The Royals shortstop is currently nursing a right knee injury suffered Thursday while attempting to field a hard hit groundball. Witt's leg got trapped underneath him during the diving attempt, stressing the inside aspect of his knee, leaving him with a Grade 1 medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain.
The MCL, along with the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and two cruciate ligaments, serve as a stabilizer for the knee joint. The MCL is specifically responsible for supporting the knee during lateral (side-to-side) movements.
Fortunately, the sprain received the lowest possible grade, making it a mild sprain. Even better, the medial meniscus, which is intertwined with the MCL, remains unscathed. Witt is already reporting feeling better despite not playing in back-to-back games over the weekend. He will continue to be evaluated over the next few days, but I suspect he misses at least another game or two, even if he avoids the injured list. The shortstop position is particularly demanding on the MCL, as it requires quick and fluid lateral motion. Closely monitor Witt's status over the next 24 to 48 hours to get a better idea of how long this minor issue ends up costing the two-time All-Star. Maikel Garcia, back from his left hand strain, has taken over at shortstop for Kansas City.
The Diamondbacks right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL with a left glute strain. The glutes are in fact the muscles that make up buttock. These three muscles are vital to hip
The Royals shortstop is currently nursing a right knee injury suffered Thursday while attempting to field a hard hit groundball. Witt's leg got trapped underneath him during the diving attempt, stressing the inside aspect of his knee, leaving him with a Grade 1 medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain.
The MCL, along with the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and two cruciate ligaments, serve as a stabilizer for the knee joint. The MCL is specifically responsible for supporting the knee during lateral (side-to-side) movements.
Fortunately, the sprain received the lowest possible grade, making it a mild sprain. Even better, the medial meniscus, which is intertwined with the MCL, remains unscathed. Witt is already reporting feeling better despite not playing in back-to-back games over the weekend. He will continue to be evaluated over the next few days, but I suspect he misses at least another game or two, even if he avoids the injured list. The shortstop position is particularly demanding on the MCL, as it requires quick and fluid lateral motion. Closely monitor Witt's status over the next 24 to 48 hours to get a better idea of how long this minor issue ends up costing the two-time All-Star. Maikel Garcia, back from his left hand strain, has taken over at shortstop for Kansas City.
The Diamondbacks right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL with a left glute strain. The glutes are in fact the muscles that make up buttock. These three muscles are vital to hip motion and impact movement at the knee. As its name suggests, the gluteus maximus is the biggest and strongest of the glutes and is responsible for extending the hip backward and rotating outward. The gluteus medius and minimus work together to rotate the hip inward and bring the hip away from the body in abduction. Additionally, the muscles help stabilize the pelvis.
Based on their multifunctionality, the glutes are a key component in the kinetic chain and any limitation in the group can lead to issues at the knee. Furthermore, the glutes help generate and transfer force during pitch delivery, meaning a glute problem can become an upper extremity issue for a pitcher if left untreated.
While the exact glute strained was not revealed, Soroka's injury is expected to keep him out for at least four weeks. Soroka will not be alone on the IL, as teammate Jordan Lawlar is also expected to miss the next four weeks after straining his right hamstring.
The Rangers pitcher hits the IL with right ankle posterior impingement. The term impingement is used when some structure of the body is being pinched or trapped. For posterior ankle impingement, the site of compression is often the back area of the heel, just behind the distal end of the shinbone. Tendons or other soft tissue structures can become impinged in the area due to inflammation or a harder structure like a bone spur. The affected individual most often reports pain with plantar flexion (pointing the toes). For a pitcher, this could make driving off the back foot difficult and limiting. Leiter has been reportedly feeling the effects of the injury for a while, but it worsened after a recent slip. The team opted to place him on the IL after it was determined the issue is bad enough that it is disrupting his pitching mechanics. Look for Leiter to miss multiple weeks as the team works to alleviate the symptoms and address the root of the impingement.
Stay up to date on who is in and who is out with RotoWire's MLB Injury Report!
Check Swings
Jared Jones: Jones appears to have avoided a serious injury after he was struck on his right elbow by a line drive. X-rays on the surgically repaired elbow were negative, and the team is calling him day-to-day for now. It wouldn't be surprising to see the team take a conservative approach with Jones, but those invested here can breathe a sigh of relief.
Adolis Garcia: The Philadelphia outfielder is done for the year after it was determined he will need surgery for his torn right latissimus dorsi. The estimated timeline is six to eight months and should allow the free-agent-to-be enough time to be ready for spring training.
Elly De La Cruz: The Reds expect their shortstop to return to the lineup Tuesday against the Brewers. De La Cruz has not played since May 31 when he suffered a low-grade hamstring strain. He progressed smoothly through his recovery and returns slightly ahead of schedule. De La Cruz is too good to consider benching, but I would scale back my expectations for the foreseeable future. As we have already seen this season with Ronald Acuna, hamstring strains are easily aggravated and prone to reinjury. The Red may opt to limit his activity on the base path to protect the area and could give him routine days off over the next seven to 10 days.
Vladimir Guerrero: The Blue Jays slugger does not currently carry an injury designation, but his health could be impacting his productivity. Over the last 10 days, Guerrero has missed two games and was removed early from another due to a balky back. His numbers over that stretch suggest he isn't at top form as he has been limited to just two extra base hits and five RBI, with a .250 batting average and an OBP of .250. Zooming out, his struggles have really been an issue for the entire month of June as he has hit .211 over the past three weeks with a .316 SLG and just seven RBI. He remains a centerpiece of the Toronto lineup, but I'm curious if the back is a bigger issue than the team is letting on. I will closely monitor how Toronto handles him over the next few weeks to see if they give him any additional rest.
Justin Verlander: The league's oldest active player suffered a new injury during his recovery for left hip inflammation. His new ailment is a hamstring strain on the same leg, suffered during a bullpen session. This latest setback will extend his absence by "weeks." The former MVP award winner has made just one start this season and can't be counted on for fantasy purposes for the foreseeable future.
