MASH Report (3/31/16)

• Don’t expect a bunch of analysis on Monday (I will write up any major injury though) as I will be dealing with transferring the injury database from off-season to in-season mode. I hoped more teams would have officially placed some players on the 15-day DL, but I only have three as of this morning. I expect I will have 50 or so to do come Monday with a few unreported injuries.

Andrew Miller is out with a bone chip in his non-throwing hand.

The Yankees have been blessed with good health for most of the spring, but those fortunes took a turn on Wednesday afternoon when lefty reliever Andrew Miller was hit on the right wrist by a line drive.

Initial X-rays were negative, but a CT scan revealed a chip fracture in the wrist. Miller will visit a hand specialist to determine the next step, but it is possible that the Yankees will begin the season lacking two-thirds of their vaunted bullpen trio.

I tried to look back to find any past occurrences of this exact injury, but could find any. Looking at just a hand fracture for pitchers, the average return time is 66 days with the minimum at 42 days. I think I will go with 45 days lost until more information is available.

Last minute update. It seems like Miller will try to pitch through the injury.

• The Yankees bullpen took another hit with Bryan Mitchell likely out three months with turf toe and a fractured foot bone.

A day after reliever Andrew Miller suffered a chip fracture on his non-throwing wrist when he was struck by a line drive, the Yankees announced that Bryan Mitchell has a Grade 3 turf toe and fractured sesamoid bone in his left foot, WFAN’s Sweeny Murti reported. Mitchell’s injury could require surgery, which would mean he could miss up to three months, according to reports. He will see foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte to determine the course of action and potential time frame for his return.

Lonnie Chisenhall will start the season on the DL.

Beyond Brantley, Antonetti confirmed that right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall (left wrist) and right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter (core muscle surgery) will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list. Chisenhall will be eligible for activation on April 12, while Hunter could be an option by late April or early May.

Josh Collmenter’s shoulder is not 100%. This injury is tough to get a reading on. I could see him back in a week or it could drag on all season.

Jason Motte is also having shoulder issues and probably headed to the DL.

• Here is a nice timeline for Will Smith’s attempt at not having surgery on his knee.

Smith tore the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee while pulling off his shoe following an outing last week. After consulting Tuesday morning with Dr. William Raasch, Smith said he would rest for another three weeks, then try playing catch. One to three weeks after that, if the knee still feels stable, he would attempt to ramp up in an effort to return to active duty.

But if the knee remains unstable at that point, Smith would undergo season-ending surgery.

Players on the 2016 DL

The Red players have had updates since the last report. Click on the “Date” for a link to go to the latest article on the player.

Players possibly on the DL in 2016





Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

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Lenardmember
7 years ago

For Miller’s injury, does the data include both throwing and non-throwing hands? It would seem that a pitcher would be able to make a faster return if the injury is to his non-throwing hand, like Miller’s is.