Welcome to the Injury Report! We are going to dive into the biggest names to hit the IL this past week.
Max Scherzer – Hamstring
Max Scherzer left his start early due to a hamstring issue. The Nationals are reporting that this was something that Scherzer pitched through during his start on 7/29 against the Blue Jays. I am not worried about this lingering for Scherzer, and he is expected to make his next start on Tuesday. Start him with confidence that he will be back to 100%.
Return Date: Tuesday 8/11
Josh Donaldson – Calf
Another year, another calf injury for Josh Donaldson. I was really hoping that the 34-year-old third basemen had put his calf issues behind him after last season. The Twins seem confident that Donaldson will return in short order, but I’m not too sure of that. We all know his injury history, and how could we expect that Donaldson will return without a hitch? I’m going to take the conservative stance and operate under the assumption that Donaldson will be out for a while before he is 100%.
Return Date: Late August-Early September
Giancarlo Stanton – Hamstring
Giancarlo Stanton suffered from a left hamstring injury on Sunday, landing him on the IL. Hamstring injuries are tricky, and I’m worried that this may keep Stanton out for a decent chunk of the season. He may only miss 10 days, but he could also be out for over a month. If I’m putting a time frame on it, I would guess that Stanton will be out for the next 15-20 days before he returns. Once he returns, Stanton shouldn’t be bothered by this injury. He will just have to allow enough time for healing.
Return Date: Late August-Early September
Mike Soroka – Achilles Rupture
Mike Soroka had his 2020 season come to an end last Monday after he ruptured his Achilles tendon. Soroka’s surgery was successful and he is expected to make a full recovery. We should expect to see Soroka on the mound again sometime between March and April of the 2021 season.
Return Date: Early part of 2021 season
Ozzie Albies – Wrist Contusion
Ozzie Albies was placed on the IL after suffering from a wrist contusion. This isn’t something that should linger around for long. The Braves are expecting Albies to need longer than the 10-day minimum, but I wouldn’t expect it to be more than a couple of days. When Albies does return, he should be 100% and should perform without any issues.
Return Date: August 17th – 20th
Yonny Chirinos – Triceps Inflammation
Yonny Chirinos was placed on the IL on Aug. 6 (retroactive for Aug. 3) with triceps inflammation. Chirinos hasn’t restarted throwing yet, but the Rays are expecting him to return this upcoming weekend. When Chirinos does return, I wouldn’t be worried about this impacting his performance. I think the Rays timeline is spot on, and I would expect Chirinos to make his start this weekend.
Return Date: Next 5-8 Days
Robinson Cano – Adductor Strain
Robinson Cano is expected to return from the IL following his adductor strain this weekend/early next week. Cano was off to a great start to the 2020 season, and once he returns this injury shouldn’t impact his performance.
Return Date: Next 4-7 Days
Rich Hill – Shoulder Inflammation
Rich Hill made it through all of one start before hitting the IL. Any time Hill hits the IL, I begin to worry about how long that stint will end up lasting. Hill will be out for two weeks or so, and he will attempt his comeback. Just like every year, Hill is a bag of mystery and we just don’t know how he will respond. He will bounce back and return to the mound, but it is hard to truly pin down. Once he returns, I just wouldn’t have the confidence he is able to stay healthy.
Return Date: Late August
Carlos Rodon – Shoulder Soreness
Carlos Rodon was placed on the IL with shoulder soreness. All the tests have come back negative for Rodon, and he is expected to return at the end of the month. The big drop in velocity during his last outing is alarming, and that is something to keep an eye on as he returns. The good news is that Rodon has already started throwing again, I would give him a “get right” start once he comes off the IL to make sure he is 100% before I put him in my lineup.
Return Date: End of August
Nick Madrigal – Separated Shoulder
Nick Madrigal was placed on the IL due to a separated left shoulder. As painful as that sounds, the White Sox expect Madrigal to return in early September. The key for Madrigal between now and when he returns will be getting his pain/inflammation down and restoring the stability in his shoulder. When he returns, I am worried about the power Madrigal will be able to generate. Madrigal’s gap power might take a hit for the rest of the season; it will just depend on the severity of the separation.
Return Date: Early September
Joe Musgrove – Ankle Injury
Joe Musgrove will not make his next scheduled start due to an ankle injury. I would expect Musgrove to only miss one start, and he shouldn’t be impacted by this moving forward.
Return Date: Next 5-7 Days
Ryan Braun – Finger Injury
Ryan Braun is set to return from the IL soon. If I had to guess it would be within the next 4-7 days. Once he returns, I would put him back in my lineup without hesitation. This injury shouldn’t impact his performance whatsoever.
Return Date: 4-7 Days
Madison Bumgarner – Back Spasms
If you happen to have Madison Bumgarner on your roster, you’ve probably noticed he only lasted 2 innings on Sunday. Decreased velo and lack of control could have been caused by the back spasms. We don’t know if this will land Bumgarner on the IL, but I would bet he misses one start at a minimum. But given his on-field performance and this recent bought of spasms, I bet Bumgarner is out longer.
Return Date: Early September
COVID-19 Injury List
| Player | Team | Date Reported | Return? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Blackmon | COL | 6/23 | Yes |
| Philip Diehl | COL | 6/23 | Yes |
| Ryan Castellani | COL | 6/23 | Yes |
| Hunter Bishop | SF | 6/29 | Yes |
| Delino DeShields | CLE | 7/3 | Yes |
| Miguel Sanó | MIN | 7/3 | Yes |
| Willians Astudillo | MIN | 7/3 | Yes |
| Nick Gordon | MIN | 7/3 | No |
| Edwar Colina | MIN | 7/3 | Yes |
| Tommy Pham | SD | 7/3 | Yes |
| Luis Madero | SF | 7/3 | Yes |
| Brett Martin | TEX | 7/3 | Yes |
| Freddie Freeman | ATL | 7/4 | Yes |
| Will Smith | ATL | 7/4 | Yes |
| Pete Kozma | ATL | 7/4 | Yes |
| Touki Toussaint | ATL | 7/4 | Yes |
| Josh Taylor | BOS | 7/4 | Yes |
| Darwinzon Hernández | BOS | 7/4 | Yes |
| Salvador Pérez | KC | 7/4 | Yes |
| DJ LeMahieu | NYY | 7/4 | Yes |
| Luis Cessa | NYY | 7/4 | Yes |
| Ricardo Sánchez | STL | 7/4 | No |
| Génesis Cabrera | STL | 7/4 | Yes |
| Junior Guerra | ARZ | 7/5 | Yes |
| Silvino Bracho | ARZ | 7/5 | No |
| Blake Cederlind | PIT | 7/5 | Yes |
| Socrates Brito | PIT | 7/5 | Yes |
| Elehuris Montero | STL | 7/5 | No |
| Kole Calhoun | ARZ | 7/6 | Yes |
| Angel Perdomo | MIL | 7/6 | No |
| Luis Urías | MIL | 7/6 | Yes |
| Joey Gallo | TEX | 7/6 | Yes |
| Brendan McKay | TB | 7/6 | Yes |
| Seth Beer | ARZ | 7/7 | Yes |
| Eduardo Rodríguez | BOS | 7/7 | No |
| Bobby Dalbec | BOS | 7/7 | Yes |
| Ryan O’Hearn | KC | 7/7 | Yes |
| Brad Keller | KC | 7/7 | Yes |
| Jesús Luzardo | OAK | 7/7 | Yes |
| Scott Kingery | PHI | 7/7 | Yes |
| Tommy Hunter | PHI | 7/7 | Yes |
| Mikie Mahtook | PHI | 7/7 | Yes |
| Jorge Mateo | SD | 7/8 | Yes |
| Jared Hughes | NYM | 7/8 | Yes |
| Daniel Norris | DET | 7/9 | Yes |
| Cam Gallagher | KC | 7/11 | Yes |
| Aroldis Chapman | NYY | 7/11 | Yes |
| Kenley Jansen | LAD | 7/12 | Yes |
| Wilfredo Tovar | MIN | 7/12 | Yes |
| Patrick Sandoval | LAA | 7/13 | Yes |
| Tyler Glasnow | TB | 7/14 | Yes |
| Anthony Santander | BAL | 7/15 | Yes |
| Derek Dietrich | CIN | 7/15 | Yes |
| Yoán Moncada | CWS | 7/16 | Yes |
| Matt Thaiss | LAA | 7/16 | Yes |
| Austin Meadows | TB | 7/16 | Yes |
| Yasiel Puig | FA | 7/17 | No |
| Nick Dini | KC | 7/17 | Yes |
| Daniel Tillo | KC | 7/17 | Yes |
| A.J. Pollock | LAD | 7/17 | Yes |
| Gregory Polanco | PIT | 7/17 | Yes |
| Fernando Abad | WSH | 7/17 | Yes |
| Dwight Smith Jr. | BAL | 7/18 | Yes |
| Isaac Paredes | DET | 7/18 | Yes |
| Alex Reyes | STL | 7/18 | Yes |
| José Martínez | TB | 7/18 | Yes |
| Julio Teherán | LAA | 7/19 | Yes |
| Ke’Bryan Hayes | PIT | 7/19 | Yes |
| Yoshihisa Hirano | SEA | 7/19 | Yes |
| Yonnny Chirinos | TB | 7/19 | Yes |
| Wil Crowe | WSH | 7/19 | Yes |
| Jakob Junis | KC | 7/20 | Yes |
| Dylan Moore | SEA | 7/20 | Yes |
| Jazz Chisholm | MIA | 7/21 | Yes |
| Hunter Dozier | KC | 7/22 | Yes |
| Randy Arozarena | TB | 7/23 | No |
| Juan Soto | WSH | 7/23 | Yes |
| Matt Davidson | CIN | 7/25 | Yes |
| Brad Brach | NYM | 7/25 | Yes |
| Jorge Alfaro | MIA | 7/26 | No |
| Garrett Cooper | MIA | 7/26 | No |
| Harold Ramírez | MIA | 7/26 | No |
| José Ureña | MIA | 7/26 | No |
| Miguel Rojas | MIA | 7/28 | No |
| Sandy Alcantara | MIA | 7/29 | No |
| Carlos Martínez | STL | 8/1 | No |
| Yadier Molina | STL | 8/4 | No |
| Paul DeJong | STL | 8/4 | No |
| Edmundo Sosa | STL | 8/4 | No |
| Rangel Ravelo | STL | 8/4 | No |
| Junior Fernández | STL | 8/4 | No |
| Kodi Whitley | STL | 8/4 | No |
| Ryan Helsley | STL | 8/7 | No |
| Austin Dean | STL | 8/7 | No |
| Lane Thomas | STL | 8/9 | No |
| Total Known Positives: 94 | |||
| In-Season Positives: 19 |
As always, if there is someone else you have a question about, leave me a comment or send me a tweet! I will get to them as I’m able to. Be sure to check back next week for the latest Injury Report!
Special thanks to Jon Becker (@jonbecker_ on Twitter) for his COVID-19 player list.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter)