The All-Star break has come and gone. The 2019 season is in its waning phase. Now's when things get serious.
Among them: injuries with indefinite timetables. The baseball season is so long that whenever a star player goes down, provided it's not with what's known to be a season-ending injury, you can trust he'll eventually be back to contributing again and it will have almost certainly been worth the wait.
But now? The distinction between a weeks-long absence and a months-long absence is becoming less and less, to the point that anything short of a firm end date could be inferred to mean "or maybe not at all."
This is especially true for starting pitchers, who might need close to a month's rehabilitation (meaning actual games) if they've missed upward of a month. Ones who have yet to begin even throwing may simply run out of time.
And the time crunch is only amplified in leagues that don't see this thing through to the end. In a Head-to-Head league, for instance, you may be looking at just a few more weeks of regular-season play. Sure, a returning ace might help you secure a championship, but you have to survive in the interim.
That isn't to say you should drop all of your longer-term injured players for shorter-term injured players. When an injured player becomes healthy, he's no longer stashable in an IL spot, of course, which means he has to be at least as good as your worst player to justify stashing in any capacity. There's still a balance then between how good the injured player is -- what sort of impact he could make at full health, in other words -- and how long the wait will be. It's just that the latter is rising in importance.
The gap is growing for pitchers like Corey Kluber, who has been throwing from long distances already and is set to begin bullpen work, and Tyler Glasnow, who still isn't throwing and won't for at least two more weeks. Both were originally given lengthy timetables with indefinite paths to recovery, and we still don't know what lies ahead for Kluber. But that seemingly small head start makes all the difference now.
It's reflected in their ranking here, among other things.
| Rank | Player | Injury | Last update | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Max Scherzer
WAS SP
| strained back | | short stay expected, may return this weekend |
| 2 |
Eddie Rosario
MIN LF
| sprained ankle | | could return Tuesday |
| 3 |
Willson Contreras
CHC C
| strained foot | | minimum stay expected |
| 4 |
Carlos Correa
HOU SS
| cracked rib | | on rehab assignment but ineligible to return until July 26 |
| 5 |
Zack Wheeler
NYM SP
| shoulder fatigue | | awaiting MRI results, but short stay expected |
| 6 |
Corey Kluber
CLE SP
| fractured arm | | set to begin bullpen sessions, mid-August possible |
| 7 |
Giancarlo Stanton
NYY LF
| sprained knee | | no baseball activities yet, hoping for August return |
| 8 |
Marcell Ozuna
STL LF
| fractured finger | | still dealing with swelling, hoping for August return |
| 9 |
Cole Hamels
CHC SP
| strained oblique | | on throwing program, hoping for August return |
| 10 |
Tim Anderson
CHW SS
| sprained ankle | | some fielding, but not able to run yet |
| 11 |
Hunter Pence
TEX DH
| strained groin | | on rehab assignment, back Tuesday? |
| 12 |
Brandon Lowe
TB 2B
| bruised shin | | possible return this weekend |
| 13 |
David Peralta
ARI LF
| shoulder inflammation | | nearing rehab assignment |
| 14 |
Nathan Eovaldi
BOS SP
| loose bodies in elbow | | nearing rehab assignment |
| 15 |
Luke Weaver
ARI SP
| sprained elbow | | has begun throwing, still a month or more away |
| 16 |
Carlos Carrasco
CLE SP
| leukemia | | throwing with an eye on returning still |
| 17 |
Luis Severino
NYY SP
| strained lat | | has begun throwing but could return in bullpen role |
| 18 |
Tyler Glasnow
TB SP
| strained forearm | | shut down two more weeks, season in doubt |
| 19 |
Rich Hill
LAD SP
| strained forearm | | will resume throwing soon, hoping for September return |
| 20 |
C.J. Cron
MIN 1B
| thumb inflammation | | likely a short-term stay |
| 21 |
Yadier Molina
STL C
| strained thumb tendon | | no surgery required, but out three weeks |
| 22 |
Mitch Haniger
SEA RF
| ruptured testicle | | trying to get cleared for baseball activities |
| 23 |
Brad Peacock
HOU SP
| sore shoulder | | recently suffered setback, likely weeks away |
| 24 |
Alex Wood
CIN SP
| sore back | | on rehab assignment |
| 25 |
Jameson Taillon
PIT SP
| strained elbow flexor | | some light tossing, but Pirates aren't optimistic |
| 26 |
Tommy La Stella
LAA 2B
| fractured tibia | | hoping for September return |
| 27 |
Sean Manaea
OAK SP
| shoulder inflammation | | struggling on rehab assignment |
| 28 |
Pablo Lopez
MIA SP
| torn shoulder labrum | | has begun throwing program, building toward rehab assignment |
| 29 |
Stephen Piscotty
OAK RF
| sprained knee | | beginning to do some running |
| 30 |
Gregory Polanco
PIT RF
| shoulder inflammation | | suffered setback on rehab |