Injury Notes: Conforto, Russell, Anderson, Keuchel, Meadows

Here’s the latest on some developing injury situations around the game…

• X-rays were negative on the left hand of Michael Conforto after the Mets outfielder was hit by a Matt Moore pitch today (the SNY MetsBlog has the details).  Conforto remained in the game after being hit but was replaced in the field during the next half-inning.  Conforto is day-to-day with a hand contusion and he said he feels he’ll be able to play by Tuesday, when the Mets next play.  Needless to say, losing Conforto the DL would be yet another major blow to the injury-riddled Mets, as Conforto is in the midst of a big breakout year, entering today with 14 homers and a .288/.406/.553 slash line in 266 PA.
• Addison Russell left Sunday’s game due to “sharp, pinching pain” in his right shoulder, as he told CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney and other reporters.  The Cubs shortstop has been bothered by shoulder problems since Spring Training, which could be a reason for his below-average wRC+ (83) and his .232/.300/.408 slash line through 250 PA.  It isn’t yet known if a DL stint is required to give Russell an opportunity to fully rest the injury, as manager Joe Maddon described the problem as “kind of a nagging thing” that has “never been debilitating.”
• Rockies southpaw Tyler Anderson was forced to leave during the third inning of today’s start due to an apparent injury to his left knee, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding was among those to report.  This was Anderson’s first start back since hitting the DL in late May due to inflammation in that same knee, though he made a one-inning relief appearance earlier last week.  Advanced metrics indicate that Anderson has pitched better than his 6.11 ERA would indicate, as he has been plagued by home runs (a whopping 25% homer rate) and bad BABIP luck (.337) over his 63 1/3 IP this season.
• Astros ace Dallas Keuchel isn’t likely to return from the disabled list until after the All-Star Break, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle writes.  The left-hander was placed on the DL on June 8 due to neck discomfort, the second time Keuchel has been sidelined this season due to neck problems.  The team was known to be taking a very conservative approach to Keuchel’s rehab, and he has yet to begin throwing off a mound, though he has doing some long-tossing at a 120-foot distance.  As Kaplan notes, there isn’t any huge rush to get Keuchel back given the Astros’ big AL West lead, as the team obviously wants to ensure its star lefty is fully recovered and ready for the postseason push.
• Top Pirates prospect Austin Meadows will miss up to four weeks after receiving a PRP injection for a torn hamstring, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter link).  The injury compounds what has already been a difficult season for Meadows, who has hit just .248/.313/.358 over 281 PA at the Triple-A level in 2017.  There had been speculation that Meadows could make his MLB debut sometime this year (possibly if Andrew McCutchen was traded), though that seems less likely in the wake of his lengthy absence and his lack of Triple-A production.  Of course, Meadows still just 22 years old and is regarded as one of the game’s better prospects, so there isn’t any reason yet for long-term concern.