• Alex Cobb is going to need Tommy John surgery and will be out until late 2016.

Cobb expects to have the surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews on Thursday. Based on that date and the normal recovery from Tommy John surgery — 14 to 15 months — the Rays are hopeful he can be back by around September 2016.

The general public thinks a year in the normal time to return from TJS, but recently, the time table has been pushed back to a 14-month timetable. It may be a little less for relief pitchers. Of the fourteen major league pitchers who had the operation before 5/11/14, only Luke Hochevar is back and his operation was on 3/18/14.

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• Stephen Strasburg was removed from his last game with shoulder irritation.

“As [Strasburg] finishes pitches, it grabs him every once in a while. Tonight it got a little bit worse,” Williams said. “He said he feels like there is a rib out, like an alignment issue. We didn’t want to take a chance and have him change mechanics and hurt something.”

It appeared that something was wrong with Strasburg from the outset. In the top of the second, with two outs and the Marlins leading, 2-0, Williams, pitching coach Steve McCatty and athletic trainer Lee Kuntz went to the mound to check on Strasburg. But he stayed in the game until right-hander Doug Fistercame in as a pinch-hitter in the third inning. Fister singled to right field in his lone at-bat.

There was no signs of a velocity decline. I looked for possible injury factors and didn’t find any. Even without any glaring red flags, I have my concerns about his health. In the 2013 Hardball Times Annual, I found hard throwers had major arm injuries between 400 and 900 innings after Tommy John surgery. Strasburg right now is at 633 IP.

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• Desmond Jennings was finally forced to the DL with his hurting knee. He wasn’t even able to DH, so he will now rest for a bit.

“It’s always disappointing to go to the DL, no matter what happens, no matter how close you get [to recovery]. It’s just frustrating,” said Jennings, who hopes that added rest will enable him to return to action in eight days, when he’s eligible.

“Before the game, it was hurting. It’s been hurting, but I thought I could go out and DH and play, but I couldn’t,” said Jennings.

The 28-year-old outfielder has not played since being forced to leave last Saturday’s game vs. the Blue Jays with knee soreness.

I am worried about his stolen bases once he returns.

• Chad Billingsley will come off the DL and start for the Phillies on Tuesday. His current fastball velocity looks to be in line with career average of 91.6 mph.

Billingsley's line today w/ IronPigs: 5.2IP, 5H, 2R, 0ER, BB, 6K. Threw 99 pitches. Fastball sat 90-92, touched 93, according to stadium gun

— Stephen Gross (@Stephen_Gross23) April 30, 2015

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• Since my last MASH Report, 11 players have gone on the DL and not one came off. Injuries every-where.

• Masahiro Tanaka will be out until at least the end of May with wrist tendinitis and a forearm strain. His damaged elbow hasn’t gotten any worse since his last MRI.

Tanaka had been scheduled to start Wednesday against the Rays, but instead went on the 15-day disa-bled list a day after he arrived at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday reporting discomfort in his wrist. The Yankees said that the MRI showed no changes to Tanaka’s partially torn elbow ligament.
…
Tanaka will refrain from throwing for seven to 10 days and then will have to rebuild his stamina with a Minor League rehab assignment.

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• Not a whole lot of injury news, but I did make quite a few changes to the disabled list return times.

• Sadly, it looks like Joe Nathan’s career may be done with a torn UCL. He will need to have Tommy John surgery to throw again.

Joe Nathan Out For Year With Torn UCL & Tendon http://t.co/O8vSXFspU6

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) April 23, 2015

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• Well it looks like a time line exists for a possible return of Josh Hamilton to the Angels.

The Angels have mapped out a comeback regimen for Josh Hamilton, under which the troubled out-fielder could rejoin the team in early June.

Under the tentative plan, Hamilton would report to the Angels’ Arizona training complex for two to three weeks of work with the team’s extended spring program. He would then proceed to a minor league rehabilitation assignment and could rejoin the Angels thereafter.

Hamilton is expected to report to Arizona “sooner rather than later,” according to a person familiar with the plan but unwilling to discuss it publicly until the Angels announce it. The person spoke before the Angels’ 6-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium on Monday.

The plan does not guarantee that Hamilton plays again for the Angels, but at the least it buys time for owner Arte Moreno. If Hamilton appears sound enough that his presence on the roster could give the Angels their best chance to win, the players might be discouraged if Moreno lets Hamilton go.

The best case scenario is an early June return. Worst case seems to be a legal nightmare with Hamilton not playing this season. This situation could get really ugly.

• Jonathan Lucroy big toe broke on a foul tip. No information on a return time is available yet.

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• David Wright is off to the DL again and this time it is for a strained hamstring.

One day later, an MRI revealed a mild strain of Wright’s right hamstring. He will miss at least two weeks with the injury, though general manager Sandy Alderson called three weeks a more realistic estimate.

• As I predicted on Monday, Henderson Alvarez went on the DL. He is only expected to miss the minimium 15 days.

• Alex Rios is out for at least month with a broken wrist. It may be a while before he is 100%.

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• The Yan Gomes injury is devastating for him, the Indians and his owners. The time he is supposed to miss is around 6-8 weeks.

Cleveland placed Gomes on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday with a right knee injury and is expecting him to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

Reading a little too much into that comment, I could see him not even be moving in six weeks, yet alone ready to catch in the majors. I would not be surprised if he returned at the All-Star break.

• It doesn’t look good for Henderson Alvarez who will have an MRI on his shoulder and elbow today. His velocity is down almost 3 mph compared to last season which isn’t good for a pitcher who has a career K/9 under five.

• Mike Minor’s shoulder isn’t feeling any better and the next step may be surgery.

Minor also had shoulder soreness last spring that delayed the start of his season. He finished 6-12 with a 4.77 ERA, a significant decline from his 2013 performance, when he was 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA.

Tests have shown no structural damage. Hart said exploratory surgery could be an option if the dis-comfort remains, but ”we are not there yet.”

I think he may be droppable if a person doesn’t have a bunch of DL slots.

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• The Tigers have put both Justin Verlander and Joe Nathan on the DL. Verlander’s trip is not a surprise since he was dealing with the strained tricep during spring training. Nathan’s strained elbow was unexpected though. Right now his status is a little vague and hopefully more information will be available soon.

• James Loney went on the DL with a strained oblique. The team expects him to only miss the required 15-days.

• Matt Cain is on the DL with a strained flexor tendon. Sounds like more information on the extent of the injury will be coming soon.

• Jenrry Mejia went on the DL with a strained elbow.

An MRI exam taken Tuesday on closer Jenrry Mejia’s right elbow revealed inflammation but no structural damage, the club announced. The Mets placed the right-hander on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Sunday, and recalled Erik Goeddel from Triple-A Las Vegas to take his place. Mejia received a cortisone shot in New York, and he’ll rest for at least 10 days to ease the inflammation.

To find his replacement and other bullpen issues, check out our daily Bullpen Report.

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• Well, the initial 2015 disabled list is getting finalized. In the table below are the players who have started the season on the DL according to MLB.com’s transactions. I expect the number to increase as more players are added. I will have a complete list on Thursday.

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