Three postseason hopefuls suffered some fairly significant setbacks this weekend and they'll need these injured players back as soon as possible to help them get off to a good start in 2015.
Beginning with Seattle, Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez left his start after five innings on Sunday due to tightness in his right quadriceps, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com. The right-hander was said to have been taken out for "precautionary reasons" and told Johns he will be ready for his next scheduled start this week. He also turned his ankle in the first inning, which likely affected his performance.
"I was OK," Hernandez said, via MLB.com. "It was not one of my better days. I was just trying to make pitches. I was up, I was not getting ahead of hitters and I was making a lot of mistakes. ... I was trying, but I wasn't getting any power from my legs."
Also in the American League, the Cleveland Indians suffered a big blow after catcher Yan Gomes was placed on the disabled list on Sunday with a moderate MCL sprain. He's expected to miss 6-8 weeks, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. An MRI revealed the injury after the team initially believed Gomes sprained his knee when Tigers outfielder Rajai Davis slid into the catcher at home plate on Saturday.
Roberto Perez will fill in for Gomes until the 27-year-old returns.
But perhaps the worst news could be coming out of Miami. The Marlins are already off to a poor 1-5 start and have dropped their first two series to the lowly Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays. On top of that, starter Henderson Alvarez is set to undergo an MRI on his throwing elbow and will have his shoulder examined on Monday, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
Alvarez experienced stiffness in his elbow following his start on Sunday and was handed his second loss in his first two starts of the season.
"I didn't feel well [Sunday]," Alvarez told Spencer through a translator. "I didn't feel comfortable. I just didn't have it."
The right-hander dealt with elbow stiffness last season, but the pain turned out to be nothing serious and he finished out the year 12-7 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.235 WHIP in 30 starts. Miami will need Alvarez to be atop his game as they wait for ace Jose Fernandez to return in a couple of months as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
However, if the MRI results provide bad news, it's possible Alvarez misses an extensive period of time.
We'll be keeping updates.
UPDATE: Alvarez is expected to hit the disabled list with a shoulder injury, according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi.
