This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Jose Altuve, George Springer and Aledmys Diaz
The Astros have battled injuries to key players throughout the season, with one particular injury occurring with regular frequency. Since the start of the regular season, Alex Bregman, Altuve, Springer and Diaz have suffered hamstring strains of varying degrees. Each injury has forced the injured athlete to the bench, with Altuve, Springer and Diaz all requiring time on the injured list.
A strain is an injury that occurs to a muscle or its tendon after the structure is forced past a specific characteristic known as its yield point. At this point, the tissue fails to certain degrees dependent on the resulting damage. Medical testing, often an MRI, is utilized to reveal the severity of the strain and allow medical professionals to assign each injury a grade. A Grade 1 injury is the least severe strain and is often referred to as mild. Grade 1 strains are marked by microtearing of the tissue. As a result, the muscle's overall structure remains intact, though the injured individual often reports pain with movement.
A Grade 2 strain is considered moderate and involves damage to actual muscle fibers. As a result, strains that receive this level of grade are often referred to as partial tears. The affected athlete usually experiences pain and a loss of function in the muscle. Hamstring strains that are given a Grade 2 rating are often slow to heal, as the body must build new muscle tissue to fill in the
Jose Altuve, George Springer and Aledmys Diaz
The Astros have battled injuries to key players throughout the season, with one particular injury occurring with regular frequency. Since the start of the regular season, Alex Bregman, Altuve, Springer and Diaz have suffered hamstring strains of varying degrees. Each injury has forced the injured athlete to the bench, with Altuve, Springer and Diaz all requiring time on the injured list.
A strain is an injury that occurs to a muscle or its tendon after the structure is forced past a specific characteristic known as its yield point. At this point, the tissue fails to certain degrees dependent on the resulting damage. Medical testing, often an MRI, is utilized to reveal the severity of the strain and allow medical professionals to assign each injury a grade. A Grade 1 injury is the least severe strain and is often referred to as mild. Grade 1 strains are marked by microtearing of the tissue. As a result, the muscle's overall structure remains intact, though the injured individual often reports pain with movement.
A Grade 2 strain is considered moderate and involves damage to actual muscle fibers. As a result, strains that receive this level of grade are often referred to as partial tears. The affected athlete usually experiences pain and a loss of function in the muscle. Hamstring strains that are given a Grade 2 rating are often slow to heal, as the body must build new muscle tissue to fill in the resulting gaps. This scar tissue requires time before it can display the same characteristics as the original muscle tissue. As a result, a premature return can cause the scar tissue to tear, pressing the reset button on the entire healing process.
Any strain that receives a Grade 3 or higher rating is considered severe and is usually a complete tear or rupture. These serious injuries result in a loss of both stability and function and may require surgical intervention to fix.
In Houston, the hamstring strains of Bregman, Altuve and Diaz all received low grades. Bregman missed a pair of games in mid-April but hasn't reported any sort of setback since returning. Altuve strained his hamstring on May 10 and has missed Houston's last 15 outings. He began a rehab assignment over the weekend and was able to play nine innings with Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday. He is targeting a Wednesday return to the big league club, though Diaz's recent injury could force him back a day early. Diaz originally suffered a Grade 1 strain on May 17 and missed the next three outings. He returned to action but was unable to shake the associated symptoms and will now head to the IL to adequately rest and recuperate.
Springer's injury is more serious than his teammates' as he suffered a Grade 2 strain. The team hasn't provided an expected timeline on his recovery, though a minimum absence of four weeks seems likely. As previously stated, time is essential to a complete recovery and an early return would leave him vulnerable to re-injury.
Check Swings
Charlie Blackmon: It appears as though Blackmon is headed to the IL. His right calf injury has kept him out of three straight games, and manager Bud Black said a move could be made on Monday. Play it safe and look for other options for the week ahead.
Kris Bryant: The former National League MVP is the middle of a bounce back campaign after last season's subpar performance. Unfortunately, Bryant was injured Sunday in a collision with teammate Jason Heyward. The team hasn't provided a true diagnosis and simply stated Bryant remains under evaluation. He has been cleared to travel and an update should come before the team's Memorial Day game against the Astros. I'm betting Bryant misses at least one game and wouldn't be surprised if he sits for more.
Nelson Cruz: The Twins slugger has not appeared in a game in more than two weeks due to an undisclosed wrist injury. He has yet to swing a bat during his time off. It sounds like the Twins are taking a conservative approach with his recovery to insure he returns at full strength. The team's recent success has allowed Minnesota to remain patient, much to the chagrin of fantasy owners. Keep a close eye on Cruz's activity level to get a better idea of his progress in rehab.
Didi Gregorius: The Yankees are planning on moving up Gregorius from High-A to Triple-A as he continues to progress in his rehab assignment for offseason Tommy John surgery. Manager Aaron Boone expects his shortstop will spend "a week or two" with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before returning to the big league club. Gregorius remains on track for an early June activation.
Chris Paddack: The Padres ace missed his last start with a stiff neck though he isn't expected to miss any additional time. Barring an unforeseen setback, look for him to take the mound Wednesday against the Yankees.
James Paxton: Paddack's opposition could be coming off an injury of his own, as Paxton is tentatively slated to return to the mound Wednesday as well. Paxton hasn't pitched since May 3 due to knee tendinitis. Paxton owners will be happy to have him back but must remember he will continue to carry a high level of injury risk given his checkered injury history.
David Peralta: The Arizona outfielder has finally hit the IL after battling recurring problems in his right shoulder. The injury was originally listed as trapezius tightness, which then progressed to acromioclavicular (AC) inflammation. The new diagnosis is still likely linked to the trapezius, as the muscle attaches to the acromion of the shoulder, a bony landmark that is the A in AC joint. He has begun taking anti-inflammatory medication and is optimistic his time on the IL will be brief. If all goes well, expect him back in two weeks.
David Price: Price's most recent outing lasted just 15 pitches, but the issue wasn't related to his recently injured elbow. Price was removed from the game due to flu-like symptoms but should be healthy enough to make his next start on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Giancarlo Stanton: The injury woes of Stanton continue, as he has suffered another setback. However, the newest issue has nothing to do with his problematic shoulder. The Yankees outfielder suffered a calf strain during a rehab appearance with High-A Tampa. The team will shut him down for the next seven to 10 days before reevaluating. A mid-June return is looking like a best-case scenario.
