two minute interview with Guerrero from a Dominican Baseball website titled PelotaCriolla.com.  LINKED HERE  Those Spanish speakers might want to listen to it.  The interview is in Spanish and I did my best at translating the gist of it.  Considering that the audio isn’t the best and the fact that Mr. Guerrero is really talking fast in a Cuban accent that strongly has a tendency to cut words off in the last syllable.  This is the best I could do.  

Interviewer: We’re here with Alexander Guerrero.  Alexander has been sitting out, we see you today, you are getting ready to practice,  How do you feel?

Guerrero: Good, I feel better.  About 4 days ago I had a slight strain of my left thigh. I have had a lot of hours of treatment with the trainers and they say I’m better, but the management of the Dodgers doesn’t want to rush the process.

Interviewer: Exactly.  I wanted to ask you, about Dodgers management.  What do they say about your injury?

Guerrero:  They tell me to continue but they want me at 100%.  Because the Dodgers will start Spring Training in Arizona 3 weeks earlier because they have some games in Australia.  Since they’ll be in Australia, they’ll want me to be with the team.

Interviewer: And your level of motivation, Is it intact? Do you think you will be able at some point be playing and be present until the end (of the Dominican season)?

Guerrero: I plan on being with the team when they give me the green light to play.  I told our director Pablo Peguero (the G.M. of the Gigantes)  that as soon as they give me the green light, I’ll go.  I want to play today.  I wanted to play today but it is impossible because the doctors don’t want me to.  They (the Gigantes) don’t control me.  I signed with the an understanding that the Dodgers would control when I play and I have to abide by that.  The interest in playing is there.  I want to play today.  I told the manager that, but I need to be at 100%, then I can play.  I came here to play.  But they told me “no.”  So I’m not going to rush things to play.

Interviewer: In the 3 games you have played with the team, what information about the league has been passed on to you?  Are you adapting well?  Do you like the League?  Are you learning things that is able to tune up your game?

Guerrero: This league is at a high level and I want to play as many games as possible int he Dominican League because of the high level of competition, but they (Dodgers management) don’t want to rush me back too soon.

Interviewer: Alexander, Thank you very much and get better soon.

Guerrero: Thank you very much.