According to IMDB, Tom Hanks’ character spent 1500 days alone on the island. We don’t have that much time left in a baseball season — although I’d love to see small sample size debates still raging around the 700 day mark — but like Hanks, we did just lose a Wilson.
C.J. Wilson, Angels: The 2015 season is over for the southpaw as he is expected to undergo surgery to address a left elbow impingement. Apparently an MRI earlier in the season also showed bone spurs, so going under the knife to address both issues is probably the best call. Wilson is droppable in any redraft or keeper league and all but the very deepest of dynasty formats.
Here are some other injuries you should keep your eye on…
A.J. Burnett, Pirates: It was a bad week for initial named pitchers. The Bucs lost Burnett to the 15-day disabled list due to elbow inflammation in his throwing arm. Given that his velocity was down across the board in his most recent start, it shouldn’t come as a huge shock to see the 38-year-old get placed on the shelf. It’s possible the team sees fit to promote top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow at some point to step in to the big league rotation, however he is yet to throw a pitch in Triple-A. Glasnow cruised through hitters at Double-A, posting a 11.71 K/9 and 2.71 BB/9 along with his 2.43 ERA and even better 1.95 FIP.
Corey Dickerson, Rockies: What was originally called rib contusions on his right side has morphed into a pair of non-displaced broken ribs. The team placed Dickerson on the disabled list after an MRI showed the damage, the injury coming as a result of an attempted diving catch. No word on his return date or any timetable, however Jake Peavy once suffered a similar injury in 2013, and while pitchers and position players are quite different, the timetable for one non-displaced fractured rib was four to six weeks with Peavy missing six weeks total.
Matt Holliday, Cardinals: Another right quad strain has struck Holliday, once again forcing him to the DL. It’s been labeled as a Grade 2 strain and is an injury that already cost the slugger 31 games earlier in the year. I had to make the call and drop him in my 12-team mixed league, even though he could return at some point this season. With the Cards already addressing left field with the Brandon Moss acquisition, I couldn’t justify keeping Holliday around.
Michael Pineda, Yankees: A flexor forearm strain in his throwing arm is jeopardizing Pineda’s season. Upon discovering the injury, the Yanks immediately placed him on the 15-day DL. The club has already called upon Luis Severino to make Wednesday’s start to make at least one start, and the right-hander is worth stashing. With a strong 1.91 ERA (and 2.53 FIP) to go with a swing-and-miss stuff, Severino is at minimum a stream option in any league.
Devon Travis, Blue Jays: The second baseman is set to miss at least a couple of weeks his shoulder injury has flared up again. He’s already missed a month a half dealing with it, though there isn’t word on how long he’ll be out of commission this time. Much of Travis’ success is tied to a .347 BABIP — something that seems likely to regress given his league average Hard% contact rate, but his .304/.361/.498 line was a welcome surprise.
Mookie Betts, Red Sox: As tough as concussions are to diagnose, they’re even harder to deal with. The Sawx aren’t fighting for a playoff spot so without a real need for the outfielder, I don’t see them rushing Betts back from the 7-day concussion list. I couldn’t justify dropping Betts in my 12-team redraft league just yet, but if you need production from the OF and you’re out of DL slots, I wouldn’t blame anyone who did. The injury does open up playing time for Rusney Castillo, and he has responded by producing eight hits in six games since being recalled. Castillo hasn’t exactly torn the cover off the ball in the minor leagues so I’d count on a step back in production if you swap out Betts for Castillo.
Steven Souza, Rays: My hopes of Souza posting a 20-20 season took a major blow on Saturday in the form of a Joe Kelly pitch to his left hand. Souza was able to take first base, however he exited the game after the inning. After X-rays confirmed the break, count on him missing more than the minimum 15-days.
David Wright, Mets: Believe it or not, the third baseman is almost ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment. Spinal stenosis has kept Wright out of the lineup since mid-April, however it now seems as though we will see him again before the season ends. His power and speed have dipped in recent seasons, however if he makes it back, count on Wright appearing at a premium spot in the lineup, most likely second.
Coco Crisp, Athletics: Another player I didn’t really expect to see much of this season, Crisp could join the A’s lineup as soon as tomorrow. He’ll continue his rehab assignment today and if he can avoid any setbacks, it seems likely we’ll see him at some point this week. From neck issues to kidney stones, the 35-year-old has dealt with a lot of health issues, even for Crisp. If he does come back this week and your team is hurting for steals, I could see Crisp nabbing double digit bags the rest of the way.
Desmond Jennings, Rays: If an aging speedster like Crisp doesn’t strike your fancy, Jennings has upped his rehabbing to the Triple-A level. I’d be surprised if he didn’t rejoin the big league club by next weekend. Jennings has been out since April 25 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He has a little pop and little speed, and should be free to pick up in most leagues, however I’d be wary of him running much as the team may advise him to take things easy for awhile.
Justin Turner, Dodgers: Gain a third baseman, lose a third baseman for my rosters. The artists formerly known as the Brooklyn Dodgers placed Turner on the shelf after a skin infection broke out on his right thigh. Color me an optimist, but it seems likely he’ll only miss the minimum amount of time.
