This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The Yankees slugger is once again sidelined due to injury. Stanton has appeared in just nine games this season due to four different injuries. His problems started with a strained biceps that led to issues with his shoulder. He then strained his calf before making a return almost two months after the initial biceps injury. His return lasted just six games as Stanton sprained the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his right knee. The PCL is the lesser known of the two cruciate ligaments often overshadowed by its partner the infamous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Despite its diminished reputation, the PCL is the stronger of the two ligaments and is critical in knee stability. Its positioning allows the PCL to limit hyperextension of the knee while serving as the central axis for knee rotation. An isolated PCL injury is relatively unique injury but is often marked by pain and swelling. If the laxity of the ligament is impacted, the knee can become unstable. Furthermore, studies have shown individuals who suffer the injury become more likely to sustain future meniscus issues and long-term problems like arthritis. This is particularly concerning for Stanton who underwent surgery on the same knee back in 2010.
For now, Stanton will spend the next few weeks focusing on nonoperative treatment. The Yankees expect an August return is the best case scenario, though Stanton's track record in recovery suggests that shouldn't be expected.
Stanton has been a frustrating talent who has developed a propensity for
The Yankees slugger is once again sidelined due to injury. Stanton has appeared in just nine games this season due to four different injuries. His problems started with a strained biceps that led to issues with his shoulder. He then strained his calf before making a return almost two months after the initial biceps injury. His return lasted just six games as Stanton sprained the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his right knee. The PCL is the lesser known of the two cruciate ligaments often overshadowed by its partner the infamous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Despite its diminished reputation, the PCL is the stronger of the two ligaments and is critical in knee stability. Its positioning allows the PCL to limit hyperextension of the knee while serving as the central axis for knee rotation. An isolated PCL injury is relatively unique injury but is often marked by pain and swelling. If the laxity of the ligament is impacted, the knee can become unstable. Furthermore, studies have shown individuals who suffer the injury become more likely to sustain future meniscus issues and long-term problems like arthritis. This is particularly concerning for Stanton who underwent surgery on the same knee back in 2010.
For now, Stanton will spend the next few weeks focusing on nonoperative treatment. The Yankees expect an August return is the best case scenario, though Stanton's track record in recovery suggests that shouldn't be expected.
Stanton has been a frustrating talent who has developed a propensity for injury. His injury profile is beginning to remind me of Troy Tulowitzki. Both players endured a myriad of injuries in the early stages of the career, with a notable portion of those ailments attributed to bad luck. There's not much Stanton could have done to prevent the gruesome facial fracture caused by a stray fast ball or the broken hamate bone in his wrist. However, as time has progressed, those injuries have become a small part of a list of injuries that now includes multiple lower and upper extremity strains and two significant knee problems. Even when he does return, look for Stanton's level of inherent injury risk to remain substantial.
Check Swings
Tyler Glasnow: The Rays right-hander isn't close to a return but maintains he will pitch again this season. He has been sidelined since early May with a strained muscle in his forearm that has been slow to heal. Fortunately, a recent round of tests revealed the injury hasn't had a carryover effect on his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). The two structures are closely related, and avoiding surgical intervention via Tommy John surgery should remain a major focal point of recovery. It's hard to pinpoint when Glasnow will return to the mound, but at least he's moving in the right direction.
Dee Gordon: The Seattle speedster did not play Sunday due to tightness in his quadriceps. The move appears to be precautionary, and the Mariners hope Monday's off day will provide him plenty of rest and allow him to return Tuesday against the Cardinals. I'm always a bit leery when a player whose game is predicated on his speed comes down with a seemingly minor lower extremity strain. Tread cautiously here and have a reliable insurance policy in place should the injury require an IL stint.
Cole Hamels: The Cubs pitcher will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of his strained left oblique. Hamels suffered the injury during Saturday's start and was almost instantly placed on the IL. The left-hander has been down this road before having suffered a strained oblique on the opposite side in 2017. That injury sidelined him for more than seven weeks, and Hamels later admitted he returned too early. He told reporters he doesn't feel this injury is as severe, though a multiweek absence should be expected. An early August return seems like a reasonable early estimate, though the testing Monday will provide more clarity.
Adalberto Mondesi: The 23-year-old shortstop began a rehab assignment over the weekend with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He went a combined 2-for-9, including four strikeouts. However, he did steal a base, an encouraging sign for a player rehabbing a groin strain. Mondesi remains the Major League leader in stolen bases and should rejoin the Royals lineup in the near future.
Stephen Piscotty: The A's outfielder is already on the IL with a right knee sprain suffered during an awkward slide into second base. Piscotty is slated to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. The exact ligament injured hasn't been reported. If it's revealed the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is involved, Piscotty should avoid surgery as long as the medial meniscus is not also involved. Look for more information to trickle out at some point today, but for now slide Piscotty into an IL spot and hope it's a low grade sprain.
Corey Seager: Seager is set to begin a rehab assignment sometime this week as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain. He hasn't played since June 13 but resumed running last week. It has been assumed the 25-year-old shortstop would return around the All-Star break, and his recent progression keeps this recovery timeline in order. Look for the Dodgers to ease him back into things, providing rest days early on and limiting his aggressiveness on the basepath.
Luis Severino: The Yankees and fantasy owners will have to continue to wait on Severino, as the team has temporarily suspended his throwing program. The right-hander reported soreness in his throwing shoulder, so the team opted to shut him down. Manager Aaron Boone admitted Severino is not at 100 percent in his recovery from a latissimus dorsi and won't return to the mound until that point. Now, the Yankees do not anticipate him returning until at least late August. For fantasy purposes, it's beginning to look like 2019 may be a lost season for Severino, as any lingering trade value he has is slowly evaporating.
