The week started with more of the same. Baltimore’s Manny Machado went down swinging while Detroit’s Justin Verlander could not go on pitching.
The 2014 season: Where pain gains.
There have been plenty of subplots this year: The arrivals of Masahiro Tanaka and Jose Abreu, the departures of Derek Jeter and Bud Selig, the A’s flexing their muscles while offense went limp pretty much around the game. Sadly, though, nothing has hovered over this season like the persistence and devastation of injuries — though, in reality, the total number of DL stints (while historically elevated) lags slightly behind the past two seasons on the same date.
James Andrews’ office seemingly has seen more pitchers this year than the mound has at some parks.
The playoff races, obviously, have been impacted by the relentless injuries as the fortitude, depth and creativity of organizations have been tested. And there is a race within the playoff races – who can get players back in time to help down the stretch.
The Yankees are hoping it is not too late for Michael Pineda, for example, to impact the race, though if he could hit .300 rather than 95 mph on a radar gun, the team would probably be better off. The Yankees also wait to see if a) Tanaka can avoid joining the too-long procession of players who have needed Tommy John surgery this year and b) actually can return to make meaningful September starts.
Who heals, how quickly and to what degree can tilt postseason chases in these final seven weeks. Here are five teams whose fortunes could be determined by – of all things in 2014 in MLB — players coming off the DL:
Blue Jays
Adam Lind (right foot fracture) was due back into Toronto’s lineup Tuesday night, and Edwin Encarnacion (strained right quad) was scheduled to move his rehab to Triple-A. Like the Yankees, the Blue Jays may have slipped too far behind the Orioles to win the AL East.
But a wild card is still possible and, to earn that, Toronto will have to play to its strength – which is being one of the few clubs that can mash, at least when it has its whole lineup (Encarnacion and Lind are the cleanup and fifth-place hitter, respectively). Encarnacion was one off the MLB lead with 26 homers when he went down July 5. Lind had lost his power stroke (just four homers), but was hitting .320 with an .878 OPS. Put them behind Jose Bautista and maybe the Jays can power their way to the postseason for the first time in 21 years.
Cardinals
As Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told me by email, there is “hope” Michael Wacha and Yadier Molina will be September factors. But the unknown is working against Wacha and the clock against Molina.
Wacha has been out since June 17 with a stress reaction in his pitching shoulder. He has begun a throwing program. But the uncertain path back from that injury leaves the Cardinals murky about the righty’s return. There is, however, no uncertainty about his importance.
Since his injury, St. Louis has 19 quality starts (at least six innings, three or fewer earned runs). Fifteen are by Adam Wainwright or Lance Lynn. Injury or underperformance elsewhere in the pen led to the Cards obtaining John Lackey and Justin Masterson at the deadline. But the early returns have not been great on that duo. The Cards – with their offense surprisingly terrible – need Wacha to fortify this rotation.
Molina, out since July 9 with a torn thumb ligament, swapped a cast for a splint his week, and if healing and rehab continue in a positive vein, Molina could be back in early September. But any setback would cost St. Louis its best all-around player and brain for the rest of the year.
Pirates
Pittsburgh is 1 1/2 games up on St. Louis for the first wild card, just two games up on San Francisco for the second and final wild card and 1 1/2 games out of the NL Central lead. That proximity to euphoria and despair accentuates the need for Pittsburgh to get its best player (Andrew McCutchen) and its potential No. 1 starter (Gerrit Cole) back.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington said in an email that McCutchen “has made amazing progress” from a ribcage fracture. Pittsburgh actually had weighed not even putting the reigning NL MVP on the DL, but decided to be conservative because determining when the center fielder can let loose is the tricky part – and that doesn’t change with McCutchen on the DL, with the obvious worry about what a setback would mean.
The Pirates also are being conservative with Cole (shoulder), making him take one more rehab start this Saturday despite throwing six shutout innings in his third and most recent outing. In a Pittsburgh rotation lacking a difference maker, Cole has the best pedigree to be The Man down the stretch – health permitting.
Reds
Cincy is 5 1/2 out in the Central (and behind three teams) and 2 1/2 out in the wild card. They are holding on, dreaming of having the right side of their infield back. Second baseman Brandon Phillips (left thumb surgery) has been hitting and fielding, drawing closer. But first baseman Joey Votto (quad strain) is, at best, a September return. Reds manager Bryan Price told Cincy writers he hopes Votto resumes baseball activity in the last week or 10 days of August. And what is scary for the Reds isn’t just 2014, but this is the first season of Votto’s 10-year, $225 million extension, and it has been pocked by injuries and ordinary production.
Tigers
Not even two weeks ago, David Price seemed like overkill for a powerhouse rotation and Joakim Soria – at long last – a solution for the troubled late-game pen. But with first Anibal Sanchez and now Verlander having gone down — he was diagnosed with inflammation, not structural damage, according to the team — the Tigers rotation needs Price and Max Scherzer to carry the load (with Rick Porcello). Plus Detroit is again at the mercy of the fading Joe Nathan for closing responsibility.
Thus, you can understand why the Tigers need speedy recoveries, especially with Kansas City the hottest team in the majors, having jumped into first in the AL Central on Monday. Detroit had been in first every other day this season except for a three-day stretch from June 17-19.