The Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants received news over the past couple of days regarding some of their injured players. The update isn't so good for the New York teams.
Marlins' outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, Rangers' starter Yu Darvish, Yankees' starter Bryan Mitchell, Mets' starter Rafael Montero and Giants' outfielder Nori Aoki are among those on this week's injury report. We're going down the list and providing the latest update on each player.
Giancarlo Stanton
The Marlins' slugger has been out since late June with a broken hamate bone and he admitted earlier this month that his rehab process was going a bit slower than expected. However, Stanton took a huge step in the recovery process on Monday and is on his way to returning to MLB action.
Marlins' manager Dan Jennings told reporters before last night's game that Stanton has begun hitting of a machine as well as live pitching. Jennings isn't sure when Stanton will be back with the Marlins, but he provided some insight regarding a potential timetable.
"I think it has to do with the strength factor in his hands and wrist," Jennings told Brandon Curry of MLB.com. "When you're a hitter, and the strength is not there, it's tough to feel comfortable swinging the bat. You can be a little tentative."
Stanton was hitting .265/.346/.606 with 47 runs scored, 27 home runs and 67 RBIs in 74 games before the injury.
Yu Darvish
The Rangers' ace went down in spring training with a torn UCL and was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. He won't be back until the early 2016 MLB season, but he also made a huge step in his recovery process.
The right-hander threw yesterday for the first time since his reconstructive elbow surgery, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. He made 25 throws from 40 feet on Monday. Darvish will have some good help in the starting rotation next year thanks to the team's acquisition of Cole Hamels before the trade deadline.
Bryan Mitchell
The Yankees' rookie was hit in the face with a line drive during Monday night's game against the Minnesota Twins (by former Yankee Eduardo Nunez) and was forced to leave the game. Mitchell was taken NY-Presbyterian Hospital for a full evaluation and was diagnosed with small nasal fracture, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Mitchell was down for a moment but quickly got up and walked off the field with a towel over his face to help stop the profuse bleeding. Check it out below:
The 24-year-old was appearing in his tenth game last night and made his second start of 2015. He's 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 21 innings.
Rafael Montero
The Mets had used Montero earlier this season but he was shut down quickly after experiencing shoulder (rotator cuff) inflammation. The right-hander finally began throwing at the end of July and it appeared as if he could be back with New York in a timely manner.
However, Montero had a setback in his latest rehab start and he could be finished for the year, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.
Montero, 24, appeared in five games (one start) for the Mets earlier this year and owns a 4.50 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with 13 strikeouts in 10 innings of work.
Nori Aoki
Aoki previously suffered a fractured fibula, which kept him sidelined for quite a while. The veteran then hit the seven-day concussion disabled list last week after taking a fastball off the helmet, but he could be back with the Giants very soon.
"Nori Aoki ran sprints earlier and will take some swings," writes Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. "[Manager Bruce] Bochy said Aoki is 'doing well. He feels back to normal.' Aoki will be activated when the seven days on the DL are up."
San Francisco is having depth issues in their outfield with the injuries to Aoki and Angel Pagan, but if Aoki can return this week they'll be in much better shape as they wait for Pagan to recover from patella tendinitis.
Stay tuned for updates on these players throughout the week.
