That Twins certainly breathed a sigh of relief, telling reporters Thursday that an MRI revealed he was right-handed Tyler Mahle‘s shoulder to be structurally sound. Mahle, who was acquired by the Reds in exchange for three prospects earlier this month, left yesterday’s start after just 2 1/3 innings due to shoulder fatigue. This was of particular concern as he also missed time in July due to a shoulder strain the Reds described as “minor”. There are no plans to put Mahle on the 15-day injured list for the time being, but it’s not yet clear if his next start will be postponed at all.
Mahle’s start on Wednesday saw his fastball go about four mph below his typical 93.4 mph average, so there are still some obvious concerns, but the lack of a crack or structural issues is pretty much the best news , which the twins could have hoped for . In 14 1/3 innings as a twin, Mahle has a 2.51 ERA with a 23.1% strikeout rate and a 7.7% walk rate. meal, Sonny Gray, joe ryan, Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy lined up to make the majority of the Twins’ starts on the track, although they anticipate right turns Bailey Ober back in September and just this week promoted View Simeon Woods Richardson from double-A to triple-A.
Some more notable injury scenarios from across the league…
- As if it couldn’t get any worse for them tigerManager AJ Hinch announced this outfielder this week Austin Meadows was pulled from rehab again (link via Detroit News’ Chris McCosky). Meadows was first put on the injured list in mid-May due to dizziness-like symptoms and returned a little less than a month later. However, that return only lasted eight games before he was placed on the Covid-related injury list. Just as Meadows was gearing up for rehab, he was put on the 10-day injured list after the bizarre diagnosis of an Achilles strain in both legs. This is now the second time Meadows has had a rehab assignment suspended because of this injury. Hinch’s only update was that Meadows had traveled to Detroit for the reevaluation and that the Tigers still have hope he can return in 2022. It was a nightmare season for Meadows, limited to just 147 plate appearances and seeing his power dwindle: .250/.347/.328.
- meads correct Taijuan Walker left his last start due to back spasms, with an MRI revealing a slight bulging disc in his lower back, reports MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. However, it’s possible he could make his next scheduled start on Sunday. Walker tells DiComo he’s “shocked” to feel so good after experiencing “the worst pain I’ve ever felt.” Although he’s doing better, he still won’t take the hill on Sunday unless he’s feeling 100 percent. per DiComo. If he does recover, it would be a tremendous gift to the Mets given the current pressure on their rotation. With Carlo Carrasco Landing recently on the IL and having the Mets have a doubleheader on Saturday, going through Sunday without Walker would certainly be a challenge. How his back reacts over the next few days will determine if the club can avoid this difficult scenario.
- father helper Pierce Johnson heads to rehab, tweets Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Johnson had a terrific season for San Diego a year ago, throwing 58 2/3 innings with a 3.22 ERA and a 31.6% strikeout rate. The brothers held a $3 million club option that year over Johnson’s services, which they exercised as a result of that strong performance last season. Unfortunately, Johnson ended up on the IL in April due to elbow tendinitis. He has yet to return, which means he’s only been able to play in six games this year. After a hiatus of about four months, he seems healthy enough to get back in shape. Once ready to return to the big league club, he should give the bullpen a boost for the final weeks of the season.