The Tampa Bay Rays said it was possible that outfielder Wil Myers could return to the lineup on Tuesday, but he was not activated from the DL and will continue his rehab assignment. Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez underwent knee surgery on Monday and will miss significant time.
Rays manager Joe Maddon said last week that Myers would likely be activated from the disabled list at some point during the team's series against the Detroit Tigers from August 19-21. It was speculated that Myers would make the earliest possible return on Tuesday, but that wasn't the case. For now, he'll continue rehabbing at Triple-A Durham, as it was previously an option that Myers wait until Friday so he can get more at-bats prior to the series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
In six games during his rehab assignment, Myers is batting .250 with two home runs, six RBIs, seven walks, and a .961 OPS. His immediate return isn't surprising because it was reported on August 14 that the outfielder was expected to remain on a two-week rehab assignment in Triple-A and rejoin the Rays roster at the end of the month. Maddon says he plans to use Myers in different parts of the outfield upon his return.
In the NL, the Colorado Rockies have dealt with Carlos Gonzalez's on-and-off prolonged absences as well. The 28-year-old outfielder missed over a month earlier in the season after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor from his left index finger. Less than two weeks ago he was again placed on the disabled list because of tendinitis in his left knee as well as a sprained right ankle. From there, the news only got worse.
Last Thursday the Rockies announced both season-ending surgeries for Gonzalez and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Gonzalez underwent surgery on Monday to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee and the expected recovery time is five to six months, leaving Gonzalez's participation in the beginning of spring training in question. The former NL batting champion has only played in 70 games this year and 110 in 2013 because of countless injuries.
"We really don't know how he's going to be until that 4 1/2- to 5-month mark," said Keith Duggar, the Rockies head athletic trainer, in this Denver Post article. "He might be a little delayed in spring training. But our goal is to get him there and get him ready."
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