This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner
It's not often you have a trio with this much star power suffer the same injury in a short timeframe, but each of these three All-Stars was hit by a pitch within the last 10 days.
Every time a batter steps into the box they are exposing themselves to being hit by a pitch. While helmets are mandatory to protect the head, players may elect to wear additional protective equipment while batting. The majority of protective gear is designed to brace and protect areas that are particularly vulnerable to injury, specifically areas where bone is exposed due to a lack of little or no natural paddings. These areas include the elbow, forearm, knee, shin and foot. While the extra gear can lessen the impact of a stray pitch, additional padding doesn't completely eliminate the risk of injury.
Once the injury has occurred, the initial step is usually getting an X-ray to determine the extent of the damage to the underlying bone tissue. If a fracture is ruled out, the focus shifts to treating the associated symptoms, including pain and swelling. The timeline here can vary based on a multitude of factors, including individual pain tolerance and the precise area struck by the rogue pitch.
Fortunately, the fantasy-friendly trifecta managed to avoid serious injury in each instance. Betts was struck in the right forearm by a Rafael Montero fastball and missed just one game. The incident doesn't seem to have altered Betts' approach
Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner
It's not often you have a trio with this much star power suffer the same injury in a short timeframe, but each of these three All-Stars was hit by a pitch within the last 10 days.
Every time a batter steps into the box they are exposing themselves to being hit by a pitch. While helmets are mandatory to protect the head, players may elect to wear additional protective equipment while batting. The majority of protective gear is designed to brace and protect areas that are particularly vulnerable to injury, specifically areas where bone is exposed due to a lack of little or no natural paddings. These areas include the elbow, forearm, knee, shin and foot. While the extra gear can lessen the impact of a stray pitch, additional padding doesn't completely eliminate the risk of injury.
Once the injury has occurred, the initial step is usually getting an X-ray to determine the extent of the damage to the underlying bone tissue. If a fracture is ruled out, the focus shifts to treating the associated symptoms, including pain and swelling. The timeline here can vary based on a multitude of factors, including individual pain tolerance and the precise area struck by the rogue pitch.
Fortunately, the fantasy-friendly trifecta managed to avoid serious injury in each instance. Betts was struck in the right forearm by a Rafael Montero fastball and missed just one game. The incident doesn't seem to have altered Betts' approach at the plate, though he has struggled since his one-game absence. In the Dodgers' last five games, Betts is hitting .174 with six strikeouts and two walks.
The Nationals had a scheduled day off on Monday, providing Turner with some much-needed recovery time. He is reporting some stiffness in the area, but the team is optimistic Turner will be available Tuesday against the Blue Jays.
Trout appears to have suffered the most significant injury, a surprising feat considering he was wearing protective gear over his left elbow. He was still experiencing some residual pain and soreness Monday but was able to return to action after sitting out three straight outings. He was back to his usual self, finishing 4-of-5 at the plate with two RBIs.
The Astros expect Odorizzi to miss at least two starts after he suffered a strained forearm. The team designated the injury as a strained pronator, one of the muscles located in the forearm. The pronator, anatomically known as the pronator teres, crosses the elbow joint and helps bend the elbow and move the forearm in a direction known as pronation. Pronation occurs when the palm of the hand is moved from a forward-facing position to a posterior-facing one. A strain to this area often elicits pain when pitching and can lead to alterations in normal pitching mechanics. Houston proactively placed him on the 10-day I,L though it sounds like he will not require any sort of surgical intervention. Look for the team to slow play his recovery, and it wouldn't be surprising if his absence extends beyond the allotted 10 days.
After missing four straight games in mid-April, Buxton was once again a spectator during Monday's extra-inning loss to Cleveland. Buxton's latest setback was not an acute injury, like his earlier hamstring strain but a chronic injury. The Twins revealed Buxton is dealing with patellar tendinitis that has been an issue since the beginning of the season.
In general, tendinitis is a common occurrence in sports, especially in those with repetitive motions. When the condition occurs, the involved tendon becomes inflamed, causing pain and discomfort before, after or during activity, depending on the severity.
Patellar tendinitis occurs when the tendon located just below the kneecap (patella) is irritated. The best course of treatment for this injury is rest, as the break in activity halts the repetitive motion causing the problems. Then the inflammation can be treated with an assortment of modalities and techniques, and the tendon itself can be allowed to heal. Unfortunately, an extended break can be difficult during the grind of a baseball season.
As a result, I don't think we have heard the last of this issue. Frequent days off could become part of Buxton's normal routine in attempt to curb the associated symptoms. However, a trip to the injured list for an extended break and perhaps some more aggressive treatment may be needed if the problem persists. Keep a close eye on Buxton's availability for now, and consider scaling back your expectations for the immediate future.
Check Swings
Yadier Molina: The Cardinals catcher also suffered an injury at home plate, but he wasn't hit by a pitch. Instead, the nine-times Gold Glove winner injured his right foot when he fouled a ball off the area. He did not play over the weekend but returned to action Monday. He finished 0-for-3 but should be fine moving forward.
Shohei Ohtani: The 26-year-old pitcher and MLB home run leader has been one of the top stories in the first few weeks of the season. The fact that he is pitching and hitting so well despite recurring blisters on his hand is even more impressive. The problem resurfaced in last night's win over the Rangers, as Ohtani developed another blister on his middle finger. Blisters are common occurrences in baseball, especially for pitchers, and an assortment of remedies have surfaced throughout the years. While some are more effective than others, time remains the only definitive cure. The Angels will continue to manage the problem as best they can and could opt to limit his overall workload to buy him some recovery time.
Juan Soto: Soto is making good progress from his left shoulder strain and recently resumed hitting. The strain sounds minor, and the 22-year-old has an outside shot at returning to action when first eligible Friday. Even if he doesn't return for the weekend, it sounds like an extended absence will be avoided.
Christian Yelich: Yelich's recovery is moving along slowly, but additional imaging taken on his ailing back failed to reveal any new issues. The former NL MVP has not played since April 11 with what was has been deemed lower back soreness. As previously discussed, the soreness is likely the result of an underlying injury, most likely a back strain. Furthermore, the continued positive news from the MRIs is encouraging, as severe injuries like disc or bone injuries can be ruled out. The team is cautiously optimistic he could return by the end of the week, but I'll feel better when he is physically able to resumes baseball-related activities for a sustained period of time.
