The newly implemented 10-day DL has laid claim to several key players already this season.
The 2017 season is not even a month old yet and already some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball have gone down with injuries…some more major than others.
Injuries are…unfortunately…part of the game. Every team’s biggest fear is that they will lose one of their stars to the disabled list. So far this April, almost every team in MLB has lost someone that plays a vital role in their franchise.
Oh! My hammy!
One of the more common injuries so far this season has been hamstring strains. Don’t these guys stretch before every game? By the number of hamstring injuries in the first three weeks, you wouldn’t think so.
Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who was batting .263 before injury, was sent to the 10-day DL on April 22nd.
Rays starter Jake Odorizzi went down with the same injury on April 15th. Odorizzi, who was 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 3 starts, threw a bullpen session on April 22nd, and is expected back late April/early May…or so Rays fans hope.
Astros RF George Springer suffered a left hammy injury during the game against Tampa Bay on April 22nd. By missing the game on the 23rd, his streak of 204 consecutive starts came to an end.
No word on why Springer left the game for Astros but he has played in 204 straight games 9/7/15 #Astros
— The Scrum Sports (@TheScrumSports) April 22, 2017
Additional hamstring concerns
- NYM Yoenis Cespedes: DTD
- BAL Seth Smith: DTD
- SD Jarred Cosart: 10-day DL
- TB Mallex Smith: 10-day DL
- LAA Luis Valbuena: 10-dy DL
- SEA: Franklin Gutierrez: 10-day DL
Pitchers going hard too early
Pitchers from across the league are suffering from early season discomfort. Blue Jays J.P. Howell, Diamondbacks P Shelby Miller, Dodgers P Scott Kazmir, Orioles P Zach Britton and Chris Tillman, Phillies P Clay Buchholz, Red Sox P David Price, and White Sox P James Shields are all experiencing upper body strains and soreness. That is just to name a few.
Rays P Tommy Hunter pulled up while running over to first base during Saturday’s game against the Astros, and left the game immediately after. He has been placed on the 10-day DL with a right calf strain, which is a big loss to the Rays bullpen…Hunter currently has a 1.08 ERA.
The @RaysBaseball place reliever Tommy Hunter on the DL, recall righty Chih-Wei Hu from Triple-A Durham. pic.twitter.com/aryIA5T8dZ
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) April 23, 2017
Whoops!
No injury can be called “by the book,” but some of the ones so far have been strange to say the least.
Who said basball isn’t a contact sport?
Jacoby Jones takes a fastball straight to the face and has to leave the game for the #Tigers
— Around The Bases POD (@AroundBasesPOD) April 22, 2017
Tigers CF Jacoby Jones took a fastball to the face during Saturday’s game against the Tigers – resulting in nine stitches! You rarely see that much blood on a baseball field.
Giants P Madison Bumgarner injured himself on an off day while riding a dirt bike. San Fran’s ace is now out until at least June with broken ribs and a severe left shoulder sprain. Even though he is 0-3 so far, this is a big loss to the Giants, considering MadBum can hit dingers over the fence and provide his own offense when he starts. Not to mention a guranteed low ERA.
Dodgers 2B Logan Forsythe took a pitch off his foot, resulting in a broken right big toe on April 18th. Forsythe was batting .295 before he went on the DL. Dodgers fielders Joc Peterson and Andre Ethier are also on the DL, so the Dodgers are hurting in the big bat department for the moment. In total, the Dodgers have 11 players on the DL, as do the Rays.
Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia is down with left knee and ankle swelling after a sketchy slide over the weekend. He is scheduled for an MRI today. Pedroia is listed as day-to-day, but that could change depending on the results of the MRI.
Hoping for a Miracle
Probably the team hurting the most right now is the Mets. Cespedes, C Travis d’Arnaud, and 1B Lucas Duda are all out of commission, among others. Notably, 3B David Wright has yet to play in a game this season after a cervical disc herniation in February.
Although his 2015 and 2016 seasons were cut short, Wright is a career .296 hitter, and is a fan favorite at CitiField. Wright resumed baseball activities on April 19th, but there is no timetable for his return.
Five months and some change to go…
Keep in mind, this is just a sampling of the injuries so far. With the new 10-day DL versus the previous 15-day DL, managers appear to be more cautious with the health of their players. Losing a guy for 10 days is not as problematic as it was in years past.
The list of injured athletes reads like a chapter book. And we aren’t even out of April yet!
Injury news courtesy of MLB.com’s Injury Report
