This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The MLB is facing a power outage after the home run leaders in both the AL and NL hit the injured list with injuries over the last week. The loss of both Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso will leave the New York teams with massive holes in their lineups while Houston will also need to replace the bat of Yordan Alvarez, the MLB RBI leader, after he sustained an injury of his own.
The Yankees outfielder was placed on the IL after his big toe injury was officially diagnosed as a sprain. Last week I suggested Judge may have suffered turf toe when he collided with the outfield wall, and this new label further strengthens my argument. Turf toe is simply another name for a sprain of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint of the big toe. Earlier this season Miami's Jazz Chisholm suffered a similar injury when he too collided with the outfield wall.
While its encouraging that there does not appear to be an associated fracture of the toe, sprains in the big toe can be nagging injuries and easily aggravated. As a result, a lengthy recovery is often required. For example, Chisholm has yet to return since suffering his injury in mid-May. The Yankees have not provided an expected timeline for Judge, simply saying he will miss at least a week.
In attempt to facilitate healing, Judge has received a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection into the toe. To begin, a sample of the injured athlete's
The MLB is facing a power outage after the home run leaders in both the AL and NL hit the injured list with injuries over the last week. The loss of both Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso will leave the New York teams with massive holes in their lineups while Houston will also need to replace the bat of Yordan Alvarez, the MLB RBI leader, after he sustained an injury of his own.
The Yankees outfielder was placed on the IL after his big toe injury was officially diagnosed as a sprain. Last week I suggested Judge may have suffered turf toe when he collided with the outfield wall, and this new label further strengthens my argument. Turf toe is simply another name for a sprain of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint of the big toe. Earlier this season Miami's Jazz Chisholm suffered a similar injury when he too collided with the outfield wall.
While its encouraging that there does not appear to be an associated fracture of the toe, sprains in the big toe can be nagging injuries and easily aggravated. As a result, a lengthy recovery is often required. For example, Chisholm has yet to return since suffering his injury in mid-May. The Yankees have not provided an expected timeline for Judge, simply saying he will miss at least a week.
In attempt to facilitate healing, Judge has received a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection into the toe. To begin, a sample of the injured athlete's blood is extracted and broken down in a centrifuge. A protein-concentrated mixture is removed from the sample and re-injected into the athlete at the injury site. The PRP mixture is highly concentrated with the primary component of blood responsible for clotting known as platelets. By increasing the platelet count the belief is the body's natural healing response will be stimulated and work more efficiently.
Billy McKinney has replaced Judge on the roster with Willie Calhoun seeing a boost in playing time. McKinney has hit safely in five straight games, while Calhoun has homered in two of his last three games played.
The Mets sluggers hit the IL with a bone bruise and sprain in his left wrist. The injury occurred when Alonso was struck by a Charlie Morton fastball, and a CT scan and MRI taken Thursday revealed the nature of the injury. While it is encouraging a fracture was not uncovered, bone bruises heal in a similar fashion and need time to adequately heal. Look for him to return on the latter end of the provided three- to four-week recovery window. Mark Canha received the first crack at first base and has gone 4-for-11 with one run and a RBI since Alonso hit the IL.
The Astros acted quickly placing Alvarez on the injured less than 24 hours after he reported "discomfort" in his oblique area. The quick designation suggests Alvarez is managing at least a mild strain with the results of additional testing yet to be revealed.
Oblique strains are a common occurrence in baseball, though the muscle itself is more complex than most people realize. The obliques sit on both sides of the rib cage and are separated into two groups: the external obliques and the internal obliques. The muscles on one side contract with the opposite group on the opposite side to complete trunk rotation. The positioning and activity level leave the muscles vulnerable to injury with all the movements required to play baseball.
The good news is oblique strains often heal well if allotted the appropriate amount of time, and Alvarez doesn't have a history of injury to the area. He should be fine when he is cleared to return, though that may not come until the end of June.
Check Swings
Jacob deGrom: The Rangers big offseason acquisition lasted just six starts, as the former Cy Young winner will undergo Tommy John surgery to address damage to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing elbow. While he no longer carries fantasy value for the remainder of the season, his keeper or dynasty value remains less clear. A firm timeline will come into focus after surgery, as the exact surgical technique will remain in question until the operation has begun. Since deGrom has previously torn his UCL, he may just need a revision instead of another reconstruction. Look for more information to surface following his surgery.
Vinnie Pasquantino: The Royals placed Pasquantino on the IL with right shoulder discomfort that is now being called right shoulder instability. Instability in the shoulder is often the result of an injury to the labrum, the cartilage ring designed to maintain the integrity of the glenohumeral joint. The time lost will be dictated by the necessary recovery route. If Pasquantino opts for the conservative approach, he will spend the next few weeks building up the muscles surrounding his shoulder to offset any underlying issues with the labrum. However, should any labrum tearing be significant or in a particular pattern, season-ending surgery may be needed. He's slated to undergo an MRI on Monday that should help provide clarity of the necessary next steps.
Jorge Polanco: Polanco is back on the IL with a hamstring strain less than two weeks after returning from another hammy injury. The new injury is on the same leg, but in a different area and reportedly more severe. This is surprisingly common in these types of injuries, and now Polanco is looking at another extended absence. His initial injury cost him two weeks, suggesting this latest setback could keep him out well into July. Edouard Julien will take over at second base for Minnesota.
Noah Syndergaard: A blister was the listed reason for Syndergaard's placement on the IL, but the move was also made to provide him with a mental break and a chance to regroup. Syndergaard currently carries a 7.16 ERA and just three quality starts in 12 starts. He will be brought back slowly with a late June return a likely best-case scenario.
