Oh the humanity!!! The only consolation to have to trudge through this report is that my "On the Mend" list is actually longer than my list of who is on the Injured List. Not by much though so don't get too excited. Here's what the injuries are looking like right now:
On the 10-Day IL
Francisco Cervelli , C PIT – He took a broken bat to the helmet while behind the plate Saturday and landed on the 7-day IL with a concussion. While he is eligible to return June 2, he could be out longer as the 33-year old does have and extensive concussion history. He’ll be re-evaluated this weekend so expect the Pirates to update then.
Welington Castillo , C CHW – It’s been a rough start to the season for Beef, so this time off may actually do him some good. He took a foul ball off the mask and is not on the 7-day concussion IL. He should return after the minimum time off, but keep a watchful eye anyway.
Chad Wallach , C MIA – He apparently sustained a concussion last Tuesday but managed to stay in the game the rest of the way. That’s what makes it a bit of a head-scratcher. If he was able to play the rest of the way, why not put him on the 7-day IL for concussion as opposed to the 10-day IL which is what the team did. Perhaps they’re not sharing the full story or simply wanted to make sure he had extra time off to be sure.
Max Stassi , C HOU – The team is erring on the side of caution here as Stassi was simply suffering from knee soreness, but they want to make sure all is well with their back-up catcher. The 10 days off puts him back during the first week of June, but you’ll have to wait for additional reports to make sure everything is okay with him.
Austin Barnes , C LAD – He left Sunday’s game with a mild groin strain, but the Dodgers aren’t taking any chances with their young catcher here. He’ll rest up for the full 10 days and the team will evaluate him then to see if he’s ready to be activated. The fact that the team actually entertained listening to him in his quest to avoid the IL makes it seem like this should only be a short absence.
Chris Davis , 1B BAL – Probably addition by subtraction if you somehow owned him in a league that penalizes for strikeouts, but you wouldn’t be that dumb, would you? He’s dealing with hip inflammation and the club said they would take their time with him. They’re not going anywhere and there is no need to rush him back, so while the timetable says early-June for a return, it could be a little while longer than that.
Josh Harrison , 2B DET – Originally on Tuesday’s lineup card, something obviously went awry for Harrison and the team opted to put him on the 10-day IL with the hamstring issue that was bothering him over the last couple of days. He isn’t expected to miss more than the 10 days, but you’ll have to check back early next week to be sure it won’t be longer.
Wilmer Flores , 2B ARI – He was hit by a pitch last week and suffered a fracture in his foot. You can monitor his progress, but don’t expect him back until close to the end of June.
Aledmys Díaz , 2B HOU – On Monday, he was placed on the IL with what the Astros are calling left hamstring discomfort. He isn’t expected to need more than the 10 days, but with word that Jose Altuve suffered a setback, the team is likely to be cautious with him as Jack Mayfield is not the guy they want in the lineup long-term. Monitor his progress and look for him to return in a timely fashion if all goes well.
David Peralta , OF ARI – He landed on the IL with what the team is calling AC joint inflammation in his shoulder. While this sounds like rest and rehab should do the trick, there is some concern to be had after the team trainers said it is related to the trapezius muscle issue he suffered the week before. He hurt himself making a diving catch, so the concern is whether or not he messed up his shoulder and that caused the muscle problem and this is now revealing itself or if this is just a continuation. If it’s just a continuation, he should be back relatively soon. If it’s more, then we’ll have to wait and see. Monitor him on any potential rehab assignment which could come this weekend.
Andrelton Simmons , SS LAA – He suffered a Grade-3 ankle sprain that will keep him out until late-July. Simmons saw a specialist who said the shortstop would not require surgery, but they can’t be sure of the exact timetable as it will be at least a couple of weeks before the swelling goes down and they can re-evaluate.
Charlie Blackmon , OF COL – The Rockies were hoping to not have to put him on the IL with the calf injury, but found it necessary after a couple of days. The reports says that he will only need the minimum time off, but tread lightly here. Calf injuries are always burdensome because they linger. Remember Josh Donaldson last year? We’re not saying it’s to the same degree, but if Blackmon rushes back, he could either suffer a setback in his recovery or re-injures it upon his return.
George Springer , OF HOU – The diagnosis is a Grade-2 hamstring strain and that puts Springer on the shelf for at least a few weeks. Typically, it’s a 4-to-8 week timetable but the Astros seem optimistic that it will land on the shorter length of time. Of course, given Springer’s performance thus far, that could be more wishful thinking than anything else right now.
Luke Weaver , SP, ARI – The only thing worse than hearing a pitcher has a forearm strain (the precursor to UCL damage) is hearing that pitcher is already headed for a second opinion. That’s what we have with Weaver right now, who was placed on the IL and is listed as being “out indefinitely.” Manager Torey Lovullo says he is hoping Weaver avoids a surgical procedure, but that’s usually the kiss of death. Even with rest and rehab, there’s a problem here that is likely to persist.
Matt Harvey , SP LAA – Apparently, Harvey had been pitching through an upper-back strain for more than just a few days but hid it from the team’s medical staff somehow. Maybe they thought what everyone else knows and that he’s just a lousy pitcher and that was the reason for his 7.50 ERA. Regardless, he’s now on the shelf and while he says he wants to start throwing early this week, the Angels are in no rush to bring him back. If you’re a glutton for punishment, check in during the first week of June to check on his progress.
Wade Davis , RP COL – The Rockies closer suffered an oblique injury and was immediately placed on the IL with a mid-June timetable for a return. The latest report had him playing catch for three-straight days but he has yet to be scheduled to throw off a mound yet. He’ll continue to play catch and then move to a bullpen session before throwing off a mound, so we’re probably looking at mid-June as a possible return date, barring any setbacks.
Pat Neshek , RP PHI – He was placed on the 10-day IL on Saturday with a shoulder strain but an MRI on Sunday narrowed it down to rotator cuff inflammation. The fact that there is no structural damage is obviously a good thing, but the Phillies aren’t putting any sort of a return timetable together for him just yet. Don’t expect him back anytime soon, though, so if you were using him at all, he can safely be dropped.
Day-to-Day
Mitch Moreland , 1B BOS – He was out of the lineup against a righty for the third-straight game Tuesday and appears to still be bothered by the knee he took a hard-hit ball off over the weekend. It’s not serious enough for a stint on the IL, but you’ll have to keep a close watch on the Red Sox lineups over the next few days.
Kris Bryant , 3B CHC – He apparently suffered an upper-body injury during his collision with Jason Heyward on Sunday and remains out of Tuesday’s lineup. While Heyward returned to action, Bryant was limited to taking ground balls during pre-game warm-ups and will get at least one more game off to recover. He should be back before the weekend, barring any last-minute issues.
Tim Anderson , SS CHW – He was out of the lineup for Tuesday night’s game due to the lingering wrist issue, but he did make an appearance as a pinch-runner during the completion of the suspended game. That should at least tell you the team has no intention of putting him on the IL. He should be back in the lineup shortly.
Jon Gray , SP COL – The Rockies right-hander was removed from Monday’s start after developing a “hot-spot” on a finger on his pitching hand. Assuming the issue was a precursor to a potential blister, he’ll receive treatment and be evaluated before making his next start. Expect an answer from the team over the next day or two.
Chris Paddack , SP SD – He was a late scratch Sunday after waking up with a stiff neck. The team doesn’t seem too concerned as they have him penciled in to face the Yankees on Wednesday. Be sure to check back first thing in the morning to be sure.
Aaron Sanchez , SP TOR – He suffered a fingernail tear on his pitching hand, but the Jays believe he will be okay to make his next start. He still may have to miss a start, but you can consider the blister-bullet dodged for the time being. If he does make his next start, it will be at Coors Field, so best to park him on the bench anyway.
José Leclerc , RP TEX – Originally, we were told LeClerc was dealing with calf cramps Monday, but now a recent report says that he’s actually dealing with shoulder stiffness. The Rangers will re-evaluate him before Tuesday’s game against the Mariners so look to see if he pitches. Keep him off the active roster for now to be sure.
On the Mend
Kevan Smith , C LAA – He’s been on the 7-day IL with a concussion, but completed a full workout on Saturday followed by a return to baseball activities Sunday. He should be activated Wednesday.
Mitch Garver , C MIN – He’s missed the last two weeks with a high-ankle sprain, but it looks like he’s ready to start his rehab stint now as he is currently at Double-A Pensacola. If all goes well over the next few days, he could rejoin the Twins this weekend.
Robinson Canó , 2B NYM – He’s been dealing with a strained quad but traveled with the team Monday to Los Angeles and is ready to return to normal baseball activities. He’s not eligible to return until June 4, but barring any setbacks, he should be activated that day and be in the lineup for when the Mets host the Giants.
Jose Altuve , 2B HOU – He’s been recovering from a hamstring strain, but had to have his rehab work stopped after suffering from leg fatigue Tuesday. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said this could delay his return by a couple of weeks, so look for additional updates throughout the week. With Aledmys Díaz joining him on the DL, some guy named Jack Mayfield is filling in at second if you want to try and give him a shot.
Yandy Díaz , 3B TB – He eded up with a hand contusion after being hit by a pitch last week, but while the Rays thought he would be able to return in the minimum time, it looks like he could be out a little longer. He was taking batting practice over the weekend and had to stop after feeling additional discomfort. It’s not being considered a setback, but he is expected to miss additional time now. Keep monitoring his recovery, though, as it may not be too much additional time off.
Jake Lamb , 3B ARI – This has been a brutal year for Lamb who hasn’t played since April 3. Things were looking somewhat promising after he increased the intensity of his workouts, but he claimed his leg didn’t feel quite right and has now backed off from any running activities. The early-June timetable is now probably going to be pushed back to mid-month, depending on how quickly he resumes running.
Fernando Tatis, Jr., SS SD – The rookie has been sidelined with a hamstring issue all month but could be back as early as this weekend if he continues to progress at his current rate. He took six at-bats at extended spring training and ran almost at full speed Monday. Once he’s ramped up his running activities, he could end up on a rehab assignment for a few games and be back with the Padres as early as this weekend.
Didi Gregorius , SS NYY – the shortstop moved his rehab assignment from High-A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday and seems to be progressing nicely from the elbow injury. Expect him to stay at Triple-A for another week or two, but look for him shortly thereafter.
Jeff McNeil , OF NYM – He’s currently sitting on the IL with a hamstring tightness, but the Mets expect him to be ready to return after the minimum 10 days. That puts him eligible to play June 1, so if you’re in daily roster move leagues, you should be able to use him this weekend.
Willie Calhoun , OF TEX – Is no news good news? Calhoun landed on the 10-day IL with a quad strain, but we haven’t heard anything yet regarding his recovery or potential return date. He would be eligible to return to action June 1, so continue to look for updates from the Rangers over the next few days. They could certainly use his bat in their lineup right now.
Tyler Naquin , OF CLE – He is in the process of recovering from a calf strain and successfully ran the bases late last week. He could head out on a rehab assignment later this week and possibly return to action sometime around June 7 which is ahead of his original timetable.
Aaron Judge , OF NYY – The recovery from the oblique issue has been tough on Judge owners, but fear not as progress was definitely made. Judge took some swings off a tee Monday and went through running and fielding drills Tuesday. We’ll have to wait and see if this leads to a rehab assignment late in the week, but it looks like the return is coming sooner than later.
Giancarlo Stanton , OF NYY – He’s been out with the shoulder issue, but now we’re looking at a lengthier absence due to a calf strain. Stanton will be shut down for the duration of this week and won’t resume baseball activities until June 1, so look for an updated return timetable sometime around then.
Corey Dickerson , OF PIT – The Pirates outfielder has been out since April 4, but the end is getting near. He is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis and is eligible to return to the team on June 4, barring any setbacks. Fingers crossed!
Mark Trumbo , DH BAL – Currently on the 60-day IL after knee surgery last September, Trumbo is finally gearing up for his rehab assignment. He’ll start off at Double-A Bowie and the team will likely take its time with him. Expect at least a week down there before he is re-evaluated and potentially sent up to Triple-A. There’s no real rush to get him back up to the majors as this team isn’t going anywhere.
Khris Davis , DH OAK – He apparently suffered a hip issue after colliding with the wall last week and the team said he would be completely shut down for five days and then re-evaluate him. We can probably expect an update Wednesday and if everything is positive, he could be back on the field June 1. It sounded like the stint on the IL was used more to clear his head than his hip, so here’s hoping he’s got his head screwed on straight and can get back to banging home runs again soon.
Nelson Cruz , DH, MIN – The hope was that Cruz would do some work in the cage this past weekend as he recovers from his wrist issue, but apparently that did not happen. He is eligible to return from the IL right now, but it looks like he won’t even pick up a bat for at least a few days now.
James Paxton , SP NYY – The Yankees lefty has healed well enough from his knee issue that the team is expected to activate him Wednesday and let him start against the Padres. He will be limited to 60-75 pitches, but it looks like we’re in the clear here.
CC Sabathia , SP NYY – The big guy is on the 10-day IL with right knee inflammation, but took two cortisone shots Friday and is expected to return to the mound Sunday. No guarantees yet, but if he doesn’t incur any setbacks, he should be ready to throw his five innings.
Mike Clevinger , SP CLE – Good news for those stashing my pick for the AL Cy Young as Clevinger will throw a simulated game this Saturday before heading out onto a rehab assignment. He is eligible to come off the 60-day IL on June 7, but while that is still a little too soon, he’s ahead of schedule and could return by the middle of the month if all goes well.