MLB injury report for Tuesday, June 13

Intro

MLB injury report: Tuesday, June 13

Marcell Ozuna (wrist), Atlanta Braves — The Braves had a scare early in their game against the Detroit Tigers, as Marcell Ozuna was in some real pain after taking a pitch off his wrist:

Ozuna stayed in the game to run the bases but was eventually lifted. The good news is that X-rays were negative, so hopefully the DH will return to Atlanta’s lineup in a couple of days. You just need to look at Pete Alonso’s case for an example of how these things can linger, though.

Ryan Helsley (forearm)/Lars Nootbaar (back), St. Louis Cardinals — Helsley hadn’t pitched since last Wednesday, and now we know why: The Cardinals placed their closer on the IL on Tuesday afternoon with what’s being called a right forearm strain. The team has yet to release a timetable for Helsley’s return, but even if it’s just inflammation rather than something structural he’s still likely looking at 2-3 weeks on the shelf.

Helsley had taken a slight step back of late (at least by his lofty standards), with three of his last seven appearances resulting in at least one run, but it’s still a very big loss for a St. Louis team that needs all the help it can get right now. Giovanny Gallegos figures to assume closing duties in the meantime, with Jordan Hicks also seeing high-leverage work.

Nootbaar, meanwhile, continues to make slow but steady progress as he deals with a big injury — the outfielder was able to swing a bat on Monday, and the hope is that he could be ready to head out on a rehab assignment next week if all goes well.

Trevor Rogers (biceps)/Johnny Cueto (ankle), Miami Marlins — Rogers seemed like he was on the verge of returning to Miami’s rotation, but he was scratched just prior to making his final rehab start over the weekend, and now the lefty is headed for an MRI on his right (non-throwing) shoulder.

No word yet on what the results were, so stay tuned. The news is at least a bit better for Cueto, who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings for Double-A Pensacola on Monday. He’s scheduled to throw four innings in his next start this weekend, at which point he could be ready to return to the bigs.

Pete Fairbanks (hip), Tampa Bay Rays — The Rays asked their closer to head out on a rehab assignment before returning from the hip tightness that landed him on the IL late last month, and his first appearance appears to have gone off without a hitch. Fairbanks struck out two in a scoreless inning for the team’s rookie-level Complex League; he seems likely to be back in the Majors by this weekend.

Jon Gray (blister), Texas Rangers — Gray was scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday night, but it appears to be no big deal:

Blisters can be a sneakily difficult thing for pitchers to deal with, especially if they bust open, so it’s good for the team to let it heal over the next few days rather than risk an IL stint.

Gio Urshela (back), Los Angeles Angels — Urshela was held out of Monday’s game against the Rangers with back tightness, the same ailment that caused him to miss last Friday’s contest as well. So far it has been a day-to-day situation, though if it continues to linger he may wind up requiring a trip on the injured list. Jared Walsh will fill in at first base while Urshela’s out.

Ronny Mauricio (ankle), New York Mets — When it rains it pours, and the Mets are going through some awfully rough weather right now. Mauricio, one of the team’s top prospects, appeared to be on the cusp of making his MLB debut after tearing up Triple-A, but those plans are on hold for now:

Mauricio was involved in a collision last week and hasn’t taken the field since. His ankle injury has apparently lingered enough that the team wanted to rule out any structural damage with an MRI, but it’s not considered too serious for now.

Brandon Belt (hamstring)/Danny Jansen (groin), Toronto Blue Jays — Some tentative good news for Toronto, as an MRI came back revealing no structural damage to Belt’s hamstring after the DH pulled up lame while running the bases on Saturday. There’s even some hope that he could be back in the lineup on Tuesday after Monday’s off day, although the team will have to see how Belt responds. An IL stint still isn’t out of the question here.

Jansen, meanwhile, has had Tuesday targeted for his return from the injured list, and after going 3-for-5 down at Triple-A on Monday, it seems safe to say that plan is a go. The catcher had posted a .951 OPS over his last month before going on the shelf and figures to resume his role as Toronto’s starting catcher whenever he’s healthy.

Trevor Story (elbow), Boston Red Sox — It sounds like Story is hoping to be back from his elbow surgery earlier than expected, at least in a reduced capacity:

The 30-year-old is taking ground balls and making throws from shortstop, and if he continues to make progress it seems plausible that he could head out on a rehab assignment some time around the All-Star break.

Joey Gallo (hamstring), Minnesota Twins — It seems like Gallo’s hamstring feels as good as new:

The slugger hit his second home run in as many days for Triple-A St. Paul, and with outfielder Kyle Garlick getting demoted on Monday night, there’s a hole on the Twins’ active roster that would seem to have Gallo’s name on it on Tuesday.

Ryan Yarbrough (face), Kansas City Royals — Some very nice news here, as Yarbrough is reportedly scheduled to throw three innings of live batting practice on Wednesday — the first time that he’ll do so since a line drive back up the middle caused multiple non-displaced fractures around his left eye. He’s unlikely to return to Kansas City before mid/late July, but it’s great to see the lefty back on a mound.