The Rangers second baseman is likely done for the season after suffering a complex foot injury. Semien was placed on the injured list with a third metatarsal fracture and a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot.
The five metatarsals are the long bones that make up the foot and bridge the tarsal bones of the midfoot to the bones of the toes. The third metatarsal sits just below the middle toe. Semien's fracture does not seem to be displaced, meaning surgery will not be needed. However, the accompanying Lisfranc injury complicates his recovery.
The five tarsometatarsal joints of the foot are formed where the metatarsals articulate with the bones of the midfoot. The Lisfranc joint acts as the linchpin of the area and is located at the base of the second metatarsal. The joint is stabilized by the Lisfranc ligament complex. Unfortunately, the Lisfranc ligament can be sprained, compromising the stability of the foot.
Fortunately, Semien's sprain appears mild, and surgery for this injury is not currently being discussed either. However, given the Lisfranc joints importance to the foot, ensuring the area is completely healed is crucial for long-term health. This requires substantial time, and the Rangers are already predicting Semien will need four to six weeks to recuperate. Ezequiel Duran looks to be the primary option at second base for Texas, getting the start on Sunday. Duran finished with 1-for-4 with a run and a stolen base.
The Blue Jays slugger has played sparingly
The Rangers second baseman is likely done for the season after suffering a complex foot injury. Semien was placed on the injured list with a third metatarsal fracture and a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot.
The five metatarsals are the long bones that make up the foot and bridge the tarsal bones of the midfoot to the bones of the toes. The third metatarsal sits just below the middle toe. Semien's fracture does not seem to be displaced, meaning surgery will not be needed. However, the accompanying Lisfranc injury complicates his recovery.
The five tarsometatarsal joints of the foot are formed where the metatarsals articulate with the bones of the midfoot. The Lisfranc joint acts as the linchpin of the area and is located at the base of the second metatarsal. The joint is stabilized by the Lisfranc ligament complex. Unfortunately, the Lisfranc ligament can be sprained, compromising the stability of the foot.
Fortunately, Semien's sprain appears mild, and surgery for this injury is not currently being discussed either. However, given the Lisfranc joints importance to the foot, ensuring the area is completely healed is crucial for long-term health. This requires substantial time, and the Rangers are already predicting Semien will need four to six weeks to recuperate. Ezequiel Duran looks to be the primary option at second base for Texas, getting the start on Sunday. Duran finished with 1-for-4 with a run and a stolen base.
The Blue Jays slugger has played sparingly in Toronto's last five games, logging one pinch-hit appearance Sunday. Guerrero suffered a hamstring injury Monday that was initially called hamstring tightness. The injury was upgraded to left hamstring inflammation following an MRI. The team considers him day-to-day, and his appearance Sunday is at least a bit encouraging. However, I'm still skeptical.
Inflammation on its own is more of a symptom than a diagnosis. Either the inflammation is in response to micro-trauma of the muscle, making the injury a low-grade hamstring strain, or one of the tendons in the muscle group is inflamed, making this a case of tendonitis. These two acute injuries need time to heal appropriately, especially in a dynamic muscle group like the hamstring. Even if Guerrero manages to avoid the IL, he will be at an elevated risk for reinjury or aggravation for the foreseeable future. If an IL designation is eventually required, Guerrero's cameo on Sunday pushes back his possible return date. Tread cautiously here for now.
The promotion and increase in playing time of prospect Samuel Basallo comes at the expense of Rutschman who was placed on the IL with an oblique strain for the second time this season. The Orioles catcher initially missed 38 days with a left oblique strain earlier in the season and now sits with a strain to the opposite oblique. The obliques are actually two pairs of muscles on each side of the rib cage. Each pair is divided into two groups, the external obliques and the internal obliques. During trunk rotation, the muscles on one side contract with the opposite group on the opposite side. For example, the right internal obliques contract in conjunction with the left external obliques. While we don't have the exact groups Rutschman strained in either incident, it is easy to suspect the two injuries are linked. Look for him to miss a comparable amount of time with his latest injury, meaning his season could be over.
Check Swings
Yordan Alvarez: Manager Joe Espada said Sunday that his slugger has a "strong possibility" of returning Tuesday. Alvarez has not played since suffering a broken 3rd metacarpal in late April. He has performed well with Double-A Corpus Christi while on a rehab assignment, hitting .467 with four doubles and four RBI over four games. A late-season boom would certainly be a nice reward for fantasy managers who remained patient with the hard-hitting Astro.
Jackson Merrill: The Padres finally placed Merrill on the IL after his sprained ankle failed to improve. The delayed placement was difficult to navigate for fantasy managers, but Merrill remains eligible to return on August 30. He could realistically be ready by then, but it wouldn't be shocking to see this carry over into September. Ramon Laureano will continue to see extended time in center field for San Diego.
Chris Sale: The Braves left-hander is expected to return Saturday after completing his rehab assignment that concluded with 4.2 innings of work with Triple-A Gwinnett. He allowed one run on four hits and with five strikeouts and zero walks. He has not pitched for the Braves since June 18 when he suffered a left rib fracture. He returns on the cusp of the fantasy baseball playoffs and could help swing things for team's that stashed the ace.
Nolan Schanuel: The Angels first baseman hits the IL with a bone bruise in his left wrist. He is optimistic that he will miss the minimum amount of time, but bone bruises can be slow to heal. I think this is more likely a multi-week injury and a quick return to action may be wishful thinking.
Jordan Westburg: The Orioles placed Westburg on the 10-day IL after he suffered a right ankle sprain. Like Merrill, Baltimore waited to see if the injury would improve before a roster move was needed. Unfortunately, it did not and now he will be out until August 29 at the earliest. Ankle sprains are common injuries that are often very limiting, especially for positions like middle infielders that require a high amount of lateral movement. I'm taking the same approach with Westburg that I am with Merrill and preparing for this to extend into September.
Zack Wheeler: Last week I broke down Wheeler's blood clot and discussed the possible underlying concerns that may warrant surgery. The Phillies have since confirmed that their ace is dealing with venous thoracic outlet syndrome and will undergo surgery to decompress the problematic area. The recovery is measured in months, not days or weeks, but Wheeler could be cleared in time for Opening Day of 2026. Look for his return to play to be one of the primary points of interest entering next year's drafts.
Stay up to date on who is in and who is out with RotoWire's MLB Injury Report!
