Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, July 24, 2024. In today’s edition, Mike Trout was pulled from his first rehab start last night with knee soreness, Julio Rodriguez has a concerning ankle injury, and the mystery of Kyle Tucker’s shin continues. All of that and so much more in today’s Injury Report from Fantrax.
MLB Injury Report
Mike Trout – OF Los Angeles Angels (knee)
Mike Trout was removed from tonight's rehab game with left knee soreness. He is considered day to day.
— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) July 24, 2024
Trout left last night’s game after just two innings of play with what was described as knee soreness. It is unclear if that soreness was related to his injury or just because he hasn’t played in quite a while. Regardless, this should be considered a setback and could hurt his chances of returning before August. It is important to note that the last few weeks of rehabilitating seemingly went by quickly with his progressive exercises leading to games played. The team should have more in-depth updates today. For now, just know that he finished the game 0-for-1 with a strikeout.
Julio Rodriguez – OF Seattle Mariners (right high ankle sprain)
Julio Rodriguez said cutting in the outfield and swinging hard would be an issue with his ankle right now. He admitted he wouldn’t be able to help the team with his ankle this way.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) July 23, 2024
It’s important to note the wording of the injury designation, as it is not just an ankle sprain, but rather a high ankle sprain. These types of ankle sprains take longer to heal than the normal ones which could take days. Depending on the Grade, this could be a season-ending injury. While it appears that Rodriguez himself is seemingly brushing off the severity with the above reasoning, he will likely miss at least the next three weeks if this is a Grade 1 sprain, and more than that if it’s a serious issue.
Kyle Tucker – OF Houston Astros (shin)
Kyle Tucker did some outfield work today at the Coliseum, but Joe Espada said "there still is not the pushing or strength we'd like to see, but it's better." Tucker is hitting in the batting cages and Espada said "that's actually the activity it feels the best."
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
The key phrase in this entire quote is “not the pushing or strength we’d like to see”, as Tucker continues to come along more slowly than the team would like to see. As it states, he is doing well in the batting cages, but anytime there is running involved, he can’t seem to get the push or lift required. It’s borderline concerning now, as he may need to see a specialist not just about his condition, but also if there is a need for something more: surgery. While it’s tough to speculate as an outsider, it’s hard to imagine what is preventing this shin contusion (deep bone bruise) from healing the way both he and the team imagined it would.
Christian Yelich – OF Milwaukee Brewers (back)
Christian Yelich’s back injury could be heading to an IL stint. Pat Murphy sounded a bit concerned by it.
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) July 24, 2024
Yelich has a long history of back issues that date back to his minor league days. These are common for him, but what’s also familiar is the long trip to the Injured List that’s usually associated with them too. While each case should be treated separately and treated as such, it would appear that his past, alongside the concern here, would indicate that he will miss more than ten days.
Jared Jones – SP Pittsburgh Pirates (lat)
Tomczyk confirmed Jared Jones threw a flat ground with a catcher down in the squat today
Next step is throwing off a slope, a "short box" as Tomczyk called it:
"That is not a full mound. That will take place tomorrow. He will ideally throw a bullpen this weekend."
— Andrew Destin (@AndrewDestin1) July 23, 2024
Jones threw from flat ground yesterday and continues to trend in the right direction concerning where he’s at physically. Barring any setbacks, we could see him back on the mound pitching for the Pirates within the next few weeks, as he will likely need a rehab assignment before it’s all said and done. It’s important to note, mind you, that this is a Grade 2 strain, and he suffered it just a few weeks ago, so any hurdles cleared too quickly could have repercussions.
Christian Scott – SP New York Mets (UCL sprain)
RHP Christian Scott has been placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to July 22, with a right UCL sprain.
LHP Alex Young has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 23, 2024
The team is awaiting an official designation of this being a sprain, as Scott is being seen by doctors and team physicians….all according to manager Carlos Mendoza. That being said, he did admit that all injuries similar to this come with the fear of it leading to surgery, which is most definitely on the table for him at this time. More details should be known in the next day or two, but chances are this is the last that we see of Scott this season, and possibly next if it is something that precedes Tommy John Surgery.
Detroit Tigers – Team Update
#Tigers medical update: Parker Meadows is ready to run. pic.twitter.com/oNw9mGUeUm
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) July 23, 2024
Kerry Carpenter (lumbar spine stress fracture) has vowed to return to the team this year, but he’s coming along quite slowly. Already with one setback, it may be awhile before he fulfills his promise. Meanwhile, Parker Meadows (hamstring) remains on track to begin a rehab assignment by the end of the month, though today’s baserunning session will be a big part of it. Also, Casey Mize (hamstring) continues to progress with his hamstring, and he could return sometime in August. Finally, this is great news for Reese Olson (shoulder), considering there was some fear that would be out of action for quite some time. While surgery is off the table for his recovery, it’s important to note that he is completely shut down from throwing despite his daily rehab. Once he gets back to throwing, it’s fair to assume that he will pitch again for the Tigers, whenever that is, unless this shutdown takes a very long time.
Jorge Mateo – INF Baltimore Orioles (arm)
Jorge Mateo’s x-ray was negative. He will undergo an MRI. Further testing is needed, Brandon Hyde said, before a real update can be determined
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) July 24, 2024
Mateo collided with Gunnar Henderson and exited the game. If he needs some time on the Injured List, we could see the debut of Coby Mayo, which would be an exciting time for baseball fans.