Injury Report: March 3rd, 2018

(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Hello, and welcome to the introductory Injury Report here at Pitcher List! This bi-weekly offering is aimed at arming you with up-to-date and insightful information regarding injured players from around the league. This entry will be large as we are unveiling the Injury Report table and providing an update regarding each player included. If you feel I’ve missed someone, feel free to comment below so I can add them to the next edition.

The Pitcher List Injury Glossary went live today. This is a page where rough estimates of timetables and background information on conditions can be acquired. If there is a condition you would like added to the Glossary, leave a comment or send us a message on Twitter.

Team	DL	Pos	Player	Injury	Timetable	Est. Return	Countdown
ARI		OF	Socrates Brito	Injured right little finger	Unclear	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
ARI		RP	Randall Delgado	Flexor strain, PRP Injection	2-4 m	2018-05-01	0y 1m 29d
ARI		SP	Shelby Miller	Tommy John surgery	12-18 m	2018-06-30	0y 3m 28d
ARI		SS/2B	Chris Owings	Fractured right long finger	6-8 w	2018-05-01	0y 1m 29d
ATL	60	RP	Grant Dayton	Tommy John surgery	12-18 m	2018-09-01	0y 5m 30d
BAL	60	RP	Zach Britton	Ruptured right Achilles’ tendon	5-9 m	2018-07-01	0y 3m 29d
BOS		2B	Dustin Pedroia	Knee Surgery, cartilage restoration	7-10 m	2018-06-01	0y 2m 30d
BOS		SP	Drew Pomeranz	Forearm tightness	TBD	TBD	TBD
BOS		SP	Eduardo Rodriguez	Patellofemoral ligament reconstruction	6-8 m	2018-05-01	0y 1m 29d
BOS		RP	Tyler Thornburg	Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery	12+ w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
BOS		SP	Steven Wright	Knee surgery	7-10 m	2018-05-01	0y 1m 29d
CHC	60	SP	Drew Smyly	Tommy John surgery	12-18 m	2018-07-01	0y 3m 29d
CWS		SP	Carlos Rodon	Shoulder surgery, bursitis	6-8 m	2018-06-01	0y 2m 30d
CWS		RP	Nate Jones	Ulnar neuritis, ulnar transposition surgery	3-4 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
CIN		SP	Anthony DeSclafani	Sprained elbow	2-4 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
CIN		SP	Brandon Finnegan	Shoulder surgery, right (non-throwing)	12-14 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
CLE	60	SP	Cody Anderson	Tommy John surgery	12-18 m	2018-05-01	0y 1m 29d
CLE		OF	Michael Brantley	Ankle surgery, ligament stabilization	6-8 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
CLE		SP/RP	Danny Salazar	Rotator cuff inflammation	2-4 w	2018-04-30	0y 1m 28d
COL		RP	Rayan Gonzalez	Tommy John surgery	12-18 m	2018-05-01	0y 1m 29d
COL		OF	Gerardo Parra	Hand surgery, hamate removal	6-8 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
DET		SP	Michael Fulmer	Ulnar neuritis, ulnar transposition surgery	3-4 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
DET		SP/RP	Francisco Liriano	Strained left hamstring	1-2 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
HOU		1B	Yuli Gurriel	Hand surgery, hook of hamate removal	6-8 w	2018-06-01	0y 2m 30d
HOU		RP	Jandel Gustave	Tommy John surgery	12-18 m	2018-08-21	0y 5m 19d
HOU		SP	Brady Rodgers	Tommy John surgery	12-18 m	2018-07-01	0y 3m 29d
KC		SP	Nathan Karns	Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery	12+ w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
LAA		SP	JC Ramirez	Partial elbow UCL tear, treated via stem cells	2-4 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
LAA		SP	Matt Shoemaker	Forearm surgery, release radial nerve	3-4 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
LAA		SP	Nick Tropeano	Tommy John surgery	12-18 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
LAA	60	SP	Alex Meyer	Glenoid labrum surgery	12-14 m	2019-04-01	1y 0m 30d
LAA		SP	Nate Smith	Shoulder surgery, anterior capsule	12-14 m	2019-04-01	1y 0m 30d
LAD	60	SP	Julio Urias	Shoulder surgery, anterior capsule	12-14 m	2018-07-01	0y 3m 29d
LAD		RP	Yimi Garcia	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
MIA		SP	Wei-Yin Chen	Partial UCL tear, treated conservatively	4-6 m	2018-06-01	0y 2m 30d
MIA		INF/OF	Martin Prado	Knee surgery	6-8 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
MIA		SS	J.T. Riddle	Shoulder surgery, SLAP tear	10-12 m	2018-08-01	0y 4m 30d
MIL		SP	Jimmy Nelson	Shoulder surgery	12-14 m	2018-06-15	0y 3m 13d
MIL		C	Stephen Vogt	Strained right throwing shoulder	2-3 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
MIN		3B	Miguel Sano	Left leg surgery	2-4 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
MIN		SP	Ervin Santana	Right long finger surgery	10-12 w	2018-05-01	0y 1m 29d
MIN		SP/RP	Phil Hughes	Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery – revision	12+ w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
MIN		SP/RP	Trevor May	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
MIN	60	SP	Michael Pineda	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-08-01	0y 4m 30d
NYM		OF	Yoenis Cespedes	Shoulder soreness	1-2 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
NYM		OF	Michael Conforto	Shoulder surgery	4-6 m	2018-05-01	0y 1m 29d
NYM		SP	Jacob deGrom	Back soreness	2-4 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
NYM		SP	Steven Matz	Ulnar neuritis, ulnar transposition surgery	3-4 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
NYM		3B	David Wright	Neck surgery	Unclear	Never?	TBD
NYM	60	1B	T.J. Rivera	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-08-01	0y 4m 30d
NYY		OF	Aaron Judge	Shoulder surgery	1-2 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
NYY		SS/3B	Gleyber Torres	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
OAK		OF	Dustin Fowler	Ruptured patellar tendon	6-8 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
OAK		SP	Andrew Triggs	Hip surgery	4-6 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
PHI		SP	Jerad Eickhoff	Loss of sensation in index and long fingers	1-2 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
PHI		SP	Vince Velasquez	Right long finger vascular issue	1 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
PIT		RP	Nick Burdi	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-08-01	0y 4m 30d
SD		SP	Robbie Erlin	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
SD		SP	Colin Rea	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
SD		RP	Carter Capps	Thoracic outlet syndrome surgery	12+ w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
SEA		SP	Felix Hernandez	Right forearm contusion	1-2 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
SF		RP	Mark Melancon	Forearm surgery, right pronator muscle repair	4-6 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
SF		RP	Will Smith	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-06-01	0y 2m 30d
STL		1B	Matt Carpenter	Back soreness	2-3 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
STL		RP	Bud Norris	Hamstring strain, mild	1-2 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
STL		SP/RP	Alex Reyes	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-05-15	0y 2m 13d
TB		3B	Matt Duffy	Left Achilles tendon surgery	Unclear	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
TB		SP	Nathan Eovaldi	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
TB		SP	Brent Honeywell	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2019-04-01	1y 0m 30d
TOR		SP	Marcus Stroman	Shoulder inflammation	2-4 w	2018-04-15	0y 1m 13d
TEX		SP	Martin Perez	Fractured right radial head	6-8 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
WAS		OF	Bryce Harper	Surgery to remove in-grown toenail	1 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
WSH		2B	Daniel Murphy	Debridement and repair of right knee	10-12 w	2018-03-29	0y 0m 27d
WSH	60	SP	Joe Ross	Tommy John Surgery	12-18 m	2018-09-01	0y 5m 30d

Socrates Brito (OF, Arizona Diamondbacks) – Reports don’t explicitly state what the injury was, which leads me to believe it’s soft tissue. Given that it’s the little finger of his bottom hand, I worry this will have an impact on his hitting. Monitor for updates as they are available.

Randall Delgado (RP, Arizona Diamondbacks) – Faced hitters in live BP on March 1st. DBacks excited with his progress.

Shelby Miller (SP, Arizona Diamondbacks) – TJ to repair a partially torn elbow UCL. Has begun throwing, and appears likely to return closer to the 12-month benchmark.

Chris Owings (SS/2B, Arizona Diamondbacks) – Owings had a second procedure to repair his right long finger in November. This information plus his initial timeline estimate of 8 weeks makes me think the fracture was intra-articular, which could explain the complications. Monitor as additional news comes out, but at the moment he does not appear ready for the start of the 2018 season.

Grant Dayton (RP, Atlanta Braves) – Leaning towards not expecting Dayton back until 2019. If recovery goes well, he could be a feature in the Braves pen as early as the start of September, but there’s not much need to rush him.

Zach Britton (RP, Baltimore Orioles) – Various timelines have been listed (4-6m and 8-12m) by different sources. I think BAL tries to get him back with at least a month prior to the deadline to build some value to trade him. Waino (out 5 months) ruptured the Achilles’ in his landing foot and spoke about residual effects. Britton is hoping for a return in May and is apparently ahead of his recovery timeline.

Dustin Pedroia (2B, Boston Red Sox) – Hopes to return for the start of the season (cleared to run a month prior to the beginning of the season. Pedroia has started hitting, though he has yet to run or field.

Drew Pomeranz (SP, Boston Red Sox) – Pomeranz experienced tightness in his left forearm while warming for the second inning of his outing on 2018-03-02. He then came out immediately following the first curveball he threw in the inning. The ball broke as expected, which is a good sign, and Pomeranz appears optimistic that this is a minor issue. Forearm tightness often precedes a UCL sprain. Expect MRI results within a day or two.

Eduardo Rodriguez (SP, Boston Red Sox) – His ETA is set for late April/early May. Threw his first bullpen on 2018-02-28. No issues reported.

Tyler Thornburg (RP, Boston Red Sox) – Thornburg threw off a mound on 2018-02-28 with no reported issues. He has the time to get ready for the start of the season, though I feel this is optimistic. When he returns, I’m expecting to see some control-related issues.

Stephen Wright (SP, Boston Red Sox) – I initially expected Wright to be ready for the start of 2018, though it seems that he’s behind schedule.

Drew Smyly (SP, Chicago Cubs) – No information available at this time. Monitor for updates once he begins throwing program. Could return after the ASB in 2018 – may fill a bullpen role at that point.

Carlos Rodon (SP, Chicago White Sox) – Bursitis is a repetitive strain injury and Chicago has no reason to rush Rodon back. The current estimate is June. Monitor as new information becomes available.

Nate Jones (RP, Chicago White Sox) – Jones only threw a changeup 0.5% of the time last year, which is the main pitch you’d expect to see affected by this sort of nerve injury. Not expecting any residual effects at this time. Jones threw a clean inning in a spring training game on 2018-03-01. He could challenge Soria for closer duties with a strong return.

Anthony DeSclafani (SP, Cincinnati Reds) – DeSclafani’s 2017 was about as rough as my attempts to spell his name. Data for recovery from PRP injection for elbow UCL sprains is limited, and it seems Tony Disco experienced a concurrent tendinitis condition, which further complicates things. Monitor through spring training.

Brandon Finnegan (SP, Cincinnati Reds) – Finnegan’s season was sunk when he slipped trying to get into a boat and tore the labrum of his right shoulder. I wish I was kidding. Finnegan has been throwing off a mound and will face live hitters on 2018-03-01.

Cody Anderson (RP, Cleveland Indians) – Anderson has thrown off a mound and is hoping to be ready for Opening Day. I think this is optimistic, and I’d expect to see him late April or early May.

Michael Brantley (OF, Cleveland Indians) – Brantley is hoping to return for Opening Day but this seems optimistic to me. I’ll give him an extra month. He has begun hitting and running, though he’s yet to return to game action.

Danny Salazar (SP/RP, Cleveland Indians) – Salazar suffered from right rotator cuff inflammation in mid-January, and is behind the other CLE pitchers. Salazar has not increased his throwing distance (75ft) in over a week. He looks to be too far behind to start the season with CLE. Monitor for updates.

Gerardo Parra (OF, Colorado Rockies) – Parra had the hamate bone of his right (bottom) hand removed. He is hoping to be ready for the start of 2018. This is aggressive, though he appears to be on schedule. Hamate injuries have been connected with sapped power. Monitor EV numbers as they become available.

Michael Fulmer (SP, Detroit Tigers) – Fulmer’s change-up returned a 10.9 pVal in 2016 and was a major driving force behind his ROY campaign. In 2017, likely due to this ulnar neuritis, Fulmer’s change-up plummeted to a 1.3 pVal. Depending on the extent of nerve damage (the Tigers took a while to shut him down), Fulmer may feature more of the lackluster change-up to start the year, though I’m hoping it will return for him prior to the All-star Break. In Jacob deGrom’s case, the change-up still hasn’t returned the same value after he received the same operation in September 2016 (9.4 pVal in 2015, 1.9 pVal in 2017).

Francisco Liriano (SP, Detroit Tigers) – Liriano should be ready to open the 2018 season.

Yuli Gurriel (1B, Houston Astros) – The Astros seem to be optimistic with Gurriel’s timeline. I will move it up if he is progressing according to their schedule. Gurriel will also face suspension time for his actions during the World Series. Monitor if EV numbers as they become available, as hamate issues are connected with sapped power.

Nate Karns (SP, Kansas City Royals) – Reports expect Karns ready to start the 2018 season without restrictions. As with all cases of TOS, be wary of control issues and diminished velocity once Karns returns.

J.C. Ramirez (SP, Los Angeles Angels) – Ramirez opted for non-surgical treatment for his partially-torn right elbow UCL. He should be ready for Opening Day.

Matt Shoemaker (SP, Los Angeles Angels) – Radial neuropathy is not nearly as debilitating as an ulnar nerve compression issue as the radial nerve only supplies sensation to the back of the hand. Innervation of wrist extensors likely not affected. Shoemaker looks ready to take a rotation spot for the Angels to start the season.

Nick Tropeano (SP, Los Angeles Angels) – Tropeano has been throwing in spring training and should be ready for Opening Day. It’s not clear whether he will have a rotation spot or be placed in the minors to begin the year.

Alex Meyer (SP, Los Angeles Angels) – Could not find reports stating what part of the labrum was repaired. Team officials don’t seem optimistic. Either way, he’s likely out until 2019 at the earliest.

Julio Urias (SP, Los Angeles Dodgers) – Urias may return around the All-Star Break in 2018, though the Dodgers would also be wise to play it cautious with their 21-year-old stud who will have missed a year of development time.

Yimi Garcia (RP, Los Angeles Dodgers) – No updates available since December, but he should be ready to go to start 2018.

Wei-Yin Chen (SP, Miami Marlins) – Chen is reportedly behind schedule in the rehabilitation of his left elbow UCL. Surgery may make more sense at this point if he has a setback. He won’t be ready for Opening Day.

Martin Prado (INF/OF, Miami Marlins) – Expected to be ready for opening day.

J.T. Riddle (SS, Miami Marlins) – No reports available at the present time.

Jimmy Nelson (SP, Milwaukee Brewers) – Nelson is thrilled with his recovery thus far, and so am I. He began a throwing program on January 19th and is currently estimated to return around mid-June. Nelson’s injury was mild when compared to most labrum tears.

Stephen Vogt (C, Milwaukee Brewers) – Should recover in time for Opening Day. May sap some power if he rushes back as that is his front shoulder.

Miguel Sano (3B, Minnesota Twins) – Sano began rehab in December, and is likely to be ready for opening day. The Twins are reportedly happy with his progress. He will likely (and should) be suspended as a result of sexual assault accusations, however. Signing LoMo means more field time for Sano, which doesn’t make a ton of sense considering he already has lower half issues at age 24.

Ervin Santana (SP, Minnesota Twins) – A fun one! Santana underwent a debridement procedure for his right long finger MCP joint. What’s that mean? It means he had necrotic tissue within the knuckle of his right middle finger, which they cut out. Fun! He should be back in May.

Phil Hughes (SP, Minnesota Twins) – Return from surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome is a question mark. Hughes just had a second run at the procedure. Not good. He appears ready for the 2018 season. Do it for science, Phil.

Trevor May (SP/RP, Minnesota Twins) – The Twins are hopeful for a return in the first half. Do I think he can come back that quick? Trevor May. Monitor for additional updates as they become available.

Michael Pineda (SP, Minnesota Twins) – Pineda has begun a throwing program, though he still figures to miss a majority of the 2018 season. If I were the Twins, I’d be wondering if he could provide serious bullpen support late in the year.

Yoenis Cespedes (OF, New York Mets) – Cespedes has been dealing with some mild soreness in his right shoulder. He should be fine to start 2018.

Michael Conforto (OF, New York Mets) – Posterior shoulder dislocations account for about 10% of all shoulder dislocations, so not much data on recovery is available. Conforto figures to be out until May at the earliest. Thankfully, Conforto injured his right non-throwing shoulder, which should make his recovery a tad easier. I’m curious about lingering effects due to this injury occurring on a swing. Again, limited data as a majority of shoulder dislocations on swings occur to the front shoulder.

Jacob deGrom (SP, New York Mets) – deGrom has been throwing off a mound and should be ready for the start of the 2018 season.

Steven Matz (SP, New York Mets) – Ulnar nerve issue is not nearly as alarming as reports of an arthritic left elbow. Keep an eye on Matz in spring training. Koufax’s career ended due to an arthritic left elbow. We have come a long way in medicine since then, but I can’t imagine an elbow replacement bodes well for a pitcher. Matz first outing of spring ended with 5 R in 1+ IP.

David Wright (3B, New York Mets) – Three surgeries in two years, and Wright doesn’t look primed to return in 2018.

T.J. Rivera (1B, New York Mets) – Rivera has said he hopes to be back in May, but that feels aggressive even for a position player. I’m guessing August at this point. I’ll adjust as new information is available.

Aaron Judge (OF, New York Yankees) – Loose body removal and cartilage clean-up of his left shoulder. I don’t anticipate any residual effects – especially nothing more significant than playing through a painful shoulder for the second half of 2017. Held out from the first week of spring training games, though all reports state that he’s healthy.

Gleyber Torres (SS/2B/3B, New York Yankees) – Torres’ recovery has reportedly gone well, and reports indicate that he should be ready for the start of the season.

Dustin Fowler (OF, Oakland Athletics) – Fowler is reportedly progressing well and may be ready for opening day. Monitor through spring training. Fowler was scheduled to visit his doctor on 2018-02-23 though no update from that meeting is currently available.

Andrew Triggs (SP, Oakland Athletics) – Cishek had a similar issue (landing leg hip surgery) and missed approximately 7 months. Triggs should be ready for opening day. Monitor through spring training.

Jerad Eickhoff (SP, Philadelphia Phillies) – Appears to be nerve related loss of sensation – likely due to edema in the anterior forearm limiting nerve conduction to fingers. Will likely not be an issue to begin the 2018 season, though there is potential for symptoms to flare up as the season progresses. Monitor closely, and be wary of any fastball velocity drops, as that was the first sign something was wrong.

Vince Velasquez (SP, Philadelphia Phillies) – Surgery received in August to correct a vascular issue which was causing numbness in his right long finger. No residual effects expected.

Nick Burdi (RP, Pittsburgh Pirates) – Has begun throwing program. Monitor as the year continues – he could be a bullpen addition later in 2018.

Robbie Erlin (SP, San Diego Padres) – Expected to be ready for opening day.

Colin Rea (SP, San Diego Padres) – Expected to be ready for opening day.

Carter Capps (RP, San Diego Padres) – Capps will make his spring training debut on 2018-03-04. Capps has gone from Tommy John straight into TOS surgery, so temper expectations. Monitor in spring training for reduced velocity and difficulty commanding pitches.

Felix Hernandez (SP, Seattle Mariners) – X-rays came back negative after Hernandez took a batted ball off the right forearm. He should miss a start at the most.

Mark Melancon (RP, San Francisco Giants) – Facing live batters in Spring Training. Expected to be ready for the start of the 2018 season.

Will Smith (RP, San Francisco Giants) – Smith is hoping to return by opening day, but that feels optimistic. He does appear to be ahead of schedule and may move his timeline up about a month.

Matt Carpenter (1B/2B/3B, St. Louis Cardinals) – Carpenter is not concerned about his back and should be ready for Opening Day. I’m curious how his shoulder will hold up if he does play 3B regularly, as some have speculated.

Bud Norris (RP, St. Louis Cardinals) – Appears mild, so Norris should be considered to be on track for Opening Day until we hear otherwise.

Alex Reyes (SP/RP, St. Louis Cardinals) – Reyes is expected back in May. He will reportedly begin as a multi-inning reliever before eventually transitioning into a starting role.

Matt Duffy (3B, Tampa Bay Rays) – Duffy received two operations to his left Achilles tendon amidst multiple setbacks. It appears to be fine now, and he should be ready for 2018.

Nathan Eovaldi (SP, Tampa Bay Rays) – Expected to be ready for opening day. I’m excited to see some middle-middle 100mph fastballs. We’ve missed you, Nate.

Brent Honeywell (SP, Tampa Bay Rays) – Bummer. Hopefully Honeywell can recover quickly and be ready for a call-up in early 2019.

Marcus Stroman (SP, Toronto Blue Jays) – No structural damage, but Stroman has apparently had discomfort in his right shoulder since January. He may miss his first few starts of the season.

Martin Perez (SP, Texas Rangers) – Perez expects to return for opening day. Texas feels he’ll return about a month into the season. I may be bullish, but I’m with Perez on this one. He has begun throwing in simulated games.

Bryce Harper (OF, Washington Nationals) – Harper has gone through this before and only missed 1 game. He’ll be fine.

Daniel Murphy (2B, Washington Nationals) – Murphy is working on his running progression following surgery on his right knee. Current estimates have him returning for Opening Day. He may fall a week or two after that.

Joe Ross (SP, Washington Nationals) – Ross figures to be out through the majority of 2018. He could be a valuable addition to the National’s bullpen down the stretch.