Ambulance Chasers: What’s Eating Gilbert’s Elbow?

We are back and so are the injuries, sadly. There is no rest for the wicked baseball gods who deem us unworthy of love and happiness. There have been a slew of injuries since my last post two weeks ago (apologies for the delay) and I covered all the relevant ones I can remember in this span. If there were any missed, feel free to yell at me in the comments or on Twitter/X @RotoSurgeon.

Injuries to Monitor

Logan Gilbert (SP, SEA) Elbow

Our beautiful ace, Logan Gilbert is injured for the first time in his career, and we should be very concerned. While this injury was only marked as a “Grade 1” flexor sprain it is always closer to the worst-case scenario when an elbow injury occurs, given the nature of the ligaments there and the general strain of pitching.

The Mariners are optimistic that Gilbert could be ready for a return around the end of May, but given that he is being shut down from throwing for two full weeks, it could be closer to mid-June for a return, and that’s if no setback occurs.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. (3B, NYY) Oblique

The Yankees announced that Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be out for 4-6 weeks due to a high-grade oblique strain. Obliques are brutal injuries to return from, given that they are easily re-aggravated after an initial injury and even if healed, can cause major issues. There is no knowing the mental lapses that can occur player-to-player with injuries like this.

However, it is worth noting that more often than not, players typically struggle for a period after significant oblique issues, and Chisholm Jr. does not have much of a margin for error given that he is slashing .181/.304/.410 this season.

Triston Casas (1B, BOS) Knee

Triston Casas is out for the season due to a torn patellar tendon. The return timeline for an injury like this is 8-12 months, which suggests that he could miss parts of the 2026 season as well. Casas has struggled this season but was showing signs of improvement with his strikeout rate cut to a career-low 24.1%.

Unfortunately, by the time he returns, he will be several years removed from his breakout 2023 season, where he hit 24 home runs while batting .263. It is likely best to avoid Casas going forward until he can put together a healthy, productive stretch.

Tommy Edman (2B, LAD) Ankle

The Dodgers LIED to us recently, and I am peeved. We were informed that Edman’s ankle issue from a few games ago was nbd (no big deal for the uninformed) and that he should be back for this weekend’s games…NOT. Edman is on IL now, and the corresponding move was fun for once.

We have a HYESEONG KIM sighting! Pick him up where you can because this boy can scoot (13 SB in 28 MiLB games) and occasionally hit. Not to be mixed up with Hae-seong Kim of the Tampa Bay Rays, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, but also worth a pickup when he’s back up. Give me all the Seong Kims.

Corey Seager (SS, TEX) Hamstring

The star shortstop’s return is imminent and much needed for a Rangers roster that just demoted offseason trade acquisition Jake Burger. The 2023 World Series champions rank sixth-worst offensively and need all the help they can get. Corey Seager was rolling to start the season with four home runs and a .416 xwOBA, but may take a few games to get back to form. Expect his bat to cause a domino effect for this talented offense stuck in the mud.

Justin Martinez (RP, ARI) Shoulder

The Arizona Diamondbacks are calling Justin Martinez’s IL stint a result of his “ramp up” after experiencing shoulder soreness two weeks ago. This is extremely odd and concerning given that his velocity was down just over four miles per hour on his sinker in his most recent outing (which was cut short due to him allowing three straight baserunners and not getting a single out).

While the team seems optimistic given that there was no structural damage via MRI, it is best to move on to Kevin Ginkel (who is also returning from a shoulder issue) or Shelby Miller (who earned the most recent save). My money is on Ginkel as the long-term option given that he has been entrusted with the ninth more in his career.

Eury Perez (SP, MIA) Elbow

The Marlins are preparing Eury Perez for a return to the majors following Tommy John Surgery. He will be rehabbing in the minors throughout May and could return as soon as June if all goes as planned. The hard-throwing Perez is a potential ace at full strength and worth stashing given his level of talent and early showing in the minors thus far.

Tyler O’Neill (OF, BAL) Neck

Tyler O’Neill’s neck has been a lingering issue this season, and this IL stint may be a blessing in disguise. The Orioles’ “big” offseason acquisition looked like he was going to provide a great return after his (typical) Opening Day showing, but has been nonexistent since.

O’Neill is slashing .177/.232/.306 since March 28th with a horrible 4.3% walk rate to match his poor, but typical 30.4% strikeout rate. If O’Neill returns and continues to look like the 2022-2023 Cardinals version of himself rather than the stellar 2024 Red Sox version, he is not worth rostering in fantasy outside of the deepest leagues.

Austin Hays (OF, CIN) Hamstring

Austin Hays began the season on IL due to a calf injury and is back with a hamstring issue. Hays tweaked his leg while running the bases, yet we do not know the severity of this injury. Given the frustrating nature of hamstrings, this could be anywhere from a minimal stint to over a month. With five HR and a .365 average thus far, Hays has hit too well in his new home to drop and is worth a fantasy IL spot if you have any left (or can fit in over a lesser offensive player).

Cole Ragans (SP, KC) Groin

The Royals are planning on starting Ragans this coming Monday after he dealt with a groin issue in his most recent outing. Ragans’ ERA has ballooned to an uncanny 4.40 thus far but is backed by a 2.57 xFIP and 2.39 SIERA. He still has the stuff of an ace despite recent results and is worth trading for in all formats if possible. The risk of re-injury is lessened given the skipped start, and we should expect a bounceback ASAP.

Blake Snell (SP, LAD) Shoulder

The Dodgers are ramping Blake Snell back up after placing him on IL with a shoulder injury. The star SP is expected to play catch next week and begin his rehab process but is nowhere close to a return. We can expect to be Blake Snell-less for the entirety of May and likely through most of June given the nature of shoulder issues, especially for a pitcher as valuable as Snell with his injury history.