Injury Update – Top Dynasty Prospects
Vlad Guerrero Jr.
Jumper’s knee, also described as a strained patellar tendon, is a fairly common injury. The Blue Jays are resting him for one month. The damage is minor and is the type of injury most players would grind through during close wildcard battles. He’s 19, and this feels like a plan to keep him down until 2019, making him next year’s Ronald Acuna. Hopefully, a mid-April promotion to the majors will allow all of us to enjoy the talented hitter on a more regular basis. Expected Return: Mid July
Victor Robles
The Nationals allowed Robles to hit off a tee on June 23. The progress from hitting off a tee to live batting practice to rehab games is relatively quick when rehabbing an athlete’s non-throwing elbow (which is what Robles is doing here). The more significant problem may be the fact that Soto & Taylor are playing very well. Taylor leads the majors in steals and has ten defensive runs saved. His .689 OPS and 29% strikeout rate leave a lot to be desired, however. Not to mention Adam Eaton. Robles will likely be healthy well before he is needed in the Nationals’ outfield, barring an injury or two. Expected Return: Ready for game action in Mid-July
Sixto Sanchez
More and more medical research is showing a high correlation with velocity and Tommy John surgery. It makes sense: the harder a pitcher throws, the more force is put on the elbow and the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL). Another variable that works against a pitcher is a small frame, making them more prone to injury. Sixto (best pitching prospect’s name) is 5’10” and weights 160 and can touch a 100 with his fastball. He recently was diagnosed with right elbow inflammation. I guess that before he turns 23 (19 now), he’ll need TJ, so add a year to whenever you think he’ll arrive to the majors. Expected Return: Fall League
Nick Senzel
Senzel is testing the patience of dynasty owners who were hoping that he’d make his debut earlier this season. A torn tendon in his index finger is no small injury, but he should be excellent long-term. The most significant ramification I could see is a shift from third to second; not likely due to the injury, but rather the 7-year contract given to Eugenio Suarez. If there was any doubt, his season is over, but he’ll be ready for spring training. Expected Return: 2019
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[…] discusses the injuries sustained by top prospects Vlad Guerrero Jr., Voctor Robles, Nick Senzel, and Sixto […]
No torn tendon for Senzel: https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/reds-prospect-senzel-undergoes-successful-surgery-finger/l5QJ6FKp9fnD8klyqspaxK/
Thanks for the clarification, he should be ready for game action in 8 weeks, seems doubtful they give him a cup of coffee, but not season ending.
Hey, great stuff, Mike! Do you have any thoughts on Austin Riley and his knee? I haven’t really seen a ton of news covering it and the timelines vary. It seems like the fantasy industry has overlooked this for some reason even though he’s been out for almost a month. Thanks!
Riley strained his PCL, which generally is a 4-6 week injury depending on grade 1 vs grade 2. I can’t find anything concrete, but it appears to be a grade 1 sprain. He’ll likely rejoin AAA in mid-July.