It is certainly good news that McClanahan’s injury is related to his back, and not his arm. Still, though, the severity isn’t yet known. Manager Kevin Cash said after the game that Tampa Bay will “get him checked out and go from there,” while McClanahan said he doesn’t think it’s anything major.
It’s an unsettling reminder of how quickly things can change in the days leading up to the Trade Deadline, which is 6 p.m. ET on Monday. One moment, everything is smooth sailing. On a dime, an injury can change a team’s calculus in a big way, impacting what moves it does and doesn’t make.
With that in mind, here’s a look at a number of injuries around the league that could shape this year’s Deadline.
Ohtani was absent from the Dodgers’ starting lineup on July 30 due to left knee soreness, the same knee that has particularly bothered him while pitching and prevented him from returning to the mound. The two-way superstar last pitched in a game on July 3.
The Dodgers can afford to slowplay this, which is prudent, given that their concern is Ohtani might suffer a more serious injury while overcompensating elsewhere. While Ohtani works his way back, though, does that leave L.A. in need of another starting pitcher? Maybe not, as there are reinforcements coming. Left-hander Blake Snell (loose bodies in his pitching elbow) is halfway through a Minor League rehab assignment, and righty Tyler Glasnow (lower back spasms) is on the verge of starting one.
But relying solely on players returning from injury — and that includes Ohtani — could be unwise. It is also uniquely difficult to replace Ohtani’s production; the right-hander has a 1.79 ERA through 14 starts this season. That’s why the latest reports tying the Dodgers to Tarik Skubal are notable. At the least, starting pitching seems like more of a need for L.A. than it did a few weeks ago, before Ohtani’s knee became an issue.
Ohtani isn’t the only Dodgers star on the mend from an injury. Three-time All-Star catcher Will Smith has been sidelined since early June with a neck issue. But Smith, unlike Ohtani, appears to be trending in the right direction. He is pain free and has resumed baseball activities following a brief shutdown.
Smith’s progress could certainly change L.A.’s calculus when it comes to acquiring a catcher. Last week, the California Post (subscription required) reported that the Dodgers had yet to ramp up their efforts to trade for a catcher, and were instead closely monitoring Smith’s rehab. The 31-year-old is without a timetable to return, leaving rookies Dalton Rushing and Eliezer Alfonzo to share catching duties. For now, though, if Smith continues to stack good days, the Dodgers have less of a need for a big-time catcher.
Judge’s king-sized absence from the Bombers’ lineup drags on. On July 25, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Judge is still in “letting-it-heal mode” with the stress fracture in his right rib that has sidelined him since May 31.
But when it comes to New York’s Deadline plans, the bigger development here may very well be the Grade 2 hamstring strain that is expected to sideline Cody Bellinger for 4-to-6 weeks. Without Judge and Bellinger — not to mention Giancarlo Stanton — the Yankees are stretched particularly thin in the outfield.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has already declared the club’s catching situation “to be an issue,” and maybe that’s a spot where the organization takes a swing for Rockies All-Star Hunter Goodman or the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers. But it’s also possible that the injury-ravaged outfield becomes the new priority. New York was in the market for a right-handed bat before Bellinger hit the IL, having asked about the Angels’ Jo Adell, who is just a year removed from a 37-homer season.
The surging Red Sox have warranted buying at the Deadline, and Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow rewarded his red-hot club by acquiring Mead (17 home runs, 133 OPS+) from the Nationals on Saturday. But Boston will have to wait a while longer for Mead to make a first impression. He sustained a fractured right wrist in his second at-bat with his new club on Monday, and while he won’t need surgery, he’s going to be on the shelf for the foreseeable future.
Mead was likely never going to be the only bat the Red Sox acquired at the Deadline. But his injury heightens the urgency of Boston’s pursuit for another big-time hitter. Over the past few days, reports from The Athletic, USA Today and ESPN noted that the Red Sox are seeking an upgrade at shortstop, with the Angels’ Zach Neto, the Nationals’ CJ Abrams, the Astros’ Jeremy Peña and the Marlins’ Otto Lopez as possible targets.
Starting pitching, Braves
This has less to do with the absence of one specific player, and more to do with the unit at large. Atlanta suffered a number of significant injuries to their rotation in Spring Training. But the hope was that the starting-pitching depth would have returned by now, and that hasn’t happened. Supervising club reporter Mark Bowman noted in his newsletter on Thursday that Spencer Strider (right elbow inflammation) “likely won’t pitch again this year, at least as a starting pitcher.” Hurston Waldrep exited his Triple-A start on July 19 with right elbow discomfort. And Spencer Schwellenbach has not yet begun a rehab assignment.
Where does that leave the Braves? Right now, with Chris Sale — still pitching like a bona fide ace in his age-37 season — and not much else, at least in the form of playoff-caliber pitching. It’s their biggest need, and Braves fans can dream about a scenario where Sale and Tarik Skubal are anchoring a lethal 1-2 punch deep into October. Even if it’s not Skubal, starting pitching is the pressing need to support an injury-ravaged rotation.
The Cubs, unlike the Braves, at least have a starting pitcher on the mend. Edward Cabrera — sidelined since late June with left hamstring and adductor strains — is beginning a Minor League rehab assignment on Friday. The prognosis is less positive on Ben Brown, the club’s breakout arm (1.85 ERA in 20 games this season), who landed on the IL in late June with a stress reaction in his neck. Although Brown is symptom-free and playing catch at the club’s Spring Training facility in Arizona, the Cubs are being especially conservative with the young righty. Manager Craig Counsell recently described Brown as a “pre-Spring Training pitcher,” meaning that it’s unrealistic to expect him back any time soon.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer hasn’t shied away from the fact that the Cubs need pitching, noting his desire for “out-getters” at the Deadline. And Chicago is reportedly leaving no stone unturned in its search for an upgrade. The Athletic (subscription required) reported on Wednesday that the club is considering a blockbuster move for Tarik Skubal. A rash of injuries has placed more pressure on the club to land a big-time arm.
Starting pitching, Brewers
The Cubs aren’t the only NL Central team whose pitching depth is being stretched thin by injuries. Breakout left-hander Kyle Harrison is progressing conservatively on his rehab assignment, and veteran Brandon Woodruff is set to undergo right shoulder surgery. That’s left a collection of young starters — including Brandon Sproat, Logan Henderson and Shane Drohan — holding down the fort. Though they’ve generally done OK, the club is hungry for more.
Milwaukee has already made a series of modest acquisitions, including signing swingman Bryse Wilson and trading for left-hander Colton Gordon. And while the Brewers have the second-best team ERA in the Majors (3.51), reinforcing the pitching staff remains the club’s primary focus, perhaps with an eye toward October. Milwaukee has the sort of upper-level talent in its farm system to make any trade it wants. We’ll see if the Brewers choose to swing big.
