This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Please ignore the bad pun but Buxton can't catch a break. After missing time with a Grade 2 hip strain, the Twins outfielder is back on the shelf after fracturing his fifth metacarpal. Buxton suffered the injury in just his third game back when he was hit by a Josh Osich pitch. The fifth metacarpal sits at the base of the pinkie finger, and bridges the bones of the finger and the bones of the wrist. While surgery will not be necessary to stabilize the fracture site, Buxton will once again miss substantial time.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager suffered a similar injury in mid-May and still has yet to return 45 days later. Seager was initially slated to start a rehab assignment over the weekend but has reported lingering soreness in the area, prolonging his recovery window. Look for Buxton to face a similar timeline with hopes of an early August return.
Cleveland will be without Civale for multiple weeks after he sprained his right middle finger. While the fingers may seem simple in design, the multiple joints in each digit are controlled by an intricate system of ligaments and tendons that act similarly to a network of pulleys. If one of the stabilizing ligaments in the area is injured, the individual can experience reduced range of motion and other functional limitations. This is particularly problematic for pitchers, as the middle finger is often their last point of contact with the baseball. Look for Civale to target
Please ignore the bad pun but Buxton can't catch a break. After missing time with a Grade 2 hip strain, the Twins outfielder is back on the shelf after fracturing his fifth metacarpal. Buxton suffered the injury in just his third game back when he was hit by a Josh Osich pitch. The fifth metacarpal sits at the base of the pinkie finger, and bridges the bones of the finger and the bones of the wrist. While surgery will not be necessary to stabilize the fracture site, Buxton will once again miss substantial time.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager suffered a similar injury in mid-May and still has yet to return 45 days later. Seager was initially slated to start a rehab assignment over the weekend but has reported lingering soreness in the area, prolonging his recovery window. Look for Buxton to face a similar timeline with hopes of an early August return.
Cleveland will be without Civale for multiple weeks after he sprained his right middle finger. While the fingers may seem simple in design, the multiple joints in each digit are controlled by an intricate system of ligaments and tendons that act similarly to a network of pulleys. If one of the stabilizing ligaments in the area is injured, the individual can experience reduced range of motion and other functional limitations. This is particularly problematic for pitchers, as the middle finger is often their last point of contact with the baseball. Look for Civale to target a late July, early August return.
Fried should be back in action Wednesday after missing the minimum amount of time with a blister. The blister is on Fried's left index finger but appears to have healed enough for a quick return to the mound. However, I'll be closely monitoring Fried over his next few starts, given the recent crackdown on foreign substances to see if the blister reemerges. Blisters generally are linked to grip and develop in areas of skin that are repeatedly rubbed against a nearby finger or the seams of the baseball. If the new rules and regulations alter Fried's touch on the ball, the blister could resurface over time.
Check Swings
Jose Abreu: The White Sox first baseman is day-to-day after being hit by a pitch on his left knee. X-rays on the area were negative, but Abreu was unable to play on Sunday. Manager Tony La Russa hinted that Abreu would be ready to return on Tuesday, but the team could opt to give him another day or two of rest.
Willie Calhoun: The Rangers outfielder continues to battle the injury bug, but his latest setback is different than his previous woes. While lower leg strains, including problems with his quadriceps and groin, have prevented him from living up to his early career promise, he is now slated to miss a prolonged period of time with a fractured forearm. Calhoun was struck on the arm by an inside pitch from Kris Bubic, fracturing his ulna. The ulna is one of the two lower arm bones that sit on the pinkie side of the arm. The break is in the middle of the bone, an area anatomically known as the diaphysis. Unfortunately, surgery appears on the docket for Calhoun. The surgeon will insert surgical hardware in the area to stabilize the fracture and insure a proper union of the fragmented pieces. It wouldn't be shocking if sits for at least eight weeks.
Bryce Harper: The Phillies played without Harper on Sunday after he reported tightness in his calf on Saturday. He was available to pinch hit, downplaying the likely severity of the issue. Any lingering concerns were further alleviated when Harper was able to start Monday's loss to the Reds. He finished 1-for-4 with a run and should be utilized in all formats.
Dinelson Lamet: The talented yet frustrating Lamet once again finds himself on the injured list. He tossed 2.1 innings over the weekend in a start against the Diamondbacks before being removed with what has been diagnosed now as right forearm inflammation. Lamet spent time on the IL earlier this season with right forearm tightness. The reemergence of the problem is troubling, particularly since the Padres have taken a conservative approach with his workload. Those invested in Lamet have to be frustrated, and it's hard to imagine things improving even if the inflammation subsides quickly. Ryan Weathers likely will take Lamet's spot in the San Diego rotation.
Joey Lucchesi: The Mets will be without Lucchesi for the remainder of the year after it was discovered he will need Tommy John surgery to repair his torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). The timing of the injury also means he will miss a large portion of the 2022 season.
Anthony Rizzo: The Cubs first baseman was removed from Sunday's loss to the Dodgers after experiencing tightness in the left side of his lower back. Rizzo's lingering back issues are well-documented and were most recently an issue at the end of the May when he missed six consecutive games. He did not play in Monday's game against the Brewers and, with a scheduled day off coming on Thursday, the club could opt to hold him out for the remainder of the series.
Mike Soroka: Soroka has suffered another setback with his Achilles, rupturing the tendon for a second time in less than a year. The Braves right-hander also had a debridement procedure on the area in May. The 23-year-old basically pushes restart on the entire recovery process and will now shift his focus to returning to the mound in 2022. The situation is largely unprecedented so determining a true timeline at this point is difficult.
Mike Trout: The Angels made a procedural move on Monday, shifting Trout to the 60-day IL. The decision shouldn't be seen as a setback in his recovery from a strained calf but instead it provides a more definitive timeline for a possible return. The earliest he can now return is July 17, a date that would line up with his initial estimated timeline. I'll feel more comfortable about his overall status once he starts running the bases, but it does appear he is progressing nicely.
