This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Atlanta's injury woes continued over the weekend with Albies and Fried joining All-Stars Ronald Acuna, Michael Harris and Spencer Strider on the injured list.
Albies suffered the more traumatic injury of the two, fracturing his left wrist while attempting to apply a tag late on Michael Siani in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals. X-rays revealed the break, though the exact bone broken was not released. The word surgery has not been discussed yet, suggesting the broken fragments remain aligned and will simply need time to heal. The team released an estimated recovery of eight weeks, a timeline that could test fantasy manager's patience in redraft leagues. Atlanta is expected to call up prospect Nacho Alvarez and give him an opportunity to fill in at second base.
Fried's injury involves his throwing elbow, though testing on the joint confirmed all soft tissue structures in the area are intact. His official diagnosis is left forearm neuritis, and he has placed on the 15-day IL. Neuritis is simply inflammation of a nerve. The involved nerve is likely the ulnar nerve, a structure most people are familiar with but for different reasons. If you have ever hit your "funny bone" and felt that distinct tingling sensation in your elbow and forearm, you have irritated the ulnar nerve. The other nerve in the area, the radial nerve, could also be involved, though that impacts the backside of the forearm and is less common. Fantasy managers may have heard the
Atlanta's injury woes continued over the weekend with Albies and Fried joining All-Stars Ronald Acuna, Michael Harris and Spencer Strider on the injured list.
Albies suffered the more traumatic injury of the two, fracturing his left wrist while attempting to apply a tag late on Michael Siani in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals. X-rays revealed the break, though the exact bone broken was not released. The word surgery has not been discussed yet, suggesting the broken fragments remain aligned and will simply need time to heal. The team released an estimated recovery of eight weeks, a timeline that could test fantasy manager's patience in redraft leagues. Atlanta is expected to call up prospect Nacho Alvarez and give him an opportunity to fill in at second base.
Fried's injury involves his throwing elbow, though testing on the joint confirmed all soft tissue structures in the area are intact. His official diagnosis is left forearm neuritis, and he has placed on the 15-day IL. Neuritis is simply inflammation of a nerve. The involved nerve is likely the ulnar nerve, a structure most people are familiar with but for different reasons. If you have ever hit your "funny bone" and felt that distinct tingling sensation in your elbow and forearm, you have irritated the ulnar nerve. The other nerve in the area, the radial nerve, could also be involved, though that impacts the backside of the forearm and is less common. Fantasy managers may have heard the term earlier this season when Yankees ace Gerrit Cole started the year on the 60-day IL with nerve inflammation.
There's been no indication Fried will miss as much time as Cole, but Atlanta did say he will not pitch again until all his associated symptoms subside. He will then need time to build his arm back up, suggesting Fried's absence could extend beyond the two-week minimum. Dylan Dodd was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to assume Fried's spot in the rotation.
The Red Sox closer will not travel to Colorado with the team due to an underlying medical condition he has managed since 2011. Jansen has long dealt with a heart arrhythmia, better known as an irregular heartbeat. Jansen's specific condition is atrial fibrillation or A-fib, which occurs when specific chambers of the heart beat too fast or irregularly. Individuals experiencing A-fib often report feeling like their heart is beating too fast and may report accompanying shortness of breath.
In some cases, a procedure known as cardioversion to "shock" the heart back into its normal rhythm may be needed. Jansen needed cardioversions in 2011 and 2012 following relief appearance in Colorado. He has also undergone ablations in 2012 and 2018 to further address the problem. In an ablation, a catheter is inserted near the patient's groin and up into his or her heart. A low-volt, high-frequency energy form is then introduced to fix the underlying electrical issue.
Jansen also takes other daily steps to proactively help with the condition, including medication. Despite his consistent management, the decision to hold him out of the team's series in Colorado is a wise one, as it appears the altitude is a triggering factor. The Dodgers took a similar approach in 2018 when Jansen remained home during a weekend series against the Rockies. Look for Jansen to rejoin the team when they host the rival Yankees starting on July 26. With relievers Chris Martin and Justin Slaten on the IL, look for Brennan Bernardino and Zack Kelly to handle late-inning duties for Boston for the next three games.
Check Swings
Bo Bichette: In last week's column I warned Bichette's lingering calf injury could remain a problem and, unfortunately, those fears were confirmed over the weekend. In his first game back, the Blue Jays shortstop aggravated the injury. He later underwent an MRI that revealed the new injury to be a moderate strain and he is now expected to miss multiple weeks. The term moderate is usually used with strains classified as a Grade 2 strain or an incomplete tear. These are serious injuries that require lengthy time to heal, and a return in late August may be a best-case scenario. Leo Jimenez will fill-in at shortstop.
Carlos Correa: Correa is another player I feared would need more time than the allotted break to recover from a nagging injury. The Twins infielder's case of plantar fasciitis landed him on the 10-day IL on Saturday and will keep him out through the end of the month. Correa has a history of plantar fasciitis, playing through the injury in his opposite foot for the majority of last season. He's proven he can play with the problem, but his productivity was hampered in the process. Scale back your expectations even when Correa can return.
Julio Rodriguez: The Mariners outfielder suffered a right ankle sprain after colliding with the outfield wall in Sunday's win over the Astros. X-rays taken on the area were negative, but an MRI will be performed to determine the severity of ligament damage. Early reports indicate the sprain is mild, and Mariners manager Scott Servais called Rodriguez's status as "day-to-day." Rodriguez could avoid an IL stint if the sprain is a low-grade sprain but would still likely miss a game or two. Those invested here will need to wait for the release of MRI results to make a decision about the week ahead.
Fernando Tatis: Imaging on Tatis' injured right leg showed progression in healing, and the San Diego outfielder is expected to increase his activity level in the coming days. While good news should be celebrated, this does not mean Tatis is ahead of schedule. Remain patient here as he works his way back from a femoral stress reaction.
Kyle Tucker: Speaking of progression, Tucker has upped his activity level to "intense defensive drill." The Astros outfielder has not played since June 3 after fouling a ball of his leg that resulted in a right shin contusion. While the injury has taken longer than anticipated to heal, this latest update makes it appear plausible that Tucker begins a rehab assignment soon.
