Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Friday, May 31, 2024. In today’s edition, the Diamondbacks might be without Zac Gallen for a while, the Brewers look to be welcoming back Rhys Hoskins, and the Boston Red Sox have a flurry of updates to share. That and so much more in today’s Injury Report from Fantrax.
MLB Injury Report for Friday, May 31, 2024.
Zac Gallen – SP Arizona Diamondbacks (hamstring)
Gallen felt the injury creep back up on him midway through the first batter that he faced. He wanted to throw one more pitch to see if it was something that he could stretch out, but alas, it got worse. He is set to head home for more imaging today and the team will make decisions based on all of the information that they will have. Needless to say, this is a big blow to the Diamondbacks and to fantasy owners as a while. He has been fighting through hamstring injuries all season, and this might just be the biggest one yet.
Gerrit Cole – SP New York Yankees (elbow)
Gerrit Cole's next outing could come in a rehab game on Tuesday, assuming he bounces back well. Plenty of choices: Tampa, Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre are all scheduled at home that day.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 31, 2024
Great news here regarding Cole, as it looks like he has been cleared for a rehab assignment. He has thrown three live BP sessions and will now likely progress to a rehab assignment. Given the magnitude of his importance to the team, one might guess that they would slow-play it here and have him start in the lower levels of their minor league system.
Clarke Schmidt – SP New York Yankees (lat)
Clarke Schmidt will be shut down 4-6 weeks with the lat strain, per Boone. That typically means around 4-6 weeks of buildup after that before he could return.
— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) May 30, 2024
Terrible news from New York, as Schmidt was in the midst of a mini-breakout. Now, it is looking like he won’t get back into a game for at least two months, but even then that’s a best-case scenario.
Rhys Hoskins – 1B Milwaukee Brewers (hamstring)
Rhys Hoskins "has a chance" to play as soon as this weekend, Pat Murphy said. There are still some determinations to be made on his hamstring but trending well.
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) May 30, 2024
Potentially great news for Hoskins here, as it is looking like he is all but ready to return to the Brewers’ lineup. He had recently ramped up his running and brought himself closer to being ready for gameplay. The team was in the midst of deciding as to whether or not he would play in any rehab games, but it is looking more and more like he will skip that step. If so, there is a chance that he will be back this weekend. Stay tuned, as the Brewers should make a decision soon.
Josiah Gray – SP Washington Nationals (elbow, forearm flexor strain)
Gray increased his pitch count from 50 pitches in his last live BP to a whopping 76 pitches here. From the sounds of it, this was a much more efficient and effective outing too. The team has a decision to make soon, but not before he throws another live BP once the team returns home.
Cade Cavalli – SP Washington Nationals (Tommy John surgery)
Cade Cavalli's rehab start with High-A Wilmington is over after 2 2/3 innings and 54 pitches, 30 strikes. He was charged with no hits, two runs, three walks, a hit batter, five strikeouts and two wild pitches.
Runs scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch and sac fly.
— Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) May 31, 2024
This was Cavalli’s second outing and it looks like he did quite well again. It’s good to know that once the bases were loaded, he was able to limit the damage without hard contact. There was no word on his velocity, but overall the team should be pleased with his output.
Josh Lowe – OF Tampa Bay Rays (oblique)
#Rays OF Josh Lowe (oblique) will head to Jacksonville for a weekend series with AAA Durham as a part of his rehab assignment, with the hope he’ll be able to return in Miami on Tuesday, Kevin Cash said.
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) May 30, 2024
This feels like a rushed return for Lowe, who is currently sidelined for a second time with the same oblique injury. That being said, if he doesn’t feel any effects of the oblique ailment, then perhaps he should be back and see if he can build on his short-term stay with the team.
Jeffrey Springs – SP Tampa Bay Rays (Tommy John surgery, lat)
#Rays lhp Jeffrey Spring threw long toss 5 days after being shut down. 45 throws out to 90 feet.
— Kristie Ackert (@ByKristieAckert) May 30, 2024
This is great news, as Springs is getting back to throwing after a big scare over the weekend. That being said, this is the beginning stage of his recovery, and the team looks to be taking things slowly, as they should.
Zach Eflin – SP Tampa Bay Rays (back)
#Rays SP Zach Eflin (back) throwing off the mound today, with a “ramped-up bullpen session” likely on Sunday in Baltimore, Kevin Cash says. They’ll see how he feels, and if it’s all good, Eflin could make a return to the rotation next week.
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) May 30, 2024
Eflin looked good while throwing too. If he feels well enough afterward, it’s looking more and more like he will be back sooner rather than later.
Tyler O’Neill – OF Boston Red Sox (knee)
Both Alex Cora and Tyler O’Neill are optimistic that his IL stint for knee inflammation will be in the shorter end.
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) May 30, 2024
While it’s good news that everyone believes that O’Neill’s stay on the Injured List will be a short one, the hope is that his return is not rushed. He has not been right since that collision a while back and he has apparently been playing through a knee injury too. Getting his swing right should be their main concern because when he is on, he can do some damage.
Boston Red Sox – Team Update
Garrett Whitlock is having the internal bracing procedure today.
Masa Yoshida has started hitting off the tee.
Triston Casas is seeing the doctor today and hopes he will be cleared to start swinging soon.
Alex Cora is now open to having his brother Joey coach with him in…
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) May 30, 2024
Massive update here with a lot to unpack. First, the road to recovery for Garrett Whitlock (elbow) begins, and the hope is that he can pitch in 2025. That being said, he seems destined for a much bigger impact in 2026. As for Masataka Yoshida (thumb), this was another big step forward, as it is the next step in the resumption of baseball activities. He has a long way to go before officially being reinstated, but this is a good move forward. Finally, Triston Casas (internal) swinging a bat would be key to his development. Once he is able to swing without pain or residual effects, there might be more of a focused timeline for him.