Banged Up Bros | We Need These Guys Back Healthy After All-Star Break

Banged Up Bros | We Need These Guys Back Healthy After All-Star Break

by | Jul 9, 2023 | THE LEAD OFF

Anyone that follows Major League Baseball knows that the season is a marathon instead of a sprint.

Based on how a team lasts in the postseason up to spring training, some of these players are basically playing year round. Eventually over time, injuries start to creep in and players start to spend more and more time on the IL.

But going into the midsummer classic, the 2023 All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 11th, there will be some MLBbros representing the culture and their world class talent.

 

But there is one that will be sitting out the game due to injury which is part of the story going into the unofficial halfway point of the MLB season. It seems that more and more MLBbros are getting injured as of late all the way into the MLB All-Star Game.


Michael Brantley:

 

It came as a little bit of a surprise when the Houston Astros made the decision to shut down Michael Brantley for a significant time after MLBbro manager, Dusty Baker shared the plans of pausing all “baseball activities” after plateauing in his rehab work to return to the baseball diamond.

“Brantley’s not going to be hitting because we don’t think he’s ready yet. Postponed a bit longer” Baker said Monday.

“He’s plateaued somewhat because we want to increase it, but then we don’t want him to have to go back. I’d rather have him plateau for a while than increase it,” the manager said. “We’re all in a hurry to get him back. Nobody’s in more of a hurry than he, but we got to do what’s best for him.”

Brantley hasn’t been in the lineup since June 2022 with a shoulder injury. Surgery for the injury happened in August 2022. The Astros signed Brantley to a $12 million contract with the assumption he could return to the level of being one of the more reliable left hand hitters in the game. Now with setbacks happening in February, March and May makes Michael’s future unknown.

For now, Houston has to look for Brantley to provide the veteran leadership that helped Houston take the World Series last year.

But if this five-time All-Star, .298 hitter that was a force on two AL pennant teams in 2019 and 2021 can get healthy, the Astros are title contenders in spite of the rash of injuries this season.

Jazz Chisholm:

 

There is a MLBbro out there that MLB misses above all others, but let’s not understate what Jazz Chisholm brings to baseball.

His swagger and marketability for the Miami Marlins has been well documented.

The Marlins had just returned Jazz to the lineup a week prior after being out for a month with turf toe on his right foot. It looked like our MLBbro was finding his groove collecting eight hits in 28 at bats including two homers and five RBI in the Boston and Atlanta series.

 

Miami placed our MLBbro on the 10-day IL after straining his left oblique during the loss to the Atlanta Braves last weekend. After a sixth inning strikeout Chisholm injured himself on the follow through.

Chisholm won’t let this small setback set him back though. Look for him to be back soon.

Hunter Greene:

The Cincinnati Reds placed their MLBbro starter, Hunter Greene on the 15-day IL dating back to June 18th.

Greene had been dealing with hip issues for weeks to the point the Reds tried sitting him out a start. This is his first IL stint of the season.

Triston McKenzie:

Bad news for our MLBbro, Triston McKenzie and the Cleveland Guardians. On Thursday, the team moved McKenzie to the 60 day IL with a bad elbow.

Like Brantley, McKenzie has been shut down from throwing for at least three weeks. Best case scenario, McKenzie wouldn’t feasibly be able to return to action until September. For now, the Guardians starting pitcher won’t be eligible to return from the IL until the middle of August.

 

Aaron Judge:

The crash heard around the baseball world with the New York Yankees future unknown for now into the offseason.

The reigning AL MVP, current All-Star and face of baseball has begun hitting off a tee in his early steps to return from a torn ligament in his right big toe. Despite the update, there is still no timetable for his return and he will miss the All-Star game next week.

Aaron Judge won’t repeat as AL MVP but that doesn’t mean he is NOT the most valuable player. In our MLBbro’s absence, the Yankees have used six players in right field with a below .500 record.

As a team the offense has plummeted with hitting splits of .220/.289./.374 with an average of 3.80 runs a game. It is important to note that surgery is not off the table as of this writing but if that option is chosen, it would happen in the offseason.