MLB injury report for Sunday, May 7

Intro

MLB injury report: Sunday, May 7

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (wrist), Toronto Blue Jays — The entire nation of Canada held its breath on Saturday afternoon as Vladito was a late scratch from Toronto’s lineup against the Pittsburgh Pirates with wrist discomfort. The slugger apparently first felt it flare up on Friday and tried to play through it, but when it persisted during BP Saturday the team decided to shut him down. It doesn’t seem like anything too long-term for now, but wrist injuries have a tendency to linger, and manager John Schneider didn’t give us too much reason for optimism.

Brandon Belt will likely start at first in his absence, at least for the next day or two.

Aaron Judge (hip)/Oswald Peraza (ankle), New York Yankees — Judge told the media when he first went on the IL that he hoped to only miss the minimum 10 days, and sure enough:

New York has gone 3-5 without their MVP candidate, and honestly it feels like it could’ve been much worse.

Peraza, meanwhile, missed another game on Saturday after rolling his ankle while sliding into second base earlier this week. He’s not expected to need an IL stint and was spotted taking BP ahead of Saturday’s win over the Tampa Bay Rays, so the top prospect should be back in the lineup soon.

Jose Altuve (thumb), Houston Astros — A few days after beginning baseball activities, Altuve appears to be ramping up in earnest:

Swinging against live pitching, even in BP, is a major step in his rehab process from his broken thumb — at this rate he could well make it back to the Astros before the end of the month.

Eloy Jimenez (appendicitis), Chicago White Sox — As if the White Sox lineup (and Jimenez himself) hadn’t been through enough already this season, let’s add a burst appendix to the list:

Players have made it back sooner than that 4-6-week timetable, but regardless, this is a huge blow to an already-depleted Chicago offense — especially with Jake Burger, the most natural fit to replace Jimenez at DH, also on the IL.

Ryan Helsley (knee), St. Louis Cardinals — Manager Oli Marmol told the media that Helsley was unavailable on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers due to knee soreness. The team doesn’t sound too concerned, and he could be available as early as Sunday, but worth monitoring nonetheless — and Giovany Gallegos becomes a name to know if you’re looking to stream saves today.

Anthony Rendon (thumb), Los Angeles Angels — Rendon got a day off on Saturday due to a sore thumb he suffered during a collision in Friday’s game. He could be back today — he was able to stay in the game and looked fine at third on Friday — but he may need to miss another game or two.

Andrew McCutchen (ankle)/Ji-Hwan Bae (ankle), Pittsburgh Pirates — Per manager Derek Shelton, two key Pirates pieces are trending in the right direction after missing the last couple of games with ankle tweaks — Cutch was actually penciled in the lineup initially on Saturday before being scratched. They could play Sunday.

Jake Fraley (back), Cincinnati Reds — Fraley was a late scratch against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday due to lower back stiffness, which is obviously a concerning diagnosis considering how pesky back injuries can be and how important they are for a swing — just ask outfield-mate Wil Myers, whose own seemingly minor back ailment kept him out several days back in April. Stuart Fairchild and Henry Ramos figure to see more time with Fraley out.

Luis Severino (lat), New York Yankees — Severino had his first scheduled rehab start converted to a simulated game this week, but Aaron Boone says the righty is on track to pitch for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at some point next week. He may need one more outing after that as he builds up strength, but he should be no more than a week or two away from a return to New York.

Tyler Glasnow (oblique), Tampa Bay Rays — Well this is a sight for sore eyes:

Glasnow looked largely like his old self in his first rehab appearance since being sidelined with an oblique strain early this spring, firing 2.1 scoreless innings on 46 pitches (albeit just 25 strikes) for Triple-A Durham. The command was understandably rusty, but the velocity is there, and he’s still trending towards a return in a week or two.

Yoan Moncada (back)/Liam Hendriks (cancer treatment), Chicago White Sox — It was a notable day for the White Sox’ Triple-A affiliate, as Moncada went 1-for-4 with a single to kick off his rehab stint and Hendriks took another big step towards what would be a remarkable return to the Majors:

The righty pitched a scoreless inning on just nine pitches, and while he’ll probably need a couple more appearances in the Minors, he’s on track to return in mid-May.

Travis d’Arnaud, Atlanta Braves (concussion) — Speaking of rehab assignments: d’Arnaud began his at Triple-A Gwinnett, going 0-for-3. It’s always tough to put a timeline on head injuries, but the catcher — who was behind the plate on Saturday night — seems headed in the right direction.

James Paxton (hamstring), Boston Red Sox — Paxton had another shaky start at Triple-A, giving up two runs while walking five in five innings, but apparently Boston has seen enough to insert him into the Major League rotation at some point next week. The lefty’s velocity is still there, but his command has been all over the place — unsurprising considering how long it’s been since he last pitched competitively. He’s only worth a stash in deeper fantasy leagues.

Johnny Cueto (biceps), Miami Marlins — Not only did Cueto get shelled in his first rehab outing on Saturday, but he also appeared to injure his leg while trying to cover first base. He was able to eventually walk off under his own power, but still not a great sign.

Forrest Whitley (shoulder), Houston Astros — A one-time top prospect, Whitley has had his path to the Majors consistently derailed by injuries, so alarm bells went off when the righty had his latest Triple-A start pushed back due to shoulder discomfort. The team doesn’t seem to think it’s anything major, but again, we’ve been down this road before. If healthy, Whitley would seem to figure prominently in Houston’s plans after Luis Garcia’s Tommy John surgery and should be on fantasy watch lists.