This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
Baseball is back! I love Opening Day and the promise it brings for so many people. I know inevitably injuries will play a major role in shaping the eventual World Series champion, but there is something genuinely pure about the road of possibilities awaiting everyone in baseball stadiums across the nation. It seems only fitting that those dreams and aspirations continue to expand and start 6,000 miles away in Japan with the title-defending Dodgers led by phenom Shohei Ohtani.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman
The first game of the year was lacking a bit of star power with both Betts and Freeman sidelined. Betts' absence was expected, as the All-Star has battled an undisclosed illness since the team arrived in Japan. The sickness is not believed to be contagious but did cause Betts to lose an estimated 15 pounds and left him dehydrated. The team wisely opted to hold him out of the two-game Tokyo series against the Cubs and sent him back home to rest and recuperate. Manager Dave Roberts said the move was also designed to mitigate the risk of a possible soft tissue injury. Betts will have nearly two weeks until the Dodgers resume their season on March 27 against the Tigers. Look for Betts to gradually up his workload in anticipation of the game once he feels better. The team is slated to play three exhibition games before the matchup with Detroit, providing Betts an opportunity to get additional reps and ramp back up. The
Baseball is back! I love Opening Day and the promise it brings for so many people. I know inevitably injuries will play a major role in shaping the eventual World Series champion, but there is something genuinely pure about the road of possibilities awaiting everyone in baseball stadiums across the nation. It seems only fitting that those dreams and aspirations continue to expand and start 6,000 miles away in Japan with the title-defending Dodgers led by phenom Shohei Ohtani.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman
The first game of the year was lacking a bit of star power with both Betts and Freeman sidelined. Betts' absence was expected, as the All-Star has battled an undisclosed illness since the team arrived in Japan. The sickness is not believed to be contagious but did cause Betts to lose an estimated 15 pounds and left him dehydrated. The team wisely opted to hold him out of the two-game Tokyo series against the Cubs and sent him back home to rest and recuperate. Manager Dave Roberts said the move was also designed to mitigate the risk of a possible soft tissue injury. Betts will have nearly two weeks until the Dodgers resume their season on March 27 against the Tigers. Look for Betts to gradually up his workload in anticipation of the game once he feels better. The team is slated to play three exhibition games before the matchup with Detroit, providing Betts an opportunity to get additional reps and ramp back up. The Dodgers are clearly playing the long game here, and Betts should be fine as his signs and symptoms dissipate.
Freeman was a surprising scratch from Game 1 of the Tokyo series due to left rib discomfort. The description isn't a real diagnosis but a symptom of some underlying condition. When something like this arises throughout the season, I hate to speculate exactly what is happening. Instead, I like to offer what is medically known as a differential diagnosis. Basically, I will allude to several possibilities about what could be going on, at least until a definitive diagnosis is provided. In Freeman's case, the issue could be a myriad of things ranging from a bone or cartilage injury of the rib cage to a muscle strain. Remember Freeman played through a painful rib cartilage injury during last year's postseason. The team has not ruled him out for Wednesday's contest but may choose to take a conservative approach here. If the issue is mild, the additional time off would give Freeman plenty of time to rest and set him up to return to the lineup along with Betts on March 27. A trip to the injured list would only be an option should the injury linger or be a more moderate strain. Consider him day-to-day for now.
Speaking of rib injuries, the Orioles shortstop is hopeful of his chances of playing on Opening Day after suffering a right intercostal strain on February 27. The intercostals are the muscle that sit in-between the individual ribs. To provide more context, the intercostals are the muscles you eat when you take down a plate of barbecue ribs. The muscles are a group of paired muscles that work together to move the rib cage, especially during breathing. Intercostal strains have become a somewhat common ailment in baseball. It seems likely the frequency of the injuries has not increased but the way we look at them has improved. Advancements in medical imaging have simply given the injury a more accurate name to what previously may have been referred to as a rib or side strain. Strains of the intercostals often heal quicker than the more dynamic oblique muscles, and Henderson has had ample time to adequately recover. Barring a setback, look for Henderson to be ready to roll when the Orioles open against the Blue Jays.
The Orioles also have issues with their pitching staff, as a key starter continues to battle posterior elbow pain. Manager Brandon Hyde went as far as to say his ace's recovery is going to "take a while." Rodriguez has already received a cortisone injection in the area, likely to address inflammation in the area. It sounds like the problem is his triceps brachii, the "three-headed" muscle located on the back for arm. The triceps is responsible for straightening the elbow, an action made possible as the three heads merge and anchor at the olecranon (the big bump of the elbow). The injection appears to have helped, as Rodriguez was slated to play catch Tuesday as he restarts his throwing routine. While the news is encouraging, the step is a small one in what is expected to be a lengthy recovery. The team wants to allot him enough time to go through his normal spring progressions. As a result, a return sometime in April appears to be a best-case scenario. He remains an intriguing, though risky, talent who could now come at a discounted price.
Check Swings
Ronald Acuna: Acuna is working his way back from an ACL reconstruction for the second time in his relatively young career. After tearing his right ACL in 2021, Acuna tore the opposite ACL last May. All reports suggest his recovery has gone smoothly, but he is expected to start the year on the IL. He hopes to rejoin the big-league club at some point in May, but the team has not placed a definitive timeline on a possible return. He remains an immensely intriguing talent, but it is worth noting his monster season didn't come until he was two years removed from surgery. Those opting to invest in Acuna may want to anticipate numbers closer to his 2022 comeback season than his 2023 MVP campaign.
Julio Rodriguez: The young Mariners slugger missed time recently with an undisclosed illness of his own. Monitor how he progresses over the next few days, but I don't anticipate this minor setback altering his draft stock or his availability for Opening Day.
Christian Walker: The Astros new slugger is also optimistic he will be ready for Opening Day. Walker has missed time since suffering an oblique injury. Like the intercostals, the oblique muscle groups influence trunk movement, but are more utilized during rotation and other complex motions. To make things worse, Walker has a history of oblique strains that have resulted in multiple extended absences. Houston is downplaying the issue, but I consider this a significant red flag and will closely monitor his health and productivity to start the season.
