Sports Grid · Aug 27, 2018
Start Tigers Michael Fulmer and Mets Jay Bruce
Trout was activated from the DL, played all three weekend games and went 6-for-11 (.545) with a triple and four runs scored. The triple is a good sign that his wrist is improving and closer to fully healed. He is still at High Risk for injury, but his Health Performance Factor (HPF) is Above Average. Eric Young Jr., who’s been playing centerfield in Trout’s absence, will stay in the lineup and move to left field for the injured Justin Upton, who was placed on the DL over the weekend with a lacerated finger. Springer sat out his sixth consecutive game on Sunday, but Astros manager AJ Hinch told reporters that Springer is expected to be in the starting lineup on Monday when they face Oakland. Springer is dealing with a quadriceps injury, but he is not expected to need a trip to the disabled list. Inside Injuries calculated an August 27 return to health date, so he should be ready to play. Still, Springer's Injury Risk remains High, as he also recently came back from a thumb sprain. Prior to going on the disabled list at the end of July with ankle and knee injuries, Gurriel was in the midst of an incredible stretch of hitting, batting .423 with four home runs, 14 RBI and nine runs scored. He had 11 consecutive multi-hit games, and a hit in each of his 16 starts. According to Inside Injuries’ algorithm, Gurriel’s had ample time to heal and is currently an Elevated Risk for injury with a Peak HPF. It’s a very safe bet that the Blue Jays will have his bat in the lineup going forward. Aledmys Diaz will cede the starting SS job to Gurriel, and Devon Travis could lose some playing time at second base, as he will likely platoon with Diaz there. Trumbo missed his sixth consecutive game with a right knee injury that has troubled him for a good portion of the season. Since the Orioles are on a pace to lose upwards of 110 games, Trumbo is expected to opt for surgery that will end his miserable season. Sit Trumbo until his decision is finalized, then be ready to drop and replace him. Pham was activated from the disabled list on Saturday and immediately made his impact felt with a seventh-inning home run in a victory over the Red Sox. He contributed another pair of hits on Sunday. Pham has battled several foot and ankle injuries this season, and he recently missed three games with a dislocated finger. Inside Injuries’ algorithm calculated a September 11 return to health date, so Pham’s early return could impact his performance. As such, his HPF is currently Poor and his Overall Injury Risk remains High. If you’re starting Pham on your fantasy squad, be advised to have a backup plan in place. Gallo rolled his ankle during last Friday’s game and was expected to sit out Saturday’s game. However, he made a pinch-hit appearance Saturday and started Sunday. Inside Injuries calculated a September 7 Return to Health date for the slugger, so his early return dictates caution going forward. Gallo is at High Risk for injury and is carrying a Poor HPF going forward. At the very least, Gallo fantasy owners should have a backup plan in place We are already more than four weeks into what the Yankees said would be a three-to-four-week healing process for Judge’s wrist fracture. However, Judge is still experiencing pain in the wrist and is unable to resume swinging a bat or participate in fielding drills. It's exactly what Inside Injuries initially said would happen - he has an Optimal Recovery Time of seven weeks. Unfortunately, Judge appears to be on a pace to return to the Yankees during the final week of regular season play or the first week of the playoffs. Regardless of when Judge returns, he will likely struggle to hit for power. Wrist injuries are notorious for sapping a hitter’s power, and it can take several months to completely heal and allow a player to return to previous production levels. Yankees manager Aaron Boone delivered the bad news about Aaron Judge, but was more optimistic about the potential for Gary Sanchez to return. Sanchez has been taking dry swings. “His conditioning is as good as it’s been all season,” Boone said. He won't be back this week, but he could be close, and his injury numbers (IRC & HPF) are slowly improving as he approaches his Optimal Recovery Time. Sanchez was activated Saturday and pitched that night against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed six earned runs on 10 hits with a pair each of walks and strikeouts. Toronto ended up winning the game, but Sanchez didn’t figure in the decision. Although it was not a strong outing, it appears that Sanchez didn’t suffer any setbacks or reoccurrence of the blister problems on his finger. Sanchez is scheduled to take his regular turn later this week and will remain in the starting rotation. Jaime Garcia was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays to create a roster spot for Sanchez. Stroman has been sidelined by a blister issue on his pitching hand, a problem he dealt with at the beginning of the season. Inside Injuries calculated an August 28 Return to Health date for him with a corresponding Below Average HPF. He will remain at High Risk for Injury. Stroman is expected to return to his previous levels of productivity in short order, but the recurrence of blisters could happen at any