Collateral Damage Daily for August 13

Josh Tomlin will be examined by Dr. Yocum for prolonged elbow soreness. This does not sound like it will end well. … Denard Span suffered a right shoulder injury, but x-rays were negative. He likely separated his shoulder and will miss at least a few games. … Brandon Inge fully dislocated (and re-located) his shoulder. Any shoulder dislocations can cause damage, so Inge will have an MRI today to see the extent of the damage. … Jason Kipnis remains out of the lineup due to neck pain and stiffness. He is day-to-day. … Scott Rolen remains out of the lineup with lower back pain and is day-to-day. … Travis Snider is dealing with hamstring tightness and is day-to-day. … Mike Carp left yesterday’s game with left hip tightness and will be re-evaluated today. … Colby Rasmus left Friday’s game with tightness in his right groin and might have to miss a few more days. … Dexter Fowler was out of the lineup yesterday with a lower back injury. He will be evaluated today. … Jarrod Dyson sprained his left ankle on Friday and might miss a few more games. … Carl Crawford left yesterday’s game with soreness in his left wrist. He’s day-to-day.

Additions

• CC Sabathia was placed on the disabled list on Saturday with left elbow pain and swelling. The move was retroactive to August 9, but the problems actually began after his complete game on August 3. The following day, he noticed the swelling and had difficulty with his range of motion. At first, Sabathia didn’t want to tell anybody about the injury. He admitted that the only reason he told the team was because his wife threatened to personally call Steve Donahue, the Yankees’ athletic trainer.
  
  An MRI ruled out any structural damage, and Sabathia pitched okay in his start on Wednesday. The next day, he woke up with more swelling and soreness, so the Yankees shelved their ace. He’s not expected to miss a significant amount of time, but swelling in the elbow to the point where motion is limited is concerning. The Yankees will see how he responds to throwing sessions over the next week to see if he needs more time. Ryota Igarashi was called up.
• Will Middlebrooks was the victim of an Esmil Rogers fastball and suffered a right wrist fracture in Friday night’s game. Unless it is a very small chip fracture, these injuries often take about four to six weeks to heal. The fact that Middlebrooks had to visit Dr. Thomas Graham in the Cleveland Clinic suggests that it could be longer. The fracture is non-displaced and won’t need surgery at this point, but he’s probably done for 2012. Danny Valencia was called up to take Middlebrooks’ roster spot.
• Paul Konerko was placed on the disabled list late last week with a mild concussion. The move was retroactive to August 8, and manager Robin Ventura expects Konerko to be ready later this week. He could begin baseball activities Tuesday but will have to pass some tests today. The average concussion recovery takes three weeks, though.
• Willie Bloomquist was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to August 9, with a strained lower back. His back has bothered him since the end of July, and he already missed a week earlier in the month. An MRI on Friday ruled out structural damage, but the Diamondbacks didn’t want to play with a short bench. Jake Elmore was called up to take Bloomquist’s roster spot.
• Huston Street strained his left calf while covering the final play of Friday’s game. The injury recovery typically takes a little over three weeks in relief pitchers, but Street’s severe limp off the field suggests it could be even longer. Cory Burns was called up to take the roster spot, but Dale Thayer or Luke Gregerson will likely pick up the save opportunities.
• Edgmer Escalona was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 6, with a mild right triceps strain. Relievers typically need over a month to recover. If he has even a slight setback, he could miss the rest of the year. Will Harris was recalled to take the roster spot.
• Mike Napoli was placed on the 15-day DL with a left quadriceps strain on Saturday after aggravating the injury Friday night. Napoli missed a few games last week with the same injury, but minor strains tend to linger. Catchers and designated hitters both average around 30 days missed, but Napoli is expected to return on August 26, when he is first eligible. Luis Martinez was called up from the minors, and Geovany Soto is expected to take over catching duties.
• Eric Sogard was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to August 7, with a strained back. Sogard first felt his back bother him on Monday while taking batting practice. These pains can be treated with a few days of rest and physical therapy, but the injury didn’t subside. Historically, back strains take three to four weeks for infielders to recover from, so we are unlikely to see him before September. Brandon McCarthy was activated.
• Josh Collmenter was placed on the 15-day DL with ulcers on Friday, retroactive to August 9. The ulcers started to bother Collmenter after the plane ride home Thursday night. In the limited number of DL cases, two out of the three were back in the minimum amount of time. The third needed over three more weeks, so everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Brad Bergesen was called up to take Collmenter’s roster spot.