MLB injury report for Tuesday, May 9

Intro

MLB injury report: Tuesday, May 9th

Max Scherzer (shoulder), New York Mets — Scherzer got smacked around by the Detroit Tigers in his return from a 10-game suspension last week, with noticeably diminished velocity, and it turns out that the righty is still working through the same shoulder discomfort that first popped up back in April. He’s expected to make his scheduled start today against the Cincinnati Reds, but there should be real concern here — both about his effectiveness and his ability to stay on the mound at all. Scherzer spoke with the New York Post about the injury on Monday, and the quotes were pretty disconcerting.

“Just don’t break,” Scherzer said of his goal while pitching through this condition. “I’m trying like hell not to join the IL. I’m fighting through this and doing everything I can. But this is the big leagues and no one cares if you’re hurt. You’ve got to go out there and perform, so I get it.”

Scherzer added that the injury wasn’t made worse by his outing last week, and that he’s “moving forward” and “in a good spot”. Still, this is a 38-year-old we’re talking about, and it’s unclear how effective he can be with a dip in velocity even if he does avoid the IL.

Mason Miller (elbow), Oakland Athletics — Miller had taken the baseball world by storm over his first four MLB starts, throwing triple-digit fastballs and 96-mph cutters and flirting with no-hitters. But the injury gods have apparently decided we can’t have nice things this season, so of course Miller reported feeling elbow tightness after his last outing against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

No word yet on a diagnosis, but “hoping for the best” isn’t inspiring a ton of confidence.

Corey Seager (hamstring), Texas Rangers — A sight for sore eyes:

Running the bases is obviously a good sign, as it’s what caused Seager’s hamstring strain in the first place. The shortstop has been ramping up baseball activities for a few days now and is apparently feeling well enough to set out on a rehab assignment on Thursday. The Rangers have been arguably the best offense in baseball while Seager’s been out, with replacement Ezequiel Duran tearing the cover off the ball, but we’re guessing they’ll be thrilled to get him back in the lineup.

Jose Altuve (thumb), Houston Astros — After going through pregame workouts with the big league club the past few days, Altuve has traveled to Sugar Land, the home of the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate, and took live BP there on Monday — seemingly a sure sign that he’s set to begin a rehab assignment very soon. That would be well ahead of the initial timetable when he first went down during the World Baseball Classic, but it now it looks like Altuve could be back by mid-May.

Nico Hoerner (hamstring), Chicago Cubs — Hoerner left Monday’s loss to the St. Louis Cardinals after pulling up lame while going first-to-third. It looked awfully ominous at the time:

But the good news is the team has yet to diagnose Hoerner with a hamstring strain, and it seems like it might not be the worst-case scenario:

Hoerner was off to a great start this season, with batting .309 with two homers and 12 steals atop Chicago’s order. The team did just call up Christopher Morel from Triple-A, who would likely see regular playing time at second in Hoerner’s absence.

Nolan Arenado (neck), St. Louis Cardinals — Arenado was a late scratch from the Cards’ lineup on Monday night with what the team is calling neck stiffness. It sounds like it was simply a precautionary move, but the third baseman could need another day or two on the bench.

Ramon Laureano (concussion), Oakland Athletics — Laureano has been a daredevil in the outfield for his entire career, often to the detriment of his health, and he put his body on the line once again at Yankee Stadium on Monday:

A heck of a catch, but unfortunately Laureano had to be removed from the game after his head banged against the right-field wall. The outfielder, who already missed a bunch of time earlier this year with hamstring trouble, is now in the concussion protocol and should be considered day-to-day.

Ramon Urias (hamstring), Baltimore Orioles — Urias left Monday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rays after pulling up lame on his way to first base, and the team has already diagnosed the shortstop with a hamstring strain. It’s unclear whether he’ll require an IL stint, and the team will likely run some more tests, but it would be a surprise if he returned to the lineup any time soon. Gunnar Henderson figures to see more regular time, while Joey Ortiz could be recalled from Triple-A.

Ryan Yarbrough (face), Kansas City Royals — Thankfully, it seems like Yarbrough avoided the very worst when he was struck in the face by a line drive over the weekend.

Manager Matt Quatraro added that Yarbrough has already been released from the hospital, which is great to hear. The lefty is obviously looking at an extended absence, but this could’ve been a lot worse.

Carlos Carrasco (elbow), New York Mets — Carrasco had his rehab start pushed back due to an illness, but he’s now slated to pitch for Double-A Binghamton tonight. Assuming that goes well, the righty could potentially return to New York’s rotation by the end of the week — although it’s possible he’ll need a second outing.

Oswald Peraza (ankle), New York Yankees — Peraza missed his fourth straight game with an ankle sprain suffered sliding into second base last week. The top prospect doesn’t seem to be getting closer to a return, which means an IL stint — yet another one for the Yankees — could be in the offing. Oswaldo Cabrera and Isiah Kiner-Falefa would likely see much more time in the infield if that happens, at least until Josh Donaldson returns.

Alex Wood (hamstring), San Francisco Giants — After throwing 3.2 innings in a rehab start on Sunday, Wood told manager Gabe Kapler that he feels ready to return to the rotation. Nothing’s been announced yet, but it certainly seems like the lefty will be pitching for San Francisco at some point later this week as he looks to build on what was a strong start to his season. He’s a recommended stash in deeper leagues and a worthy stream in the right matchup.

Mike Yastrzemski (hamstring)/Brandon Crawford (calf), San Francisco Giants — The Giants also have two position players taking steps towards a return, as Crawford has resumed running while Yastrzemski has started hitting and throwing with plans to start running again in the next day or two. It seems like both should be back at some point in mid-May.

Trevor Rogers (biceps)/Johnny Cueto (ankle/biceps)/Sixto Sanchez (shoulder), Miami Marlins — Rogers played catch from 90 feet for the first time since landing on the IL with biceps tendonitis, although there’s still no timetable for a return — it could be weeks or months depending on how his arm responds. Cueto sprained his ankle covering first in a rehab start at High-A Jupiter but should make another start at some point this week. Sanchez, meanwhile, played catch with no discomfort, which qualifies as a win considering just how many shoulder issues the one-time top prospect has gone through over the past few years.

Mitch Garver (knee), Texas Rangers — Garver has been slowly ramping back up after spraining his knee in April, and manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that the team is targeting May 23 as a return date. It’s an oddly specific update, but good news nonetheless, although Garver may be squeezed for playing time considering how well Jonah Heim is hitting right now. Garver was off to a strong start himself before the injury and should still figure prominently in the DH rotation.

Drew Waters (oblique), Kansas City Royals — Waters has been out since early in the spring with an oblique strain, but he’s finally set to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha in the coming days. The outfielder was a top-50 prospect once upon a time and looked good in a 32-game audition for K.C. last year, so he’s worth a look if he can put a stranglehold on the starting center field job.