Collateral Damage Daily for July 2

According to the Cincinnati Reds, Joey Votto came out of Saturday’s game with knee inflammation related to a slide on Friday night. Normally, regular inflammation doesn’t start after a traumatic episode. If the injury did happen on Friday, the inflammation is likely related to an underlying injury, like a cartilage injury or minor patellar tendon strain. Meanwhile, Stephen Strasburg had to leave Saturday’s start because of dehydration. He might end up pushing his next start back another day but should be fine moving forward.

As fans, we want players to battle through injuries probably because many of us go to work each day sick or dealing with various aches and pains. There is always a point where it’s apparent that your productivity will greatly suffer if you go in. That’s where we are at with Adam Jones and his wrists. He hasn’t taken batting practice for a few weeks because of soreness in both wrists. It could be coincidence, but June was the worst month he has had at the plate in a long time. It doesn’t look like the Orioles plan on putting him on the DL, but there has to be a point where enough is enough. … Chris Johnson didn’t start yesterday because of a left latissimus dorsi strain. Most of the time these need a DL move to heal. … Kevin Millwood won’t start until this weekend in another attempt to avoid the DL. … Andrew McCutchen is still dealing with soreness related to a minor sprain but is expected to return today or tomorrow. … Jose Altuve was able to make his way back into the lineup yesterday.

Additions

• Lonnie Chisenhall was placed on the 15-day DL with a fractured right ulna, which required surgery to stabilize. Initially thought to be a wrist injury, which would have been worse, the injury to the forearm will still require about 10 to 12 weeks healing and progressing through rehab. We can expect that he will be moved to the 60-day DL if that estimate holds. There is a good chance this is a season-ending injury if the Indians aren’t in contention. Jason Donald was called up to replace Chisenhall on the roster.
• Brian Bruney was placed on the 15-day DL with left hip inflammation, retroactive to June 25. He got the win in a scoreless inning about a week ago before developing soreness in this left hip. The White Sox haven’t given a specific timetable for his recovery, nor disclosed what, exactly, is inflamed. A case of trochanteric bursitis, which can be difficult to get rid of, is usually easier to come back from than inflammation caused by a torn labrum. The average time lost for the non-specific hip inflammation in a relief pitcher is 32 days. Brian Omogrosse was called up to take Bruney’s spot.
• Shane Loux was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained neck. It was made retroactive to June 26, which means he will be eligible to return on July 11. The average time lost is longer than that—24 days total. His neck strain doesn’t even appear to be that serious, and he could be activated in the minimum. In the interim, Brad Penny was called up to take Loux’s roster spot.
• If it’s not one thing, it’s another with Franklin Gutierrez. As we mentioned on Friday, Gutierrez was hit in the ear by an errant pick-off throw on Thursday, and there was concern for facial fractures or a concussion. Further tests ruled out any fractures but confirmed the concussion. There isn’t a set time for his return, and Steve Delabar has been called up to take Guttierez’s spot.
• Mark Lowe was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right intercostal muscle. The move was made retroactive to June 26, and he could be activated when eligible on July 11. The average time missed for relief pitchers is similar to oblique strains, 31 days versus 33 days for an oblique strain. Lowe is, in some ways, lucky that he hasn’t aggravated it much further over the last three weeks. The intercostal muscles can’t be fully rested because they contract and relax with each breath, but it might not have been wise to try to pitch through it for this length of time. Yoshinori Tateyama was called up from Triple-A to take Lowe’s place in the bullpen.
• Reaction time is important for baseball players, but sometimes things can’t be avoided. Edward Mujica was placed on the 15-day DL over the weekend with a fractured right little toe. He suffered the injury from a line drive Friday night. Initial estimates say he could be out from two weeks to a month.
  
  Fractures of the little toe are rarely serious, and the timeline of a month seems to be excessive unless you factor in changing his pitching mechanics, which is often the case. Relief pitchers average 30 days, while shortstops and outfielders only average 15 days lost, though small sample sizes abound in all. Wade LeBlanc was brought up to take Mujica’s place.
• Erasmo Ramirez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow flexor strain. After going eight innings and striking out 10 in his start against Oakland a week ago, he wasn’t able to get out of the third inning on Saturday against the Red Sox because of medial elbow pain. Given the year of Tommy John surgery, I was fully expecting Ramirez to come back with a torn UCL. but an MRI only revealed the strain. Ramirez will be shut down for several weeks. Compared to the average 78 days for a sprained UCL, the 45 days averaged for the flexor strain should be a cakewalk. Josh Kinney was brought up to replace Ramirez on the roster.

Subtractions

• Josh Beckett was activated from the disabled list Saturday in time for his start against the Mariners and pitched decently despite giving up two runs. He only missed 19 days because of shoulder inflammation, which is less than half the average of 43 days. He only lasted 85 pitches but was not on any sort of official pitch count. The good news for Red Sox fans is that he appeared to be back to normal. Darnell McDonald was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
• Bud Norris was activated from the DL on Friday but was not particularly sharp after spraining his knee a few weeks ago. He gave up three home runs and missed his spots inside the zone, too. It doesn’t seem that he was rushed back, but MCL sprains average 31 days for starting pitchers and he came back in 16 days. Xavier Cedeno was optioned to Oklahoma City.
• Kyle Farnsworth was activated from the 60-day DL and got into game action Saturday. He gave up a hit and walked a batter in his one inning of work but was able to slot back into the set-up role behind Fernando Rodney effectively. His velocity has also returned, which always is a concern coming back from an injury.
• Jeremy Hellickson was activated from the DL on Saturday after missing 15 days because of shoulder fatigue. He came back quickly and impressed everyone during his bullpen sessions, negating the need for a rehab assignment. Hellickson didn’t last too long in his start because of an injury, though luckily not on his shoulder. Prince Fielder smoked a line drive off Hellickson’s shin and caused him to leave the game in the third inning. X-rays were negative, so he should be able to make his next start despite the bruise. Cesar Ramos and Brandon Gomes were optioned to Durham to make room for Farnsworth and Hellickson.