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Cody Bellinger

Injury Notes: Bellinger, McKinstry, Martinez, Velasquez, Wacha

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Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry will each begin Triple-A rehab stints today, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com’s Juan Toribio and other reporters.  Bellinger played in just four games this season before suffering what was originally thought to be a left calf contusion, but later diagnosed as a hairline fracture in his left leg.  Considering the long layoff, Bellinger’s rehab stint figures to be more than just a game or two, but the team didn’t put any sort of timeline on a potential return.

McKinstry went on the 10-day injured list on April 23 due to a right oblique strain, which interrupted a very impressive start to the season for the rookie utilityman.  McKinstry had a .296/.328/.556 slash line and three home runs over his first 58 plate appearances, and saw time at four different positions (second base, third base, both corner outfield spots).  Getting both Bellinger and McKinstry back soon will be an enormous help to a Dodgers team that has already had even its considerable depth tested by a long list of injuries.

More on some other injury situations around baseball…

  • The Cardinals announced that Carlos Martinez has been activated from the 10-day injured list, and the righty will start tonight’s game against the Cubs.  Martinez was (retroactively) placed on the IL with a right ankle injury on May 9, so he’ll end up missing only slightly more than the minimum 10 days.  Martinez has managed a 4.35 ERA over 41 1/3 innings this season despite one of the game’s lowest strikeout rates (12.6%) and a very unflattering set of Statcast numbers.
  • Vince Velasquez was scratched shortly before his scheduled start last night against the Marlins, as Velasquez felt numbness in his index finger.  “It was very hard for me to even grip the ball,” Velasquez told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury and other reporters, though he is “not worried at all” and expects to make his next start.  Phillies manager Joe Girardi was rather less certain, calling the issue “something that we’re concerned about.”  Velasquez previously underwent surgery in 2017 to correct a numbness problem in his right middle finger, and that same finger had a brief bout of numbness this past weekend, he said.  Since moving back into the Phils’ rotation on April 23, Velasquez had posted a 2.84 ERA and 26.4% strikeout rate over 25 1/3 innings, helping add some stability to the back end of the Philadelphia staff.
  • Rays right-hander Michael Wacha is expected to return soon from the 10-day injured list, likely during the club’s four-game series with the Blue Jays that begins tonight.  Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash told MLB.com’s Adam Berry and other reporters that Wacha looked good during a simulated game on Wednesday.  Right hamstring tightness sent Wacha to the IL on May 4, after he’d posted a 4.76 ERA in his first 28 1/3 innings of the season.  Despite a 4.06 SIERA, advanced metrics aren’t friendly overall to Wacha, who is allowing a ton of hard contact and has a .400 xwOBA that soars above his .317 wOBA.

Dodgers To Place AJ Pollock On 10-Day IL

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5:08PM: Roberts confirmed Pollock was headed to the IL, telling reporters (including J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group) that Pollock will miss “a couple weeks minimum.”  Right-hander Edwin Uceta is being called up to take Pollock’s spot on the 26-man roster.

8:18AM: Dodgers outfielder AJ Pollock exited their win over the Marlins on Friday with a left hamstring strain, the team announced. He’ll likely require a stint on the 10-day injured list, manager Dave Roberts told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic and other reporters.

Pollock has dealt with a laundry list of injuries throughout his career, though he has largely stayed healthy since missing a significant chunk of the 2019 season because of elbow surgery. He appeared in 55 of the Dodgers’ 60 regular-season games in 2020 and has played in 32 of their 38 contests this year.

As was the case last season, Pollock has put up easily above-average offensive numbers in 2021. Through 102 trips to the plate, Pollock has batted .277/.333/.457 (117 wRC+) with four home runs and a pair of stolen bases. On the defensive side, the 33-year-old has seen time in left field and center (almost exclusively the former).

If Pollock does go on the IL, he’ll join fellow outfielders Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry on the shelf. Both Bellinger and McKinstry have been out since April, but they’re close to embarking on rehab assignments, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com.

Latest On Cody Bellinger

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The Dodgers have gone almost the entire season without superstar slugger Cody Bellinger, but it appears he’s making progress in his recovery from a hairline fracture in his left leg. The former MVP has begun running, as he posted on Instagram on Monday (h/t: David Vassagh of AM 570 LA Sports). As Vassagh notes, that seems to indicate he’s closing in on a return.

The Dodgers haven’t gotten any contributions from Bellinger since April 5, and while they fared swimmingly without him for a few weeks, they’ve been mired in a downward spiral of late. Since beginning the season a white-hot 13-2, the reigning World Series champions have dropped 15 of 20 to fall to 18-17 and 2 1/2 games back of the National League-leading Giants. While Los Angeles has received great production from Mookie Betts and Chris Taylor, who have filled in for Bellinger in center field, they’ll certainly be thrilled to add the latter back into their lineup when he’s ready.

Bellinger opened this season just 4-for-19 over 21 plate appearances, but there’s no reason to believe he won’t rebound if he’s healthy. The 25-year-old has put up tremendous numbers since debuting in 2017, and after starting off slowly in 2020, he went on a second-half tear to help LA to a title.

Cody Bellinger Has Hairline Fracture In Left Leg

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Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger hasn’t played since April 5, and it doesn’t appear a return is imminent. A recent test on Bellinger’s injured left leg revealed a hairline fracture, manager Dave Roberts told Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters. Roberts added that “it’s not a day-to-day thing.”

Bellinger landed on the 10-day injured list April 9 (retroactive to April 6), at which point it was believed he only had a left calf contusion. The Dodgers seemed optimistic Bellinger would return in fairly short order, but that won’t be the case. However, it’s not yet clear how much more time the 25-year-old outfielder/first baseman will miss.

Bellinger helped the Dodgers to NL West titles in each of his four full seasons, and the former MVP was a key part of last year’s World Series-winning club. Bellinger opened this season as the Dodgers’ center fielder, but the depth-laden team has had the luxury of turning to Chris Taylor, Mookie Betts and AJ Pollock (mostly Taylor) at the position during his absence. Even with Bellinger on the shelf for most of April, the Dodgers have stormed out of the gates to an 11-2 record – the best mark in the majors.

Quick Hits: Rodon, Bellinger, Graterol, Mazara, Stripling

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Carlos Rodon was perfect through 8 1/3 innings tonight against the Indians. A backfoot slider skipped off the top of Roberto Perez’s right foot, ending his bid for a perfect game. Rodon managed to complete the no hitter, however, with a masterful 114-pitch complete game shutout. Coming into this season, the former third overall pick was in a battle for the fifth starter job in the White Sox rotation. But tonight, the burly southpaw routinely hit 97 mph on the radar gun (hitting as high as 99 mph in the ninth inning). Certainly, Rodon wasn’t all that high up on the list of pitchers likeliest to throw what would have been the first perfect game in the Majors since 2012: He hasn’t posted an ERA under five since 2018, and he was designated for assignment this winter. Yet, tonight’s start marked the culmination of an arduous journey through numerous injuries and multiple arm surgeries. Congrats to Rodon on throwing the 20th no-hitter in White Sox franchise history. Now, let’s check in on some players still making their way back from injury…

  • Cody Bellinger and Brusdar Graterol will both join the Dodgers on their forthcoming road trip, but neither is a guarantee to be activated. Belligner is still experiencing some swelling in his calf, and he’s yet to run the bases as full speed, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com (via Twitter). Bellinger has been out since April 5th. As for Graterol, he’ll be added to the taxi squad, per Jorge Castillo of the LA Times (via Twitter). It’s not entirely clear why Graterol wasn’t ready to start the season, but it’s only a matter of time until he becomes available out of the bullpen for manager Dave Roberts.
  • Nomar Mazara left Wednesday night’s game with a left abdominal strain, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. There’s no timetable for his return. In the meantime, JaCoby Jones and Victor Reyes should have more opportunities in the starting lineup. Both outfielders have seen their playing time cut both by the offseason acquisition of Robbie Grossman and the early-season breakout from Akil Baddoo. Both Reyes (30 wRC+) and Jones (-10 wRC+) are off to slow starts through their first week of games.
  • Ross Stripling is dealing with forearm tightness, but the Blue Jays don’t have any information beyond that, per Scott Mitchell of TSN Sports (via Twitter). The former Dodger has been tagged for seven earned runs on 13 hits and three walks over 8 1/3 innings so far.

Dodgers Place Cody Bellinger On Injured List

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The Dodgers announced they’ve placed Cody Bellinger on the 10-day injured list with a left calf contusion, retroactive to April 6. Corner outfielder/first baseman Luke Raley has been recalled from the alternate training site in a corresponding move.

Bellinger has been nursing a calf injury since Monday, when he was unintentionally stepped on by Athletics reliever Reymin Guduan in a race to first base. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Bellinger has been able to jog in the past couple days and is making “steady but not significant improvement” (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). It doesn’t seem as if the team’s overly concerned about a potential long-term absence. Bellinger will first be eligible to return April 16.

Raley now has an opportunity to make his major league debut. The Dodgers drafted the left-handed hitter in the seventh round in 2016 but traded him to the Twins in the 2018 Brian Dozier deal. L.A. reacquired Raley last winter as part of the return for Kenta Maeda. The 26-year-old has hit well in limited Triple-A playing time and slashed .275/.350/.471 over 551 career plate appearances at Double-A.

West Notes: Bellinger, Betts, Smith, Odor

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Cody Bellinger could be headed to the injured list, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). He was held out of Wednesday’s game with a sore calf and last saw game action in Monday’s 10-3 victory in Oakland. Mookie Betts played centerfield in his place on Tuesday night, but the reigning MVP runner-up was out for Wednesday’s game with a stiff lower back. Betts could return for Friday’s home opener, however. Still, it might be prudent for manager Dave Roberts to keep Betts in right field for the time being. That would mean more time in center for Chris Taylor. AJ Pollock didn’t see any time in center last season, but he does have eight years of Major League experience at the position. Elsewhere in the west…

  • Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is moving southpaw Caleb Smith to the bullpen, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). It’s not yet clear who will take Smith’s spot in the rotation. Zac Gallen is on the mend, but he won’t quite be ready in time for Smith’s turn on Saturday. Taylor Widener lines up for Friday’s game, while Luke Weaver will pitch on Sunday. If they go with a bullpen game, both Alex Young and Taylor Clarke are already in the bullpen and capable of bulk innings. Smith, of course, would also be available out of the bullpen. He gave up three earned runs on five hits and three walks in three innings on April 3rd, his only start of the season.
  • The Rangers had other offers for Rougned Odor beyond the deal they accepted from the Yankees. Other offers had more favorable financial terms, but the Rangers prioritized adding talent, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Fangraphs had Antonio Cabello as the Yankees’ 23rd-ranked prospect prior to the trade, while Josh Stowers was listed in the “Realistic Bench Pieces” section.

California Health Notes: Murphy, Ohtani, Bellinger

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Here’s the latest from out west, with a focus on the health situations of a trio of important players …

  • Athletics catcher Sean Murphy is firmly on the mend after an offseason medical scare, Matt Kawahara writes for the San Francisco Chronicle. He discussed his recovery from a collapsed lung, noting that it was quite a bit more terrifying before medical professionals informed him that he could anticipate a relatively swift recovery. Murphy underwent an additional procedure to protect against a recurrence. Though he’s delayed to open spring camp, the top Oakland backstop says he’s “really optimistic” of being fully ramped up in time to get behind the dish on Opening Day. Murphy, 26, will look to establish himself as a first-tier MLB performer after mashing out a .237/.355/.491 slash through his first 200 plate appearances.
  • Angels hurler/slugger Shohei Ohtani is under the microscope as he looks to get his pitching career back on track. As Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter, Ohtani appears to be in a good place from a velocity perspective. The righty says he’s working comfortably in the mid-nineties in bullpen sessions and has touched 97 mph. When last we saw Ohtani in top form, during his brief but scintillating 2018 debut, he was averaging nearly 97 mph with his heater. The hopefully resurgent two-way player is also now toying with a changeup as he fine-tunes his arsenal.
  • Dodgers superstar Cody Bellinger seems to be making a strong bounce back from offseason shoulder surgery, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes. Bellinger, who memorably dislocated the joint in an over-exuberant NLCS home run celebration, says he’s “way ahead” of the anticipated schedule for his recovery. Given his progress to this point, the 2019 MVP says he’s “100 percent” sure he’ll be ready to roll on Opening Day. That’s obviously quite welcome news for the Los Angeles powerhouse. While the Dodgers are perhaps baseball’s deepest team, there’s no replacing a player of Bellinger’s ability. And the club is facing its sternest intra-division test in some time in the form of a talent-laden Padres outfit.

Dodgers, Cody Bellinger Avoid Arbitration

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The Dodgers and Cody Bellinger agreed to a one-year, $16.1MM contract ahead of today’s arbitration deadline, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Bellinger made $11.5MM last season, a record amount for a player in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Bellinger is represented by Scott Boras. As a Super-Two player, Bellinger has two more years of arbitration eligibility remaining before his potential free agency following the 2023 season.

Bellinger’s record salary last season came on the heels of a National League MVP season in which he produced a .305/.406/.629 slash line and 7.1 bWAR. While his Dodgers got over the hump to win the World Series this season, Bellinger posted a mere mortal .239/.333/.455 line at the plate during the regular season. Despite seeing a year-over-year drop from 162 wRC+ to 114 wRC+ this season, the Dodgers saw fit to reward Bellinger with a sizable raise regardless. MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projected Bellinger would have received an arbitration award somewhere between $11.5MM and $15.9MM. The model based on 2020’s numbers alone was definitely too conservative, as he was going to get a raise of some sort, but it’s still interesting to see the Dodgers agree to a number beyond even our highest projection.

While Bellinger’s offensive numbers may have been down, he remained as central as ever to the Dodgers’ efforts. The 25-year-old led all of baseball with eight outs above average while manning centerfield for the Dodgers, which the Dodgers certainly could include in their valuation of Bellinger, even if arbitration panels don’t typically overly weigh defensive metrics such as OAA.

Health Notes: Honeywell, Chapman, Bellinger, Elias

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Rays prospect recently Brent Honeywell underwent a staggering fourth elbow surgery since his last in-game appearance back in 2017, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The latest operation, however, was an arthroscopic procedure to alleviate some mild discomfort and is not expected to impact Honeywell’s readiness for the upcoming 2021 season. Optimistic prognosis notwithstanding, the mounting number of arm injuries for Honeywell, once touted as one of he game’s premier pitching, is increasingly troubling. Honeywell has previously undergone Tommy John surgery, had surgery to repair a fracture in his elbow and undergone an ulnar nerve decompression procedure. He’s still just 25 years old (26 in March) and has a career 2.88 ERA with 9.9 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 in 416 professional innings.

Some more health/injury updates from around the game…

  • Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman is “full speed ahead” after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip ended his 2020 season prematurely, manager Bob Melvin told reporters Thursday (Twitter link via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). He’s expected to be a full participant in Spring Training. Chapman’s agent, Scott Boras, indicated this week that he’d likely be ready for Spring Training, but it’s all the more encouraging to hear prominent members of the A’s organization making similar declarations. Chapman belted 10 homers in 152 plate appearances this past season, but he was clearly dogged by the injury, as evidenced by a career-worst 35.5 percent strikeout rate (up from 21.9 percent in 2019).
  • Cody Bellinger’s rehab from last month’s shoulder surgery is ahead of schedule, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts said in a Zoom call with reporters Thursday (Twitter link via Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times). At the time of the surgery, it was reported that he’d need about 10 weeks to recover, although Roberts stopped short of proclaiming Bellinger ready for Spring Training, instead merely stating that the team hoped he could be “somewhat active” early in camp. Bellinger is expected to serve as the Dodgers’ primary center fielder again in 2020, which shouldn’t come as a surprise after he was named a Gold Glove finalist in 2020.
  • Free-agent left-hander Roenis Elias will throw for teams this Sunday in Texas as he looks to show that he’s put his a season-ending flexor strain behind him. The 32-year-old Elias didn’t pitch in 2020 after he opened the season on the Covid-19 list and then sustained that flexor strain when ramping back up. Sent from Seattle to D.C. at the 2019 trade deadline, Elias only pitched three innings for the Nats due to a hamstring injury. He was sharp with the Mariners from 2018-19, however, working to a 3.12 ERA and 3.84 FIP with 7.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and 0.83 HR/9 in 98 innings of relief.
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