MLB injury report for Sunday, June 11

Intro

MLB injury report: Sunday, June 11

Jorge Polanco (hamstring), Minnesota Twins — The Twins lineup, and Polanco specifically, simply cannot catch a break so far this year. The infielder pulled up lame while running to first on Thursday afternoon, and an MRI has confirmed a hamstring strain that will force him to the IL — his second such injury already this year.

Rocco Baldelli told reporters that this strain is a bit more serious than the previous one, which sounds like it’ll be at least a few weeks — and possibly not until after the All-Star break — before we see Polanco again. Top prospect Edouard Julien, who boasts a .730 OPS in his first taste of the Majors this year, has been recalled and should once again act as Minnesota’s everyday second baseman.

Vinnie Pasquantino (shoulder), Kansas City Royals — Well this is a new one. After leaving Friday’s game with a mysterious shoulder ailment, the Royals slugger has been placed on the IL with “shoulder instability” — in layman’s terms, when the upper arm bone pops out of the shoulder socket. The team has yet to offer any sort of timeline for his return, but that obviously sounds pretty painful. Pasquantino has been one of the few bright spots in a dismal Kansas City lineup, slashing .247/.324/.437 with nine homers so far this year.

Cedric Mullins (groin), Baltimore Orioles — It had been radio silence for Mullins since going down with a groin strain last month, but he appears to have taken his first step on the road back to Baltimore:

The dynamic center fielder is likely still weeks away returning to the lineup, as he’ll need to build up to hitting live pitching and running the bases in full before heading out on a rehab assignment.

Alec Bohm (hamstring), Philadelphia Phillies — The Phils initially said that Bohm would come off the injured list on Saturday, but the team apparently wanted to make extra sure that he was 100 percent before activating him (or they wanted to shield him from Los Angeles Dodgers righty Bobby Miller).

Bohm went through a full workout before Philly’s game on Saturday, an assuming there were no setbacks, he could be back as soon as Sunday. Given the team’s depth chart at first base right now, it makes sense to take a few extra precautions to make sure they’re not without Bohm’s league-average bat long-term.

Jake Fraley (wrist), Cincinnati Reds — Cincy just got TJ Friedl back from the IL, but now their other dynamic outfielder is on the shelf. Fraley — who’s hit .262/.350/.430 with seven homers and 11 steals so far this year — was hit in the wrist by a pitch earlier this week, and while the team gave him a few days to see if it would heal, he’s evidently still in enough pain that a few more days of rest are necessary. X-rays came back negative, and there’s been no public concern about a stress fracture or anything similar, so hopefully Fraley will be good to go after just the minimum stay.

Akil Baddoo (quad), Detroit Tigers — It felt like Baddoo knew something was wrong as soon as he pulled up lame while running the bases on Friday night, and sure enough, the outfielder was placed on the injured list on Saturday morning. Baddoo has three homers and six steals across his first 50 games, and most importantly he’d been filling in as Detroit’s center fielder with Riley Greene on the IL. Jake Marisnick figures to see a lot more time now, although Matt Vierling is in the midst of a rehab stint and should be back soon.

Ben Joyce (elbow)/Matt Moore (oblique), Los Angeles Angels — This is a bummer for baseball fans everywhere. Joyce has been appointment viewing since being called up to the Majors in late May, lighting up the radar gun with a fastball that consistently sits triple-digits.

Alas, we’re going to be without that sight for a while, as Joyce was put on the injured list on Saturday with ulnar neuritis (inflammation of the ulnar nerve in the arm). The team has yet to offer any sort of timetable for the righty’s return, and this is an injury that can really run the gamut — we’ve seen pitchers return after just a couple of weeks, while Jeffrey Springs’ neuritis turned into Tommy John surgery earlier this year.

It wasn’t all bad news for L.A.’s surprisingly strong bullpen, though. Moore — a former top starter prospect who’s become a lights-out set-up man this year — officially began a throwing program on Saturday, about two weeks after being put on the IL with an oblique strain. He still needs to start throwing off a mound, then throw bullpens, then face live hitters, then head out for a rehab assignment, so we’re likely looking at a few weeks.

Brandon Belt (hamstring), Toronto Blue Jays — A Blue Jays lineup that’s already felt a bit thin lately sustained another blow on Saturday, as Belt left the team’s game against the Twins with hamstring tightness. The first baseman is day-to-day for now, and the team likely won’t know more until he undergoes an MRI, but the fact that Toronto immediately sent him for further tests doesn’t bode well as to the severity of the injury. Belt’s been a quiet force for the Jays lineup so far this year, with an .803 OPS. Cavan Biggio is a candidate to see more time at DH against right-handers.

Daniel Hudson (knee), Los Angeles Dodgers — Hudson has been sidelined all year due to complications from offseason knee surgery, but it sounds like he’s building momentum toward a return.

The former Washington Nationals closer recently began pitching in games at L.A.’s spring training complex in Arizona, and he shouldn’t need too many more reps before he’s ready for his season debut. It’s a notable development given how shaky the Dodgers bullpen has been of late, as Hudson could immediately enter into the mix for saves as Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol and Caleb Ferguson fail to lock down the job.

Josh Fleming (elbow), Tampa Bay Rays — Things aren’t looking good for Fleming, who was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day IL on Saturday and will reportedly be heading to a specialist in Texas for further evaluation of his injured elbow. That would signal a level of real concern, which brings to mind a whole host of worst-case scenarios for a Rays team that’s already dealt with more than their fair share of rotation injuries. Those injuries opened up a consistent role for Fleming, and the lefty was solid this season for Tampa, pitching to a 2.72 ERA outside of two blow-up starts.

Andrew Painter (elbow), Philadelphia Phillies — Arguably the most exciting pitching prospect in the Minors was finally back on a mound on Saturday, throwing his first bullpen since being diagnosed with a UCL sprain in his elbow early this spring. The Phillies are understandably bringing Painter along very, very slowly, but it sounds like he might be ready to start pitching in Minor League games at some point in July or August if all goes well.