This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The Texas Rangers
It was a tough week for key contributors in Texas' lineup and rotation. The issues first surfaced when starter Jon Gray was struck on the shin by a comebacker off the bat of Yandy Diaz. Fortunately, X-rays on the area were negative and Gray's injury was ultimately diagnosed as a left shin contusion. The injury is clearly a minor problem, as the Rangers announced Gray will actually pitch Monday, a day earlier than expected, to provide teammate Nathan Eovaldi an extra bit of rest and recuperation. There have been no noted injury concerns for Eovaldi though his velocity has been down in his recent outings.
Three innings after Gray was beaned, Adolis Garcia was struck on the elbow by a stray Kevin Kelly pitch. The rogue pitch stuck Garcia directly on the elbow pad and he was immediately removed from the game. Like Gray, X-rays were negative, and Garcia failed to miss any time. Unfortunately, Garcia's return was short-lived as he was again struck by a fastball, this time at the hands of Bobby Miller. The ball connected with Garcia's right hand, and he did not play Sunday against the Dodgers. His X-rays were once again negative, but the associated symptoms are impacting his grip strength. Consider him day-to-day for now and hope he can improve quickly.
While Garcia's hand injury shouldn't require a trip to the injured list, the same cannot be said for teammate Corey Seager. Seager sprained his right thumb Friday
The Texas Rangers
It was a tough week for key contributors in Texas' lineup and rotation. The issues first surfaced when starter Jon Gray was struck on the shin by a comebacker off the bat of Yandy Diaz. Fortunately, X-rays on the area were negative and Gray's injury was ultimately diagnosed as a left shin contusion. The injury is clearly a minor problem, as the Rangers announced Gray will actually pitch Monday, a day earlier than expected, to provide teammate Nathan Eovaldi an extra bit of rest and recuperation. There have been no noted injury concerns for Eovaldi though his velocity has been down in his recent outings.
Three innings after Gray was beaned, Adolis Garcia was struck on the elbow by a stray Kevin Kelly pitch. The rogue pitch stuck Garcia directly on the elbow pad and he was immediately removed from the game. Like Gray, X-rays were negative, and Garcia failed to miss any time. Unfortunately, Garcia's return was short-lived as he was again struck by a fastball, this time at the hands of Bobby Miller. The ball connected with Garcia's right hand, and he did not play Sunday against the Dodgers. His X-rays were once again negative, but the associated symptoms are impacting his grip strength. Consider him day-to-day for now and hope he can improve quickly.
While Garcia's hand injury shouldn't require a trip to the injured list, the same cannot be said for teammate Corey Seager. Seager sprained his right thumb Friday while sliding into second base. The injury likely involves the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of his thumb. The UCL of the thumb is located near the webbing of the hand and serves as one of the digit's primary stabilizers during gripping and the pinching motion. It is frequently injured on headfirst slides, and an impressive list of players, including Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Carlos Correa, have endured an injury to the UCL of the thumb. However, unlike the aforementioned individuals, it appears Seager's injury is a low-grade sprain and will not require surgery. It seems likely he misses somewhere between 14 to 17 days with Ezequiel Duran taking over at shortstop while Travis Jankowski slides into Seager's spot at the front of the Texas lineup. Jankowski could be nice stopgap option for teams looking for a burst of speed. The 32-year-old outfielder has hit .385 for the month of July and added six stolen bases.
Check Swings
Yordan Alvarez: While the Rangers are navigating injuries, the Astros are set to welcome back a key member of their lineup just as the two teams are set to face off in a three-game series. Alvarez completed a rehab assignment over the weekend and is expected to rejoin the team on Monday. He has not appeared in a big-league game since June 8 due to an oblique strain. Fortunately, oblique strains aren't generally an injury known for reoccurrence or re-injury, and Alvarez should be fine to return to fantasy rosters in all formats.
C.J. Cron: The Rockies veteran missed both games over the weekend with lingering stiffness in his lower back. Normally, a few days of back pain wouldn't be overly alarming, but since Cron missed more than 40 days earlier this season with a back injury the situation is tenuous at best. Keep a close eye on how he progresses over the next few days, but his level of injury risk should be substantially elevated.
Aaron Judge: The Yankees slugger continues to progress, though the process remains slow-paced. Judge is expected to take part in additional simulated at-bats over the next few days after taking part in two over the weekend. He remains without a definitive timeline, but there finally seems to be a return on the horizon.
Jarred Kelenic: Multiple players, including Zach Plesac and Devin Williams, have injured themselves in recent seasons in the process of expressing frustration. However, these players were hurt while punching something. Kelenic flipped the script and broke his foot after he kicked a water cooler following a strikeout. The impact resulted in a fractured foot and an immediate placement on the IL. The Mariners did not specify what bone was broken, but based on the mechanism of injury, one of the midfoot bones seems likely. It is likely he is dealing with a nondisplaced fracture since surgery was not necessary. Look for Kelenic to miss multiple weeks with veteran Dylan Moore and rookie Cade Marlowe getting extra opportunities, especially with AJ Pollock now sidelined with a strained hamstring.
Clayton Kershaw: The Dodgers left-hander was originally scheduled to pitch in a simulated game on Monday, but plans have quickly changed. The outing was changed to a bullpen session before being canceled altogether. The team insists he has not suffered a setback, but the decision will push back a potential return. Kershaw has not pitched since late June due to left shoulder inflammation. Anyone invested in the former Cy Young winner will simply have to remain patient.
Cedric Mullins: While oblique injuries are not normally prone to re-injury, strains to the lower extremity are. Consider the case of Mullins who is back on the IL with a right adductor (groin) strain after missing 20 games from late May to mid-June with a similar injury. While a timetable has not been provided, look for Mullins to miss somewhere around the same number of games, if not a few more. Aaron Hicks will take over at center field for the red-hot Orioles.
Lars Nootbaar: The Cardinals outfielder was removed from Sunday's loss to the Cubs with what is being described as heel soreness. While several possible injuries can be linked to heel soreness, the term is most frequently used when a player is dealing with plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia originates at the heel and extends the length of the foot. Consider him day-to-day, but I'm guessing this issue lingers for the foreseeable future.
Shohei Ohtani: The Angels (for now) ace is slated to make his next start Friday in Toronto. Manager Phil Nevin cited the heat and humidity in Atlanta as the reason for the added rest. The team is hoping by avoiding the summer conditions in Georgia, Ohtani can avoid suffering a setback with his lingering blister problems. The extra rest should be beneficial, and it won't impact his availability as an offensive juggernaut.
