Dee Gordon OF, Mariners: fractured right big toe
Gordon is out indefinitely after scans showed a fractured right big toe. His toe has been bothering him for most of the season, and now the injury has landed him on the DL. We are showing a 7 week Optimal Recovery Time, so he should be out through the All Star break. Mariners manager Scott Servais said he doesn’t think Gordon will be out much longer than 10 days, but a return in early June wouldn’t be wise, especially for a player like Gordon who relies on his speed. The former All Star was just moved back to second base to replace the suspended/injured Robinson Cano (hand fracture). Now they have a few huge holes to fill as the injuries continue to pile up in Seattle.
Rich Hill SP, Dodgers: blister
It’s time to forget about Rich Hill. In our injury roundup last week this is what we said: “Hill is expected to make his next scheduled start on Sunday, but this remains a serious concern. He missed significant time in each of the last two seasons with blisters. This isn’t a problem that is just going to go away…this won’t be the last we hear of his blister problems.” He left his start Saturday after just two pitches.
Nothing really has changed for Hill, except now he is expected to miss at least a month. He will ask MLB for permission to wear tape on his finger, but they are unlikely to approve his request.
Steven Souza OF, Diamondbacks: right pectoral strain
Souza missed the first month of the season after suffering a serious right pectoral strain during Spring Training. He played 14 games before re-aggravating the injury, once again landing him on the DL. While the Diamondbacks have indicated that this one isn’t as serious, repeat injuries are always a major red flag. Taking a look back at our analytics, Souza never improved from a High Injury Risk, so it was no surprise that he was re-injured. Now we are showing an Optimal Recovery Time of at least four weeks. Souza was hitting just .163 with no home runs before his latest setback, so he clearly wasn’t anywhere near 100%. It could be best for him to sit through the All Star break. He should be dropped in most leagues unless you have an open DL spot.
Khris Davis DH, Athletics: groin strain
Davis was diagnosed with a grade 1 right groin strain after leaving Sunday’s game with the injury. Our algorithm is showing a 2-3 week Optimal Recovery Time. Groin strains are tricky, though, so he needs to rest over the first week before testing out the groin. Losing the slugger leaves a huge hole in the Athletics lineup- he already had 13 home runs this year. Now the focus needs to be on getting healthy for the rest of the season, not rushing him back just to get his bat back in the lineup.
Paul DeJong SS, Cardinals: left hand fracture
DeJong underwent surgery last Friday to have screws and a plate inserted to accelerate healing in his fractured left hand. He was hurt Thursday when he was hit by a pitch. Now we are showing that he shouldn’t return until late June, but with the All Star break soon after it could make sense to keep him out until July.
Alex Wood SP, Dodgers: cramps
Wood left his start on Sunday with what appeared to be an injury, but it was just cramps. He should be on track to make his next scheduled start. If this was even a slight strain or muscle injury, it’s likely to pop up again in the next few weeks. We will continue to monitor him, but for now he appears to be out of the woods.
Andrew Miller RP, Indians: back injury
Miller’s back locked up on him last Friday during his normal pregame routine. This came just days after a horrible outing and could explain the poor performance. He took a few days off to rest and pitched on Tuesday. For now he won’t need to take any additional time off, but it’s something to watch. Any sort of back trouble is a concern for a hard throwing guy like Miller.
Jake Faria SP, Rays: oblique strain
During the 3rd inning of his start on Tuesday, Faria suffered an oblique strain that has landed him on the DL. This injury comes with a lengthy recovery time for a pitcher. Our algorithm is showing a four week Optimal Recovery Time, but it could take even longer for him to return to the rotation. It’s time to drop him in most leagues. He’s going to miss a significant amount of time and when he comes back he still may not be 100%.
Other Injuries and Updates:
Joe Mauer 1B, Twins: concussion
Another concussion landed Mauer on the DL this week. He was initially diagnosed with a cervical strain (neck injury) but later reported concussion symptoms. Mauer has a concerning history of concussions that started with a 2013 concussion that came with long-lasting symptoms. He continued to report blurred vision and other lingering concussion symptoms over the following three seasons. The Twins will play it safe here, so he could be looking at a lengthy absence.
Alex Reyes SP, Cardinals: Tommy John surgery
We could be just days away from Reyes making his season debut. He underwent Tommy John surgery 15 months ago and is expected to join the Cardinals‘ rotation, not the bullpen, when he’s ready. We are showing a Peak HPF (Health Performance Factor), so we have a promising outlook on his ability for the 2018 season.
Madison Bumgarner SP, Giants: pinkie fracture
MadBum was able to throw a 30-pitch bullpen simulated game on Tuesday and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. He is right on track according to our initial recovery timeline, and his HPF is slowly improving. Any hand injury is concerning for a pitcher, and his pinkie fracture was pretty severe, but the fifth digit is the least important of course. He should be an above average pitcher when cleared to return, and in the second half of the season he should earn back his ace status.
Clayton Kershaw SP, Dodgers: biceps tendinitis
It’s been over three weeks since Kershaw landed on the DL with tendinitis in his left biceps. He isn’t ready to return to the rotation just yet, but he has been cleared to throw a four-inning simulated game on Saturday. If that goes well, he should either make a rehab start or join the rotation next week. Our analytics still show that he isn’t quite ready, but his Injury Risk has improved from High to Elevated. He should be a week or two away.
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