This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The season is finally underway, meaning teams invested in hurt players can finally shift those injured individuals to the disabled list. While some of these players will be back in action in 10 days, most are staring at lengthy recoveries and extended absences. Let's take a look around the league on Opening Day.
The 22-year-old was set to assume the ninth inning role for the Blue Jays but lingering soreness in his neck has derailed those plans. Osuna's official injury is cervical spasms, a diagnosis that provides information regarding the location of the injury but fails to reveal the cause of the problem. Spasms are a symptom of an underlying problem and not a true injury. While spasms generally accompany muscle-related ailments, they can surface with other issues like fatigue, sprains or disc problems. So while we know Osuna's issues are isolated to the upper portion of his spine, the root of the injury remains undisclosed. The injury has reportedly improved since Osuna returned from the World Baseball Classic, but his velocity remains lower than the Jays would like. Consider him day-to-day for now and think about adding veteran Jason Grilli in the interim.
The White Sox will start the year without the services of Rodon due to biceps bursitis in his throwing arm. The 24-year-old leftie originally reported tightness in the area before imaging pinpointed the problem.
Bursa are fluid-filled sacs located throughout the body that act like ball bearings in the body, reducing friction
The season is finally underway, meaning teams invested in hurt players can finally shift those injured individuals to the disabled list. While some of these players will be back in action in 10 days, most are staring at lengthy recoveries and extended absences. Let's take a look around the league on Opening Day.
The 22-year-old was set to assume the ninth inning role for the Blue Jays but lingering soreness in his neck has derailed those plans. Osuna's official injury is cervical spasms, a diagnosis that provides information regarding the location of the injury but fails to reveal the cause of the problem. Spasms are a symptom of an underlying problem and not a true injury. While spasms generally accompany muscle-related ailments, they can surface with other issues like fatigue, sprains or disc problems. So while we know Osuna's issues are isolated to the upper portion of his spine, the root of the injury remains undisclosed. The injury has reportedly improved since Osuna returned from the World Baseball Classic, but his velocity remains lower than the Jays would like. Consider him day-to-day for now and think about adding veteran Jason Grilli in the interim.
The White Sox will start the year without the services of Rodon due to biceps bursitis in his throwing arm. The 24-year-old leftie originally reported tightness in the area before imaging pinpointed the problem.
Bursa are fluid-filled sacs located throughout the body that act like ball bearings in the body, reducing friction within joints. They are commonly found between bone and muscle tissue. The biceps is a two-joint muscle meaning it plays a role in shoulder and elbow movement. As a result, it has bursa sacs at both ends. Rodon's issue is with one of the bursa in his shoulder, where the proximal biceps tendon enters the glenohumeral cavity. Fortunately for Rodon, the structural integrity of the shoulder remains intact. He will spend the next two weeks completing a throwing protocol in addition to addressing the inflammation through a variety of treatments and modalities.
Assuming his recovery goes smoothly, a mid-to-late April return is plausible. Look for this to be a minor setback for the former No. 3 overall pick. Dylan Covey could slot in as the fifth option in the White Sox rotation when needed.
Check Swings
Adrian Beltre: The veteran third baseman will start the year on the DL after his strained right calf failed to improve. Beltre has dealt with lower extremity issues for most of the spring and simply ran out of time to be ready for Opening Day. His absence will give the hard-hitting Joey Gallo a chance at some early at-bats, though the Rangers are optimistic Beltre will be back quickly, potentially as soon as April 9. Proceed with caution here as Beltre has a history of lower leg strains that could complicate his recovery.
Anthony Rendon: Another third baseman is dealing with a calf issue, though Rendon's injury is less intensive. The Nationals corner infielder will miss the first game of the year with a calf contusion after fouling a ball of his leg late last week. Soft tissue contusions may sound minor, but the resulting pain and inflammation can negatively impact both function and range of motion. Fortunately, the injury is improving, and the team expects him to make his debut on Wednesday against the Marlins following an off-day on Tuesday.
David Dahl: The stress reaction in Dahl's sixth rib is showing signs of improvement. He's back to performing agility and conditioning drills and hopes to swing a bat in the coming days. He was slated for a checkup late last week, though the Rockies have yet to provide an update. I still think Dahl is in line for a breakout year even if it doesn't get started until late April. Stash him if he's still available. Veteran Gerardo Parra likely will be the primary left fielder until Dahl is activated.
J.D. Martinez: The Tigers outfielder is slated to have his cast removed Monday. Martinez is currently on the 10-day DL due to a Lisfranc sprain of his right foot. Last week I detailed the multitude of problems associated with this type of injury, but any signs of progress have to be seen as encouraging. Martinez remains multiple weeks away from returning, but Monday's advancement may help provide a more concrete timeline for his recovery.
Jake Diekman: The Rangers reliever hopes to return sometime around the All-Star break after undergoing major colon surgery in the offseason. At age 11 Diekman was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. Unlike Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis only affects the rectum and colon of the large intestine. It leaves the colon in a chronically inflamed state, and ulcers often develop in the lining. After Diekman had a significant flare up in December, he opted to undergo a series of surgeries in which his colon and rectum were completely removed. Using the end of his small bowels, Diekman's surgeons created a J-pouch to replace the missing colon and serve as a storage unit and passageway for the byproducts of his digestion. Diekman's absence will be noticeable for the Rangers as he's just one of two left-handed relievers from last year's roster. As a result, Alex Claudio should see an increase in usage for the first half of the season with Dario Alvarez also available.
Jorge Soler: Kansas City traded for Soler with the idea of starting him in right field. Unfortunately, Paulo Orlando will fill that role on Opening Day after Soler suffered a low-grade oblique strain in late March. The injury was diagnosed as a Grade 1 strain, meaning the microfibers of the muscle have been damaged but the overall muscle fibers remain intact. However, even the mildest oblique strain can be slow heal due to the violent trunk rotation required in baseball. As a result, I wouldn't be surprised if Soler misses more time than expected. He will first be eligible to return on April 12.
