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Dr. Reuven's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 13 of the 2021 MLB season. His medical background helps analyze the injured MLB players and their recoveries.
We are now almost three months into the 2021 season. We have passed the 60-game mark, the length of the 2020 MLB season. There continues to be an uptick in injuries this year especially because of the broken/unusual offseason the players had, the stopping and going from last year and the return to the daily grind of this year’s 162-game schedule.
Baseball has seen the rate of injury continue to rise over the past few years. In fantasy, if someone is not in the medical field, it is hard to gauge how long a player will be out and whether they need to be replaced in a lineup. Sometimes this could mean playing a dead roster spot and losing the opportunity to have a full week of stats. Watching a play and watching the mechanism of injury can say a lot about the type of injury that has been sustained.
We continue to see a large amount of soft tissue injuries. These injuries include oblique, groin, hamstring, and back injuries. Not all of the injuries are the same for each player and should be treated and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. They should not all be lumped together. Key words to listen for while getting updates on these injuries include what grade the strain is to determine how severe it is. That is the best way to help evaluate how long that player will be out for.
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Injured Players - New Listings
Jacob deGrom- (SP, NYM)- deGrom left his last start after three innings with a sore shoulder. The MRI on his right shoulder was examined by a two doctors who both say that they are not concerned with the issue. DeGrom's MRI revealed no structural damage Thursday, and the team had the results examined by two doctors out of an abundance of caution. The Mets are hopeful that the right-hander won't require a trip to the IL. He is going through his typical routine between starts.
Tyler Glasnow- (SP, TB)- Glasnow was placed on the IL after an MRI revealed a partial UCL tear as well as a flexor strain in his right elbow. UCL tears frequently lead to Tommy John surgery, though the plan for now is for Glasnow to rest rather than undergo a surgical procedure. He was placed on the sixty day IL and could possibly return in September.
Alex Bregman- (3B, HOU)- Bregman was placed on the IL with a left quad strain. Severity is not yet known. Abraham Toro should see increased time at third for the Astros.
Jean Segura- (2B, PHI)- Segura is on the IL with a left groin strain. It is a Grade 1 strain and he may miss as much as three weeks. Nick Maton, Brad Miller and Luke Williams should see more playing time for the Phillies with his absence.
Adam Eaton- (OF, CHW)- Eaton was placed on the IL with a strained right hamstring, retroactive to June 15. Severity is not yet known. Brian Goodwin and Jake Lamb will see more time in the outfield for the White Sox.
Matthew Boyd- (SP, DET)- Boyd was placed on the IL with left arm discomfort . He will be further evaluated soon to get a better idea as to the severity of the injury. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had suggested that Boyd could be in line for a stint on the IL with a suspected triceps issue. "We're gonna have to figure out some things," Hinch said, when talking about his replacement.
Max Scherzer- (SP, WAS)- Scherzer was placed on the IL with a groin injury. MRI showed inflammation, but not a muscle strain. Rest is the way to go and he may be on the IL for a short period of time, possibly as little as one to two starts.
Shane Bieber- (SP, CLE)- Bieber was placed on the IL with a right shoulder strain. Manager Terry Francona said that Bieber will be shut down from throwing for two weeks and re-evaluated after that. They will have a better timetable for his return once he's able to resume throwing. Kyle Nelson was called up, but Cleveland hasn't yet announced who will take Bieber's place in their rotation.
Andrew Benintendi- (OF, KC)- Benintendi was placed on the IL today with a hairline right rib fracture. Usually, it takes about three to five weeks for this type of fracture to heal but it could linger as was the case with Aaron Judge a few years ago. Apparently he sustained it while making a throw and had felt fine prior his placement on the IL. Jarrod Dyson and Edward Olivares could see more playing time for the Royals.
Michael Pineda- (SP, MIN)- Forearm- Pineda was placed on the IL with right forearm tightness. Pineda could throw a bullpen session the next few days, manager Rocco Baldelli told MLB.com. Pineda is travelling with the team on the current road trip, which may be a sign he's making progress. Pineda was removed from Sunday's game against the Astros due to right forearm tightness.
Rafael Dolis- (RP, TOR)- Finger- Dolis was placed on the IL with a finger strain. He left Wednesday’s game after just four pitches with “no sensation in his hand.” Further evaluation to come.
Injured Players - Updates
Nick Madrigal- (2B, CHW)- Madrigal suffered a proximal aspect tear of his right hamstring and is now on the 60-day IL. He had surgery to repair it and is done for the year. Danny Mendick and Leury Garcia should see increased time at second base going forward.
Stephen Strasburg- (SP, WAS)- Strasburg was placed on the IL with a neck strain. Strasburg has not yet resumed throwing but has been doing lower-body workouts only. He met with a specialist and is scheduled for a follow up meeting. Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic said on my podcast, Beat the Shift, this week that the lack of news coming out of Washington is concerning and she would not be surprised if he missed the remainder of the year.
Kyle Lewis- (OF, SEA)- Lewis was placed on the IL with a meniscus tear in his right knee. Lewis had surgery on his right meniscus and does not yet have a timetable to return.
Michael Kopech- (RP, CHW)- Kopech has been placed on the IL with a strained left hamstring, retroactive to May 28. Kopech tested his injured hamstring by throwing off a mound this past week. There is no timetable for return yet.
Corey Seager- (SS, LAD)- Seager is currently on the IL after fracturing the fifth metacarpal on his right hand. This is known as a Boxer's fracture. Seager is expected to hit in Arizona this weekend and begin his rehab assignment late next week.
Didi Gregorius- (SS, PHI)- Gregorius was placed on the IL with a right elbow impingement. Gregorius is on a rehab assignment and should be ready to be activated from the IL soon.
George Springer- (OF, TOR)- Springer was placed on the IL with a right quadriceps strain. He had a similar injury while rehabbing his earlier oblique injury. Springer "felt great" after appearing in a rehab game, and played five innings in the field.
Nick Senzel- (2B, CIN)- Senzel is on the IL following left knee surgery. Reds manager David Bell said that he anticipates Senzel could return from the IL in mid-July. Senzel was placed on the sixty day IL and the earliest he could return now is July 17.
Mike Soroka- (SP, ATL)- Soroka is on the IL following Achilles surgery last year. Soroka said exploratory surgery on his Achilles confirmed his discomfort was caused by his body rejecting the sutures in his Achilles. This has rarely happened. He is still in a boot and it will take time to regain calf strength. There is still no timetable for his return.
Luke Voit- (NYY, 1B)- Voit is on the IL with an oblique strain. He is currently on a rehab assignment and hopes to return this Tuesday.
Cody Bellinger- (1B, LAD)- Bellinger is on the IL with a left hamstring strain. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said this week that he is optimistic that Bellinger will be ready to return from the IL when first eligible this Tuesday, June 22.
Max Muncy- (1B/2B, LAD)- Muncy is on the IL with an oblique strain. He is now pain-free and remains on track for a minimum stay on the IL with a possible return this Tuesday.
Mike Moustakas- (2B, CIN)- Moustakas is on the IL with a right heel contusion. Moustakas was on a rehab assignment but began experiencing soreness in a game. He has returned to Cincinnati for further evaluation.
Adbert Alzolay- (SP, CHC)- Alzolay was placed on the IL with a blister on his right middle finger. Blisters are tricky because if they are not given time to heal properly, it could end up being an issue that could pop up again. Alzolay threw a bullpen this week and could be activated from the IL over the weekend.
Sonny Gray- (SP, CIN)- Gray was placed on the IL with a right groin strain. Gray is expected to miss at least two more turns through the Cincinnati rotation.
Alex Dickerson- (OF, SF)- Dickerson was placed on the IL with an upper back strain. He is expected to be activated over the weekend.
Byron Buxton- (OF, MIN)- Buxton is on the IL with a Grade 2 hip strain. Buxton will be activated from the IL when he can achieve his typical sprint speed. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Buxton won't play until "he's able to sprint like he can sprint."
J.D. Davis- (3B, NYM)- Davis is on the IL due to a torn ligament in a finger on the his left hand. Davis is swinging a bat again and hopes to begin a rehab assignment within the next couple weeks. Assuming he has no further setbacks, Davis could rejoin the Mets' lineup in early July.
Franmil Reyes- (DH, CLE)- Reyes has been on the IL since May 23 with a left internal oblique strain. Reyes could begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week.
Jose Quintana- (SP, LAA)- Quintana is on the IL with left shoulder inflammation/discomfort. Quintana is currently throwing bullpen sessions and may begin a rehab assignment soon.
Michael Conforto- (OF, NYM)- Conforto is currently on the IL with a hamstring strain. He began his rehab assignment this week and could be back to the Mets lineup by the end of next week.
Eloy Jimenez- (OF, CHW)- Jimenez is on the IL following a surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle. He has been cleared to begin participating in baseball activities at the White Sox's spring training complex. The soonest he could start a rehab assignment is in about thirty days.
Chris Sale- (SP, BOS)- Sale is on the IL rehabbing for Tommy John surgery last year. Manager Alex Cora was impressed with Sale during a recent bullpen session. Cora expressed strong optimism when talking about the bullpen, but also hinted at the fact that he still has a ways to go before he's back in the Red Sox rotation, saying, "We need to not get too excited... but it was just that good." Cora's comments indicate a July return to the Red Sox continues to be a realistic possibility.
Luis Severino- (SP, NYY)- Severino is currently on the IL rehabbing from Tommy John surgery last year. Manager Aaron Boone said this week that Severino suffered a Grade 2 groin strain during his rehab stint. The Yankees were hoping to have him back by the end of June, but the groin injury will delay his return by about a month.
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