This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The third baseman's breakout season will be put on hold after he suffered a broken left hand over the weekend. Castellanos suffered a non-displaced fracture in his fifth metacarpal after being struck by a fastball from Mets right-hander Logan Verrett. Castellanos was almost immediately placed on the 15-day disabled list and is expected to miss at least four weeks.
I often complain about the limited nature of injury information, but the description of Castellanos' injury provides a great deal of insight. To start, the exact bone involved is revealed. The five metacarpal bones comprise the hand and bridge the tiny carpal bones of the wrist and the long bones of the fingers. The distal ends of each metacarpal form the knuckles when the hand is balled into a fist. By noting the injury as a broken fifth metacarpal, we know the fracture occurred to the metacarpal sitting at the base of the pinkie finger on the outside portion of the hand.
The other pertinent bit of information revealed in the diagnosis is the nature of the break. Because the fracture was classified as non-displaced, the Tigers divulged that the pieces of Castellanos' fifth metacarpal remain in alignment and did not shift upon impact. Generally speaking, this is a win for the Tigers, as non-displaced fractures are frequently treated conservatively, and the injured individual can often avoid surgery.
However, that doesn't guarantee he'll be back in action in the minimal amount of time. The fifth metacarpal is more
The third baseman's breakout season will be put on hold after he suffered a broken left hand over the weekend. Castellanos suffered a non-displaced fracture in his fifth metacarpal after being struck by a fastball from Mets right-hander Logan Verrett. Castellanos was almost immediately placed on the 15-day disabled list and is expected to miss at least four weeks.
I often complain about the limited nature of injury information, but the description of Castellanos' injury provides a great deal of insight. To start, the exact bone involved is revealed. The five metacarpal bones comprise the hand and bridge the tiny carpal bones of the wrist and the long bones of the fingers. The distal ends of each metacarpal form the knuckles when the hand is balled into a fist. By noting the injury as a broken fifth metacarpal, we know the fracture occurred to the metacarpal sitting at the base of the pinkie finger on the outside portion of the hand.
The other pertinent bit of information revealed in the diagnosis is the nature of the break. Because the fracture was classified as non-displaced, the Tigers divulged that the pieces of Castellanos' fifth metacarpal remain in alignment and did not shift upon impact. Generally speaking, this is a win for the Tigers, as non-displaced fractures are frequently treated conservatively, and the injured individual can often avoid surgery.
However, that doesn't guarantee he'll be back in action in the minimal amount of time. The fifth metacarpal is more mobile than the inner metacarpals in order to allow for motion at the wrist and pinkie. This extra bit of mobility often slows the healing process, extending the athlete's time missed. As a result, look for Castellanos' return to come sometime in mid-September. Utility man Mike Aviles is in line to replace Castellanos at third with Andrew Romine a potential fill-in as well.
Last week I detailed the importance of the flexor muscles of the forearm. Now one week later, Gray is drawing attention to the muscles located on the opposite side of the forearm. The Oakland right-hander is battling extensor muscle soreness in his right forearm and has been placed on the 15-day DL.
As previously mentioned, the flexors are on the front or anterior aspect of the forearm. The majority of the muscles originate on the inside aspect of the elbow at the medial epicondyle. The extensor muscles act as the antagonist to these muscles and are located on the posterior aspect of the forearm and utilize the lateral epicondyle as an attachment site. The muscle bellies of these muscles are situated in the forearm though their tendons extend down into the wrist and hand. As a result, many of the muscles control multiple hand and wrist motions including extension, supination and abduction. Each of these motions is utilized in varying degrees depending on the specific pitch delivered. For example, a slider, a pitch frequently utilized by Gray, requires more supination than a fastball.
Like the flexor group, the overall integrity of the elbow is at risk with an injury like this. As a result, look for the A's to manage the situation particularly carefully, especially with their place in the standings and Gray's previous injury history. There's no current timeline for his return to play.
Check Swings
Carlos Beltran: One of the Rangers' newest acquisitions didn't play Sunday after suffering a left quadriceps contusion late in Saturday's win over the Astros. He didn't appear in the team's extra-inning affair the following day, but Texas is downplaying the injury. The veteran outfielder has looked comfortable with his newest squad, hitting .350 through five games with one homerun and an OPS of 1.000. Look for him to rejoin the lineup, most likely as the designated hitter, early in the week.
Matt Carpenter: The Cardinals infielder is again sidelined by injury after missing 26 games for a strained oblique. In just his second game back, Carpenter was removed from the game for an undisclosed reason and didn't play Sunday in the team's loss to the Braves. Look for the team to update his status on Monday, making him a risky play in weekly formats.
Bryce Harper: The struggling outfielder made an early exit Saturday with a stiff neck. The severity of the ailment is being minimized, though it also kept him out of Sunday's game as well. The move was likely precautionary to give Harper some extended rest with the team not playing on Monday. Washington also has an off day on Thursday before playing 20 straight to round out the month of August.
Clayton Kershaw: The Cy Young winner isn't eligible to return until late August but did make a bit of progress in his rehab protocol for a herniated disc in his lower back. He played catch off of flat ground on Sunday, and the team now will wait to see how he responds in the coming days. Kershaw is still facing an uphill battle for a late-season return but it's nice to see even the smallest sliver of good news in regards to his recovery.
David Peralta: After seven games back following a back injury, Peralta is back on the DL with a new injury. The Diamondbacks outfielder's disappointing season continues after he suffered a wrist injury following a collision with the outfield wall. The injury is being described as wrist inflammation, though that diagnosis should get more specific following a more detailed evaluation and an MRI. The DL stint is Peralta's third of the season and could easily be the final push frustrated fantasy owners needed to finally look elsewhere.
A.J. Pollock: While Peralta's injury status is disappointing, Arizona could be getting a big piece of their outfield back ahead of schedule. After breaking his elbow just days before the start of the regular season, it was believed Pollock might miss the entire 2016 season. However he's made steady progress in treatment and recently began a rehab assignment in the Arizona rookie league. Manager Chip Hale is optimistic that Pollock could rejoin the club by the end of the month and is worth a speculative roster spot if he hit the waiver wire at the start of the season.
