Injury updates: Torres, Tanaka, Darvish, Stras
Here's a roundup of the latest injury news across the Majors.
Gleyber Torres and Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees
Torres accompanied the Yankees to Toronto for their three-game series on Friday. He will mostly be resting this weekend, however, as he's unable to do much besides receive ice therapy. Torres said that he is "feeling better every day" and hopes to resume baseball activities by the upcoming Orioles series, which starts on Monday. Torres also said that he hopes to return immediately after the All-Star break.
Tanaka has been scheduled to start on Tuesday at Baltimore after tossing 69 pitches over five innings in a Minor League rehab start at Triple-A on Thursday. Tanaka suffered mild strains in both hamstrings while running the bases in a June 8 game against the Mets at Citi Field. More >
Yu Darvish, Kristopher Bryant and Drew Smyly, Cubs
Darvish has yet to resume throwing since he received a cortisone shot in his right arm one week ago, after the Rangers' orthopedic specialist diagnosed a right elbow impingement and inflammation. The Cubs were encouraged that Darvish's exam in Texas showed no structural damage, however.
Bryant had a good day in the batting cages on Friday and may be close to returning from the disabled list. He has been sidelined since June 23 because of inflammation in his left shoulder and had an MRI last week when the team was in Los Angeles.
Smyly, who began the season on the DL as he rehabs from last year's Tommy John surgery, may contribute later this season. The lefty will be stretched out in his rehab -- he's currently at the Cubs' complex in Mesa, Ariz. -- but most likely will be used in relief when he does join the team. More >
Stephen Strasburg, Joe Ross and Matt Wieters, Nationals
Strasburg threw 50 pitches as he simulated two innings of work Friday, sitting down between reps to get used to the break when his team is on offense. He is on track to begin a Minor League rehab assignment Tuesday and could return after the All-Star break.
Strasburg will likely make two rehab starts -- tentatively Tuesday and then one more before the team heads into the All-Star break. Manager Dave Martinez said on Thursday that the Nats are targeting a return after the break for Strasburg, and it appears they could line him up to pitch in a crucial series against the National League East-leading Braves in the first series of the second half (July 20-22).
Strasburg was not the only pitcher working in Friday's simulated game, as Ross threw 25 pitches in an inning in his first time facing hitters since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. Ross has thrown a few bullpen sessions during his rehab at the team's complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., and he rejoined the team in Washington for this week's homestand.
Wieters will begin a Minor League rehab assignment on Saturday at Double-A Harrisburg. More >
Chris Archer and Jake Faria, Rays
Archer is expected to return from the disabled list to start Monday's game against the Tigers at Tropicana Field. Archer, who will make his first Major League start since June 2, when he suffered a left abdominal strain, is coming back after just one four-inning rehabilitation start in the Minor Leagues. He'll be limited to about 75 pitches in his first start back, but the Rays decided Friday they'd rather have him make those pitches for them than in another rehab start.
Faria remains on the 60-day DL with a left oblique strain. He isn't eligible to return until July 22, but manager Kevin Cash said he will take another step on the road back when he throws two innings or 35 pitches for Class A Advanced Charlotte on Saturday. More >
Steven Wright, Dustin Pedroia and Thomas Pomeranz, Red Sox
Red Sox manager Alex Cora made it clear on Friday that the team will take a cautious approach regarding the return of Wright, who has been on the disabled list with left knee inflammation since June 26 (retroactive to June 23). Asked if he expects Wright to return before the All-Star break, Cora said: "He threw the bullpen on Sunday and he hasn't gotten back to the mound yet. We're running out of time. We've been taking care of these guys the whole time. We're good where we are. There's no need to rush him."
Meanwhile, the Red Sox continue to monitor the progress of Pedroia (left knee inflammation) and Pomeranz (left biceps tendinitis). Pedroia has returned to Boston after spending some time in New York being evaluated by his knee surgeon, and Cora said Pedroia felt the trip was productive. Cora also said Pomeranz is scheduled for a Triple-A outing on Saturday. More >
Joe Panik, Giants
Panik left the Giants' 3-2 victory over the Cardinals on Friday night in the fourth inning with a left groin strain sustained while going first to third on a Gorkys Hernandez double. Manager Bruce Bochy said the second baseman will be placed on the disabled list and is expected to have an MRI on Saturday.
Panik, who missed 31 games earlier in the season due to a torn ligament in his left thumb, is hitting .240/.309/.345 with four home runs in 54 games this season. More >
Andrew Miller, Lonnie Chisenhall, Bradley Zimmer, Tyler Olson, Evan Marshall and Nicholas Goody, Indians
Prior to Friday's game against the A's, Indians manager Terry Francona noted that Miller -- currently on the 10-day disabled list due to a right knee issue -- came to Progressive Field on Thursday and completed a 31-pitch bullpen session. Francona said the lefty will continue to throw off the mound, but he ruled out activating Miller before the All-Star break.
Chisenhall (10-day DL, left calf strain) is expected to miss "considerable time," according to Francona. The manager noted that the team will have more details on Chisenhall's status after the outfielder's upcoming consultation with team physician Dr. Jason Genin. Zimmer (Minor League DL, right shoulder) has moved his rehab to the Indians' complex in Goodyear, Ariz. Zimmer has not resumed baseball activities, but he continues to work through range-of-motion and strengthening exercises.
Olson (10-day DL, left lat strain) is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Columbus in a Minor League rehab assignment on Friday and Saturday. Marshall (10-day DL, right elbow) has resumed playing light catch, while Goody (60-day DL, right elbow) will be re-evaluated within the next few days. More >
Evan Longoria and Joe Panik, Giants
Longoria, who has been sidelined since June 14 with a fractured left pinkie, began participating in light baseball activity before Friday evening's game. The Giants are looking at a return around the first week of August, according to manager Bruce Bochy. More >
Panik left Friday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals with a left groin strain that he sustained while running the bases in the fourth inning. He prolonged the inning with a two-out single off Cardinals starter John Gant. Moments later, Panik appeared certain to score on Gorkys Hernandez's double to the left-field corner but pulled up in discomfort at third base, then departed. More >
Mike Zunino, Mariners
Zunino, who was placed on the 10-day DL on Thursday with a bruised left ankle, is not expected back until after the All-Star break. "Z's going to be out for a little while. We're probably looking at 2-3 weeks," manager Scott Servais said following Thursday's 4-1 win over the Angels. "With the sprained ankle, I don't have an exact timeline on it. We've got the All-Star break coming up. We do have some off-days, which helps, not losing him for that many games, but we'll see. I don't want to push it too soon." More >
Walker Buehler and Tony Cingrani, Dodgers
Buehler and Cingrani threw bullpen sessions Friday in the latest steps of their recoveries from injuries.
Buehler, who threw an impressive three-plus innings in a Minor League rehab start for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday, said he was not impacted by a healing microfractured rib, and if he cut short his session by a few pitches it was because of the heat, with Anaheim temperatures peaking at 114 degrees. He will throw a five-inning simulated game in Anaheim before Sunday's series finale, then the club will decide whether he needs another rehab start or if he can be activated late next week.
Cingrani, placed on the disabled list June 7 for the second time with a shoulder strain, preceded Buehler with a bullpen session and then drove to Arizona to continue his rehab at the club's Camelback Ranch training complex. More >
Ronald Acuna Jr. and Max Fried, Braves
Acuna Jr. exited immediately after recording an infield single during the seventh inning of Friday night's game against the Brewers at Miller Park. Atlanta announced soon afterward that Acuna departed with left groin tightness. Acuna did not show a noticeable limp as he made his way back toward the dugout without any assistance. More >
Before Friday night's game against the Brewers, the Braves placed Fried on the disabled list with a left middle finger blister. Fried surrendered four runs through the first two innings of Thursday night's 7-2 loss to the Brewers and then began to be bothered by the blister during his third and final inning. The talented young left-hander has been plagued by blisters throughout his professional career. More >
Ervin Santana, Twins
As Santana continues to work his way back from a finger injury on his throwing hand, the Twins are making a slight adjustment to his rehab trajectory. Santana threw four innings and struck out two batters while surrendering a pair of runs in an outing for Class A Fort Myers on Thursday. His next outing will come on July 10 at Double-A Chattanooga in order to accommodate the organization's schedule. The Twins originally intended for Santana's next outing to be with Triple-A Rochester, but the Red Wings will be on their All-Star break. More >
Martin Perez and Joey Gallo, Rangers
Manager Jeff Banister wouldn't commit to a timetable for the return of Perez to the starting rotation, but both sounded optimistic Friday before the Rangers' game against the Tigers at Comerica Park. Perez made his third rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Round Rock, throwing 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball and striking out six. He threw 87 pitches and 58 strikes. Perez has a 0.52 ERA through those three starts.
Perez has been on the disabled list since March 26, after experiencing a nerve issue as a side effect of offseason surgery to repair his fractured in his right (non-throwing) elbow. Perez was in Detroit on Friday and told reporters that he was told it could take up to 12 months for his elbow to feel normal again. As he goes through his normal throwing program, the next step for Perez will be throwing a bullpen session on Saturday.
Gallo was scratched from the Rangers' lineup Friday with a left eye contusion. The slugger collided with Delino DeShields in the outfield during batting practice before the game and had blurred vision, according to the Rangers. Ryan Rua made the start in left field. More >
Jerad Eickhoff, Phillies
Eickhoff felt tingling in his right index and middle fingers while pitching this week in Clearwater, Fla and will return to Philadelphia for further evaluation. Eickhoff missed the beginning of the season because of an injured right lat, but a nerve issue that ended his 2017 season returned while recovering from the lat injury. More >
Francisco Cervelli, Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz, Pirates
Cervelli (concussion) began a Minor League rehab assignment on Thursday with Double-A Altoona. Cervelli, who had been sidelined since June 21, went 0-for-3 with two walks and a pair of strikeouts as Altoona's designated hitter.
Manager Clint Hurdle said Cervelli has been participating in extensive pregame workouts and various catching drills while catching pitchers' bullpen sessions, so the Pirates don't feel it is necessary for him to catch in games. They do want him getting as many at-bats as possible, however, which is why he returned to Altoona's lineup as the DH on Friday.
Musgrove (right index finger infection) played catch on Friday afternoon. If he feels good on Saturday, he will throw a bullpen session. That would set him up to start on Tuesday, the day he is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list. The fact that the Bucs optioned Clay Holmes on Friday would seem to indicate that they believe Musgrove will be ready to make his next start.
Feliz (shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to pitch in a simulated game on Saturday. More >
Brent Suter and Zach Davies, Brewers
Suter made an unexpected trip to the 10-day disabled list Friday with a forearm strain and won't start as scheduled on Saturday against the Braves. Suter said he developed tightness near his left elbow in the first inning of his most recent outing against the Twins on Monday, when he lasted five innings and surrendered five earned runs on nine hits. He told the team's athletic trainers and underwent treatment, but the discomfort lingered and he was unable to throw his between-starts bullpen session.
Suter aims to rejoin the rotation in Pittsburgh during the Brewers' final series before the All-Star break, but the club will be cautious. Forearm strains have been known to lead to more serious elbow injuries. Initial tests, however, indicate the ligaments in Suter's elbow are sound, he said.
Davies, whose comeback from a right shoulder injury was scuttled by lower back pain, had another setback in a throwing session and will be further delayed, manager Craig Counsell said. More >
Chris Tillman, Orioles
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Tillman's rehab start on Thursday was promising, and he is currently scheduled to make two more Minor League rehab appearances. Tillman will next pitch for Class A Advanced Frederick and make at least one more start in Triple-A as he makes his way back from a lower back strain. Tillman allowed four earned runs in six innings for Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday. More >
David Dahl, Rockies
Dahl, who was hitting .275 with four home runs in 32 games when he suffered a broken right foot on May 30, has begun hitting in the batting cage in Scottsdale, Ariz. More >