The Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies were forced to place contributing players on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday after various nagging injuries limited their ability to play.
Victor Martinez is dealing with inflammation in his left knee, which he underwent offseason surgery on after he tore his meniscus in February. Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press said Martinez was likely going to hit the DL early Tuesday because the team called up outfielder Tyler Collins from Triple-A and then Jason Beck of MLB.com confirmed the move.
The 36-year-old is batting just .216/.308/.270 with nine runs scored, one home run and 15 RBIs in 34 games one season after finishing second in the AL MVP voting thanks to a career-best campaign. He hurt his knee last week and received a cortisone injection, but then missed three games and is 1-for-17 in his last 18 plate appearances.
Manager Brad Ausmus said there's no timetable for Martinez's return and he'll solely work on strengthening his knee for the next week.
Another American League powerhouse will be without one of their top players for at least a couple of weeks. The New York Yankees placed outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury on the DL last night, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network. Ellsbury left last night's game against the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning after injuring his knee.
He was diagnosed with a right knee sprain and his roster spot will be taken by outfielder Slade Heathcott, who was recalled from Triple-A. The 31-year-old was one of the team's top performers this season thanks to a .324/.412/.372 stat line with 29 runs scored, one home run, six RBIs and 14 stolen bases.
In San Diego, the Padres placed outfielder Wil Myers on the DL (retroactive to May 11) with tendinitis in his left wrist, according to Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego. Myers has been sidelined since May 10 because of the injury and it was initially believed he would be able to avoid a DL stint, but the pain flared up again on Tuesday and the team opted to make the move.
The 24-year-old dealt with issues in both wrists last season, which limited him to 87 games with the Tampa Bay Rays. He's off to a good start this year with San Diego, batting .291/.340/.493 with 28 runs scored, 5 home runs and 19 RBIs in 32 games. Manager Bud Black hopes Myers can return from the DL when he's eligible next week.
Also in the NL West, the Colorado Rockies can't seem to catch a break. The club moved outfielder Corey Dickerson to the DL yesterday as well with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Dickerson has been limited to four at-bats over the team's past four games as he attempted to give the injury a rest, but on Monday night he felt excruciating pain during a pinch-hit appearance.
"When I stopped on my toes, it felt like a tearing sensation, a burning, like somebody lit your heel on fire," Dickerson told Nick Groke of the Denver Post.
He'll wear a walking boot for 2-3 days and undergo treatments before beginning baseball activities. The 25-year-old is batting .306/.342/.523 with 15 runs scored, 5 home runs and 16 RBIs in 33 games this season.
We'll be keeping updates on these four players as the weeks progress.
