This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The MLB season isn't even a week old and the league is facing their first significant outbreak of COVID-19. Multiple players from the Marlins, including Sunday's starter Jose Urena, tested positive for the virus over the weekend, forcing Miami to delay their flight home and cancel their home opener. Pinpointing the origin and the starting point of the initial COVID-19 case could prove tricky due to the possibility of asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission. Travel complicates the issue as players are forced into smaller spaces like buses and planes with a potential infected teammate. The situation with Miami, and possibly Cincinnati, is a harsh reminder that even with daily testing, players are going to catch the virus and spread it amongst their team. How the league and its players respond to an outbreak ultimately will determine how long this season is able to last.
The Red Sox pitcher remains out indefinitely as he battles a COVID-19-related issue. Rodriguez contracted the virus in early July and experienced a headache and high fever. While these symptoms have subsided, the battle with coronavirus left Rodriguez with myocarditis. As researchers learn more about COVID-19 they are finding that the virus can impact other organs and organ systems outside the lungs and respiratory system, including the heart.
The heart is surrounded by a protective sac known as the pericardium. Layers of the pericardium fuse with the outer wall of the heart. The heart wall is multilayered, including a thick layer of myocardial tissue.
The MLB season isn't even a week old and the league is facing their first significant outbreak of COVID-19. Multiple players from the Marlins, including Sunday's starter Jose Urena, tested positive for the virus over the weekend, forcing Miami to delay their flight home and cancel their home opener. Pinpointing the origin and the starting point of the initial COVID-19 case could prove tricky due to the possibility of asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission. Travel complicates the issue as players are forced into smaller spaces like buses and planes with a potential infected teammate. The situation with Miami, and possibly Cincinnati, is a harsh reminder that even with daily testing, players are going to catch the virus and spread it amongst their team. How the league and its players respond to an outbreak ultimately will determine how long this season is able to last.
The Red Sox pitcher remains out indefinitely as he battles a COVID-19-related issue. Rodriguez contracted the virus in early July and experienced a headache and high fever. While these symptoms have subsided, the battle with coronavirus left Rodriguez with myocarditis. As researchers learn more about COVID-19 they are finding that the virus can impact other organs and organ systems outside the lungs and respiratory system, including the heart.
The heart is surrounded by a protective sac known as the pericardium. Layers of the pericardium fuse with the outer wall of the heart. The heart wall is multilayered, including a thick layer of myocardial tissue. The myocardium comprises cardiac muscle and is responsible for contracting the heart when pumping blood throughout the body. The myocardium can become inflamed, often following a viral infection, resulting in a variety of symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain or even an irregular heartbeat. Medication can be prescribed to treat myocarditis, but limiting strenuous activity (like playing baseball) is often required as well.
Rodriguez plans on sitting out for an additional week before attempting a possible comeback. He remains committed to pitching this season but, given the possible long-term ramifications, must be medically cleared by doctors. As a result, there is no firm time table on a return, and his fantasy value for the season is tenuous at best.
The reigning American League Cy Young winner will miss an extended period of time with a forearm strain. Verlander denied reports the elbow injury is going to end his season but the injury is one that shouldn't be taken lightly.
The medial (or inside) aspect of the elbow is a linchpin for pitchers. Here a raised portion of the upper arm bone (the humerus) known as the epicondyle acts as an anchor point for multiple muscles and ligaments, including the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and the common flexor bundle. Together the UCL and flexor tendon help stabilize the elbow during activity. If either tissue is weakened due to injury, the other structure assumes the additional stress, making it vulnerable to an injury as well. As a result, it is vital to the integrity of Verlander's elbow that the strain is completely healed and at full strength. A multiweek layoff is on tap and could easily cause him to miss a significant portion of the truncated season. Verlander is waiver wire material for teams overloaded with other injuries that need roster flexibility.
Check Swings
Corey Kluber: The Rangers had to be disappointed to see their big offseason acquisitions last just one inning before being removed with posterior shoulder tightness. The team continues to evaluate the situation and hope it's not a significant injury. Kluber's impressive career has been derailed over the last year due to injuries, though the forearm fracture and subsequent oblique strain are more likely the result of bad luck and shouldn't necessarily serve as an indicator of Kluber's propensity for injury. Texas should provide an update in the near future that will offer more insight as to what is actually going on and how long it will impact his availability.
Stephen Strasburg: While Kluber doesn't appear to be injury prone just yet, the same cannot be said for Strasburg. The Washington ace has had an impressive career despite multiple trips to the disabled list and operating room. Strasburg has endured shoulder and elbow issues, including Tommy John surgery, since his rookie season in 2010 and is now dealing with a nerve impingement that is affecting his throwing hand. An impingement occurs when a structure, in this case a nerve, is pinched or compressed somewhere in the body. Strasburg's injury has been classified as a wrist impingement resulting in numbness that trickles into his thumb. The Nationals and Strasburg have downplayed the severity and insist the situation is fluid. However, it should be noted that the 2019 World Series MVP has dealt with multiple bouts of impingement in his shoulder and neck, and each time he required a trip to the DL. He hopes to play catch Monday after receiving a cortisone injection on Friday and is currently listed as day-to-day.
Juan Soto: Strasburg's teammate remains in quarantine as he awaits the results of his recent COVID testing. Soto must present two negative tests 24 hours apart and be symptom-free for at least 72 hours. He will then be required to take an antibody test and receive a cardiac screening (see Rodriguez above for the reasoning there). If he successfully passes each of these steps, a team physician will make the final call if he's cleared to resume baseball-related activities and be around his Nationals teammates. He may need to spend time on a sort of "rehab assignment" to get a few more at-bats after a rushed Summer Camp. Tampa Bay took a similar approach with outfielder Austin Meadows who has been working out at the Ray's alternate training site and was slated to take part in a simulated game over the weekend.
Clayton Kershaw: Kershaw's chronically injured lower back is once again an issue, as tightness in the area caused him to miss his first start and required a 10-day DL designation. An MRI on the area came back clean, and Kershaw remains optimistic he will miss the minimal amount of time. Fantasy players invested in the left-hander may not share the optimism and likely are understandably leery of his long-term health. Unfortunately, this is an inherent risk that comes with drafting Kershaw, and you simply have to wait this one out.
