This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The promising White Sox rookie suffered a minor setback in his ascent to stardom. Abreu, the league leader in home runs, will miss at least the next two weeks after being placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his left ankle.
The exact diagnosis is tendinitis in the posterior tibial tendon, a fairly common condition that can also affect the arch of the foot. The posterior tibial tendon runs along the inside of the ankle before attaching to the bones on the inside portion of the foot. The muscle supports the arch, particularly during walking and running, and can easily become overworked. Normally a fatigued muscle can respond quickly as it is nourished by a steady supply of blood. However the posterior tibial tendon has a very poor supply of blood and is vulnerable to injury. While most cases of posterior tibial tendinitis improve with an extended period of rest and anti-inflammatory medication, the condition can result in a collapsed arch if it reaches its most advanced stage .At this point, more aggressive treatment is often required including surgery to remove the inflamed tissue.
Fortunately the White Sox understand the associated risk and are being proactive in their approach. Abreu has been placed in a walking boot to minimize the stress placed on the area of injury. This will create an environment more conducive to healing and hopefully prevent the condition from worsening. If all goes well, there's no reason to think he will miss more
The promising White Sox rookie suffered a minor setback in his ascent to stardom. Abreu, the league leader in home runs, will miss at least the next two weeks after being placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his left ankle.
The exact diagnosis is tendinitis in the posterior tibial tendon, a fairly common condition that can also affect the arch of the foot. The posterior tibial tendon runs along the inside of the ankle before attaching to the bones on the inside portion of the foot. The muscle supports the arch, particularly during walking and running, and can easily become overworked. Normally a fatigued muscle can respond quickly as it is nourished by a steady supply of blood. However the posterior tibial tendon has a very poor supply of blood and is vulnerable to injury. While most cases of posterior tibial tendinitis improve with an extended period of rest and anti-inflammatory medication, the condition can result in a collapsed arch if it reaches its most advanced stage .At this point, more aggressive treatment is often required including surgery to remove the inflamed tissue.
Fortunately the White Sox understand the associated risk and are being proactive in their approach. Abreu has been placed in a walking boot to minimize the stress placed on the area of injury. This will create an environment more conducive to healing and hopefully prevent the condition from worsening. If all goes well, there's no reason to think he will miss more than the allotted time. However fantasy owners should anticipate Chicago handling the situation very conservatively and any signs of a slow recovery will delay his return.
The Yankees will be without the services of the former Cy Young winner for a substantial amount of time after it was revealed Sabathia underwent a stem cell injection in his inflamed knee. The cause of the inflammation is a breakdown of cartilage within the knee. The injections will hopefully promote healing and growth in the affected tissue and allow for Sabathia to avoid a serious surgery. He will rest the area before beginning a progressive rehab program designed to strengthen the musculature around the joint. Sabathia's weight may factor in to his rehab plan as additional steps to minimize the amount of stress placed on and through the area will be taken.
A July return seems very optimistic given that the minimum amount of time off following the injection is six weeks and the Yankees are already discussing additional rehab. Extra time to get his arm back into shape will also be necessary and fantasy owners may want to consider dropping Sabathia if they need the DL spot to accommodate other players.
Injury woes are also affecting the New York offense. Beltran was placed on the 15-day DL late last week after a bone spur was discovered in his right elbow. The Yankees outfielder received a cortisone injection to treat the inflammation but Beltran experienced minimal relief. He will now visit Dr. James Andrews to gauge his opinion on the affected area.
I'd be surprised if surgery isn't considered. The only way to truly relieve the associated symptoms in the elbow is to remove the problematic bone spur. If it remains in the joint, it will continue to cause issues and the Yankees medical staff will be limited to treating Beltran's associated symptoms. Look for an update to be provided in the near future with a trip to the operating room a strong possibility.
Check Swings
Jay Bruce: The Reds outfielder continues to progress through his rehab for surgery to remove a partial tear in the meniscus of his left knee. He has begun hitting and, more importantly, jogging. If he continues to have positive results he should be expected back in 10-to-14 days.
Andrew Cashner: In a season where every trip to the MRI seems to have resulted in bad news, it was a nice change of pace to hear images of Cashner's right elbow revealed no structural damage. It doesn't mean he's in the clear just yet, but the lack of a high degree sprain or strain is positive. Cashner will begin treatment for the irritation and his return to the mound remains fluid. He will begin his rest and rehab immediately and an update should be provided within the next few weeks.
Prince Fielder: Fielder is suffering from a herniated disc in his neck. The injury ended his streak of 547 consecutive games played though he is expected to return Tuesday. The good news is that an injury like this can be managed with progressive rehab and medication. However should a setback occur, Fielder is likely to miss an extended period of time as neurological symptoms could come in to play. Keep him in your lineups and hope he rebounds from his early season swoon.
Martin Perez: The Rangers left-hander joins the ever-growing list of pitchers to require Tommy John. Perez was diagnosed with a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow and underwent surgery Monday. He will target a July 2015 return to the mound.
Martin Prado: A visit to the eye doctor went well and Prado isn't expected to miss any time after experiencing blurred vision in his left eye over the weekend. He's set to rejoin the team in St. Louis for their three-game series against the Cardinals.
Chris Sale: The White Sox southpaw reported soreness following his first rehab start but it isn't considered a setback. Sale, out with a flexor strain in his left elbow, says the soreness is limited to his shoulder and latissimus dorsi muscle. This kind of soreness is common during this phase of Sale's recovery and he remains on track to return relatively soon.
Joey Votto: The Reds slugger has recently struggled with pain in his left knee. Fortunately the injury is musculature in nature and not related to his previous meniscus injury that limited him during the 2012 season. He's missed four consecutive games due to the quadriceps strain and Cincinnati has yet to determine if a DL-stint will be required. Expect a decision to be made in the near future but until then consider him day-to-day.
