This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
In last week's column, I discussed the unique injury of White Sox outfielder Luis Robert. The emerging star is slated to miss a majority of the season with a Grade III tear of his hip flexor. Now, less than a week later, I'm revisiting the issue, as the Twins lost their All-Star outfielder to a comparable injury that occurred in an eerily similar fashion.
Buxton also suffered a hip flexor strain running down the baseline, though his ailment has received a Grade II classification. As mentioned with Robert, a Grade II strain is often referred to as a partial tear. In these injuries, individual fibers that make up the muscle and tendon tissue fail, though the muscle remains intact at some level. Grade II injuries don't often require a trip to the operating room but do need a substantial amount of time to adequately heal. Minnesota is anticipating Buxton to miss "weeks" recovering, and a cautious approach to recovery will be critical in preventing a recurrence or aggravation of the injury. Don't be surprised if Buxton's absence extends into June. Look for Max Kepler to see more time in centerfield.
The Mets ace was putting together yet another Cy Young-caliber season before injury derailed those plans. DeGrom's initial complaint was tightness and inflammation in his right latissimus dorsi (lat). He was scratched from one start but avoided the injured list. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish his first start back after developing tightness in his
In last week's column, I discussed the unique injury of White Sox outfielder Luis Robert. The emerging star is slated to miss a majority of the season with a Grade III tear of his hip flexor. Now, less than a week later, I'm revisiting the issue, as the Twins lost their All-Star outfielder to a comparable injury that occurred in an eerily similar fashion.
Buxton also suffered a hip flexor strain running down the baseline, though his ailment has received a Grade II classification. As mentioned with Robert, a Grade II strain is often referred to as a partial tear. In these injuries, individual fibers that make up the muscle and tendon tissue fail, though the muscle remains intact at some level. Grade II injuries don't often require a trip to the operating room but do need a substantial amount of time to adequately heal. Minnesota is anticipating Buxton to miss "weeks" recovering, and a cautious approach to recovery will be critical in preventing a recurrence or aggravation of the injury. Don't be surprised if Buxton's absence extends into June. Look for Max Kepler to see more time in centerfield.
The Mets ace was putting together yet another Cy Young-caliber season before injury derailed those plans. DeGrom's initial complaint was tightness and inflammation in his right latissimus dorsi (lat). He was scratched from one start but avoided the injured list. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish his first start back after developing tightness in his side and lower back.
The lat is one of the longest muscles of the human body and extends from the lower back and hip, up across the ribs, before finally anchoring to the humerus near the shoulder joint. This positioning allows the muscle to play an active role in back and shoulder motion. The Mets have stated this new problem is more in deGrom's lower back, but, based on the arrangement of the muscle, it is hard to tell if this is a new injury or an aggravation of his preexisting issue. It's seems highly probable the two injuries are, at the very worst, linked. As a result, allotting time for recovery is key to insuring deGrom's problems don't continue down his kinetic chain. He has already been placed on the 10-day IL, and the team seems optimistic he will be back quickly. However, those invested in the right-hander should anticipate this extending beyond the initial 10 days with a multiweek absence more likely.
The Blue Jays offseason acquisition has been limited to just four games played as he continues to battle a nagging quadriceps strain. Springer initially strained the muscle group in early April while rehabbing an oblique strain. He returned on April 28 before aggravating the quad injury three days later.
Muscle strains, especially those that involve dynamic muscle groups like the quadriceps or hamstrings, have a very delicate healing process. When the injury occurs, the body attempts to repair the injury site, building up scar tissue that will eventually take on similar properties of the injured tissue. Unfortunately, this final phase of healing takes a considerable amount of time and may not be complete when the player starts feeling better. The still-healing tissue is not as strong as healthy muscle and is easily disrupted when the player attempts an explosive movement. When the injury site is re-injured or aggravated, the healing process must restart, once again preventing the athlete from playing.
Springer is looking at another extended absence, and the team admitted they expect him to be sidelined beyond the initial 10 days. Jonathan Davis has been recalled by the Blue Jays and will serve as insurance behind Lourdes Gurriel, Randal Grichuk and Teoscar Hernandez.
Check Swings
Ronald Acuna: Another week, another player hit by a pitch. Thankfully Acuna's run-in with a stray fastball did not fracture his pinkie finger but instead left him with a more manageable bruise. The pinkie isn't overly involved in gripping a bat, and Acuna should be fine moving forward.
Ke'Bryan Hayes: The Pirates moved Hayes to the 60-day IL despite the fact that the 24-year-old is reportedly making progress in his recovery from a wrist injury. The move is likely procedural to allow for roster flexibility but does suggest Pittsburgh was always prepared for him to miss a substantial amount of time, despite their ongoing optimism. He remains at least a few weeks away.
Colin Moran: Hayes' teammate was also placed on the IL after he suffered a groin strain while attempting to convert a double play. The team has yet to release specifics regarding the strain but if you take anything away from this week's column, I hope it is that lower extremity strains must be handled cautiously. Look for Moran t o miss 10 to14 days if the injury is eventually revealed to be a low-grade strain, and more time if it is ruled a more moderate or severe issue.
Anthony Rendon: It's not all doom-and-gloom this week, as Rendon appears to be nearing a return. The Angels infielder has not played since fouling a ball off his left knee, resulting in a contusion. He has made steady progress over the past few days and could be activated as soon as Friday. Keep an eye on his availability throughout the week ahead.
Christian Yelich: The Brewers outfielder has yo-yoed in and out of the active lineup this year due to persistent back troubles. His most recent return lasted one game, and he is now back on the IL. Given how problematic Yelich's back has been, I'm betting he doesn't even swing a bat for at least a week, and a June return is looking like a best-case scenario.
Javier Baez: Baez has been battling tightness in his back and did not start Sunday's game against the Pirates. He did make an appearance as a pinch hitter, suggesting the decision to hold him out was precautionary in nature. However, Yelich's situation should serve as a reminder that back issues can be fickle, and Baez may need another rest day or two if the issue flares up again. Keep your fingers crossed that Monday's off day was enough to get him back on the field.
