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Ambulance Chasers: Mullins And Pham in Groin Land

July 22, 2023 | 2017 Fantasy Baseball Draft, 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Injury Report | 2 Comments

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Good ‘morrow all!

Welcome to Razzball Ambulance Chasers, your fantasy baseball injury analysis.

Also, welcome to the second half of the 2023 MLB season and those pesky dog days of summer…or as I call it “Curtains Time”!  All of the incoming 60-day IL entries move into the “See ya next year!” territory.

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Josh Donaldson has kicked off the beginning of the potential curtains crowd. Additionally, there are a few recurring injuries rearing their heads this week for Brandon Crawford, Cedric Mullins, and Tommy Pham.

Let’s jump into the dirty details:

Brandon Crawford (SS, SFG)

Crawford is on the IL again with knee inflammation, which is a recurring issue. However, his stint should be brief. This is good news since Thairo Estrada is also on the IL with a fractured left hand.

Gabe Kepler shared that Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely were primary options to replace Crawford. David Villar was also called up for insurance. From a stats perspective, none of those players would necessarily benefit your roster.

The Diamondback Geraldo Perdomo is worth taking a look at for SS. Perdomo had sort of a slumpy month but has hit .313/.444/.375 in his last 16 AB.

 

Josh Donaldson (3B, NYY)

Josh Donaldson has been added to the 60-day IL for a high grade 2 or grade 3 strained calf. I am not what you would consider a “math person”, but I have used my Casio to understand that we may not see Josh D. in action for the rest of 2023. It is probably for the best as Donaldson has hit .142/.225/.434 in 106 ABs this season.

I am not sure that you would have Donaldson at this point, but just in case, Jeimer Candelario is still only 69% rostered and, compared to Donaldson, an upgrade.

Jarred Kelenic (OF, SEA)

In an interesting Darwin-esque injury, Kelenic fractured his foot kicking a water cooler after he struck out on a breaking ball. No timeline has been shared for Kelenic’s recovery. However, Dr. Google says it takes 6-8 weeks for a foot fracture to heal though that depends on the severity and type of fracture.

Kelenic’s absence made space for Cade Marlowe to make his MLB debut.

While Marlowe is worth a watch, Chas McCormick is a little more experienced and hot right now. McCormick appears to have made changes to his batting stance that have helped propel his offensive streak. In his last 69 ABs, McCormick hit .348/.444/.667 and 6 HR (with 4 of those being in the last week).

Starling Marte (OF, NYM)

Marte was placed on the IL on Thursday because of migraines. His performance this season is, so far, his worst on record: .254/.308/.332 with 5 HR in 331 PA. So, a break could be good.

Luis Guillorme came in for Marte. However, because of Marte and Tommy Pham’s injuries, the Mets are trying Guillorme at 2B with Jeff McNeil shifted to right field and Mark Canha shifted to left field.

However, you probably are not going to want Guillorme for your roster. Edouard Julien, the Minnesota rookie, is presenting a compelling case. In his last 22 PA, he slashed .632/.682/1.000 with 2 HR. If we zoom out to the last month, Julien slashed .388/.446/.687 with 5 HR.

Steamer shows Julien at only 65%. So, now is your chance.

Cedric Mullins (OF, BAL)

Cedric Mullins hits the IL again with a strained groin. At the time of publication, there was no timeline for his return.

This was the same injury Mullins sustained in late May and kept him out of the game for almost a month. So, you can anticipate a similar timeline depending on how bad the strain is and/or the reason for recurrence.

Mullins’ injury gives Aaron Hicks more time in the outfield. Hicks will be playing in center field, which is what he did when Mullins was injured the first time. Hicks is hitting .304/.333/.348 with a BABIP of 0.438. in his last 24 PA. When Hicks joined the Orioles a month and a half ago, he showed signs of life that we have not seen in a while. While he has had some ups and downs over the last month, he is still a worthy look.

Colton Cowser, who made his MLB debut two weeks ago, will also have some playing time in center field. Although Cowser has made a splash with a few hits (like Thursdays sac fly against the Rays that put the Orioles solidly in first in the AL East), he still has some work to do at the plate.

 

Mullins’ injury may also mean the Orioles will make a trade or other moves before the deadline.

Tommy Pham (OF, NYM)

Joining Mullins in Groin Land is Tommy Pham. Pham was injured during a game on Thursday. He was replaced by Mark Canha.

Like Mullins, Pham has also been dealing with stubborn groin issues. Luckily, Pham had an MRI that showed no new damage to his wound. Buck Showalter announced Pham will be DTD at most (including yesterday’s game).

No need to make a big move right now if you have Pham.

Other Injuries

There were a lot of other folks that sustained injuries recently:

  • Kolby Allard (RP, ATL), shoulder nerve inflammation
  • Matt Barnes (RP, MIA), hip surgery
  • Zach Davies (RP, ARI), lower back inflammation
  • José De León (RP, MIN), Tommy John surgery- out for the season
  • Chris Devenski (RP, LAA), strained hamstring
  • Paolo Espino (RP, WSN), strained finger
  • Hunter Harvey (RP, WSN), strained elbow
  • Sam Hilliard (OF, ATL), heel contusion
  • Daniel Lynch (SP, KCR), strained shoulder
  • Jake Marisnick (OF, LAD), strained hamstring
  • Adrián Morejón (RP, SDP), knee inflammation
  • Kevin Newman (INF, CIN), gastritis
  • Ryan Noda (1B, OAK), fractured jaw
  • Yacksel Ríos (RP, OAK), Raynaud’s syndrome surgery- out for the season
  • Cole Waites (RP, SFG), sprained elbow

Finally, here are a few updates about how some players are progressing (or in some cases, not progressing) in the healing process. If there is one I missed that you want to know about, hit me up in the comments or on Twitter:

  • Yordan Álvarez (OF, HOU), rehab assignment delayed but he could return to the majors as soon as next week.
  • Nestor Cortes (SP, NYY), starting his rehab assignment this weekend.
  • Max Fried (SP, ATL), expected to start rehab soon (may have by the time you read this).
  • Andrew Kittredge (RP, TBR), rehab assignment for at least another week.
  • Frankie Montas (SP, NYY), throwing program on pause due to soreness.
  • Hyun-Jin Ryu (SP, TOR), one more rehab game, and if it goes well, he’s back, baby.

Until next week!

Thanks for stopping by Ambulance Chasers. How is the second half of your season looking? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter: @keelin_12ft.

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