Injury Report: May 18

Welcome to this week’s Injury Report! This week we have a star-filled report, so let’s get to it! 

 

Mike Trout – Calf Strain 

 

Mike Trout is expected to undergo an MRI for his calf strain today. Reports said that Trout was in pain after leaving the game, which could mean a longer absence than what we saw in 2019 when Trout only missed three games. The MRI might or might not tell us more, so don’t hold on to that news too much. This will come down to how Trout is feeling and responds to treatment. Expect a minor absence and possibly a short IL stint. 

Return Date: Late May 

Buy/Sell/Hold: Buy 

 

Zac Gallen – Elbow Sprain 

 

Zac Gallen was placed on the IL with a minor UCL sprain, according to Arizona manager Torey Lovullo. What does this mean? As it stands right now, Gallen will not need Tommy John, but that does not mean Tommy John will not be in his future. It could be this season, next season, or ten years from now. The likelihood that Gallen will need Tommy John has increased dramatically. Tommy John isn’t a guarantee (See Masahiro Tanaka), but this will be something that lingers in my mind moving forward for the rest of his MLB career. This will come down to your risk tolerance. This is the best-case scenario for Gallen but could turn into Tommy John at any point during the rest of the season. For me, my personal bias is to avoid elbow sprain pitchers. As Gallen is nearing his return or has a good start, I would be looking to sell. 

Return Date: Mid July (best guess) 

Buy/Sell/Hold: Sell

 

Jose Abreu – Ankle Inflammation 

 

At a minimum, Jose Abreu will miss the series against the Twins with ankle inflammation. We should not expect an IL stint for Abreu, and he should see him return to the lineup by the end of the week. 

Return Date: Next week

Buy/Sell/Hold: Buy 

 

Giancarlo Stanton – Quad Strain 

 

Another year, another Giancarlo Stanton soft tissue injury. Stanton hit the IL with a quad strain and does not have a timetable for his return. The Yankees are hoping he can return May 25th, but given Stanton’s injury history, he will likely miss more time. 

Return Date: Early June

Buy/Sell/Hold: Buy 

 

Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil – Hamstring Strains 

 

The New York Hamstring Strains have added two players to the IL. Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil both underwent MRIs and are waiting for second opinions on the severity. Until we update the severity of the strains, we will take the optimistic route with their return date prediction. 

Return Date: Late June/Early July 

Buy/Sell/Hold: Hold 

 

Corey Seager – Hand Fracture 

 

Expect Corey Seager to miss about two months with a hand fracture. Once Seager returns, his performance shouldn’t be impacted by this injury.  

Return Date: Mid/Late July

Buy/Sell/Hold: Buy 

 

Aaron Hicks – Wrist Tendon Injury 

 

Aaron Hicks will be on the IL for an extended period of time with torn tendon sheath in his wrist. Hicks and the Yankees are going to try conservative treatment and see how Hicks responds. Surgery is an option for Hicks at this point and is the worst-case scenario. The tendon sheath allows the tendon itself to move smoothly and helps the tendon avoid being irritated. Even if Hicks avoids surgery and makes a return sooner rather than later, this is still something that can linger around and impact his performance. I’m expecting Hicks to have the surgery, but if that is during the season or the off-season will be the biggest question. We will have to keep an eye on any updates the Yankees give us moving forward. As things stand right now, I’m not confident in Hicks’ ability to play through this and would be looking for a long-term replacement option.

Return Date: Late June (non-surgical) – Late August (Surgical) 

Buy/Sell/Hold: Sell 

 

Huascar Ynoa – Hand Fracture

 

Huascar Ynoa will be out for at least two months with a hand fracture. We won’t talk about how the fracture happened; that has been discussed at length by everyone in the industry. Once Ynoa returns, he should not be impacted by this injury, and if someone in your league is selling him at a discount, don’t be afraid to make a move. 

Return Date: Early August 

Buy/Sell/Hold: Buy 

 

Taijuan Walker – Left Side Tightness 

 

We should see Taijuan Walker hit the IL in the next day or so with left-side tightness. This likely won’t be a long-term absence for Walker, but hopefully, we get an update from the Mets in the next few days. 

Return Date: Early June 

Buy/Sell/Hold: Hold 

 

Ketel Marte – Hamstring Strain 

 

Ketel Marte started his rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno yesterday. With this news, we should expect Marte back in the next week or so. 

Return Date: 5-10 days 

Buy/Sell/Hold: Buy 

 

Thanks for reading! As always, if there is someone else you have a question about, leave me a comment or find me on Twitter (@Jake_Rob17). I will get to them as I’m able to. Be sure to check back next week for the latest injury report!

Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter).