This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
In the nearly two decades I have been covering injuries for Rotowire I have noticed a gradual improvement in most people's understanding of sports-related injuries. Achilles tears and ACL are easily recognized by most dedicated sports fans and words like oblique, intercostal and impingement have entered the fantasy lexicon. However, one area that still seems to be a struggle for some is recognizing a muscle versus a muscle group. While people are aware of the quadriceps, the calf, the hamstrings and the rotator cuff, they fail to recognize that these are not individual muscles but groups of muscles that work synergistically to perform their various actions. For example, the hamstring is three different muscles, while the quad and cuff are made up of four muscles. Time lost to injuries involving one of the muscle groups can vary based on the actual muscle impacted.
Last week I discussed Pablo Lopez' teres major muscle and was quick to point out that the affected muscle was not part of the rotator cuff group. Now one week later, we have two pitchers dealing with problems that do involve the muscle group.
The Twins right-hander hit the 15-day injured list with what was initially described as a shoulder strain. The team later revealed Matthews' exact diagnosis, a moderate strain of his right subscapularis. The subscapularis is the only rotator cuff muscle located on the front portion of the shoulder blade. This positioning enables the subscapularis to perform an action the other cuff
In the nearly two decades I have been covering injuries for Rotowire I have noticed a gradual improvement in most people's understanding of sports-related injuries. Achilles tears and ACL are easily recognized by most dedicated sports fans and words like oblique, intercostal and impingement have entered the fantasy lexicon. However, one area that still seems to be a struggle for some is recognizing a muscle versus a muscle group. While people are aware of the quadriceps, the calf, the hamstrings and the rotator cuff, they fail to recognize that these are not individual muscles but groups of muscles that work synergistically to perform their various actions. For example, the hamstring is three different muscles, while the quad and cuff are made up of four muscles. Time lost to injuries involving one of the muscle groups can vary based on the actual muscle impacted.
Last week I discussed Pablo Lopez' teres major muscle and was quick to point out that the affected muscle was not part of the rotator cuff group. Now one week later, we have two pitchers dealing with problems that do involve the muscle group.
The Twins right-hander hit the 15-day injured list with what was initially described as a shoulder strain. The team later revealed Matthews' exact diagnosis, a moderate strain of his right subscapularis. The subscapularis is the only rotator cuff muscle located on the front portion of the shoulder blade. This positioning enables the subscapularis to perform an action the other cuff muscles can't: internal rotation. As a result, the subscapularis helps generate velocity. Recovery is surprisingly similar to that of Lopez's teres major injury, another muscle that helps with this motion. Also, like Lopez, an extended absence is expected. In prior cases, players like Shane Bieber and Luke Weaver missed multiple months after suffering similar injuries. Minnesota has not committed to a definitive timeline but has stated Matthews would not be allowed to throw for two weeks before being reevaluated. An update should be provided at that time, but those invested here should look for a long-term or more permanent replacement.
Details regarding Ragans' rotator cuff strain are harder to come by. The Royals are sending their left-hander for a second opinion on the injury and have not revealed which of the cuff muscles is strained. Kansas City has shut down Ragans for the immediate future with more specifics hopefully coming on the severity of the injury and the muscle involved. Surgery has not been mentioned yet, though a four- to six-week absence may be a best-case scenario.
Stanton is slated to return from injury in the week ahead. The slugger has yet to play this season due to severe bilateral elbow epicondylitis. Epicondylitis involves inflammation around the epicondyle of the humerus or one of the tendons that attaches here. If the inflammation is on the inside (medial) aspect of the elbow it is known as golfer's elbow. If the outside (lateral) potion of the bone is inflamed, it is commonly referred to as tennis elbow. Stanton's problem is tennis elbow and he underwent platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to help address the issue.
Stanton has completed three rehab games with Double-A Somerset, finishing 3-for-11 with four RBI. It is unclear if his 2025 debut will come Monday or Tuesday, but the Yankees will happily welcome another weapon to an offense that only trails the Dodgers in team batting average and total home runs hit. Still, Stanton can't be counted on to play every day and he may need time to knock off some accumulated rust. Exhibit some patience here.
Check Swings
Matt Chapman: The Giants bolstered the lineup by adding Rafael Devers on the trade market and could further improve their offense with Chapman's impending return. The veteran infielder has been out with a sprained hand but is expected to resume activities by the end of the week. He will remain immobilize until then but has a chance to return by the end of the month.
Logan Gilbert: The Mariners will welcome Gilbert back to action Monday after he missed nearly two months with a flexor strain. He completed a three-start rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma last Tuesday, including five scoreless innings in his final start. The team could opt to put him on a workload count in his initial few outings, but it shouldn't be enough to keep him out of fantasy lineups.
Jackson Merrill: The Padres placed Merrill on the seven-day concussion IL after he suffered the head injury on a hard tag from Ketel Marte. There can be a wide variety of symptoms associated with concussions, including blurry vision, memory loss and headaches. Nausea is another common symptom; one it appears Merrill is experiencing. Manager Mike Shildt mentioned that his young center fielder was finally able to "keep some food down" and will rest up and "hopefully recover as quick as he can." The seven days is a minimum and by no means a guaranteed return date. The recovery following a concussion is very fluid and based on the individual. Look for signs of continued progression to get a better gauge on when Merrill will be back in the lineup.
Aaron Nola: Nola's absence due to an ankle sprain will now be prolonged by a stress reaction in one of his lower ribs. Stress reactions are precursors to stress fractures so it's good that Philadelphia's medical team pinpointed the problem when it did. Time will allow the bone to mend, and determining any underlying contributing factors can help prevent this from reoccurring. Look for him to return in mid July should things go smoothly moving forward.
Kodai Senga: The Mets will be without Senga's services until at least July after he strained his hamstring covering first base. The team got a sliver of good news when testing determined the strain is a Grade 1 (mild) injury. However, he will still need time to heal and isn't expected to do much activity for the next two weeks. He will then be reevaluated at that time, and his next steps in recovery will be determined. As a result, a return in the minimum amount of time seems unlikely. Senga has dealt with lower extremity issues before, missing 66 days last season with a calf strain.
Stay up to date on who is in and who is out with RotoWire's MLB Injury Report!
