(*) THE BIG HURT: Hurt file, May 31-June 5

The Big Hurt

Matthew Cederholm

Jun 4 2017 11:03pm

(*) THE BIG HURT: Hurt file, May 31-June 5

Matthew Cederholm

Jun 4 2017

Last week: May 24-29

June 5, 2017

Tyler Anderson (RHP, COL) – L Knee, inflammation (6/3/17)
Some of you own Rockies’ pitchers, right? The team says this is a minor issue and they’re just being cautious. Any sort of pain, though, is a risk factor. He should be back in the minimum time, but there’s a non-zero chance that something more serious develops.
2017 Impact: Elevated risk
Est. Return: June 14-17

Joaquín Benoit (RHP, PHI) – L Knee sprain (6/2/17)
There’s no word yet on the severity of his injury, so we’ll go by averages until there’s an update.
2017 Impact: TBD
Est. Return: Late June (best estimate)

Alex Dickerson (OF, SD) – Back, protruding disc (3/12/17) UPDATE
His rehab has been shut down due to upper back soreness. The reports of his original injury had located it in his lower back, so this is not necessarily an indication that the injury isn’t healing properly. Still, this likely pushes him back a couple of weeks at a minimum.
2017 Impact: Possible additional missed PT
Est. Return: All-Star break

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June 3, 2017

Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP, BOS) – L Knee, soreness (5/31/17)
He landed awkwardly when tossing a warm-up pitch prior to his Thursday start and his knee is sore enough to warrant a trip to the DL. So far there’s no indication of a serious injury, but that’s something they would likely re-evaluate after a few days. For now, assume the minimum.
2017 Impact: TBD, though likely minimal
Est. Return: June 10-12 (best estimate)

Cameron Maybin (OF, LAA) – L Oblique, contusion (5/30/17)
This is apparently a minor injury, so he should be back in the minimum. As we have seen with oblique injuries, these have a tendency to linger and the injury is on his lead side when swinging, so there’s a possibility of missing more than the minimum.
2017 Impact: Hopefully minimal, though oblique injuries can be stubborn
Est. Return: June 9-11

Justin Nicolino (RHP, MIA) – R Finger, blister (6/1/17)
As we have seen with Rich Hill, blisters can linger. He may very well heal in a couple of weeks, but his risk is elevated.
2017 Impact: Elevated risk; Possibility of additional missed PT
Est. Return: Mid-June

Vincent Velasquez (RHP, PHI) – R Elbow, flexor tendon strain (6/1/17)
It seems that he’s dodged a bigger injury, as this has been diagnosed as a minor strain. There’s no word on when he’ll return, but it should be sooner rather than later.
2017 Impact: His risk was already very high
Est. Return: All-Star break (best estimate)

Ryan Braun (OF, MIL) – L Calf strain (5/25/17)
We missed this when it first happened, but here’s our take. Muscle strains, particularly in the legs, have a high recurrence rate. This is exacerbated when a player returns before being 100% healthy, as professional athletes are wont to do. The typical recovery time for a calf strain (assuming it’s relatively minor) is 2-4 weeks, but the Brewers have said publically that they will be careful with this one, as if we didn’t already know that.
2017 Impact: Elevated risk, especially the first week or two after his return
Est. Return: Late June/early July

May 31, 2017

Mike Trout (OF, LAA) - L Thumb, torn UCL (5/29/17)
This is a fairly common injury—a tearing of the ligaments around the middle joint of the thumb (right where the "web" of the hand is). There are rarely complications, and most players return within 10 weeks. Since the estimate for Trout is 6-8 weeks, we'll assume that the injury is less severe than most. There is also a potential effect on his power. Only two players since 2009 have had this injury to their top batting hand, and the results are mixed. In 2013, Hanley Ramírez had perhaps his best season, power-wise, after missing six weeks. On the other hand, Yadier Molina saw a 100-point drop in Slg after returning from the same injury in 2014. Neither of these cases, however, provides a definitive answer to the question, so it's just a possibility at this point.
2017 Impact: Possibility of reduced power when he returns
Est. Return: All-Star break

Alex Wood (LHP, LA) - L SC Joint, soreness (5/29/17)
The sternoclavicular joint (SC joint) is where the collarbone connects to the neck. This is an unusual injury for a pitcher, as it's normally the result of trauma. It's usually a quick recovery, and both the team and Wood himself said that he could pitch through it if necessary. Given his recent medical history (and the 10-day DL), this looks primarily precautionary. Tentatively good news, then, as Wood has anchored many fantasy pitching staffs.
2017 Impact: Likely minimal, as his risk was already fairly high
Est. Return: June 5-7

Danny Duffy (LHP, KC) - L Oblique strain (5/29/17)
This is a Grade 1 strain, but it's on his pitching side which could mean a longer recovery than normal. As we've seen this season, oblique injuries have a tendency to linger, so there's a possibility that his stay on the DL is extended.
2017 Impact: Potential for additional lost PT; Elevated risk
Est. Return: All-Star break

Kolten Wong (2B, STL) - L Elbow, soreness (5/30/17)
The apparent source of his soreness is scar tissue that has broken up. He's expected to miss the minimum.
2017 Impact: Minimal
Est. Return: Mid-June

Dustin Pedroia (2B, BOS) - L Wrist sprain (5/30/17)
There's a terminology issue here, as the team has said that there's no ligament damage, but that the wrist is "severely" sprained. A severe sprain would involve significant tears and would probably require surgery so we'll take "severe sprain" to mean "hurts like hell." He's getting a second opinion and the team has been vague about how long he'll be out. This does have the potential to end up being something more, but there's no fracture, which is a good starting point. As long as he's fully healed and not feeling any pain, he should be close to 100% when he returns.
2017 Impact: Risk of missing additional PT
Est. Return: Mid/late June (best estimate)