Injury Report — 5/20

Hello and welcome to the Injury Report!

This roundup is a biweekly article, published on Mondays and Fridays, where I aim to detail approximately five relevant injuries that have occurred over the past few days or provide an update on the injury of a prominent MLB player. I will try to incorporate the available information as well as my own knowledge and experience to approximate a return date in each case, noting the individual characteristics of the injuries and of the players themselves.

If you have questions regarding an injury not detailed in this article, feel free to comment below, and I will give my best effort to provide a timely update.

 

Javier Baez – Right Heel Contusion

 

It seems odd that this would be classified as a heel contusion, as there doesn’t appear to be any impact on his heel on the final step of the play—perhaps he landed forcefully on it on the step prior. We will go with that for now, and hopefully it is an accurate appraisal of the injury. My concern is the twisting motion of his right foot after the final step of the play causing excessive force on his Achilles tendon, which would bruise similar to a contusion but have a much worse recovery timetable.

Estimated return: With a heel contusion, should be able to return in the middle of this week.

 

Masahiro Tanaka – Right Shin Contusion

 

Masahrio Tanaka left his Saturday start early after a come-backer struck him on his right shin. Tanaka was seen walking without a limp Sunday and appears as though he will be ready to make his next start. That decision will likely come on Tuesday, which is the last date that the Yankees could assign him a retroactive IL stint which dates back to Saturday.

Estimated return: Potential to miss one start, but likely to make his next scheduled start this week. 

 

George Springer – Low Back Stiffness

 

George Springer was removed from Sunday’s game due to low back stiffness and is currently considered day-to-day. Manager A.J. Hinch has already stated that Springer will not play Monday; this is a contrast from the Astros injuries of the past, where they typically provide optimistic reports. If this doesn’t clear up quickly for Springer, he could see some time on the IL.

Estimated return: Late this week or early next week.

 

Yasiel Puig – Right Shoulder Sprain

 

Yasiel Puig has been diagnosed with a right shoulder sprain after jumping into the crowd to make a catch on Sunday. It is unclear which structure is sprained and no grade of sprain has been provided. The injury occurred when Puig fell on his right shoulder and not while attempting to reach over the wall with his left upper extremity. Reports state that Puig is likely to avoid the IL, but I don’t feel that is an accurate expectation. It is likely that we’re faced with a two-to-four week timetable, likely on the four-week end of the timetable.

Estimated return: Mid-June.

 

Mike Clevinger – Right Teres Major Strain

 

Mike Clevinger continues his progression towards a return to game action and is expected to throw two to three more bullpens this week. Clevinger is on the IL until June 7th, but will likely not be ready at this point anyway. If he continues to progress, he could embark on a rehab assignment in the beginning of June, which I anticipate will be approximately three weeks. A return around late-June is looking likely at this time.

Estimated return: Late-June.

Graphic by Michael Haas (@digitalHaas on Twitter)