In this week’s Injury Report, Wyatt Langford ends a red-hot June early with a hamstring strain. A second lower-body soft-tissue injury will sideline Jeremy Peña. And the Reds will welcome back closer Emilio Pagán and staff ace Hunter Greene. All that and more as we run down the latest relevant injury news around the league.
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Wyatt Langford (hamstring)
We got an incredible three weeks of Langford, teasing fantasy managers with his tantalizing power and speed upside, before landing back on the 10-day injured list. Langford had returned on June 5 after missing over a month with a forearm strain. He was one of baseball’s best players in June, hitting .317 with seven homers and three steals. Langford was then scratched from Saturday’s lineup with left hamstring tightness and subsequently placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain. The 24-year-old outfielder isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star break. Evan Carter was activated from the injured list in the corresponding move after a two-week absence with an oblique issue.
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Yandy Díaz (shoulder)
Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on Díaz’s status on Tuesday. The 34-year-old slugger was removed from Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks with a shoulder strain following an at-bat in the fifth inning. He relayed to reporters that he’s managed a similar issue before and should be ready to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Royals.
Byron Buxton (hip)
Buxton was out of the lineup on Monday against the Astros to undergo an MRI, which revealed a right hip impingement. He’s considered day-to-day, for now. But there should be more clarity on his status in the coming days. A trip to the injured list could be coming, but it sounds like Buxton will try to play through the issue.
Jeremy Peña (calf)
Another one held out on Monday, Peña sat out the series opener against the Twins with leg discomfort. Manager Joe Espada made it known that he’ll be placed on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain. An MRI revealed a mild strain, lending hope that Peña will require just a minimum stint, but it’ll be his second trip to the injured list with a lower-body soft-tissue injury this season.
Daniel Palencia (elbow)
Cubs manager Craig Counsell provided an update on Palencia on Sunday, telling reporters that the 26-year-old right-hander won’t be ready to return until after the All-Star break. Palencia has been out since June 16 with a minor right flexor strain. He’s progressing in his recovery, but the team will proceed cautiously. With Palencia out, the Cubs have utilized a committee in the ninth inning, with Jacob Webb and Caleb Thielbar collecting two saves each. Still, the Cubs’ situation hasn’t been a productive one for saves, with a team total of 13, ahead of only the Angels.
Cole Ragans (elbow)
Ragans’ season is effectively over as he’s set to undergo surgery on his ailing left elbow on Wednesday. The 28-year-old southpaw had been sidelined since early May with a left elbow impingement. He was eventually shut down after multiple setbacks, not recovering well after rehab outings. After more evaluation and visits with specialists, it was determined that surgery is the best course of action. What procedure is ultimately done won’t be known until the operation, which will determine the potential timeline. If a full Tommy John surgery is needed, it’ll be the third in Ragans’ career.
Jorge Polanco (Achilles)
Polanco was originally placed on the 10-day injured list in mid-April with a wrist injury. Meanwhile, he was also dealing with an Achilles issue. He started a rehab assignment at the end of May, but was lifted after a week due to Achilles bursitis and transferred to the 60-day injured list. Polanco picked up back with baseball activities and began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. The 32-year-old veteran will likely need a couple of weeks of at-bats before he’s ready to return, barring any other setbacks.
Marcus Semien (hip)
Semien was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a left hip flexor strain. The 35-year-old veteran second baseman was diagnosed with a Grade 3 strain and is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. That’s on the optimistic end of the timeline, as Semien could take longer to return. It’s just more bad news in what’s been a disastrous season in New York.
Trent Grisham (hamstring)
Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided an encouraging update on Grisham on Saturday, stating he’s likely to return to the Yankees lineup sometime during their six-game homestand this week. The 29-year-old outfielder landed on the injured list on June 13 with a right hamstring strain. Expect him back in the coming days. His activation could send Spencer Jones back to the minors.
Zack Gelof (hand)
Jacob Wilson (shoulder)
Tyler Soderstrom (hip)
Gelof had his hand stepped on while sliding into second base last Tuesday against the Giants. His removal in the second inning ended his 24-game hitting streak and halted an excellent month of June in which Gelof hit .329 with five homers. While he didn’t suffer any fractures or require any stitches, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a laceration and contusion of his right hand. It could just be a minimum stint on the injured list, with a potential return by the end of the week.
The hits kept coming for the A’s lineup on Monday as the team placed Wilson and Soderstrom on the 10-day injured list. Wilson was on the bench for four days nursing a shoulder issue before ultimately landing on the injured list with right thumb inflammation, a completely different issue. There’s currently no timeline for his return. Meanwhile, Soderstrom hit the injured list with a left hip impingement after leaving Saturday’s game against the Angels due to hip tightness.
Emilio Pagán (hamstring)
Hunter Greene (elbow)
The Reds are getting big reinforcements back this week on the pitching side, starting with Pagán. The 35-year-old right-hander is set to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday. The Reds’ closer has been out of action since early May with a severe left hamstring strain. The team has pieced together the ninth inning in his absence, but Pagán should reclaim his role to finish out games. Meanwhile, Greene will make his anticipated season debut later this week. The 26-year-old right-hander and fantasy ace has been sidelined all season, recovering from surgery in early March to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. In his last rehab start with Triple-A Louisville, Greene allowed just one hit over 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
Noah Schultz (knee)
Schultz made what appears to be his final rehab start on Friday with Triple-A Charlotte, striking out seven with two runs allowed over 4 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old left-hander has been recovering from a knee issue that’s kept him out since late May. Manager Will Venable told reporters on Monday that Schultz will likely be activated from the injured list to start on Wednesday against the Orioles.
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