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Injury Notes: Cain, Segura, Hand, Betts, Upton

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The latest on several notable injury situations from around the league…

  • Lorenzo Cain was forced out of the Brewers’ game Thursday afternoon due to left ankle discomfort, the team announced.  Cain hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, but was replaced by Trent Grisham in center field in the top of the fifth.  Injuries have plagued Cain all season, as thumb, wrist, and oblique problems have contributed to his career-worst 76 wRC+ (from a .251/.316/.357 slash line and 10 homers) over 592 plate appearances. He’s “greatly wobbled,” per Tom Haudricourt of the Miilwaukee Journal, who adds that Cain could undergo more tests.
  • Phillies shortstop Jean Segura exited the team’s loss to Atlanta with a left hamstring cramp, Matt Gelb of The Athletic relays. The severity’s unknown as of now, Gelb notes. One of many big-ticket offseason acquisitions for the Phillies, Segura has produced a respectable 2.6 fWAR in 593 plate appearances, but he hasn’t been as effective as he was with the Diamondbacks and Mariners from 2016-18.
  • Indians closer Brad Hand threw a “really good” bullpen session Wednesday, manager Terry Francona said, though it’s still unclear when he’ll be able to return (via Mandy Bell of MLB.com). It was the first bullpen for Hand during his absence from a fatigued arm, which dates back to Sept. 8. Things have gone well to this point for the Hand-less Indians, as they’ve gone 7-2 since he last pitched and only needed saves in two of those wins (one apiece from Adam Cimber and Oliver Perez).
  • There’s nothing meaningful left to play for this year for the Red Sox, though banged up right fielder Mookie Betts still doesn’t plan to shut it down, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. The reigning AL MVP, who hasn’t played since Sept. 12 on account of left foot inflammation, is aiming to come back during a four-game series in Tampa Bay that begins Friday. Betts wouldn’t line up in the field during that set, though, as the Red Sox don’t want to risk running him out there on turf. Meanwhile, reliever Heath Hembree is progressing from elbow problems and could come off the IL next week. Hembree’s balky elbow has forced him to the shelf twice this year and stopped him from pitching since Aug. 1.
  • Angels left fielder Justin Upton will undergo a platelet-rich plasma injection Friday, per Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The hope is that it’ll aid Upton in overcoming the pain in his right knee – a joint that has bothered him since spring training. The eliminated Angels shut Upton down for the season last week after injuries helped limit the normally terrific hitter to a .215/.309/.416 line with 12 home runs in 256 plate appearances.

Justin Upton Done For Season

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Already eliminated from American League playoff contention, the Angels don’t have much left to play for this season. They’ll go through their final meaningless couple weeks of the year without left fielder Justin Upton, who’s dealing with patella tendinitis in his right knee, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to report. Upton will undergo a platelet-rich plasma injection next week, and he should be ready to work out again in six weeks.

Injuries bookended 2019 for Upton, who didn’t debut until mid-June on account of a toe issue. Upton endured uncharacteristic struggles when he did play this season, as he slashed an unimposing .215/.309/.416 with 12 home runs in 256 plate appearances. He’ll wrap up the year with a career-low 92 wRC+ and minus-0.2 fWAR – which counts as his worst figure in that category since his rookie campaign in 2007.

The 32-year-old Upton has typically been an above-average producer, which is why the Angels signed him to a five-year, $106MM contract going into 2018. They and Upton can only hope he’ll bounce back to his usual form next season, when the Halos will try to finish over .500 for the first time since 2015 and break a five-year playoff drought.

Angels Notes: Bedrosian, Upton

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With the playoffs officially out of the question for the Angels, they’ve decided to shut injured reliever Cam Bedrosian down for the season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. Meanwhile, outfielder Justin Upton underwent an MRI on his right knee Wednesday. The results aren’t yet known.

Bedrosian has been a clear bright spot in a Halos pitching staff that has lacked reasons for optimism this year, but the right-hander hasn’t pitched in two weeks on account of a forearm issue. Fortunately, the Angels didn’t find any kind of alarming issue before shutting him down, per Fletcher. They’re simply erring on the side of caution because their postseason hopes are gone. The 27-year-old Bedrosian’s 2019 will end with a 3.23 ERA/3.83 FIP, 9.39 K/9, 3.23 BB/9 and a 47.6 percent groundball rate in 61 1/3 innings. Bedrosian’s set to go through his penultimate trip through arbitration in the offseason, when he’ll collect a raise on his current salary of $1.75MM.

Contrary to Bedrosian, Upton has gone through a rough 2019 – the second season of a five-year, $106MM contract. The 32-year-old has typically been an above-average contributor since his career began in 2007, but Upton has been among the least valuable players in baseball this season. Since missing the first few months of the season with a toe injury and debuting June 17, Upton has hit a meager .215/.309/.416 with 12 home runs and a personal-worst 30.5 percent strikeout rate in 256 plate appearances. Depending on the severity of his injury, Upton could join Bedrosian in missing the last couple weeks of the season.

Angels Activate Justin Upton, Designate Cesar Puello

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The Angels announced today that Justin Upton has been activated from the injured list. He’ll take the active and 40-man roster spots of fellow outfielder Cesar Puello, who was designated for assignment.

It’s obviously good news for the Halos to finally welcome Upton back to the active roster. He hasn’t yet suited up owing to a turf toe injury that proved surprisingly problematic. The slugger is a key piece of a roster that has not performed as hoped to this stage of the season.

That said, the L.A. org won’t be able to hope for much of a production bump over Puello. The 28-year-old has produced a hefty .390/.500/.683 output with three home runs in fifty plate appearances this year. That far outstrips anything he had shown previously, though it’s fair to note that Puello has been a steady offensive producer in the high minors for several seasons.

Angels To Activate Justin Upton On Monday

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Justin Upton will make his season debut on Monday when the Angels open a series in Toronto against the Blue Jays, Angels manager Brad Ausmus told Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group (Twitter links) and other reporters.

Upton has missed the entire year recovering from turf toe, but will be activated off the injured list tomorrow and is set to take his usual spot in left field.  There isn’t necessarily a great way for the Angels to ease Upton back in terms of a positional role, as giving him DH at-bats would mean that Shohei Ohtani would have to sit, though Upton has been regularly working in left field during his rehab assignment and seems ready to go.

Unexpectedly strong contributions from Brian Goodwin, Cesar Puello, and utilityman David Fletcher helped the Angels generate some solid offense from the left field spot even without Upton.  He isn’t the only star who could be on his way back to Anaheim, as Ausmus also said that shortstop Andrelton Simmons (out since May 20 with a left ankle sprain) could potentially rejoin the club during its road trip through Toronto and St. Louis.

The returns of Upton and Simmons will only help an Angels lineup that has quietly been very productive this season.  The Halos have received surprise breakouts from Fletcher, Goodwin, and Tommy La Stella, Kole Calhoun is enjoying a comeback year, Ohtani is beginning to heat up after his own extended IL absence, Albert Pujols is showing some of his old power, and (of course) Mike Trout is his usual superb self.

Despite this offensive pop, however, Los Angeles is still only 35-36 on the season thanks to a subpar pitching staff.  The Halos sit 3.5 games out of a wild card spot entering Sunday’s action, and it remains to be seen if the club will look to add some arms before the trade deadline in the name of a postseason push.

Health Notes: Angels, Gordon, Brewers, M. Kemp, Reds

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The Angels appear likely to activate left fielder Justin Upton sometime during their upcoming road trip from June 13-23, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register suggests. Upton, out all season because of a toe injury, began a rehab assignment last Friday. Meanwhile, injured shortstop Andrelton Simmons is “progressing quickly” and may start taking live at-bats soon, per Fletcher. Simmons hasn’t played since May 20 because of a Grade 3 left ankle sprain.

  • The Mariners activated second baseman Dee Gordon from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, the team announced. They optioned righty Matt Festa to Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move. Gordon’s back after missing 19 games with a right wrist contusion. The 31-year-old trade candidate is off to a .280/.309/.366 start (85 wRC+) with three home runs and 12 steals on 14 attempts across 177 plate appearances.
  • Brewers right-hander Jhoulys Chacin is on track to return during their series in San Diego, which runs from June 17-19, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Chacin has been on the IL since June 2 with a lower back strain. Before that, he struggled to build on last season’s quality performance, logging 58 innings of 5.74 ERA/5.75 FIP ball with 6.83 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.
  • Mets minor league outfielder Matt Kemp is dealing with lingering effects of a broken rib he suffered in April, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets placed Kemp on the minor league IL as a result. The 34-year-old Kemp settled for a minors pact with the Mets on May 24, three weeks after Cincinnati released him. Kemp slashed a brutal .200/.210/.283 (23 wRC+) in 62 plate appearances with Cincy and hasn’t been much better as a member of the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse. So far, Kemp has hit .235/.278/.324 (52 wRC+) in 36 tries at the minors’ top level.
  • Reds righty reliever Robert Stephenson began a Triple-A rehab stint Tuesday, according to the team. Stephenson went to the IL on May 31 with a cervical strain. Once a well-regarded starting pitching prospect, Stephenson looked as if he was emerging as a credible reliever before his injury. In his first full-time look out of the bullpen, the 26-year-old has notched a 3.96 ERA/2.58 FIP with 12.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 across 25 innings.

Justin Upton To Begin Rehab Assignment Friday

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Angels left fielder Justin Upton has missed the first two-plus months of the season because of a toe injury, but he’s now closing in on his 2019 debut. Upton will begin a rehab assignment Friday at the Single-A level, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports. Barring any setbacks during his rehab, Upton will rejoin the Angels within 20 days.

The 31-year-old Upton’s long absence will deprive him of an opportunity to post a fourth straight 30-home run season. Upton swatted exactly 30 in 2018, his first full season with the Angels, after sticking with the team on a five-year, $106MM contract. Overall, Upton slashed .257/.344/.463 (124 wRC+) in 613 plate appearances, continuing a career-long trend of above-average offensive production. He also totaled at least 3.0 fWAR for the seventh time since 2008, his first full season in the majors.

Upton’s loss looked disastrous for the Angels when it happened, though they’ve stayed afloat in left field without him. Brian Goodwin, whom the Angels claimed off waivers in late March, has combined with David Fletcher and Cesar Puello to give the Halos enough offense at the position. Goodwin’s numbers have plummeted of late, though, so Upton’s return should be a timely one for an LA club whose wild-card hopes are still alive.

Latest On Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton

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Angels star shortstop Andrelton Simmons has been out two weeks because of a Grade 3 ankle sprain, and it doesn’t appear he’ll be back anytime soon. While Simmons has progressed to swinging a bat, there is still no timetable for a comeback, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com tweets. Meanwhile, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register points out the type of sprain Simmons is dealing with tends to require an eight- to 12-week absence. If that holds up, Simmons won’t grace the Angels’ lineup again until at least late July.

The 29-32 Angels have gone 7-7 without Simmons, a defensive virtuoso and solid hitter who exceeded the 5.0-fWAR mark in each of the previous two seasons. Simmons added 1.2 fWAR to his career ledger in 195 pre-injury plate appearances this year, batting .298/.323/.415 (100 wRC+) with three home runs and five steals on six attempts. Along the way, the 29-year-old posted the majors’ third-lowest strikeout rate (7.7 percent, trailing only teammates David Fletcher and Tommy La Stella) and third-highest in-zone contact percentage (98.0). Simmons, Fletcher and La Stella are among many Angels who have been almost incapable of striking out this year, which explains why the Halos own the majors’ best K rate as a team (16.3 percent).

The Simmons-less Angels have mostly deployed Fletcher at short, La Stella at third and Luis Rengifo. Assuming Fletcher and La Stella continue to perform well, they seem likely to divide their time between third and second once Simmons comes back. However, a return from injuried infielder Zack Cozart could complicate matters.

The infield’s not the only place where the Angels’ lineup is battling injuries. They’re also without big-hitting left fielder Justin Upton, who hasn’t played this season on account of sprained toe. The 31-year-old is progressing toward a rehab assignment, though, according to Jeff Fletcher. While Upton produced another quality offensive campaign in 2018 – his first full season with the Angels – David Fletcher, Brian Goodwin and Cesar Puello have done well in his stead this year.

AL West Notes: Leclerc, Gallo, Trout, Upton

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The Rangers will deploy reliever Jose Leclerc as an opener in today’s game, the club announced. He’ll throw in front of Drew Smyly. The 25-year-old Leclerc will open for the second time this year. He entered the campaign as the indisputable closer after inking an extension over the winter, but lost that job when his prior control problems resurfaced. It seems the Rangers are looking to provide some stability for the live-armed hurler, who has dealt with minor shoulder and calf issues recently. Otherwise, he has been much more impressive of late, with a whopping 16:1 K/BB ratio in his last seven frames.

More from the AL West:

  • Though he departed last night’s game with wrist soreness, Rangers slugger Joey Gallo doesn’t seem to be at any risk of a trip to the injured list. As Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, Gallo will get a day of rest today. That had already been planned, says Texas skipper Chris Woodward. Even as he has ramped up his offensive productivity by boosting his walk rate and continuing to launch prodigious long balls, Gallo has stretched his legs in the field. He has graded as a clear positive at all three outfield positions in recent seasons, though he had never before been utilized exclusively on the grass and had limited experience in center field. That modified deployment might itself warrant a few added days off to keep Gallo fresh over the course of the season.
  • The Angels seemingly dodged a bullet when superstar Mike Trout wore a foul ball off his foot. Though he’s dealing with some soreness, he says there’s no fracture, as Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group tweets. The L.A. organization needed a break — of the other kind — after watching Andrelton Simmons hit the shelf, followed in short order by Zack Cozart.
  • In other Halos health news, outfielder Justin Upton suggested a return from his turf toe injury is now within sight, as Fletcher reports. Though Upton cited a three-week target, that may be on the optimistic side. He’ll still need to don his cleats and run at full tilt, then complete a rehab assignment, without any recurring issues.
  • In case you missed the late-night news, Mariners infielder J.P. Crawford appears to be headed to the injured list  after suffering an ankle injury in last night’s contest.

Angels To Activate Andrew Heaney; Latest On Justin Upton

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The Angels will activate lefty Andrew Heaney for his first action of the season, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to cover (Twitter links). He’ll take the ball Sunday after opening the season in the injured list due to elbow inflammation.

Though he’s a bit further off, outfielder Justin Upton can now begin working in earnest toward his own activation. His turf toe injury has healed to the point that he can “run on 100 percent of his weight” and participate in batting practice and outfield work on the field.

It’s nice to see some positive health news for the Halos, who have become accustomed to crushing blows in recent years. Unfortunately, the team just sent shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the injured list with a significant ankle injury.

Heaney, who’ll soon turn 28, had Tommy John surgery in July of 2016. It was quite promising, then, to see him turn in thirty starts and 180 innings of 4.15 ERA pitching last year. And the elbow issues that cropped up this spring were all the more concerning.

Though he has only made one formal rehab start, it was quite a good one. Heaney allowed just two hits and a walk while racking up ten strikeouts in 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the club’s top affiliate. Hopefully, he can build off of that showing and give a boost to a beleaguered rotation.

Heaney is earning $3.4MM this season. He’s eligible for arbitration twice more, with free agency beckoning after the 2021 campaign.

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