Under The Knife 4/30/21
Free Friday: All New Injury Analysis
Usually, Free Friday is a recap. Today, it’s all new, because there’s just too much going on. And so, let’s get to the injuries:
Bryce Harper OF PHI (bruised face)
There’s nothing subtle about taking 97 mph off the face. That’s what happened when Bryce Harper got a little too up close and personal with a Genesis Cabrera pitch that was problematic, either in that he was coming in too far or that he simply didn’t have command. Since Didi Gregorius also took one in the ribs, it’s doubly so. (More on Didi in a bit and the umps owe Joe Girardi one after that, plus Shildt’s reaction.)
Harper went down in a heap, bringing memories of Giancarlo Stanton to mind, but the medical staff let him stand, and Harper walked off under his own power. He was clearly in pain and a bit shaken, but the worst of it was past. Imaging done showed no fractures and thus far, the Phillies haven’t even said that Harper has a concussion. In essence, Harper took one good punch and had a flash knockdown. That’s about as good an outcome as he could have had, considering that Stanton comp.
Harper was not in the lineup Thursday, but on Instagram, he showed his bruise, reported that he was fine, and sources backed that. Soreness, a bit of a headache, but absolutely nothing more. That’s one of those lucky moments that may have saved a season or a career. It could have been a lot worse and as more and more pitchers come up with 100 mph stuff, the lack of command to go with it makes it likely that we’ll have more of these with some of them not so lucky.
Corbin Burnes SP MIL (unknown)
Corbin Burnes has been about as good as they come at the start of this season. He might not have the pure stuff of others, including his own teammate Devin Williams, but his combination of velocity, movement, and command - with that latter part being the rarity - is devastating to modern hitters. I have a theory about swing plane and pitch movement that I’m still figuring out how to test, but Burnes is Exhibit A in what has been a dominant pitcher’s season so far.
However, when Burnes was shifted to the IL, the worries came. His success didn’t come out of nowhere, but it did come quickly, which lead many to think it couldn’t last or that he’d end up on Bill Raasch’s table sooner rather than later. Tom Haudricort tweeted that it’s likely the COVID IL, but there’s not much more information as I write this. The team is limited in what they can say, but in a way, you’d rather have Burnes out because of COVID than a rotator cuff.
More info will be coming, but if this is anything that puts him on the COVID IL, Burnes could be back as quickly as this weekend. It could be a positive test, an exposure, or vaccine symptoms, so there’s just not much to go on as yet. Don’t get me wrong, COVID is dangerous, but for a young healthy guy like Burns, the odds are in his favor.
Mike Soroka SP ATL (strained shoulder)
Mike Soroka is throwing again and that’s very good news. He’s recovered from his Achilles repair, but somewhere in spring training, something got out of whack and Soroka found himself with soreness in the back of his shoulder, according to a team source. With that hopefully cleared up after rest and treatment, Soroka is back on a throwing program.
With better than a month off, Soroka’s starting from scratch in terms of ramping up his workload, so this won’t be a quick return to play, if the Braves want to have him at a starter’s standard workload before activating him. The 26-man roster should give the team more flexibility, perhaps piggybacking him once he gets to the 4 or 5 inning level, but we’ll have to see just how creative Atlanta is willing to be.
There is a lot of worry about recurrence with any sort of shoulder injury and the risk that something more serious can happen. Shoulder injuries are still very dangerous for pitchers and while some surgery outcomes have gotten a lot better in the last decade, some haven’t and many still have 50/50 return to level results. As good as Soroka has looked, we have to hope that’s not the case.
Max Fried SP ATL (strained hamstring)
More good news in Atlanta - Max Fried threw a live batting practice session and all the reports were positive. He fielded his position and threw all his pitches without any problems and reportedly “looked sharp” to his manager. The team is waiting to see how he responds the day after, but the expectation is that he’ll come off the IL early next week, probably Tuesday in Washington.
There is some recurrence risk with hamstring injuries, but the severity and location of Fried’s strain is more stressed with running and fielding than it is pitching. Maybe some teams will test him with a bunt or two, but I doubt it in this modern game. Fried’s likely be told to leave off the doubles and extra bases on the path, but no one I spoke with seems too worried about him on the mound. With Soroka closer, Atlanta’s getting close to having their expected rotation.
Ryan Weathers SP SDP (strained forearm)
The Padres are super talented, but if they’re going to carry that forward, they might need to learn from their rivals to the north. The Dodgers are not a healthy team and some of their best players, including Clayton Kershaw, are downright injury prone. However, they’ve had Dr. Neal ElAttrache on hand and great AT's, including Ron Porterfield who they brought over from the Rays, which has helped keep their talent on the field more throughout their run these last few years.
The Padres, well, have not.
With Ryan Weathers leaving Wednesday’s game early due to forearm soreness, the Padres add yet another pitcher to their IL and it’s not a fluke, it’s a pattern. Weathers’ was sent for more tests on Thursday, which could include MRI, but the Padres offered no public report besides Jayce Tingler’s vague remarks. There were some rumors that Weathers was sore following a COVID vaccination, but the focus on the forearm makes that seem unlikely.
If Weathers goes to the IL as expected, he’ll be the twelfth current Padre pitcher on the list, though Dinelson Lamet seems close to coming off, perhaps even being the move for Weathers. It’s unclear who the next man up from the alt site would be, though MacKenzie Gore would have to be a consideration. A Lamet return would actually have the Padres about where they expected with Darvish-Snell-Lamet-Musgrove-Paddack lined up.
Nate Pearson SP JAY (strained groin)
The Jays made an unexpected procedural move, reinstating Nate Pearson from the IL and then optioning him to the alt site. There’s some question as to the reasoning, but I was able to find out that it has nothing to do with his rehab. That remains on schedule and has not had any setbacks as he builds back. He was scheduled to throw four innings on Thursday, but there were no reports about how that went or even if it happened.
According to my source, Pearson won’t actually go to the alt site, but will break camp with Triple-A Trenton and will essentially be on a minor league rehab, but with no time constraints. The Jays are allowing him to build up on a smart timeline, which should be no surprise to those that follow Pearson’s offseason work with Kinetic Pro. It doesn’t much help fantasy rosters, but it’s a smart long term move for the Jays now. It does mean there’s no solid timeline for his return.
Quick Cuts:
I guess Didi Gregorius got off light compared to Bryce Harper. Gregorius took his HBP in the ribs. He’s sore but is expected back shortly … Christian Yelich played in a sim game on Thursday and if his back continues to improve, he could be activated this weekend … Matt Olson was hit near the eye during batting practice, though reports aren’t clear on exactly what happened. He’s fine and shouldn’t miss more time after being scratched Thursday … Luke Voit faced live pitching for the first time since his knee surgery on Thursday and a Yankees source tells me it went “as expected.” Hardly a ringing endorsement, but Voit has had a good rehab thus far … Garret Crochet goes to the IL with a back strain. His is in the upper back and the Sox are being vague about this. Given how hard he throws, more specifics would help and I hope to have more next week … Dinelson Lamet could start Sunday, though the Padres haven’t made a final decision. It’s very unlikely Lamet will go deep in this game, but how far he can go is up to his forearm and his effectiveness … Brusdar Graterol has only thrown 1 1/3 innings in three appearances, which is tough to do with the three batter rule. The hard thrower is on the IL with a forearm strain … Yordan Alvarez could return from the COVID IL on Friday, which indicates he didn’t personally test positive … Adam Wainwright won’t travel with the Cards after a family member tested positive. He’s on the COVID IL, but the team hopes he will be cleared and start Monday. At the end of the year when it looks like injuries really spiked early in the season, remember we had a lot of precautionary moves like this that really involved no injury … The Pirates are saying that Ke’Bryan Hayes didn’t have a setback, but they are changing his rehab. There’s no solid timeline for his return … Mike Yastrzemski hits the IL with an oblique strain. The Giants expect him to be out near the minimum.