MLB injury report for Wednesday, June 14

Intro

MLB injury report: Wednesday, June 14

Max Muncy (hamstring), Los Angeles Dodgers — It seemed likely that something was up when Muncy wasn’t in L.A.’s lineup the day after an off day against a right-handed pitcher, and sure enough, manager Dave Roberts confirmed as much prior to the game:

Muncy’s been dealing with some tightness in his left hamstring for a couple of weeks now, and it apparently flared back up over the weekend in Philadelphia. The infielder is heading for an MRI on Wednesday, and while he’ll be out of the lineup again, the team still doesn’t expect him to require a stint on the IL.

Cody Bellinger (knee), Chicago Cubs — After spending the last week or so ramping up baseball activities at the Cubs’ Spring Training complex in Arizona, Bellinger was sent to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday night to start a rehab assignment. The center fielder went 0-for-3 on the night, but he came out of it feeling just fine, and it sounds like he could be back at Wrigley Field soon.

Harrison Bader (hamstring), New York Yankees — Some much-needed good news on the injury front for the Yankees, as Bader is set to start his own stint in the Minors on Wednesday at Double-A. Aaron Boone told reporters on Tuesday that the assignment could be a short one, as Bader is targeting a return to the Majors on Friday night against the Boston Red Sox.

Pete Alonso (wrist)/Jose Quintana (ribs), New York Mets — Alonso remains weeks away from a return to action, but it’s a positive sign nonetheless that the first baseman has already resumed baseball activities:

The best-case scenario is he’s back by the end of June, but that still seems pretty aggressive.

Quintana, meanwhile, pitched in a Minor League game on Tuesday night, his first time on the mound in a competitive environment since Spring Training. The lefty only threw 1.1 innings, as this will likely be a lengthy rehab assignment as he builds up strength, but he’s on track to return some time around the All-Star Break.

Byron Buxton (ribs)/Kenta Maeda (triceps), Minnesota Twins — Buxton was first eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday, but the star outfielder is still getting over some lingering pain in his ribs:

It doesn’t sound like he’ll need too much longer, though, and could return as soon as this weekend’s series against the Detroit Tigers — the important thing is that there’s no structural damage.

As for Maeda, he threw 45 pitches in a rehab start on Sunday and is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A St. Paul again on Friday — this time up to 60 pitches. The team will likely want to play it safe with their oft-injured righty, especially given their pitching depth, but Maeda could be back before the end of the month assuming no setbacks.

Liam Hendriks (elbow)/Eloy Jimenez (calf), Chicago White Sox — Hendriks elaborated on his flexor tendon strain prior to Tuesday’s game, telling reporters that he got a cortisone shot on Sunday and is set to receive a PRP injection later this week.

There’s still no timetable for his return to action, but the team is still hopeful that he can be back with a few weeks of rest and recovery rather than anything more invasive. The news is better for Jimenez, who manager Pedro Grifol called “somewhat available” off the bench on Tuesday — it’s likely he’ll be back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game.

J.D. Davis (ankle)/Mitch Haniger (arm), San Francisco Giants — The Giants rolled to a win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night, but it came at quite a cost. First, Davis sprained his ankle while sliding into third base in the third inning, and then — just a few batters later — Haniger fractured his forearm after being hit by a pitch from Jack Flaherty. Casey Schmitt will likely fill in for Davis at the hot corner while he’s out, while top outfield prospect Luis Matos could be getting the call to replace Haniger after a torrid few weeks at Triple-A.

Ryan Mountcastle (vertigo), Baltimore Orioles — Here’s one you don’t see every day. Mountcastle, who’d missed the O’s past four games with an unspecified illness, was placed on the IL retroactive to June 9 with vertigo. Manager Brandon Hyde did note that his first baseman was feeling “much, much better” on Tuesday, but the team understandably wants to give him a few more days to get right without burning a roster spot. The red-hot Ryan O’Hearn figures to draw most of the starts at the cold corner in Mountcastle’s absence.

Brandon Belt (hamstring), Toronto Blue Jays — Positive results from an MRI gave some hope that Belt might be able to avoid a trip to the IL, but alas, the Jays put the first baseman on the injured list ahead of Tuesday night’s loss to the Orioles. The team is calling it inflammation rather than a strain, suggesting that he’s relatively close to a return, and he could be back after missing the minimum 10 days — at least a struggling Toronto offense certainly hopes so.

Andrew Painter (elbow), Philadelphia Phillies — Arguably the most exciting pitching prospect in all of baseball, the 20-year-old Painter was on the fast track for a spot in the Phillies rotation when he came down a UCL sprain in his right elbow early in Spring Training. It’s been radio silence since then, but we got our first real update on Painter on Tuesday, when the team announced that he’d thrown a 20-pitch bullpen at their complex in Florida. Everything apparently went well, and he’ll do it again on Friday — with an eye toward facing live hitters before the end of the month.

Wade Miley (lat), Milwaukee Brewers — Manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Tuesday that Miley, who threw five shutout innings in his most recent rehab start, is set to come off the IL and start Milwaukee’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. The lefty had been a pleasant surprise for the Brewers before going on the shelf, with a 3.67 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 24/9 K/BB ratio over 41 2/3 innings of work.