Collateral Damage Daily for April 23

It seems like a typical amount of weekend action; there were several additions to the disabled list and only a few subtractions. A couple of the game’s biggest stars were added to the disabled list this weekend, while some teams might not even recognize the players being added to the DL, most notably the the Red Sox, who have to wonder if the injury gods are looking down and laughing.

Additions

• On Wednesday, Cliff Lee did something that not many starting pitchers do in today’s game: pitch into the 10^th inning. Unfortunately, he suffered a very common pitching injury: the oh-so-wonderful strained oblique. Some question the decision to bring Lee back out for the 10^th inning, but he disputes that, noting that he hadn’t thrown an exorbitant amount of pitches.

  There were discussions about having Lee miss a start, but it was smart to be conservative. Lee has suffered abdominal injuries before, and most of them kept him out for about two months. The Phillies are optimistic that Lee will be back even sooner, but the team can’t afford to rush him back at this point of the season. Reliever Joe Savery was brought up to fill in the roster spot, but it will be Kyle Kendrick who will take Lee’s place in the rotation.

• Ryan Dempster strained his right quad during a bullpen session earlier in the week and was placed on the disabled list following an MRI on Friday. The right leg is Dempster’s drive leg, and trying to pitch through the injury could jeopardize other structures, like his shoulder or elbow. The Cubs added him to the DL retroactive to April 18, meaning that Dempster is eligible to return early in May.

  Dempster really does not have a long history of injuries to his lower extremities, which is an encouraging sign that this isn’t something more serious. Outfielder Tony Campana was called up to take the roster spot and will likely be the one to be sent back down once Dempster is healthy.

• Greg Holland has not been good so far, and the left rib stress reaction may be a reason why. Manager Ned Yost said the rib bothered him during spring training but claims it was fine until Holland’s last appearance. The MRI didn’t show a fracture, but it’s also not the best tool to look for that. Holland is going to get a bone scan, which will help rule out a stress fracture. Jeremy Jeffress was called up from Triple-A Omaha to take his place in the bullpen.
• Kerry Wood has yet another injury; this time it’s shoulder inflammation and fatigue. With well over a dozen trips to the disabled list, Wood is no stranger to the nuances of injury rehabilitation. He underwent a corticosteroid injection last week, which often isn’t enough to keep a player off the shelf. Wood has a known rotator cuff tear that was diagnosed in 2008, so it’s a minor miracle he has been able to get this much use out of it. Wood also felt discomfort in spring training, which just goes to show you that pitching through extended pain or soreness is not necessarily a good idea. Scott Maine replaced Wood on the roster.
• Dan Hudson was also added to the disabled list because of a bad shoulder. Hudson is dealing with a shoulder impingement, though it’s unclear if it is subacromial impingement, which is a relatively easy fix, or an internal impingement, which is something much more difficult to deal with long-term. Hudson’s velocity hasn’t been that much of an issue, so there is hope that the DL trip will be short. Jonathan Albaladejo was brought up to take his place.
• Sergio Santos joined the shoulder inflammation party. The tightness he felt on Friday didn’t dissipate overnight, and it only felt worse on Saturday. The Blue Jays are being extra cautious by putting him on the disabled list because they want him to be healthy for the rest of the year. Right-hander Evan Crawford was recalled to take his place.
• As if the Red Sox did not have enough to worry about, Jason Repko had to be moved to the disabled list because of a separated shoulder he suffered on Friday when he ran into the Green Monster. The Red Sox are already dealing with an onslaught of injuries and did not think they could play with a short bench for any length of time. Lars Anderson was brought up to take Repko’s roster spot, but the hope is that Carl Crawford will be activated soon. In the short term, the Red Sox traded for Marlon Byrd in the hopes that he can stabilize their outfield situation.
• Chris Narveson has a torn rotator cuff and that will likely need surgery. His shoulder has been bothering him at least since his start last Sunday, but the MRI results were not available until later in the week. It does not sound like it is a complete tear, though. Narveson is going to meet with Dr. Lewis Yocum for a second opinion.

Subtractions

• David Huff was activated from the disabled list now that his hamstring has healed. It didn’t help him stay on the major-league roster, though, because he was immediately optioned to Triple-A Columbus. He lost about .03 TAv, so it wasn’t a huge hit to the team in the few weeks he was on the DL. With the amount of pitcher injuries this year, he almost certainly will get another chance to pitch for Cleveland before the year is out.
• A.J. Burnett was activated from the disabled list after having surgery on March 2nd on a fractured orbital bone. He pitched very well, only giving up three hits over seven innings in a 2-0 win over the Cardinals on Saturday.