This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
The three-time American League MVP is slated to miss the longest stretch of his illustrious career after suffering a calf strain. The early timeline on Trout's injury is six to eight weeks with what is being called a Grade II injury. A Grade II strain is considered a more moderate strain and is often referred to as a partial tear, a designation backed up by Trout's comments that he felt a pop when the injury occurred. The Angels are likely to treat the face of their franchise conservatively and target the All-Star break as a probable return-to-play date. However, Los Angeles' record could ultimately influence the team's approach. The Angels currently sit dead last in the AL West and may look to be sellers at the trade deadline if they don't shows signs of improvement. If the team fails to make any headway in the standings, they could opt to hold Trout out longer or consider shutting him down entirely for the remainder of the season. As a result, Trout's short-term fantasy value is suddenly very precarious.
Cleveland's primary designated hitter is expected to miss substantial time with a left abdominal strain. Fortunately, the team provided significant insight to the injury by revealing Reyes' exact injury is a left internal oblique strain.
On each side of the rib cage, sits two different groups of oblique muscles, the internal and external obliques. Together these muscles groups work synergistically with the opposite group located on the opposite side
The three-time American League MVP is slated to miss the longest stretch of his illustrious career after suffering a calf strain. The early timeline on Trout's injury is six to eight weeks with what is being called a Grade II injury. A Grade II strain is considered a more moderate strain and is often referred to as a partial tear, a designation backed up by Trout's comments that he felt a pop when the injury occurred. The Angels are likely to treat the face of their franchise conservatively and target the All-Star break as a probable return-to-play date. However, Los Angeles' record could ultimately influence the team's approach. The Angels currently sit dead last in the AL West and may look to be sellers at the trade deadline if they don't shows signs of improvement. If the team fails to make any headway in the standings, they could opt to hold Trout out longer or consider shutting him down entirely for the remainder of the season. As a result, Trout's short-term fantasy value is suddenly very precarious.
Cleveland's primary designated hitter is expected to miss substantial time with a left abdominal strain. Fortunately, the team provided significant insight to the injury by revealing Reyes' exact injury is a left internal oblique strain.
On each side of the rib cage, sits two different groups of oblique muscles, the internal and external obliques. Together these muscles groups work synergistically with the opposite group located on the opposite side of the ribcage to complete trunk rotation. For a right-handed player like Reyes, this means his left internal obliques contract along with his right external obliques to complete the trunk rotation needed when throwing a baseball or swinging a bat. A strain to this area would drastically limit Reyes' ability to complete his power swing.
Cleveland anticipates Reyes will miss five to seven weeks with the injury. Given Reyes' big swing and aggressive approach at the plate, I'd expect him back on the latter end of this estimated window. Owen Miller filled in for Reyes on Sunday, finishing 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.
Kevin Pillar, Willson Contreras and Nelson Cruz
I'm honestly considered adding a section in my column called "The Plunked Palace," which will feature all the players hit by pitches during the previous week.
Pillar's injury was by far the scariest, as he took a fastball off the face. The impact left his face bloodied and broken with the Mets veteran undergoing surgery to repair multiple facial fractures near his nose. He will likely need more than the minimum 10 days, paving the way for Johneshwy Fargas and Khalil Lee to see more playing time. Jan Levine did a great job of breaking down the replacement players in the Mets injury-riddled outfield in his column earlier this week.
Contreras was a late addition to the Palace after taking a fastball off his wrist late in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. It appears he avoided any serious injury, as he was able to finish the game, but Monday's day off comes at the perfect time. Consider him day-to-day for now.
Cruz was also struck on the wrist last week and has missed five consecutive games with what the Twins are calling a bruised wrist. He's still listed as day-to-day, but a backdated IL stint may be necessary.
Check Swings
Dylan Carlson: Carlson did not play in either of St. Louis' weekend games against the rival Cubs but was back in the lineup Monday against the other Chicago team. The Cardinals appear confident the back soreness that kept him out is not serious, as they opted to play him in the outfield, despite having the option of using him as a designated hitter.
Jacob deGrom: The Mets ace is expected to rejoin the team Tuesday after missing time with a mild latissimus dorsi injury. DeGrom has progressed smoothly through his rehab protocol and completed a bullpen session on Sunday. He has to be utilized given his enormous ceiling, but keep in mind his level of inherent injury risk should remain elevated for the immediate future.
Trent Grisham: Just as San Diego welcomed back Fernando Tatis from the COVID-19 list, Grisham was sent to the sidelines with a bruised heel. The 24-year-old outfielder ended up on the IL on Monday with manager Jayce Tingler noting the team hopes the decision will minimize the load Grisham puts on the area and allow the injury to more adequately heal. The return of Wil Myers will help offset some of the offensive punch lost with Grisham out, and Brian O'Grady has been recalled to the team to fill the empty roster spot.
Manny Machado: Machado has missed four straight outings with what is being described as shoulder tightness. Unfortunately that doesn't tell us much about the nature of the injury and fantasy managers will have to wait for a more definitive diagnosis before developing a more concrete game plan moving forward.
Kenta Maeda: The Minnesota right-hander has hit the IL with a strained right adductor muscle. The adductor muscles are located on the inner thigh and are commonly known as the groin. However, the adductor moniker is a bit more accurate, considering these muscles are responsible for pulling the leg in toward the midline of the body in a motion known as adduction. Knowing these two terms are often used interchangeably, we are able to link his current adductor injury to a previous bout of groin tightness. The strain appears to be a low-grade strain and should keep him out longer than a few weeks. Look for Randy Dobnak to settle into the Twins' starting rotation.
Framber Valdez: I haven't discussed Valdez much since he suffered his broken finger in early March, but the Astros pitcher is making progress. His fractured ring finger is healing nicely as he continues his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land. He's finished with mixed results in his two starts, but he will continue to get reps and increase his workload. Look for Valdez to return in June, barring an unforeseen setback.
