Hello and welcome to the Injury Report!
This roundup is a bi-weekly 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. I fell behind on some questions from earlier this week so I have made sure to include those players in today’s report.
Mitch Haniger – Groin Injury
Mitch Haniger continued his minor league rehab assignment after a day off due to general soreness (not related to the injury). Haniger will return in the last week of August or the first week of September.
Estimated return: Late August or early September
Pablo Lopez – Right Shoulder Strain
Pablo Lopez will likely return early next week as he finishes up his rehab assignment. Lopez has featured uneven performances during that stint and may not be quite at his pre-injury level when he returns.
Estimated return: Late August
Corey Kluber – Internal Oblique Strain
Corey Kluber sustained an oblique strain in the course of his rehab from a fractured ulna in his right arm. Unfortunately this may end up ending Kluber’s season—at least for fantasy purposes. Kluber will be re-evaluated in early September but will still have a ways to go to return to a major league mound even if he is able to resume throwing at that point (which is not guaranteed).
Estimated return: 2019 season in jeopardy,;look for an update in early September
Carlos Correa – Back Discomfort
Carlos Correa is on the IL due to back discomfort. The plan as the Astros have outlined is to have Correa begin a rehab assignment in the first week of September and return to the Astros lineup the following week. Correa has battled back issues in the past, though, and an MRI did not show any structural damage.
Estimated return: Second week of September
Austin Riley – LCL Injury
Austin Riley is set to begin a rehab assignment and is on track to return to the Braves in early September.
Estimated return: Early September
Tommy La Stella – Right Tibia Fracture
Tommy La Stella has been jogging and completing mild exercises, though no timetable has been outlined by the Angels staff, and a rehab assignment does not appear to be on the horizon. We’re presently at about severn weeks of recovery, which is on the long end of the timetable for a tibial fracture. La Stella needs to get going in the next week or so to have a shot to return for the end of the fantasy baseball season.
Estimated return: Mid- to late September
If there is a player on whom you would like information who I have not detailed in this article, please comment below, and I will reply as I am able.
Featured image by Michael Haas (@digitalHaas on Twitter)
Any word on Encarnacion?