Yeonis Cespedes“> OF, Mets: right quad tightness
It seems like every week Cespedes makes this list for one reason or another. This time it’s a quad issue, something he has battled in each of the last two seasons. His Overall Injury Risk has been High since the start of Training Camp, and now it has jumped even higher. This latest injury is even more concerning than the others because it caused him to land on the DL in 2016 and 2017. These recurring lower body muscular strains keep popping up for Cespedes, and he really should land on the DL. He is trying to play through it, which isn’t smart. If you’re a Cespedes owner, do whatever you can to get rid of him in a trade. He is far too unreliable.
Clayton Kershaw SP, Dodgers: biceps tendinitis
For the fourth time in five seasons, Kershaw had landed on the DL. The past three times have been due to back injuries, but this time it’s tendinitis in his biceps. While his Optimal Recovery Time is just two weeks, he will remain at a High Injury Risk even when he is cleared to return. He is making progress and threw from around 60 feet on Wednesday, and while an MRI confirmed that there is no structural damage, any injury to a pitcher’s throwing arm is a concern. Here’s more on his long-term outlook.
Yadier Molina C, Cardinals: groin surgery
Molina was hit in the groin by a foul tip on Saturday and diagnosed with a “pelvic injury with a traumatic hematoma.” He quickly underwent surgery and is expected to miss at least four weeks, although our Optimal Recovery time is 7 weeks. Molina has been a top 10 catcher so far this season, and his production will be tough to replace in fantasy lineups. But he is still worth holding onto if you can afford it. When he is cleared to return he should return to his normal level of production pretty quickly.
David Price SP, Red Sox: carpal tunnel syndrome
For the second time in the last month, Price was scratched from his scheduled start due to numbness in his pitching
hand. A series of tests revealed a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome. While this sounds like a fairly positive diagnosis, it comes with some serious concern. Price battled an elbow issue last season that may have caused him to alter his mechanics as he tried to overcompensate. In the short term his grip is the biggest concern, but his elbow could be a ticking time bomb. It was clear that his injury problems affected him over his last five starts. He really should land on the DL to allow time to address his injury, but it doesn’t sound like the Red Sox plan to push his next start back too far.
If he’s on your roster, keep him on the bench until he proves he is healthy enough to put up good numbers. And once he does have that one good day, try to trade him away. His Injury Risk is incredibly high as his elbow remains a concern, and the carpal tunnel syndrome could flare up again and again and again.
Dansby Swanson SS, Braves: left wrist soreness
Throughout the last few weeks, Swanson has tried to play through soreness in his left wrist. When it got worse, the Braves finally decided to place him on the DL. We are showing a two week Optimal Recovery Time, so he shouldn’t miss much more than the minimum 10 days. The good news here is that it’s to his non-throwing hand, and he has been able to make some throws and take some swings while out. His Injury Risk is already back to Low, so this isn’t a long-term concern.
Trevor Cahill SP, A’s: elbow impingement
Cahill was placed on the DL this week and diagnosed with impingement in his pitching elbow. While this isn’t a serious concern, he has had durability issues throughout his career. Last year he landed on the DL twice with shoulder injuries. His Injury Risk was already Elevated (15%) before the elbow problem, and now it has jumped to High (25%). Expect him back within the next two weeks, in line with our Optimal Recovery Time, but don’t expect him to make it through the year without another injury of some sort.
Johnny Cueto SP, Giants: elbow sprain
After getting multiple opinions on his ailing elbow, Cueto has been placed on the 60-day DL. He will not undergo surgery (for now) but has been diagnosed with an elbow sprain. This is an indication that there is likely a partial tear but not one that is serious enough to require surgery. He will be shut down for 6 weeks, but if his elbow doesn’t improve in the next month he could be re-evaluated and eventually scheduled for surgery. There is a chance that rest and rehab will allow his elbow to improve enough to pitch again after the All Star break, but his Injury Risk remains incredibly High. Here’s more detail on his injury.
Javier Baez SS, Cubs: groin tightness
Baez left Monday’s game due to groin tightness and sat out Tuesday, but he was back in the Cubs’ lineup by Wednesday. While this appears to be a mild issue, groin tightness does often recur. Just look at Tommy Pham in recent weeks. Baez’s Optimal Recovery Time is just one week, but our algorithm is showing that he is now a High Injury Risk.
Tommy Pham OF, Cardinals: groin tightness
Pham has been battling groin tightness on and off over the last three weeks. Over the weekend he said he was around 70% and proceeded to miss the next 3 games. Had he landed on the DL when this initially popped up back in April, he would be back at close to 100% right now. Instead he continues to be bothered by the injury. While his Injury Risk remains High, his HPF (Health Performance Factor) has improved to Above Average, a sign that he can still play well despite the groin tightness.
Todd Frazier 3B, Mets: hamstring strain
A hamstring strain has landed Todd Frazier on the DL. Frazier got off to a hot start in the first three weeks of the season then saw his average drop to .237 in the following three weeks. While he didn’t report a problem with his hamstring until a few days ago, it’s possible that a mild strain or tightness contributed to his decline. Our algorithm is showing a 2-3 week Optimal Recovery Time.
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