MLB Injury Updates for Pitchers from a Fantasy Baseball Perspective
15-Day Disabled List
Jered Weaver, SP, LAA – The Angel’s ace is expected to throw a bullpen session sometime next week. After falling and breaking his non-pitching (left) arm back in early April, this will be the first time Weaver pitched from a mound since going on the disabled list. Obviously it would have been worse if his right arm was involved, but the throwing or “glove side” arm is extremely important for a pitchers delivery and balance. He’ll need a few games in the minors after healing, so his fantasy owners will need to display a great deal of patience.
Johnny Cueto, SP, CIN – Cueto was scratched from Friday’s minor league rehab start with soreness in his right oblique. Placed on the DL on April 15th due to a lat strain, the right-hander has experienced this setback weeks after suffering the initial injury… This should soften the bad news for his fantasy owners, but any injury should still be considered a concern.
Zack Greinke, SP, LAD – The former Cy Young award winner is reportedly ahead of schedule from his broken collarbone, and may be able to return in two to three weeks. A broken clavicle usually requires six to eight weeks to mend, so Greinke’s owners should be thrilled with his speedy progress.
Joel Hanrahan, RP, BOS – The Red Sox are sending Hanrahan to the DL for the second time this season and this time with a strained right forearm after a hamstring injury put him on the shelf in mid-April. He had made three appearances, including a blown save against Minnesota in his last outing.
Andrew Bailey, RP, BOS – The 28-year-old reliever has inflammation in his biceps, which is very troubling for the Red Sox who are without their two best closing options. There is no word on when Bailey will be back in action, but he’s hoping to throw in a couple days. Fantasy owners will want to keep a close eye on Hanrahan and Bailey’s injuries as more information is released as to when they will be back.
Roy Halladay, SP, PHI – It has been a roller coaster of a season for Halladay who is now on the DL and will have arthroscopic surgery to repair a bone spur in his shoulder. His potential return date is unclear, but he will miss the majority of this season at the least. With a 2-4 record and an 8.65 ERA, the former Cy Young award winner is on the decline and an aging body could be a factor. From 2006-11, Halladay made at least 31 starts, won no less than 16 games and had an ERA under three in each season, but he only made 25 starts last season with 11 wins and a 4.49 ERA.
Josh Johnson, SP, TOR – The Blue Jays placed the starting pitcher on the 15-day-DL last week, but the team was relieved when his MRI for an inflamed triceps came back negative. The 29-year-old hasn’t been himself all season long, allowing opposing batters to hit .320 off of him and posting a heart wrenching 6.86 ERA. Johnson will resume baseball activity on Thursday, but expect him to get a few rehab starts before rejoining the team.
Ryan Madson, RP, LAA – Madson is supposedly weeks away from returning, and has been throwing in bullpen sessions and simulated games lately. He will make a few appearances in the minors, and if he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, his owners should expect him to lock down the back end of that struggling Angels bullpen.
Brett Anderson, SP, OAK – Oakland placed left-hander Brett Anderson on the DL on May 1st, but he is expected to throw a bullpen session later this week. “If Brett’s running session goes well on Monday, he’ll join the Athletics during their road trip and throw a bullpen session,” said manager Bob Melvin. When healthy, Anderson is considered the team’s ace, so it could be beneficial for fantasy owners to keep a close eye on his progress.
Jason Motte, RP, STL – Motte will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery next week, and fantasy owners aren’t too happy about it. He will miss the remainder of the season, and perhaps even the beginning of 2014. Emerging as the Cardinals’ closer in 2011, he had an impressive NLDS and NLCS helping his team to go on and win the World Series that year.
Kyuji Fujikawa, RP, CHC – Cub’s closer Kyuji Fujikawa, who was placed on the 15-day-DL with a right forearm injury, pitched in his rehab assignment on Sunday. In his first baseball action since April 13th, the 33-year-old pitched only one inning, striking out two and walking just one. He threw 21 pitches in the inning, so the Cubs will give him at least one more attempt at a successful rehab outing before his return to the big leagues.
Matt Garza, SP, CHC – After pitching in his first rehab start on Wednesday, Matt Garza reported “all systems go” admitting that he felt good throwing the ball and making his pitches. Injured since Feb. 17th (Spring Training), the 29-year-old is hoping to build his arm strength and make a return to the team by the end of May.
Matt Harrison, SP, TEX – Rangers’ left-hander Matt Harrison had an abrupt setback in his recovery from back surgery and needed another operation just eight days prior to his first surgery in attempt to repair a herniated disk. He isn’t expected to return for about three months, leaving the Rangers without their All-Star and 18-game winner from last year.
Brandon Beachy, SP, ATL – Starting pitcher Brandon Beachy threw yet another bullpen session on Friday, leaving just two sessions to go before going out on a rehab assignment that will last around six or seven starts. If everything goes accordingly, the 26-year-old is hoping to return to the Braves rotation at some point in June.
Sergio Santos, RP, TOR – Santos remains on the DL with a minor right triceps strain and there is no set timetable for his return. The righty is playing catch from up to 90 feet and claims that he “feels great”. Expect his progress to graduate to at least a bullpen session at some point in the near future.
Phil Coke, RP, DET – Coke won’t be eligible to come off of the DL until next weekend, but is likely to start a rehab assignment sometime this week. He was added to the 15-day-DL last Wednesday with a sore left groin, but he should return to action sooner than later.
Chad Billingsley, SP, LAD – The Dodgers’ will be without Billingsley for the rest of 2013 and the beginning of next season after he underwent Tommy John surgery a couple weeks ago.
Johan Santana, SP, NYM – The southpaw will miss the final year of his six-year, $137.5 million contract with a season-ending shoulder surgery. It is very possible we have seen the last of Santana as this could be career-ending. He will have missed two full seasons due to injuries as a member of the Mets.
Ivan Nova, SP, NYY – Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova played catch on Saturday for the first time since being placed on the DL with a triceps injury last week. Although he admitted to feeling tightness in his arm, but made it a point that there was no pain. Nova will head to Tampa next week to begin throwing off a mound, but his return still has no timetable.
Frank Francisco, RP, NYM – The Mets’ reliever admitted that he felt “OK but not great” after a 25-pitch side session last week. The right-hander was re-examined by doctors but no structural damage was discovered in his elbow.
Chris Capuano, SP, LAD – Capuano was lit up in his horrific return from the DL on Monday, giving up six runs in just four innings in a loss to the D-backs. He holds a 10.38 ERA and 2.31 WHIP on the season and isn’t a desirable option for fantasy owners.
Brett Myers, SP, CLE – Meyers remains on the 15-day-DL with inflammation in his right elbow. The good news is that he is progressing “very well” in his rehab according to manager Terry Francona, so his owners should expect him back shortly.
Gavin Floyd, SP, CHW – Starting pitcher Gavin Floyd will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament and a town flexor muscle in his right arm. The 30-year-old is expected to miss anywhere from 14 to 19 months.
Francisco Liriano, SP, PIT – Liriano seems to have fully recovered from the broken arm he suffered in the offseason. He had a mediocre performance in his previous rehab start, but is still scheduled to make his Pirates debut against the Mets on Saturday. The former Twin is expected to take Jonathan Sanchez’s spot in the Pirates rotation.
John Lannan, SP, PHI – Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said that lefty John Lannan could miss six to eight weeks due to a strained left quadriceps tendon in his knee. Now two weeks into his recovery, he will be re-evaluated by a team doctor this upcoming Saturday.
John Danks, SP, CHW – John Danks was back in Chicago after starting in his extended spring training game recently. He has begun a rehab stint at Double-A Birmingham, but will likely need several minor league appearances in order to get back into game speed.
Martin Perez, SP, TEX – Rangers left-hander Martin Perez was struck above the left wrist by a line drive off of the bat of Brad Miller. X-Rays revealed a fracture, which kept Perez from throwing for approximately four weeks while it healed. He will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco sometime this week.
Nate Eovaldi, SP, MIA – Marlins starting pitcher Nate Eovaldi is making progress in his long-toss program, but there is still no timeline for his possible return. He has been on the DL since the beginning of the season due to right shoulder inflammation.
Henderson Alvarez, SP, MIA – Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez has been sidelined since the beginning of the season due to right shoulder inflammation but played catch on Monday. He was shut down last week after experiencing discomfort in his shoulder while facing live batters in a simulated game so his return doesn’t appear to be anywhere soon.
60-Day Disabled List
Chris Carpenter, SP, STL – The Cardinals’ one-time ace had announced before the season that it was highly unlikely for him to pitch in 2013, because of a nerve condition in his neck and shoulder. The Cardinals have expressed interest in helping resurrect the right-hander’s career by using him as a reliever this season. The 37-year-old recently began throwing at Busch Stadium, hoping to make his return sometime in July.
Neftali Feliz, RP, TEX – The young hurler underwent Tommy John surgery on August 1st and has been reportedly throwing long toss since mid-April. Manager Ron Washington said that he wasn’t ready to begin throwing off a mound yet, but is hoping that he can return to the team by late July or early August.
Michael Pineda, SP, NYY – The Yankees would love to have an electric arm in their rotation to compliment CC Sabathia’s aging arm. Pineda underwent season-ending surgery last year to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, but over a year later, the flamethrower is said to be lighting up the radar gun during his bullpen sessions in Tampa. Pineda reportedly hit 95 MPH, making his return date in June appear fairly realistic.
Scott Baker, SP, CHC – Starter Scott Baker was placed on the 60-day-DL after experiencing a setback in his rough recovery from Tommy John surgery. He resumed his throwing program last week, throwing from about 45 feet.
Jeff Neimann, SP, TB – The 30-year-old Niemann won’t be pitching for the Rays any time soon, as the right-hander recently underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in early April. It was the only option if he ever wanted to compete at the Major League level again.
Daniel Hudson, SP, ARI – The Arizona right-hander threw two innings of batting practice last week, which is a good sign for any pitcher recovering from Tommy John. He reportedly threw around 55 pitches, getting praise from his coaches and teammates alike. Hudson will begin to throw on every fifth day with a few bullpen sessions scheduled in between, so we can expect his return in the near future.
Cory Luebke, SP, SD – Luebke is also working his way back from the Tommy John surgery that he underwent last year. Sadly, he felt some pain in his right after playing catch last week. The Padres are taking serious precautions with this issue, and will give him a break from throwing for a little while and then reassess the situation.
