This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner
The Nationals lineup is suddenly lacking a considerable amount of punch with three key players sidelined by injury. Turner has been on the injured list since early April when he fractured the index finger on his right hand. Fortunately, he is showing signs of progress and hopes to begin baseball-related activities within the next week. Swinging a bat would be a particularly positive sign that the area is improving and that the injury will have minimal effects on Turner's grip strength. Bone tissue can generally heal within four to six weeks, and Turner should be back the end of the month. He may need some time to shake off any accumulated rust, and an initial dip in productivity wouldn't be surprising.
In last week's column, I discussed the problem with back spasms as a diagnosis following J.D. Martinez' injury. Soto is now providing another example of why identifying a symptom as an injury can prove difficult to gauge. The Washington outfielder was sidelined for three days with back spasms. Unfortunately, the issue lingered, and Soto was ultimately placed on the IL. The team is now shutting him down completely for several days in hopes the spasms subside. Soto's risk of re-injury or aggravation will remain high until the root of the problem is pinpointed and addressed. As a result, it seems unlikely Soto is ready to return when first eligible on May 11. Look for this to carry over into mid-to-late May.
Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner
The Nationals lineup is suddenly lacking a considerable amount of punch with three key players sidelined by injury. Turner has been on the injured list since early April when he fractured the index finger on his right hand. Fortunately, he is showing signs of progress and hopes to begin baseball-related activities within the next week. Swinging a bat would be a particularly positive sign that the area is improving and that the injury will have minimal effects on Turner's grip strength. Bone tissue can generally heal within four to six weeks, and Turner should be back the end of the month. He may need some time to shake off any accumulated rust, and an initial dip in productivity wouldn't be surprising.
In last week's column, I discussed the problem with back spasms as a diagnosis following J.D. Martinez' injury. Soto is now providing another example of why identifying a symptom as an injury can prove difficult to gauge. The Washington outfielder was sidelined for three days with back spasms. Unfortunately, the issue lingered, and Soto was ultimately placed on the IL. The team is now shutting him down completely for several days in hopes the spasms subside. Soto's risk of re-injury or aggravation will remain high until the root of the problem is pinpointed and addressed. As a result, it seems unlikely Soto is ready to return when first eligible on May 11. Look for this to carry over into mid-to-late May.
Rendon's situation is less grim, as the third baseman should be ready to return later this week. Rendon was sent to the IL with a left elbow contusion. The injury left the joint swollen and limited, leading to the final designation. However, the swelling appears to have subsided, as Rendon has resumed fielding and throwing. Barring any setback, he should be activated when first eligible on May 7.
The Oakland slugger is currently day-to-day with a left hip contusion. Davis sustained the injury after colliding with the Pittsburgh outfield wall on Sunday. He was removed from the game and will be re-evaluated Monday. A mild soft tissue contusion would be a relative nonissue moving forward, but Davis could need time off if he suffered a more painful hip pointer. A hip pointer is a contusion to a portion of the hip bone known as the iliac crest as well as the surrounding musculature. Like its name suggests, the iliac crest forms a ridge along the largest bone of the pelvis. The iliac crest acts as an anchor point for multiple muscles but remains poorly protected. Hip pointers can be severely painful and limiting, making hip flexion (raising the leg) and trunk rotation difficult. Look for more information to trickle out Monday as the team takes advantage of a scheduled day off.
Check Swings
Ronald Acuna: Atlanta's emerging star didn't play Sunday after exiting Saturday's contest with back tightness. The decision to sit Acuna appears to be purely precautionary, and the issue has already improved. The team is confident he will be in the lineup on Monday and will be fine moving forward. Elevate his inherent injury risk a tad but continue to use him as you normally would.
Luis Severino: The Yankees have provided a bit of clarity on Severino's timeline. General manager Brian Cashman confirmed Severino will not return from his Grade 2 latissimus dorsi strain until after the All-Star break. The news clearly isn't good but will allow fantasy owners to appropriately prepare for the coming weeks.
Fernando Tatis Jr.: The Padres shortstop has returned to baseball activities as he works his way back from a hamstring strain. While the news is encouraging, the team believes this injury will keep him out for multiple weeks. Look for San Diego to take a conservative approach in his recovery and keep him sidelined for additional time to insure this doesn't become a long-term issue.
Austin Meadows: Meadows could have a chance to resume his breakout campaign in the near future. Out with a thumb sprain, the Rays outfielder has returned to swinging a bat and plans on working out with the team on Monday and Tuesday. If things go well, he could begin a minor league rehab assignment by the end of the week. Because Meadows was able to avoid surgery, he should be able to return to his pre-injury form relatively quickly. The 24 year-old was sporting a .351 batting avergae and 1.097 OPS with six home runs and 19 RBI before the injury.
James Paxton: The Yankees starter will miss no more than three weeks with inflammation in his left knee. Paxton and the team have hypothesized that the reason for the irritation is the consistency of the dirt of the mound. New York will address the problem in hopes of preventing a recurrence. For now, rest seems to be Paxton's plan and he should be back in action by the end of the month.
A.J. Pollock: The Dodgers outfielder has undergone his third elbow surgery since 2010. The initial procedures were needed to address fractures in the area. However, this latest surgery involved removing the surgical hardware due to an infection. The infection is actually located in the bursa of the elbow, a fluid-filled sac that helps cushion the joint and reduce friction. The infection will be directly addressed, and the screw was proactively removed to insure it too did not become infected. Given the uncertainty of the situation, Pollock owners may want to consider sending him to the waiver wire if they are unable to stash him in an IL spot.
Giancarlo Stanton: Stanton's return to play was pushed back after the Yankees outfielder suffered a setback in rehab. Stanton has not played since suffering a biceps strain on April 1. If you will recall, I explained the biceps' role in shoulder motion in my initial breakdown of the injury. The injury appears to have had a cascade effect, leading to inflammation in Stanton's shoulder. The issue was treated with a cortisone injection, and Stanton hopes to resume activity this week.
