9 injuries to stars to track most closely

Some injuries are lingering -- sore elbows, cranky knees and the like. Some of these have sidelined or slowed big stars, others have affected players hoping to hustle their way onto a roster.

Not all such injuries are serious, except that now we’re running out of time as teams attempt to make those difficult final roster decisions.

Here are nine players with health issues to keep an eye on as we approach the stretch run in Spring Training:

1. Max Scherzer, RHP, Nationals (right side)
Scherzer says it’s “a fatigue thing” that sidelined him on Tuesday, and that there’s nothing to get all worked up about. That might be true for some players, but not for a three-time Cy Young Award winner on the defending World Series champs. Scherzer expects to make his next scheduled spring start on Sunday.

2. Michael Conforto, OF, Mets (right oblique)
We sometimes focus so much on the Mets’ starting rotation (which may be baseball’s best) that we may overlook how good the team’s core of young position players is. Whether Conforto returns for the start of the regular season or not, the Mets say they’ll be careful not to rush him back.

3. Chris Sale, LHP, Red Sox (left elbow)
No player is more important to his team than Sale, who is to resume a throwing program when he is "absolutely pain-free," and the Red Sox hope he will not need Tommy John surgery. If he can return and pitch at a high level, Boston could have a surprise-the-world postseason run in it.

4. Justin Verlander, RHP, Astros (right lat)
Opening Day hasn’t been officially ruled out for the ace right-hander, although Verlander said it “would probably take a miracle” to get him back on the mound by then. The Astros would happily settle for Verlander missing, say, four weeks, or even six, in exchange for having the 2019 American League Cy Young Award winner healthy the rest of the way. His extended absence would open a huge door in the AL West for the A’s, Angels and Rangers.

5. Mike Clevinger, RHP, Indians (left knee)
He has had a lightning-fast recovery from surgery on his left knee, and he could be back pitching Major League games by April. With Clevinger at the top of the Indians’ rotation -- and Francisco Lindor playing shortstop in 2020 -- Cleveland would have the look of a postseason contender. Carlos Carrasco’s recent sore right elbow is worrisome, but Clevinger is the key.

6. Aaron Judge, RF, Yankees (right rib)
Yankees for a thousand, Alex. In addition to Judge and his fractured first right rib, Giancarlo Stanton, Luis Severino, James Paxton and Aaron Hicks will open the season on the injured list, and Severino (Tommy John surgery) won’t return in 2020. As for the most important player to the defending AL East champions’ long-term success this season, we’re going with Judge. We think the rotation can hold its own until Paxton’s return, and the Yankees won 103 games without Stanton in 2019.

7. Miles Mikolas, RHP, Cardinals (right flexor tendon)
Even in a personally challenging 2019 season for Mikolas, the Cardinals probably wouldn’t have won the National League Central without his 184 innings and 17 quality starts. Mikolas is optimistic about a return early in the regular season, and that’s what the Cardinals are hoping, too.

8. Cole Hamels, LHP, Braves (left shoulder)
It’s not that his regular-season debut will be delayed by left shoulder inflammation that worries the Braves; it’s how long he’ll be out. Hamels was signed to take on some of a young rotation’s workload, and his absence means the presence of non-roster signee Félix Hernández suddenly becomes important.

9. Byron Buxton, CF, Twins (left shoulder)
He returned to live batting practice this week for the first time since undergoing offseason surgery on his left shoulder, and the Twins haven’t ruled out his availability for Opening Day. However, the team has cautioned Buxton to take his rehab one step at a time so he’ll be good to go for the long haul whenever he does return.