This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Pitchers
The most famous beard in baseball has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation of his right elbow. The Giants were concerned enough about the injury to seek out the advice of renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Fortunately, Dr. Andrews does not feel surgery is warranted and Wilson will instead rest the elbow. Once the medical staff is able to control the inflammation, Wilson will begin a progressive throwing program designed to bring him along slowly. If all goes well he will be eligible to return in a week. In the meantime, Giants manager Bruce Bochy will take the dreaded closer-by-committee approach using a combination of Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, and Javier Lopez.
If losing Wilson wasn't bad enough, Sanchez has joined him on the DL with a sprained right ankle. A sprained ankle on the plant foot of a pitcher is extremely limiting. When the ligaments are sprained, the stability of the joint is compromised. A pitcher attempting to shift his entire weight onto his plant foot cannot produce the necessary force to deliver a pitch on a wobbly ankle. Additionally, Sanchez has admitted he is unable to turn on the ankle further limiting his pitch delivery. If he is able to rest and rehab the ankle enough to regain stability and strength, Sanchez could only miss one additional start but don't be surprised if it takes awhile longer. The misfortune of Sanchez owners is
Pitchers
The most famous beard in baseball has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation of his right elbow. The Giants were concerned enough about the injury to seek out the advice of renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Fortunately, Dr. Andrews does not feel surgery is warranted and Wilson will instead rest the elbow. Once the medical staff is able to control the inflammation, Wilson will begin a progressive throwing program designed to bring him along slowly. If all goes well he will be eligible to return in a week. In the meantime, Giants manager Bruce Bochy will take the dreaded closer-by-committee approach using a combination of Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, and Javier Lopez.
If losing Wilson wasn't bad enough, Sanchez has joined him on the DL with a sprained right ankle. A sprained ankle on the plant foot of a pitcher is extremely limiting. When the ligaments are sprained, the stability of the joint is compromised. A pitcher attempting to shift his entire weight onto his plant foot cannot produce the necessary force to deliver a pitch on a wobbly ankle. Additionally, Sanchez has admitted he is unable to turn on the ankle further limiting his pitch delivery. If he is able to rest and rehab the ankle enough to regain stability and strength, Sanchez could only miss one additional start but don't be surprised if it takes awhile longer. The misfortune of Sanchez owners is proving to be advantageous for Carlos Beltran (strained hand) owners as the Giants activated the outfielder to place Sanchez on the DL. Beltran appeared as a pinch-hitter
Tuesday and is set to return to the lineup Wednesday.
Hitters
With the fantasy baseball playoffs right around the corner, Rollins is once again abandoning his loyal owners with a lower extremity muscle injury. He spent the majority of the 2010 season battling calf and hamstring issues and missed two weeks in September with a hamstring strain in his troublesome right leg. The right leg is once again an issue as a recent MRI revealed a Grade II strain of his groin that will sideline the former NL MVP until at least September. The Grade II classification means the muscle suffered significant tearing. It is unlikely a coincidence that the injury occurred on his right side. Muscle imbalances in the leg easily develop when one of the muscle groups is injured. Multiple chronic injuries would put even more stress on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments making them prone to strain and injury. It is also likely that Rollins will require more time that usual to recover to insure the entire leg is properly prepared to return to play. Furthermore ,Philadelphia will exercise extreme caution as they eye another World Series title. Rollins owners should anticipate being without the shortstop for the stretch run.
The news out of Florida is not good as the Marlins are preparing to be without the services of Ramirez for the remainder of the season. Ramirez suffered a sprained left shoulder in early August and has had his return date pushed back multiple times. He has begun running and throwing but has yet to swing a bat. In 2007, Ramirez suffered a partial dislocation to the same shoulder and ultimately needed arthroscopic surgery to repair the damage. Ramirez is not slated for another surgery at this time but ominously admitted the newest injury was more painful than in 2007. It appears 2011 will go down as a lost year for Han-Ram and hopefully you have found a suitable replacement for the rest of the season.
The bruised back that sidelined Ellsbury for three games seems to be better as the Sox outfielder went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Boston's route of Texas on Tuesday. Ellsbury was struck in the middle of the back by a pitch in a win over the Royals. The X-rays were negative for a fracture but the Red Sox wisely rested their speedster over the weekend. Keep in mind Ellsbury missed a large chunk of last season with a rib injury and the ribs attach along the spine. There was no indication any ribs were involved in the injury but a conservative approach was the best course of treatment. Get Ellsbury back in your lineups.
Ortiz is poised to return from an eight-game absence caused by heel bursitis. The fluid-filled bursa sac withstood Ortiz running sprints in the outfield, allowing the athletic training staff to clear him for his return. Because Big Papi serves as the designated hitter, he is able to protect the injury site from constant weight-bearing. A heel cup can also be placed in the cleat to help protect the area. The only running that could irritate the condition will come on the basepaths and Ortiz has vowed to avoid that by "going yard". Utilize the slugger going forward and hope he put this issue behind him.
The White Sox outfielder suffered a sprained acromioclavicular (AC) joint while making a diving catch and remains limited. The AC joint is the spot where the collarbone connects to a bony process on the shoulder blade known as the acromion. The acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments stabilize and unite these bones and are commonly sprained when the tip of the acromion is forced downward. This specific mechanism of injury occurred as Quentin reached across his body to make a catch and then slammed into the ground. A sprained AC joint can create instability in the shoulder and negatively affect its range of motion. Quentin has taken positive steps forward, reporting improvements in pain and range but still remains several days away. He hopes to return by the weekend but has yet to successfully swing a bat. Look for the injury to carry into next week before Quentin is able to come back.
Jones was sent to the hospital Tuesday for an unknown illness that was causing the outfielder chest pains, shortness of breath, and general weakness. It's too early to speculate the problem but more information will be provided as tests are completed. Expect Jones to be sidelined for the immediate future until the root of the problem is discovered.
