Brewers second baseman Kolten Wong left last night’s game after three innings due to a left oblique strain, after striking out swinging in what ended up as his final at-bat of the game. Brewers manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters that “at this point, it’s day to day. It’s not bad, but it’s concerning because it’s the same spot” that Wong previously felt a strain earlier this season. That initial oblique issue sent Wong to the injured list and caused him to miss 11 games in April.
Wong has been a strong part of Milwaukee’s success this season, delivering his usual stellar glovework at second base while hitting .280/.343/.441 (114 OPS+, 115 wRC+) over 178 plate appearances. Ideally, Wong could avoid the IL altogether, but even another relatively minimal absence would count as a minor victory considering how oblique injuries can often be longer-term problems. Keston Hiura, Luis Urias, or Daniel Robertson are fill-in options at second base if Wong indeed has to miss significant time, but none can match Wong’s all-around contributions.
Some more injury updates from around the NL Central…
- With Miles Mikolas and Jordan Hicks both on the injured list, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) said the “best case” scenario is to have both right-handers back in August. Mikolas is roughly 3-5 weeks from being re-evaluated after receiving a stem cell injection as he works his way back from forearm tightness, while Hicks is out until at least July 1 after being placed on the 60-day IL due to elbow inflammation. Given that both hurlers have had significant long-term injury absences prior to these current health issues, the Cards will surely be as cautious as possible in bringing either Mikolas or Hicks back into action, despite the team’s pitching needs.
- Max Moroff is considering surgery to address his ailing left shoulder, after the Cardinals infielder went on the 10-day IL with a shoulder subluxation last week. If Moroff doesn’t opt for surgery, he’ll still be out of action for at least 4-6 weeks.
- Pirates GM Ben Cherington hinted last week that outfield prospect Travis Swaggerty was leaning towards shoulder surgery, and the team announced yesterday (hat tip to The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel) that Swaggerty indeed went under the knife and will miss the rest of the season. Swaggerty is expected to be fully recovered in roughly five months, though it’s still a tough setback for the 10th overall pick of the 2018 draft.
- Jose Soriano has also hit an injury speedbump, as the Pirates right-hander experienced “recurrent elbow discomfort” while on a minor league rehab assignment. Soriano underwent Tommy John surgery in February 2020, though the Bucs still picked him off the Angels’ roster with the first pick in last December’s Rule 5 draft. Despite the missed time, MLB Pipeline still ranked Soriano 24th among all Pirates prospect, highlighting his 70-grade fastball and a 55-grade curve.
Mikolas for Bumgarner. Who says no?
Would hurt each team even more
How does a trade hurt both teams? That doesn’t even make sense.
I’d take MadBum because he can pitch more than 1 game per year.
If Soriano doesn’t spend 90 days on the active roster, he doesn’t have to be offered back. He just has to stay on the ML roster in 2022 until he gets to 90 active days.
I think the rule is if is healthy (not on the IL), the Pirates have to add him to the 26-man in 60 days. But if they place him back on the IL, and he stays there for the entire season, they don’t have to return him.
Nick Burdi 2.0 for the Pirates. Hope for his sake that it is not a tear again. Would be nice if it was only bone spurs or scar tissue issues that can be a simple procedure to fix. Sounds like with all of the opinions that he is getting it may be another TJ surgery.
It doesn’t matter ,. I been living in Pittsburgh as a lifelong Cardinal fan for 50 years , No matter what , the Pirates are a AA or AAA team at best. The only thing that’s kept them in the city is PNC park. The ownership is a joke . It’s sad ,. I actually feel bad for them so I root for them unless they are playing the cardinals. They should have sold it to Cuban years ago
The Division can do whatever they want with player acquisitions. They still have to beat the Cubs. This is my unbiased opinion.
Dude the Cubs are not a championship quality team. They don’t have the pitching to win in October.
As much as I despise defending a cub’s fan. (tongue in cheek of course CD, lol) He didn’t say anything about a championship Joel. He just said “the division” can do whatever they want they need to catch the Cubs. And since they are currently in first, he ain’t wrong. lol. But CD, gentleman’s wager, The Cubs are 3rd at best by the wrap of the season, much because of Joel’s point. lol.
We’ll see BrendanBrewFan…. I will be watching these next few games a bit more closely…pitching has been very very good…
And then Arrieta happened…
Arrieta had nothing last night against the Giants. His 35 years exposed again getting gassed in the second inning no less. Jake lacked control of his breaking stuff, bleeding in at around 80 mph..fastball variable movement at 91…Ross left him in way too long in that 2nd inning..should have pulled Jake after that four pitch walk to Tauchman.
That really sucks about Swaggerty. He was doing really well at Indianapolis. His bottom line doesn’t show it, but he was hitting a ton of line drives, was avoding ground balls, and only had a .200 BABIP (yes, I know BABIP needs a bigger sample size to be more accurate, but a 25%+ LD% and sub-40% GB% and only a .200 BABIP is serisously unlucky). He was also walking a whole lot more, and striking out less.
Hopefully they were able to fix his shoulder and he regains the strength in it. Thankfully it is not his throwing shoulder but it is his power arm for hitting. Polanco tore his shoulder up and can no longer throw with strength from the OF,. Hope PT goes well for him this fall and winter.
I was pining for the A’s to take Swaggerty, but instead they took Kyler Murray. With a first round pick. When he was never going to play MLB. Why do people think the A’s FO is good again? Could have had Brady Signer, Grayson Rodriguez, Shane McClanahan or local guy Nico Hoerner, but noooo…
Pirates; another 1,302 guys go on the IL and one of the readers here may get the call…
Obliques, hamstrings, calfs, shoulders, elbows, knees, quads, wrists, forearms, ankles, family jewels.
It’s like the only thing players aren’t injuring are their biceps. Because that’s all they care about.
Hernandez just came of the IL to pitch last night for Miami. Ironically he was on the IL due to a bicep injury., He hurt his quad scoring a run in the 6th…. go figure….
Jeez Louise, if it’s not one thing, it’s another.
Uhhh pitchers get bicep injuries constantly, you are wrong there.
Like most MLB hitters, Wong swings as hard as he can every time up. I think that’s why there are so many oblique strains. No PhD here, just applying what little common sense I have. This injury is common to Wong. Somehow, these guys need to get back to the basics. The at bats in MLB seem to be more like slo-pitch softball. Just bad mechanics. Thanks for your time, DR. Jerry Bird?!?
Yes, one has to swing hard to hit a ball coming at him at 102 mph, if he doesn’t then he strikes out and then you will complain he “strikes out too much”.
Should be illegal for casuals to speak like this…
I stopped complaining about striking out too much a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, they all do. A guy like Willie Stargell would be considered a contact hitter today. Go figure.
No matter how hard a pitcher throws, timing is what contact is about, not swinging as hard as you can. If you don’t hit home runs, you don’t get on highlight videos. Strikeouts and home runs are common today, so they have less meaning of quality than ever before. Swinging hard accounts for exit velocity, a stat that I find as useless as the “game winning RBI” in past years. It’s just the way the game is played in the 2020s. Boring to me.
Oh look, Mr. Baseball connoisseur thinking he knows it all.
I guarantee you the majority of people here don’t want to see your ignorant comments. Tell me again A’sfan, which team do you work for?
If someone has a different opinion, they shouldn’t be allowed to speak?
You are such a closed minded pos.
Wong is an ass , at least he was at AA Springfield, and yes just hit it where it’s pitched
“went under the knife”
I can literally feel that just by reading it
You should check out the song “under the knife” by hatebreed then haha
Best to be behind the knife, don’t cut towards yourself they say.
No mention of Jack Flaherty?
Odd they would mention Max Moroff and not their Ace Flaherty. IMO