This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Well this stinks. Sale cemented his status on the 2022 MLB All-Scar team after sustaining his second major bone-related injury of the year. After missing the first 87 games of the season with a stress fracture in his ribs, the Boston left-hander is expected to miss another prolonged stretch of time with a broken pinkie finger. The injury occurred when Sale was struck on his throwing hand by an Aaron Hicks' line drive. Sale immediately retreated from the field, and X-rays later confirmed the break.
The four fingers, excluding the thumb, are each made up of three individual bones known as the phalanges. The three phalanges form two interphalangeal joints between each bone with the proximal phalanx forming another joint with its corresponding metacarpal. Sale's injury involves the proximal phalanx, the bone closest to the hand. The Red Sox announced Monday that Sale did need surgery and underwent an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). The ORIF means an incision in the finger was made (open) and returned to its normal alignment (reduction) then stabilized with a surgical implant, likely a pin, screw and/or plates (internal fixation). The procedure ensures the injury heals appropriately with Sale likely out for at least four weeks. The pinkie isn't overly involved in pitching but will need to adequately heal to avoid creating any sort of cascade injury.
The Rays outfielder also suffered a hand fracture, breaking his right thumb after being struck by a fastball from Orioles pitcher
Well this stinks. Sale cemented his status on the 2022 MLB All-Scar team after sustaining his second major bone-related injury of the year. After missing the first 87 games of the season with a stress fracture in his ribs, the Boston left-hander is expected to miss another prolonged stretch of time with a broken pinkie finger. The injury occurred when Sale was struck on his throwing hand by an Aaron Hicks' line drive. Sale immediately retreated from the field, and X-rays later confirmed the break.
The four fingers, excluding the thumb, are each made up of three individual bones known as the phalanges. The three phalanges form two interphalangeal joints between each bone with the proximal phalanx forming another joint with its corresponding metacarpal. Sale's injury involves the proximal phalanx, the bone closest to the hand. The Red Sox announced Monday that Sale did need surgery and underwent an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). The ORIF means an incision in the finger was made (open) and returned to its normal alignment (reduction) then stabilized with a surgical implant, likely a pin, screw and/or plates (internal fixation). The procedure ensures the injury heals appropriately with Sale likely out for at least four weeks. The pinkie isn't overly involved in pitching but will need to adequately heal to avoid creating any sort of cascade injury.
The Rays outfielder also suffered a hand fracture, breaking his right thumb after being struck by a fastball from Orioles pitcher Jordan Lyles. It sounds like the break is nondisplaced and will not require surgery. However, the broken digit will be reevaluated in two weeks to determine the next step in treatment. Occasionally a malunion (improper healing) or non-union (failure to heal) forms at the fracture site, and surgery becomes necessary. If Ramirez can avoid these issues, than a return in four to five weeks is possible. If surgery ultimately is needed, look for his recovery window to be extended into the six- to eight-week realm.
The Angels outfielder is set to sit out the All-Star game due to an injury initially described as upper back spasms. The problem first surfaced on July 12, and Trout did not play in Los Angeles' next four games. If you are a frequent reader of my work here on Rotowire then you know how frustrating I think the back spasms designation can be. My annoyance with the term has to do with the fact that back spasms aren't an actual injury but the symptom of an underlying cause. Muscle injuries are usually the culprit that initiates the often-relentless pain-spasm-pain cycle as was the case with Miami's Jazz Chisholm who recently missed time after experiencing back spasms before hitting the injured list with a lower back strain.
In Trout's case, the issue is not a back strain but instead linked to his rib cage. The Angels announced Monday that Trout had been placed on the IL with left rib cage inflammation. While we are starting to get more details, this new "diagnosis" is equally frustrating. Like spasms, this term inflammation is more of a description of the injury than a diagnosis. Inflammation kind be linked to multiple things in the area, including a fracture or a condition known as costochondritis. Most of the possibilities take longer to heal than 10 days, so look for Trout to miss more than the minimal amount of time.
Check Swings
Andrew Heaney: I've received multiple questions about Heaney's injury status, and I have to say I remain skeptical at best. He's spent two separate stints on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Like discussed with Trout, inflammation is a symptom not an injury. Multiple injuries ranging from bursitis to tendinitis can result in inflammation in the shoulder, and the exact cause of Heaney's problem remains unclear. He has resumed a rehab assignment, but the early returns are not promising. In his first start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, Heaney allowed four runs on six hits, including two home runs, in 2.2 innings pitched. Given the poor production and lingering injury risk, I'm not sure he will be physically able to replicate his strong, albeit limited, start to the season.
Luis Robert: The White Sox outfielder will spend his All-Star break meeting with specialists to determine the reason for his recent bout with lightheadness and dizziness. It would be unfair to speculate on a possibly serious medical issue here. Hopefully encouraging news surfaces soon that Robert's issue is mild and easily treatable. The team does not currently plan on placing him on the IL.
Carlos Rodon: Like Trout, Rodon will not make an appearance in the All-Star game despite earning the nod. Rodon will sit after developing a blister and split fingernail on his middle finger. The two injuries are usually linked. In some cases, blisters can develop due to friction between the fingernail and the baseball. The fingernail can be trimmed to help reduce the chafing, but sometimes the nail will then split. Hopefully the extended time off will allow both issues to adequately heal, but I'll be keeping eye on his status coming out of the break to see if this will be a recurring issue.
Luis Severino: The Yankees right-hander will miss time after straining his right latissimus dorsi muscle. We discussed lat strain's earlier in the year following Freddy Peralta's injury. Located on the posterior aspect of the body, the lat is involved in multiple shoulder movements including extension and internal rotation. Lat strains are relatively common among pitchers, with the resulting time lost off linked to the degree of the strain. Peralta's injury was considered a more moderate strain and he has not pitched since late May. Fortunately, Severino's issue has been diagnosed as a low-grade strain though a three- to four-week recovery seems likely.
Trevor Story: While Sale's injury was a fracture, it appears Story avoided the same fate. The shortstop was placed on the IL after being hit by a pitch but, fortunately, the injury is being called a right hand contusion. The move will likely be backdated, and Story should be back in action for the second game of Boston's first series after the break.
