The most watched thumb in baseball this summer belongs to Yadier Molina.
The St. Louis Cardinals’ invaluable catcher tore ligaments in his right thumb last week, and he underwent surgery Friday.
The expected timeframe for Molina’s recovery — eight to 12 weeks — means he might be able to return before the end of the regular season or possibly during the postseason. Then again, his prolonged absence might be the reason the Cardinals end up missing out on the playoffs.
Another team that will be keeping a close eye on the training room is the Cincinnati Reds, who are banking on the second-half return of two key hitters, second baseman Brandon Phillips and first baseman Joey Votto.
Phillips underwent left thumb surgery the same day Molina had right thumb surgery, and he might be able to return in late August. The timetable for Votto’s return from a left quadriceps strain is uncertain.
The health of the Blue Jays’ corner infielders, third baseman Brett Lawrie (right finger fracture) and first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (strained right quadriceps), will affect Toronto’s chances of overtaking the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East.
Here is a team-by team look at the injury status of all 30 major league teams, as provided by The Sports Xchange’s baseball correspondents:
NL WEST
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
All-Star LHP Patrick Corbin’s season-ending-before-the-season-started Tommy John surgery was the biggest blow, but only the first. RHP Bronson Arroyo’s year ended in June because of an elbow injury that also required elbow reconstruction, leaving the D-backs with rookies Chase Anderson, Mike Bolsinger, newcomer Vidal Nuno and reliever-turned-starter Josh Collmenter in the rotation heading into the break. OF Mark Trumbo, OF A.J. Pollock, INF Eric Chavez and INF Cliff Pennington all missed or will miss significant time.
COLORADO ROCKIES
The Rockies are starting to return to health, having welcomed back 3B Nolan Arenado, RF Carlos Gonzalez and LHP Brett Anderson in the past two weeks. However, RF Michael Cuddyer, the reigning NL batting champion, isn’t likely to return until late August. RHP Jhoulys Chacin missed the first month with right shoulder inflammation, then struggled in May and June before the shoulder began giving him problems again. He likely is done for the year. RHP Tyler Chatwood made four starts in April before elbow soreness put him on the disabled list. He endured two setbacks, and he could be staring at a second Tommy John surgery.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Dodgers dealt with their share of injuries in the first half. The most costly one might prove to be the torn flexor tendon sustained by RHP Chad Billingsley. Already recovering from Tommy John surgery, Billingsley will not pitch in 2014, leaving the Dodgers with little depth in starting pitching. That could become more troublesome if RHP Josh Beckett’s hip issue derails his outstanding comeback season. Beckett hopes to return before the end of the month.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Padres should be getting SS Everth Cabrera (hamstring), 2B Jedd Gyorko (plantar fasciitis) and 1B Yonder Alonso (right wrist inflammation) back shortly after the break. However, they were hitting .218, .162 and .210, respectively, at the time of their injuries. RHP Andrew Cashner (shoulder soreness) and RHP Nick Vincent (shoulder fatigue) also are expected to return shortly after the break, although Cashner is not yet throwing. LHP Cory Luebke and RHP Josh Johnson underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
CF Angel Pagan said he is going to be standing at the plate in Miami when the first pitch of the second half is thrown Friday. He will travel with the team to Florida, and a decision on whether he is healthy enough to be activated will be made prior to the opener against the Marlins. 2B Marco Scutaro returned from a back injury just prior to the All-Star break, so the Giants could have their frontline nine in the lineup this weekend for the first time all year.
NL CENTRAL
CHICAGO CUBS
INF Emilio Bonifacio, currently on the 15-day disabled list with an oblique strain, is working his way back with a rehab stint at the Cubs’ rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona Rookie League. RHP Kyuji Fujikawa has spent the entire season sidelined while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he made a tentative step back with his recent work in Mesa, Ariz. RHP James McDonald, out since spring training with right shoulder problems, remains on the 60-day disabled list.
CINCINNATI REDS
Cincinnati began the season with eight players on the disabled list. The Reds will start the second half without two stars, 2B Brandon Phillips (torn thumb ligament) and 1B Joey Votto (strained left quad), and they could be without veteran UT Skip Schumaker, who was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list after colliding with the right field wall attempting a catch on July 10. Phillips is out until at least late August, while the timetable for Votto’s return is uncertain.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
The Brewers’ primary injury concern involves two relievers who are on the disabled list. RHP Jim Henderson and RHP Tyler Thornburg continue working their way back. Thornburg began a throwing program at the team’s spring training facility last month, while Henderson is working his way through a minor league rehab assignment. He should be back with the Brewers not long after the break. LHP Wei-Chung Wang, a little-used Rule 5 pick, is sidelined due to left shoulder tightness.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
The Pirates avoided any crippling injuries so far this season, though RHP Gerrit Cole is on the disabled list for the second time in the last six weeks, this time with a strained right lat muscle behind his shoulder. While the Pirates say the injury isn’t serious, they will likely give the 23-year-old extra time to heal and rest. INF Clint Barmes (strained left groin) might be able to return by early August.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The Cardinals’ season was hampered by injuries from day one. Three starting pitchers — RHP Michael Wacha, RHP Joe Kelly and LHP Jaime Garcia — missed significant time. Garcia is done for the year, and there is no timetable for Wacha’s return from a stress reaction in his shoulder that has sidelined him for almost a month. C Yadier Molina tore ligaments in his right thumb July 9, and he is out until at least mid-September, and perhaps the rest of the season. LHP Kevin Siegrist (forearm) should be back with St. Louis before July is over, giving the team another solid late-inning option.
NL EAST
ATLANTA BRAVES
Other than C Evan Gattis, there were few injury issues with the team’s position players; he is the only regular who spent time on the disabled list. The Braves’ health problems involve the pitching staff. RHP Gavin Floyd was rounding into form when he sustained a freakish broken elbow that ended his season. LHP Jonny Venters is still recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in May 2013, while RHPs Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy are out for the year after undergoing Tommy John operations in March.
MIAMI MARLINS
The Marlins are relatively healthy at the moment. They are expecting RHP A.J. Ramos back shortly after the All-Star break, and that will surely boost the bullpen. Second basemen Derek Dietrich and Rafael Furcal are also on the disabled list. Furcal contributed next to nothing this year due to an assortment of hamstring and groin injuries. The end of his career appears very near. Dietrich is at the other end of the spectrum in terms of his career. He has the pop in his bat to seize the position, but he struggled defensively this season.
NEW YORK METS
LHP Jonathon Niese hopes to return from a left shoulder strain shortly after the All-Star break, which would restore the pitching staff to full strength. The Mets’ everyday players largely were healthy except for CF Juan Lagares, whose emergence was hampered by a pair of DL stints, and C Travis d’Arnaud, who missed almost two weeks with a concussion. RHPs Matt Harvey and Bobby Parnell are both recovering from Tommy John surgery.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
The Phillies are an old, dry-rotted team, and old teams get hurt. The only shock to date is that they have not been injured more. As it is, LHP Cliff Lee missed nearly two months with a strained elbow, and RHP Mike Adams missed a significant portion of the season with a bad shoulder. Injuries are far from the only reason the Phillies are struggling are, but health is a contributing factor.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Just when the Nationals were getting healthy, RHP Jordan Zimmermann left in the fourth inning Sunday at Philadelphia with a right biceps strain. He was selected to the All-Star team but was replaced on the NL roster. The Nationals hope that Zimmermann will not have to make a trip to the disabled list. Assuming Zimmermann is back at full strength after the break, Washington might be the healthiest contending team in the majors.
AL WEST
HOUSTON ASTROS
The Astros managed to avoid catastrophic injuries in the first half. They developed stability in their infield, and while the recent loss of CF Dexter Fowler (right intercostal strain) threw the outfield for a loop, the organization doesn’t have much to complain over on the injury front aside from the bullpen. RHPs Matt Albers, Anthony Bass, Jesse Crain and Chad Qualls, all offseason acquisitions, were poised to anchor the bullpen. Qualls is the only member of that quartet with 20-plus appearances.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
OF Josh Hamilton, 3B David Freese, LHP C.J. Wilson, OF Kole Cahoun and LHP Tyler Skaggs spent time on the disabled list in the first half, but the Angels’ farm system provided immediate help. 1B C.J. Cron, RHP Matt Shoemaker, INF/OF Grant Green and RHP Michael Morin emerged as bona fide major-leaguers. Green rejoined the team from Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday after OF Collin Cowgill went on the disabled list because of fractures in his nose and right thumb.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
LHP Drew Pomeranz (broken right hand) is healthy and now pitching in the minors, while RF Josh Reddick (strained right knee) could be activated shortly after the All-Star break. Not that any A’s fan cares. They hardly were missed. Oakland lost RHPs Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin to Tommy John surgery in March and April, respectively, but the rotation carried on impressively before the team added RHPs Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel in a July 5 trade with the Chicago Cubs.
SEATTLE MARINERS
Injuries affected both the Mariners’ lineup and the rotation throughout the first half of the season, but Seattle was able to weather the storm in large part because the core of the team remained intact. Now the team would like RHP Taijuan Walker to shake off the rust, LHP James Paxton to return from a nagging arm injury and OF Michael Saunders to put his on-again-off-again health issues to bed. Paxton, out since early April, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Thursday.
TEXAS RANGERS
The Rangers led the major leagues with 21 disabled list transactions before the break, and they won’t get the all of those players back. Texas used a major-league-high 50 players in the first half, including 30 pitchers. LHPs Matt Harrison (back) and Martin Perez (Tommy John surgery) are out for the season, as is 1B Prince Fielder (neck). LHP Derek Holland is expected back in late August after a slower-than-expected recovery from knee surgery. The Rangers need to make sure he is the same pitcher who won 38 games and gave them an average of almost 200 innings the past three seasons.
AL CENTRAL
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
SS Alexei Ramirez left Saturday’s game in Cleveland with an unspecified injury and did not play Sunday, but he entered the All-Star Game as a midgame replacement for Derek Jeter. RHP Matt Lindstrom remains on the disabled list with an ankle injury, but he threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and performed some defensive drills Saturday. OF Avisail Garcia, who underwent shoulder surgery in mid-April, hopes to return before the end of the season.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
The Indians were hampered by some nagging injuries, specifically to CF Michael Bourn, who endured three flare-ups of a hamstring condition that resulted in two trips onto the disabled list. The Indians hope Bourn can be activated two or three weeks after the All-Star break. RHP Justin Masterson is on the DL with an inflamed knee, and the Indians expect him back within a week of the resumption of play following the break.
DETROIT TIGERS
The Tigers hope to have DH Victor Martinez back in the lineup Friday after he missed 11 of the club’s last 13 games prior to the All-Star break. Detroit went 9-4 without him, but manager Brad Ausmus noted on several occasions, “Over the long haul, I’d rather have him in the lineup.” Detroit has been without two projected starters all season: SS Jose Iglesias, out for the year due to stress fractures in both shins, and LF Andy Dirks, who might be able to return from back surgery at month’s end.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Two key players missed the final series of the first half against the Detroit Tigers, and Kansas City needs them to return to form as soon as possible. LF Alex Gordon sprained his wrist with about a week to go and was limited to defensive availability. The Royals maintain that the rest will have him ready to go when the season resumes in Boston. LHP Jason Vargas went on the disabled list July 10 after undergoing an appendectomy the day before. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
MINNESOTA TWINS
OF Josh Willingham, 1B Joe Mauer, 3B Trevor Plouffe and RF Oswaldo Arcia all missed substantial time over the season’s first half, yet the Twins’ playoff hopes weren’t completely dashed. Willingham, Plouffe and Arcia returned but are enduring sub-standard years, while Mauer shouldn’t be too far away from coming off the disabled list. INF Danny Santana, a first-half revelation at the top of the lineup, also should be back soon after injuring his left knee in June. Other than that, the Twins are relatively healthy bunch.
AL EAST
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Orioles lost C Matt Wieters for the season to elbow surgery, and 3B Manny Machado missed the first month after knee surgery, but the team is in good shape overall. The stars of the 2013 lineup will not play one game together this year, but subs are coming through when needed. LF/DH Steve Pearce filled in nicely when 1B Chris Davis was on the disabled list, and rookie Jonathan Schoop and Ryan Flaherty played well enough at third base when Machado was out.
BOSTON RED SOX
With RF Shane Victorino apparently ready to return right after the All-Star break, the Red Sox are healthy — at least in terms of vital cogs. Victorino landed on the disabled list in late May due to a right hamstring strain, and his rehab was slowed because of a slipped lower-back disk. 3B Will Middlebrooks (finger) is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket, but he might be optioned to the minors rather than be activated to the major league roster.
NEW YORK YANKEES
Like many teams, the Yankees don’t use injuries as an excuse, but there is no doubt health problems are a significant reason why they are a .500 team. The biggest blow is RHP Masahiro Tanaka, who may not pitch the rest of the year due to a torn elbow ligament, but losing LHP CC Sabathia also was a significant blow. Even in his diminished state of velocity, Sabathia can provide distance and not tax a bullpen that usually starts working in the sixth and sometimes the fifth. Aside from DH Carlos Beltran (concussion), the offense is healthy.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Rays are slated to get two of their better hitters back from the disabled list in the second half. DH/OF David DeJesus (fractured left hand) could return in early August, while RF Wil Myers (stress fracture in right wrist) could be back by mid-August. Myers, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struggled badly early in the year before revealing he hid a left hand/wrist injury. Everyone else is healthy, minus LHP Matt Moore (Tommy John surgery), which is about the best thing the Rays have going for them in a banged-up AL East.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The injuries came in waves after the Blue Jays’ bats began to cool off in early June. 3B Brett Lawrie (right finger fracture) should be back by the end of July. 1B Edwin Encarnacion (strained right quadriceps) is likely out until early August, increasing the team’s vulnerability to left-handed pitchers. DH Adam Lind (right foot fracture) was strong against right-handed pitching, but he will be out until late July or early August. RHP Brandon Morrow (torn tendon sheath in right index finger) rejoined the team to continue his rehabilitation. There was no indication when he would return, but the rotation performed better than expected despite his absence.