Collateral Damage Daily for July 9

Nick Hagadone was placed on the disqualified list in the minors after he suffered a self-inflicted hand injury after his appearance Friday. He will visit with hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham and could need surgery on what is believed to be a fracture. … Jesus Montero has been out of the lineup since suffering a concussion last Wednesday. He may go on the 7-day disabled list. … Andres Torres has been out of the lineup since midweek with a sore back, but he is expected to return after the All-Star break. … Johan Santana sprained his ankle Friday but is not concerned about missing any time. … Adrian Gonzalez left last night’s game because of an illness. … Tim Hudson continues to battle ankle inflammation and received a second injection after his start on Friday. If it continues, he could go on the DL. … Hanley Ramirez received stitches in his right hand after punching a fan on Sunday. He’s expected to return on Friday. … Yoenis Cespedes sprained his right thumb yesterday and will be reevaluated over the next few days. … Casey McGehee suffered a mild left groin strain yesterday and may need a stint on the DL. He will be evaluated over the next few days.

Additions

• Giancarlo Stanton underwent surgery yesterday to remove the loose bodies in his knee that were causing the inflammation and the swelling. It’s expected that he will miss about four to six weeks. Two weeks are needed just for the incisions to heal; he will then need at least a few weeks to progress into baseball activities.
  
  In some ways, he was lucky that a greater surgery was not needed. The loose bodies composed of cartilage and bone broke off from somewhere, and if the pieces were large enough, the area of origin could need microfracture surgery. Microfracture surgery takes much longer to recover from. Stanton has yet to be officially placed on the disabled list, but that’s expected by Friday, when Emilio Bonifacio will likely be activated from the DL. Stanton could be back in mid-August.
• Dustin Pedroia was placed on the 15-day DL after spraining the volar plate of the thumb. The volar plate is a very thick ligament that supports the joint capsule and helps prevent joint dislocations. The best way to heal is to have use a cast for a short time. The good news is that the previous torn adductor muscle has healed. Pedroia is not expected back for at least three weeks, and these volar plate injuries can linger. In corresponding moves, Rich Hill was transferred to the 60-day DL and Pedro Ciriaco was called up.
• Andrelton Simmons fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand on Sunday while sliding into second base. Typically, these fractures need at least four to six weeks to heal, and that’s without surgery. Simmons will meet with a hand specialist to see if he needs surgery. If surgery is needed, the return date will be measured in months and not weeks.

Subtractions

• Ryan Dempster was activated from the 15-day disabled list after 21 days rehabbing his strained latissimus dorsi. This is significantly quicker than the average 54 days for a starting pitcher, and it’s just in time for trade talks again. It helps that he was able to go another five innings without giving up a run, bringing his total scoreless streak to 27 innings. The Cubs optioned Chris Volstad to make room for Dempster.
• Derek Holland was activated in time for his start Saturday effective overall. Holland missed a tad over a month because of shoulder fatigue brought on by a stomach virus. He lost about 15 pounds in the two-and-a-half weeks prior to his placement on the DL, and it takes time to return to normal. Holland is likely still adjusting and should improve. Justin Grimm was optioned to make room for Holland.
• Ryan Sweeney was activated from the disabled list on Saturday and slotted back into the lineup in center field. He missed almost three weeks with a stress reaction in his big toe, which is not as long as one would normally expect. Even though Jacoby Ellsbury is expected back soon, Sweeney is expected to remain in Boston with Carl Crawford now suffering from a groin injury. Ryan Kalish was optioned to Pawtucket in order to make room for Sweeney.
• Scott Podsednik was activated from the 15-day DL and optioned to Pawtucket. He missed 18 games with a strained groin, but given how injured the Red Sox have been, he will probably end up being called up again in the not-too-distant future.