This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Correa is hoping to return later this week after missing time with a left foot injury. Since May, the Twins shortstop has battled inflammation in his plantar fascia, a dense band of connective tissue designed to support the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia is laid out in way that helps an athlete resist and disperse the increased forces associated with walking, running and jumping.
Inflammation of the plantar fascia is known as plantar fasciitis, a chronic problem that can be very painful and often lingers. Rest is often the best course of treatment but, even then, the problem regularly resurfaces.
However, Correa's injury was recently "upgraded" to a full thickness tear of the plantar fascia. While this may sound like a discouraging setback, it may actually help Correa return quicker. When plantar fasciitis lingers, surgery may be considered. In the procedure, a fasciotomy is performed in which incisions are made in the inflamed tissue to decrease the tension and pressure. By tearing his plantar fascia, Correa basically had a fasciotomy performed "naturally." As a result, the Twins medical staff will now try to navigate the healing process and treat the associated symptoms. Correa will likely need routine maintenance if he is able to return. There appears to be confidence that he will return when first eligible on September 29, but those invested here will need to keep an eye on what is a very fluid situation.
Lewis' injury is a bit more straightforward.
Correa is hoping to return later this week after missing time with a left foot injury. Since May, the Twins shortstop has battled inflammation in his plantar fascia, a dense band of connective tissue designed to support the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia is laid out in way that helps an athlete resist and disperse the increased forces associated with walking, running and jumping.
Inflammation of the plantar fascia is known as plantar fasciitis, a chronic problem that can be very painful and often lingers. Rest is often the best course of treatment but, even then, the problem regularly resurfaces.
However, Correa's injury was recently "upgraded" to a full thickness tear of the plantar fascia. While this may sound like a discouraging setback, it may actually help Correa return quicker. When plantar fasciitis lingers, surgery may be considered. In the procedure, a fasciotomy is performed in which incisions are made in the inflamed tissue to decrease the tension and pressure. By tearing his plantar fascia, Correa basically had a fasciotomy performed "naturally." As a result, the Twins medical staff will now try to navigate the healing process and treat the associated symptoms. Correa will likely need routine maintenance if he is able to return. There appears to be confidence that he will return when first eligible on September 29, but those invested here will need to keep an eye on what is a very fluid situation.
Lewis' injury is a bit more straightforward. Lewis suffered a hamstring strain and will miss the remainder of the regular season after landing on the injured list. The injury has been classified as a Grade 1+ strain, meaning it's closer to a more moderate strain than a mild one. These injuries take time, and a return for the postseason will likely be determined by the success of the Twins. The longer they stick around, the more likely it is Lewis can return to help in any sort of run at a World Series. For fantasy purposes, Lewis' value is sunk in most one-year formats.
Check Swings
Nolan Arenado: A disappointing season for the Cardinals ends with Arenado on the IL. The third baseman was placed on the 10-day IL with back spasms and will not play again this season. He finished the year with 26 home runs, 93 RBI and 71 runs in 144 games played. St. Louis will turn to a combination of Irving Lopez and Jose Fermin to cover third, with Juniel Querecuto also available off the bench.
Randy Arozarena: The Rays outfielder missed back-to-back contests over the weekend after leaving Friday's game with tightness in his right quadriceps. The term tightness suggests this is muscular related, likely a low-grade strain. The Rays have downplayed the severity of the issue, and those invested in Arozarena should hope that Monday's scheduled day off will provide him with enough rest to return to action. Harold Ramirez started in left field with Arozarena out.
Charlie Morton: The Braves placed Morton on the 15-day IL Sunday due to inflammation in his right (throwing) index finger. The inflammation is the result of a sprained ligament in the digit. The problem ends Morton's regular season and makes him ineligible for the NLDS, though he could return as a replacement player should someone else sustain an injury.
Shohei Ohtani: The impending free agent has undergone surgery to address his elbow injury and a statement provided by surgeon Neal ElAttrache made it clear that Ohtani will be able to bat next season. However, ElAttrache also revealed Ohtani will not return to pitching until the 2025 season. What remains unclear is the precise method used when Ohtani went under the knife. It sounds like a full reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) was avoided and that a repair was performed. We do know an InternalBrace was inserted into the area to fortify the sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Unless more information is made public, baseball fans will simply have to wait for some sort of an update on his progression through rehab. This will help establish a more definitive timeline for when we can expect to see Ohtani back in action, at least as a hitter.
Sandy Alcantara: Like Ohtani, the Marlins ace enters the offseason with questions about the health of his elbow. Alcantara will not pitch again this year after he reported renewed pain in his elbow and forearm following a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville. The injury has been diagnosed as a UCL sprain, though a treatment plan has not yet been decided. Surgery would likely carry over into the 2024 season and could result in a lost season. Look for a decision to be made in the coming days.
Eury Perez: Perez has also landed on the IL, though his injury is not to his throwing arm. The rookie will miss the rest of the season with left sacroiliac (SI) joint inflammation. The SI joints are located where the pelvis meet the spine. Here the bone of the spine known as the sacrum articulates with the iliac bones of hip. The joints help absorb stress generated from movement and force placed on and through the spine. Injuries to the area are relatively common and can result in pain in the area and, in some cases, down into the leg. Perez should be fine with extended rest and rehab, and could return in the playoffs should Miami qualify and advance to the NLDS. If the team fails to qualify for the postseason, look for Perez to return next season with a chance to build on a promising first year.
Luis Robert: The White Sox outfielder has had a bounce back year in terms of health, playing in 145 games after appearing in a total of 166 games over the previous two seasons combined. Unfortunately, his availability to finish out the season remains unclear, as he was removed from Sunday's game with left knee soreness. Hopefully the injury is minor and Robert can enter the offseason relatively healthy. Consider him day-to-day.
