This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The New York Yankees
It's been a rough start to the year for the Bronx Bombers as they have sent 11 players to the injured list since the start of the season. The list includes multiple All-Stars, key members of the starting rotation and rising talent. While players like CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances are expected to return in the near future, things are not going as smoothly for players like Miguel Andujar, Aaron Hicks, Troy Tulowitzki and Giancarlo Stanton.
The most concerning injury appears to be Andujar's injured right shoulder. The promising third baseman suffered a torn labrum in the area after a headfirst slide into third base. The labrum is a fibrocartilaginous ring that helps stabilize the glenohumeral (GH) joint, the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder. The GH joint's design is similar to a golf ball sitting on a tee. The head of the humerus, the primary bone of the upper arm, serves as the golf ball resting in the "tee," the glenoid cavity of the shoulder blade. This positioning allows the ball (humerus) to easily pivot on the tee (glenoid cavity) allowing for a large degree of motion. The labrum, as well as surrounding ligaments and musculature, fortify the area to insure the ball remains on the tee.
Unfortunately, the labrum can be damaged, often following a sizeable force that jars the humeral head. Even a tiny tear of the labrum can be very painful and lead to chronic instability in the shoulder. Treatment
The New York Yankees
It's been a rough start to the year for the Bronx Bombers as they have sent 11 players to the injured list since the start of the season. The list includes multiple All-Stars, key members of the starting rotation and rising talent. While players like CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances are expected to return in the near future, things are not going as smoothly for players like Miguel Andujar, Aaron Hicks, Troy Tulowitzki and Giancarlo Stanton.
The most concerning injury appears to be Andujar's injured right shoulder. The promising third baseman suffered a torn labrum in the area after a headfirst slide into third base. The labrum is a fibrocartilaginous ring that helps stabilize the glenohumeral (GH) joint, the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder. The GH joint's design is similar to a golf ball sitting on a tee. The head of the humerus, the primary bone of the upper arm, serves as the golf ball resting in the "tee," the glenoid cavity of the shoulder blade. This positioning allows the ball (humerus) to easily pivot on the tee (glenoid cavity) allowing for a large degree of motion. The labrum, as well as surrounding ligaments and musculature, fortify the area to insure the ball remains on the tee.
Unfortunately, the labrum can be damaged, often following a sizeable force that jars the humeral head. Even a tiny tear of the labrum can be very painful and lead to chronic instability in the shoulder. Treatment for labral tears depends on the pattern of tearing and the degree of instability. If rest and rehabilitation do not aid in recovery, then arthroscopic surgery is often warranted.
Andujar will spend the next two weeks resting the area before being reevaluated. If the conservative approach fails to produce a noticeable improvement, look for Andujar to head to the operating room to address the issue. Undergoing surgery now would minimize any potential carryover into the 2020 season.
Hicks has not played since straining his lower back during a Grapefruit League game on March 1. He resumed light throwing late last week and has just begun performing baseball-related activities. The team will gradually increase his workload over the coming weeks to progressively return him to full strength. Lower back injuries can be notoriously fickle and are easily aggravated, often prolonging the recovery process. Look for Hick's return to come sometime in May.
Tulowitzki is no stranger to the IL, having suffered multiple injuries throughout his career. His laundry list of injuries includes multiple hand and wrist injuries, a torn right quadriceps tendon, surgery to repair a torn groin and bone spur removal from both feet. Now the former Silver Slugger is nursing a left calf strain. While this is the first time Tulo has suffered an injury to his calf, he has suffered other muscle-related injuries in his lower extremities. As a result, fantasy owners should anticipate Tulowitzki missing a decent amount of time. New York has recalled infielder Thairo Estrada to fill the vacant roster spot with Gleyber Torres assuming the everyday shortstop role. Torres has looked sharp so far, finishing 7-of-11 against the Orioles, including three home runs, six runs and five RBIs.
Stanton's injury was a bit of surprise last Monday morning, but the slugger is already reporting an improvement. The team opted to shut down Stanton for 10 days, but there is growing optimism that he will resume swinging a bat by the weekend. As discussed last week, a mild strain wouldn't be a serious setback for the outfielder, especially if the injury occurred in the muscle belly of the biceps. Barring an unforeseen obstacle, a late-April return seems plausible.
Check Swings
Mike Clevinger: Clevinger made an early exit from his start on Sunday due to upper back tightness. The right-hander seems unconcerned about the injury and expects to make his next start. Fantasy owners will likely need to see how he feels over the next few days before sharing this confidence.
Dee Gordon: The Mariners speedster missed one game over the weekend with tightness in his groin but was back in action Sunday. He looked okay, finishing 1-of-4 from the plate and should be good to go moving forward. The team may limit his activity on the basepath until he's 100 percent, but keep utilizing Gordon as you normally would. Seattle may take a similar approach with the red-hot Tim Beckham who left Sunday's game with hamstring tightness.
Clayton Kershaw: The former Cy Young winner will make a second rehab start on Tuesday after pitching four and a third innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. His velocity was up in the appearance, and Kershaw followed that up with a full bullpen session on Saturday. He remains a risky investment, but it looks like his time on the IL is nearing an end.
Francisco Lindor: The Indians shortstop has yet to play this season due to a pair of injuries. Lindor's spring was limited by a calf strain that was nearly healed before he turned his left ankle in a minor-league outing. The injury was diagnosed as a high ankle sprain, an ailment more problematic that your "normal" lateral ankle sprain. A high ankle sprain involves a different joint altogether and often involves a lengthier recovery. While the injury was considered mild, Lindor will not be cleared to run for at least a few more days. As a result, an early May return seems likely.
Trea Turner: For the second time in the past three seasons, Turner will be miss an extended period of time due to a stray fastball. During the 2017 season, Turner missed two months after an inside fastball from Pedro Strop resulted in a broken wrist. Now the Washington shortstop will again be sidelined after a Zach Eflin pitch struck him on the right hand during a bunt attempt. The impact resulted in a non-displaced broken index finger. Fortunately, the nature of the break means surgery likely isn't necessary, and he will be cleared to return when the fracture heals. An official timeline has yet to be established, though four to six weeks seems fair.
