This article is part of our Fantasy Baseball Injury Report series.
As the MLB enters the All-Star break, I annually "award" a more dubious honor to a certain collection of players. The group is made up of players who have frustrated fantasy owners due to injury or illness. So, without further ado, here is the 9th MLB All-Scar team.
CATCHER
The White Sox catcher has made two separate trips to the injured list. He spent time on the 7-day IL after suffering a concussion and is now out with a strained oblique. He's missed 14 straight games recovering and a return to play date remains unknown.
The Pirates veteran backstop will no longer play the position due to the multiple concussions sustained throughout his career. He suffered his most recent concussion in late May but announced over the weekend that he will try out a new position on his rehab assignment. It's a smart play by Cervelli. Catcher is the position most prone to concussions and the effects of multiple head injuries are cumulative. As a result, symptoms often linger longer and can be more severe. He remains without a definitive timeline for a return.
FIRST BASE
AL: Greg Bird
Bird just can't shake the injury bug and again has spent the majority of the season on the IL. This year's injury involves the plantar fascia, the connective tissue located on the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia is designed to bear weight and manage the stress placed on and through the area. Unfortunately,
As the MLB enters the All-Star break, I annually "award" a more dubious honor to a certain collection of players. The group is made up of players who have frustrated fantasy owners due to injury or illness. So, without further ado, here is the 9th MLB All-Scar team.
CATCHER
The White Sox catcher has made two separate trips to the injured list. He spent time on the 7-day IL after suffering a concussion and is now out with a strained oblique. He's missed 14 straight games recovering and a return to play date remains unknown.
The Pirates veteran backstop will no longer play the position due to the multiple concussions sustained throughout his career. He suffered his most recent concussion in late May but announced over the weekend that he will try out a new position on his rehab assignment. It's a smart play by Cervelli. Catcher is the position most prone to concussions and the effects of multiple head injuries are cumulative. As a result, symptoms often linger longer and can be more severe. He remains without a definitive timeline for a return.
FIRST BASE
AL: Greg Bird
Bird just can't shake the injury bug and again has spent the majority of the season on the IL. This year's injury involves the plantar fascia, the connective tissue located on the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia is designed to bear weight and manage the stress placed on and through the area. Unfortunately, Bird tore the plantar fascia in his left foot and remains limited and without a definitive timeline.
NL: Ryan Zimmerman
A perineal contender for placement on the All-Scar team, Zimmerman earned this year's nod thanks to a case of plantar fasciitis. Unlike Bird, Zimmerman's plantar fascia remain intact making this a chronic issue. The odds of re-injury or aggravation will likely linger for the remainder of the season.
SECOND BASE
AL: Jose Altuve
There might have been an American League second basemen to miss more time but the five weeks Altuve missed were likely more impactful. He was the top rated second baseman and carried an ADP of 16 despite coming off offseason knee surgery to address an avulsion fracture. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring strain in the opposite leg that may have had a carryover effect on his surgically-repaired lower extremity. However, he is back in action and performing at a high level. Since being activated, Altuve's recorded a hit in 10 of 15 games
NL: Scooter Gennett
The Reds were without Gennett for the first three months of the season after he suffered a severe groin strain in Spring Training. He has appeared in just six games and is currently sidelined with tightness in the opposite groin.
SHORTSTOP
AL: Carlos Correa
The fact that Astros lead the AL West by 7.5 games despite both Altuve and Correra being named "All-Scars" is pretty amazing. Correa has not played since May 26 when he suffered a rib injury. He has begun running and hopes to return shortly after the All-Star break.
The 34-game absence needed to recover from a hamstring strain is the lone blemish on Tatis' impressive rookie campaign. He sustained the injury stretching for a ball and the Padres opted to slow play his recovery. The plan appears to have worked as the hamstring has not been an issue since his return.
THIRD BASE
AL: Miguel Sano
Sano needed a solid spring to round back into form following an injury-plagued 2018. Sadly, a heel laceration prevented that from happening. Multiple setbacks, including a debridement procedure on the area, pushed his return back into the regular season as he missed Minnesota's first 42 games. He is showing some signs of improvement, hitting .286 in the Twin's last 10 games, including four home runs and a nine RBI.
NL: Jake Lamb
Lamb's surgically repaired shoulder has held up but he missed nearly three months after suffering a Grade 2 quadriceps strain. The classification means Lamb partially tore the muscle, leaving him functionally limited. As a result, he has appeared in just 13 games for the Diamondbacks and slugged just one home run.
OUTFIELD
AL: Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Mitch Haniger
Stanton has arguably been the biggest disappointment of the 2019 season as injuries have limited him to just nine games. Stanton has been limited by four different injuries, including a biceps strain, a calf strain, and a sprain of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his right knee. He's slated to miss at least another month and will be a high-risk investment for the remainder of the season.
Judge joins his New York teammate in the All-Scar outfield after suffering an oblique strain. He was sidelined for 54 games (2 months) with the injury and has received multiple days off since returning. He could still salvage the season with a big second half but fantasy owners who drafted the slugger may be playing catchup to make up for the lost time.
It's been a month since Haniger suffered a ruptured testicle and the Mariners remain noncommittal on a recovery timeline. His progress has been slow and he has yet to receive clearance to resume baseball activities. As a result, his time on the IL will carryover past the All-Star break and potentially into late July or August.
NL: David Peralta, Andrew McCutchen, and Franchy Cordero
Peralta got off to a hot start for Arizona, hitting .309 with seven home runs before suffering a right shoulder injury. The issue was diagnosed as inflammation in his acromioclavicular (AC) joint and sent him to the IL where he missed 11 games. He's struggled since returning batting just .252 with two home runs and recently aggravated the shoulder. The team said they will take a more conservative approach this time around, suggesting he will miss at least two weeks.
McCutchen was hoping a move to Philadelphia would help him reestablish himself as a top-level player. It appeared to be working as he got off to a hot start, hitting .256 with 23 extra base hits and 10 homers in 59 games played. Unfortunately, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, ending his season and earning him an All-Scar berth in the process.
Cordero was drafted as a high-end prospect that had shown flashes the previous season. Offseason surgery to remove a bone spur was suppose to help him live up to the hype though soreness in the area lingered. To make things worse he suffered a significant injury to his quadriceps tendon while on rehab assignment and isn't expected back until September at the earliest.
STARTING PITCHERS
AL: Luis Severino and Corey Kluber
The Yankees ace has yet to pitch this season due to a Grade 2 latissimus dorsi strain. His progress in rehab has been slow and he was recently told to shut down his throwing program. A late August, early September return is starting to look like a best-case scenario.
Kluber has logged just seven starts due to a fractured forearm. The break was non-displaced and did not require surgery but was casted and immobilized. The Cleveland right-hander was recently cleared to play catch, meaning a return this season remains possible.
NL: Jameson Taillon and Rich Hill
Taillon has been unable to build on his 2018 breakout season due to a flexor strain in his forearm. The muscle here, along with the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), help stabilize the elbow. An injury to one has a cascade effect on the other, leaving the injured individual susceptible to a more severe injury. Taillon recently began playing catch and his progress over the next two weeks will determine if he will pitch again this season or if more aggressive treatment is necessary.
The same goes for Hill who is also sidelined with a flexor tendon strain. He was recently shifted to the 60-day IL, meaning he will not be available until at least September. The veteran left-hander has a worrisome history of elbow issues including Tommy John in 2011 and a similar strain in 2012.
RELIEF PITCHERS
AL: Dellin Betances
Betances has been unable to rack up strikeouts as he has yet to appear in a game this season. Initially sidelined with right shoulder impingement, the Yankees reliever was recently diagnosed with a strained latissimus dorsi. Like Severino, a return does not appear imminent.
NL: David Robertson
Each member of the NL pitching staff for the 2019 All-Scar team is managing the same injury. Robertson has not pitched since April 14 due to a flexor strain in his throwing elbow. He does appear ahead of Hill and Taillon as he just completed a bullpen session. Barring a setback, he has a chance to return to the Phillies by the end of the month.
