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Dr. Reuven's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 6 of the 2021 MLB season. His medical background helps analyze the injured MLB players and their recoveries.
There has been an injury trend that is hard to miss for the first month of the 2021 season. May has arrived and the injuries just keep piling up. There have been a lot of muscle/tendon sprains and strains to start the season. 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 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.
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.
I am a practicing physician's assistant in the state of New York in the fields of orthopedics and physical medicine/pain management. I have been treating patients with the same type of injuries that have been affecting athletes in a private practice setting for the past 16 years. Having this base of knowledge, it is easier to “predict” what the injury could be and how much time a player may miss. During the course of the season, I will continue to provide the latest injury updates with diagnoses and discuss the extent of injury and how long the player will be out. I will also be listing the “next man up” when it comes to playing time if the player will be out.
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Body Part Average Days on IL
The best reference for how long players are out for certain injuries would be the last full season, 2019. Below is a listing of how long players (broken down by hitters and pitchers) spent on the IL based on the type of injury.
HITTERS
Hamstring 29
Hand/Finger 46
Neck/Back 50
Oblique 35
Knee 84
Shoulder 62
Concussion 30
Groin/Hip 57
Wrist 35
Calf 49
Ankle 29
Quad 37
Foot/Toe 68
Elbow 45
Biceps/Arm 51
PITCHERS
Shoulder 51
Elbow 92
Arm 71
Back/Neck 37
Knee 53
Oblique 35
Hamstring 28
Finger 25
Biceps 75
Hip 56
Groin 24
Wrist 98
Pectoral 46
Foot/Toe 41
Calf 28
Injury "Guy"de for the week of May 2, 2021
Injured Players - New Listings
Marco Gonzales (SP, SEA) - Forearm - Gonzales was placed on the IL with a mild forearm strain. Severity is not yet known. He could miss at least a couple starts, probably longer than 10 days. Domingo Tapia was recalled. No starter was named to take his spot in the Mariners rotation yet.
Mike Yastrzemski (OF, SF) - Oblique - Yastrzemski was placed on IL retroactive to April 26 with a mild strain. MRI showed a mild oblique strain. Giants manager Gabe Kapler previously said he would miss five to six games. This means that there is a chance he returns when eligible. The recently acquired Mike Tauchman could fill in for now.
Kole Calhoun (OF, ARI) - Hamstring - Calhoun was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain, which occurred when he stole 3rd base earlier this week. Severity is not yet known. Calhoun hade missed time earlier this season after knee surgery. Daulton Varsho was called up and could see some time in the outfield for the Diamondbacks.
Ryan Weathers (SP, SD) - Arm - Weathers was removed from a game earlier this week with left arm soreness. Weathers had pitched a scoreless first inning but he was visited by the trainer while showing decreased velocity and was pulled after the inning. No word on severity.
Taylor Widener (SP, ARI) - Groin - Widener was placed on the IL with a right groin strain. He was placed on the IL on the day of his scheduled start, prior to his start. Severity is not yet known.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (SP, TOR) - Gluteus - Ryu was placed on the IL with a right glute strain. It's retroactive to April 26, but Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo is hopeful that Ryu will miss only one start. The Blue Jays have only 2 healthy starters left in their rotation- Steven Matz and Robbie Ray.
Yadier Molina (C, STL) - Foot - Molina was placed on the IL with a strained tendon in his right foot. He had missed 2 games over the weekend due to the injury. Severity is not known. Ali Sanchez was called up and should be the back up to Andrew Knizner behind the plate.
Matthew Boyd (SP, DET) - Knee - Boyd left his last start tendinitis in his left knee. Severity is not yet known and no word on how much time he may miss.
Injured Players - Updates
Cody Bellinger (1B/OF, LAD) - Calf - Bellinger was placed on the IL due to a left calf injury. He was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his left fibula. Bellinger is expected to start to face live pitching at the Dodgers alternate training site on April 29. He is eligible to return off of the IL on May 3rd but he may need to get some simulated games under his belt before he returns.
Dinelson Lamet (SP, SD) - Elbow - Lamet was on the IL recovering from an elbow injury. Lamet pitched two innings and then felt forearm discomfort/tightness. The Padres continue to publicly state that his elbow and forearm are structurally sound and he may possibly make a start over the weekend.
Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B, PIT) - Wrist - Hayes has been out since April 4 due to left wrist inflammation. He had been making progress at the team's alternate training site, but he aggravated his left wrist injury this week. Hayes was reexamined by a hand specialist and no new injury was noted. No new timeline for his return yet.
Nate Pearson (SP, TOR) - Groin - Pearson started the season on the IL with a groin injury. Pearson built up to fifty one pitches in his last rehab start and be activated as early as next week.
Max Fried (SP, ATL) - Hamstring - Fried was placed on the IL with a right hamstring strain which he injured while running the bases. Fried was scheduled to face hitters April 29 during a simulated game and he could be activated as early as May 4.
Christian Walker (1B, ARI) - Oblique - Walker was placed on the IL with a strained right oblique. He has taken batting practice a few times this week and could be activated some time over the next few days.
Ketel Marte (2B/OF, ARI) - Hamstring - Marte is on the IL with a hamstring strain. He continues to get treatment and has been taking batting practice. Marte also had a recent follow-up MRI that "showed healing."
Johnny Cueto (SP, SF) - Lat - Cueto was placed on the IL with a grade one lat strain. It was considered be a "low-level strain". However, Cueto was originally expected to miss two starts, his new timeline means he'll miss at least four. He's expected to advance to live batting practice next week.
Nomar Mazara (OF, DET) - Abdominal - Mazara was placed on the IL after suffering a left abdominal strain on a swing. Severity is not known. He is currently rehabbing and is expected back the second week in May.
Joakim Soria (RP, ARI) - Calf - Soria was placed on the IL with a calf strain. He has been pitching in rehab games and may return in the next few days.
Luke Voit (1B, NYY) - Knee - Voit is currently on the IL following knee surgery. Voit is beginning to take live at bats at the Yankees' alternate training site and could about seven to ten days away from activation. With the trade of Mike Tauchman, Mike Ford should continue to fill in at first base.
Stephen Strasburg (SP, WAS) - Shoulder - Strasburg is on the IL with a shoulder strain and inflammation. Strasburg could throw a bullpen session over the weekend. He may still require a simulated game or two.
Juan Soto (OF, WAS) - Shoulder - Soto was placed on the IL with a left shoulder strain. He says that he only feels pain when he throws the ball and not when swinging a bat. He has not yet begun to throw but recently began hitting again.
Christian Yelich (OF, MIL) - Back - Yelich was placed on the IL low back soreness. Yelich resumed hitting in the batting cage this week, beginning on Tuesday and played in a sim game on Thursday. The Brewers have been optimistic that he won't miss much more time.
Ross Stripling (SP, TOR) - Forearm - Stripling was placed on the IL with left forearm inflammation. Stripling has been improving and could this Sunday.
Brian Anderson (MIA, OF) - Oblique - Anderson was placed on the IL with a left oblique strain. Anderson is expected to be back when first eligible, May 1st.
Joc Pederson (CHC, OF) - Wrist - Pederson was placed on the IL with left wrist tendinitis retroactive to April 21. No MRI is currently scheduled and the hope is rest will do the trick. Pederson began taking batting practice this week. There is still no timetable for his return. Jake Marisnick will continue to fill in for him in the Chicago outfield.
Starling Marte (OF, MIA) - Rib - Marte was placed on the IL with a non-displaced fracture in his 12th rib seen on MRI. Healing time is usually about four to six weeks (or early June) Lewis Brinson was called up by the Marlins to help in the outfield.
Anthony Santander (OF, BAL) - Ankle - Santander was placed on the IL with a left ankle sprain. Manager Brandon Hyde said that Santander is improving but not to expect him back for another 3 weeks.
Miguel Sano (3B, MIN) - Hamstring - Sano was placed on the IL with a right hamstring injury. Sano is now running at close to 100% with full-speed baseball activities (fielding and live batting practice) being the next step for his return. Willians Astudillo has filled in at first base for the Twins.
Mike Soroka (SP, ATL) - Achilles - Soroka began the year on the IL following achilles surgery last year. While recovering he had a setback (shoulder injury) and Soroka was cleared to resume throwing this week. He is unlikely to be activated until mid June the earliest.
Elieser Hernandez (SP, MIA) - Biceps - Hernandez was placed on the IL after his first start of the season with biceps inflammation. Hernandez is expected to throw a bullpen session this week but there is no clear timeline for his return yet.
Carlos Carrasco (SP, NYM) - Hamstring - Carrasco is on the IL due to a hamstring injury since the start of the season. He was stretched out to five innings on Thursday. The Mets have targeted the second week of May for Carrasco's return. This would allow him one rehab start when the minor league season begins.
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