MLB injury report for Monday, June 19

Sunday’s MLB action got started with bang, as Pete Alonso made a surprise return to the Mets lineup some two weeks early from his wrist injury. That was the injury headliner of the day, but there’s plenty more to get to after a full 15-game slate.

MLB injury report: Monday, June 19

Pete Alonso (wrist), New York Mets — Well that was fast. When Alonso was placed on the IL last week with a bone bruise and sprain in his wrist, he was expected to be out at least three weeks. Just 11 days later, though, the first baseman was back in the Mets lineup on Sunday afternoon. He did go 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, so clearly there’s some rust, but Alonso sounds like he’s good enough to swing the bat normally:

Julio Urias (hamstring)/Daniel Hudson (knee), Los Angeles Dodgers — Finally some good news for a Dodgers pitching staff that’s been taking on water of late, especially during this weekend’s sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. Urias, out since last month with a hamstring strain, and Hudson, who hasn’t played at all this year while rehabbing from knee surgery, are both expected to rejoin the team before the end of the month:

Evan Phillips likely has a hold on the highest-leverage spots, but given how much manager Dave Roberts likes to mix and match based on matchups, Hudson should find himself with plenty of ninth-inning work.

Sean Murphy (hamstring), Atlanta Braves — As expected, Murphy wasn’t in the lineup Sunday after leaving Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury, but there was still some positive news: an MRI revealed only irritation rather than an actual strain. The backstop might need a couple more days off, but the team at least for now is hopeful that he won’t need a stint on the IL.

Casey Schmitt (forearm)/Alex Cobb (oblique), San Francisco Giants — It was a bad day for batters getting plunked, with Schmitt taking a pitch off the arm at Dodger Stadium. The rookie was forced to leave the game, but it seems like that was merely precautionary — his X-rays came back negative and he should be back in the lineup soon.

Cobb, meanwhile, was put on the IL with an oblique strain. While we’ve seen this sort of injury waylay pitchers for several weeks at a time, the Giants don’t seem too concerned, with manager Gabe Kapler telling reporters that the righty experienced some tightness while throwing a bullpen over the weekend so the team wanted to make sure he had extra time to get right. It’s possible Cobb could only miss a start or two.

Ian Hamilton (groin)/Nestor Cortes (rotator cuff), New York Yankees — Not much went right for the Yankees this weekend in Boston, but at least there was some movement on the injury front. Hamilton, who had emerged as a key piece in middle relief, struck out two in a clean inning in his first rehab appearance at Double-A Somerset. The righty told reporters afterward that he expects to need at least two more outings but could be ready by next weekend.

As for Cortes, he’s throwing again for the first time since being shut down with a rotator cuff strain earlier this month:

There’s still a long road back for the lefty — he likely won’t return to New York’s rotation before the All-Star break — but it’s a start.

Tanner Houck (face), Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox issued an update on Houck a day after the righty was struck in the face by a line drive.

Houck did indeed suffer some sort of facial fracture — rather than just the contusion he was initially diagnosed with — and he was placed on the injured list, but all things considered, the outcome could have been a lot worse. Thankfully it seems like the righty will be okay, although there’s not yet any sort of timetable for his return to the mound. The team hasn’t announced who might take Houck’s place in the rotation; Nick Pivetta and Corey Kluber would be obvious candidates.

Jonathan India, Cincinnati Reds — India tied the score in the top of the eighth inning with an opposite field homer but was forced to leave the game two innings later after being taken out on a double play. Good news for Cincy, though: The Reds pulled out the win in the 10th for their eighth W in a row, and their second baseman seems like he’ll be just fine.

Lars Nootbaar (back), St. Louis Cardinals — We’d say Nootbaar looks ready to return to St. Louis:

Reports surfaced early Sunday afternoon that the outfielder — who began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis this week — could come off the IL as soon as Monday, and he responded by launching a home run a couple hours later. The team won’t make a decision until they see how his sore back responds, but it sure sounds like he’ll be back in the next couple of days.

Alejandro Kirk (hand), Toronto Blue Jays — Yet another victim of a hit-by-pitch on Sunday, Kirk left Toronto’s loss to the Texas Rangers with a laceration and contusion on his left hand. X-rays were thankfully negative, but it remains to be seen how long the backstop might need until he can swing a bat comfortably again. Danny Jansen has been getting the majority of the starts behind the plate lately anyway.

Miguel Amaya (wrist), Chicago Cubs — We told you there were a lot of batters getting plunked on Sunday. Amaya’s was among the scariest, a 96-mph fastball right off his wrist that left him down on the ground in pain for a good while, but manager David Ross said that his catcher seemed to avoid anything too serious:

The rookie’s been swinging a hot bat since making his debut last month, and earning more and more playing time behind the plate because of it.

Jeimer Candelario (thumb), Washington Nationals — Candelario was a late scratch from the Nats’ lineup on Sunday, and manager Davey Martinez told reporters after the game that his third baseman suffered a bone bruise on his thumb during Saturday’s game. He’s considered day to day for now, but the team will likely wait until Monday or Tuesday to see how it responds before making a determination about a return.

Michael A. Taylor (head), Minnesota Twins — If Amaya didn’t have the scariest HBP of the day, Taylor certainly did. The center fielder was hit in the back of the head by an errant curveball from Tigers reliever Alex Lange in the eighth inning, catching him just below his batting helmet as he tried to duck out of the way. Taylor left the game with what’s being called a head contusion, eventually walking to the dugout under his own power, and manager Rocco Baldelli said that initial tests did not show concussion-like symptoms. He’s already been ruled out of Monday’s game, but it’s too soon to know whether he’ll require a stint on the IL.

Matt Vierling (back), Detroit Tigers — Vierling was also a late scratch, missing Sunday’s game with back spasms just a few days after returning from an IL stint due to back soreness. That’s obviously not a great sign, although the team has yet to offer any update. The outfielder is hitting .529 so far this month — even drawing some All-Star Game support from the Oakland Athletics Twitter account — so it would be a big loss if he’s forced to miss more time.