Hello and welcome to the Injury Report!
This roundup is a biweekly article, published on Mondays and Fridays, where I aim to detail approximately five relevant injuries that have occurred over the past few days, or provide an update on the injury of a prominent MLB player. I will try to incorporate the available information as well as my own knowledge and experience to approximate a return date in each case, noting the individual characteristics of the injuries and of the players themselves.
If you have questions regarding an injury not detailed in this article, feel free to comment below, and I will give my best effort to provide a timely update.
Willson Contreras – Right Hamstring Strain
Willson Contreras was placed on the IL with a right hamstring strain of unknown severity. It has not been reported if he underwent an MRI. Assuming this is a Grade 1 strain, Contreras will miss roughly two to four weeks—likely on the longer end, as catching is very difficult on the lower half of the body.
Estimated return: Early September
David Dahl – Right Ankle Sprain
David Dahl is on the IL with a high right ankle sprain. This one looked quite bad but no fracture has been reported. We also don’t have a report noting a degree of sprain, but four to six weeks is a good place to begin based on Dahl’s reaction to the injury.
Estimated return: Mid-September.
Edwin Encarnacion – Right Wrist Fracture
Edwin Encarnacion is out with a fractured right wrist. Encarnacion said he expects to return in three to five weeks, though four to six is likely more appropriate. With that said, it being the right wrist of a right-handed batter, I expect he will avoid any sort of post-injury power outage.
Estimated return: Mid-September.
Andrelton Simmons – Left Ankle Sprain
Andrelton Simmons has sprained the other side of the left ankle that held him out of action earlier this year. Similar to Dahl, we don’t have a reported degree of sprain. A timetable of four to six weeks is a good place to start if we believe it to be a Grade 2 sprain. Cut that timetable in half if it is Grade 1.
Estimated return: Mid September.
Byron Buxton – Left Shoulder Subluxation
Byron Buxton hit the IL with a left shoulder subluxation. As this began as shoulder soreness and since Buxton was a late scratch Friday, this appears to be a minor injury, which he may be able to return from shortly after the minimum IL stint. However, as this is his lead shoulder while batting, it is fairly likely to sap his power for the remainder of the season.
Estimated return: Mid- to late August.
If there is a player on whom you would like information who I have not detailed in this article, please comment below, and I will reply as I am able.
Featured image by Michael Haas (@digitalHaas on Twitter)
The Buxton injury is being discussed in weeks, not days. Not sure where you got your info but the beat writers were pretty clear it would be a while and a Google search says the same.
With reports out on Contreras being on the IL for 4 weeks, will he be rested a lot more when he returns?