This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The Yankees shortstop hit the injured list with a sprained left thumb. Torres suffered the injury while sliding into second base over the weekend. His left thumb got hung up on the base damaging the ligament. The headfirst slide versus the feetfirst slide is a source of great debate in baseball with multiple studies suggesting there is a negligible difference in speed. However, both techniques do carry a varying degree of associated risk. Despite giving a player more control of their body, the feetfirst slide is believed to have a higher injury rate. This is likely linked to the fact that the approach makes the lower extremity a fixed segment; clinically we call this a closed chain. This becomes problematic, as many lower extremity injuries, including ankle and knee sprains, commonly occur when the individual is in a closed chain position. Headfirst slides reduce the risk of a lower extremity injury but increase the risk of upper extremity injuries, particularly at the hand and fingers. Neck and head injuries are also more likely to occur when diving head-on into a base.
Players who opt for the headfirst slide can reduce the risk of catching a stray digit on a base by wearing a protective sliding mitt. Multiple players including Mike Trout, Fernando Tatis and Whit Merrifield have donned a mitt on the basepath. However, players often wear just one mitt, usually on their lead hand. Oddly enough, Torres was wearing a sliding mitt on his right hand
The Yankees shortstop hit the injured list with a sprained left thumb. Torres suffered the injury while sliding into second base over the weekend. His left thumb got hung up on the base damaging the ligament. The headfirst slide versus the feetfirst slide is a source of great debate in baseball with multiple studies suggesting there is a negligible difference in speed. However, both techniques do carry a varying degree of associated risk. Despite giving a player more control of their body, the feetfirst slide is believed to have a higher injury rate. This is likely linked to the fact that the approach makes the lower extremity a fixed segment; clinically we call this a closed chain. This becomes problematic, as many lower extremity injuries, including ankle and knee sprains, commonly occur when the individual is in a closed chain position. Headfirst slides reduce the risk of a lower extremity injury but increase the risk of upper extremity injuries, particularly at the hand and fingers. Neck and head injuries are also more likely to occur when diving head-on into a base.
Players who opt for the headfirst slide can reduce the risk of catching a stray digit on a base by wearing a protective sliding mitt. Multiple players including Mike Trout, Fernando Tatis and Whit Merrifield have donned a mitt on the basepath. However, players often wear just one mitt, usually on their lead hand. Oddly enough, Torres was wearing a sliding mitt on his right hand when the injury occurred to his left thumb.
Fortunately, it appears as though Torres will avoid surgery on the injured digit and will spend the next two-to-three weeks utilizing non-surgical treatment. He will be able to continue general conditioning exercises, before gradually progressing to activities like throwing and hitting that require a gripping motion. Look for Torres to miss more than the minimum of 10 days. With injuries woes up and down the lineup, the Yankees started Andrew Velazquez at shortstop on Monday.
Check Swings
Javier Baez: The newly acquired shortstop will continue to have his injured hip evaluated by team physicians. Baez left Sunday's loss with left hip tightness, but there have been allusions that it is more of a strain. If that is the case, look for Baez to require an IL stint. If the injury is a low-grade strain, he could be back after the initial 10 days, but it wouldn't be surprising to see his absence extend into multiple weeks.
Bo Bichette: The Toronto All-Star did not play Sunday due to multiple contusions on his left shin. The shin is the diaphysis (shaft) of the larger of the two lower leg bones known as the tibia. The tibia is poorly protected as there is little fat or muscle in the area. As a result, the shin is prone to injury following a direct blow. Soft tissue and bone contusions occur more frequently, though a fracture can occur in some extreme cases. Bichette's injuries were the result of stray foul balls that struck him in the area on separate occasions. The team is hopeful that he will return to action after having back-to-back days off and are calling him day-to-day. Bichette has earned the patience of fantasy investors after appearing in 109 consecutive games before Sunday's absence.
Jack Flaherty and Kwang Hyun Kim: The Cardinals will likely get their ace back this week but have lost another member of the starting rotation. Flaherty has not pitched for the Red Birds since suffering a "significant" oblique strain on May 31. He's upped his innings pitched in each of his rehab appearances and is slated to return Wednesday against the Pirates. Feel free to use him as you normally would, but keep in mind, he will have a slightly elevated level of risk for the immediate future.
Flaherty will replace Kwang Hyun Kim in the rotation after Kim was placed on the 10-day IL with elbow inflammation. St. Louis had hoped to get the elbow under control when the team prolonged his time off between his two most recent starts. However, the discomfort lingered and the team opted for a more direct approach this time around.
Anthony Rizzo: The Yankees will be without Rizzo, as he is one of multiple New York players to have contracted COVID-19. He will need to complete the league's mandated return to play protocol before he can resume playing. Teammates Gary Sanchez, Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery have also tested positive.
Chris Sale: The seven-time All-Star will make his season debut against the Orioles on Saturday. Sale has not pitched for the Red Sox since undergoing Tommy John surgery on March 30, 2020. He has progressed smoothly through his rehab assignment and has completed five starts, including appearances with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. While the Red Sox will keep a close eye on his workload, the veteran left-hander could be a valuable late-season addition for fantasy rosters.
Juan Soto: The Nationals outfielder did not play in Washington's recent three-game weekend series with Atlanta due to a right knee injury. Terms like "twinge" or "tweak" tell us little about the actual injury, though the team is optimistic he can return to action Tuesday following a scheduled off day on Monday. Consider him day-to-day for now.
Fernando Tatis: The 22-year-old phenom has begun swinging a bat, suggesting a return this season is possible. Surgery remains inevitable, but his progression and improvement could allow him to play out the year before going under the knife. Closely monitor his activity level in the coming days to get a better idea of what his return to play timeline will look like.
Mike Trout: These non-update updates on Trout are becoming a recurring theme. The Angels insists he is progressing and has not suffered a setback since he scaled back his rehab following lingering pain in his strained calf. However, we are now 12 weeks since the injury occurred with little end in sight. Those invested in the former MVP will simply have to kick the can down the road for another week and wait for a more definitive update.
