Major League Baseball’s postseason has nearly arrived, with only a few playoff spots still up for grabs. A number of playoff bound and playoff hopeful teams have been dealing with injuries to key players late in the season, and are attempting to get them healthy and ready to play in October:
MLB injury roundup: Andre Ethier, Jesse Crain out for remainder of regular season
Taking a look at the latest injury news involving teams in the thick of the playoff race.
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Ethier out for regular season
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier will miss the remainder of the regular season recovering from shin splints, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. He has been sidelined since Sept. 13 with the injury.
Ethier and the Dodgers still hope he can return during the playoffs. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told Hernandez that Ethier would need to run the bases before he can return to the field, but that the team will set up some simulated games for the outfielder to help his timing.
Crain may not pitch for Rays
Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Jesse Crain is still dealing with right shoulder problems, and may not pitch for the team this season, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The Rays acquired Crain from the Chicago White Sox before the non-waiver trade deadline despite Crain's shoulder problems earning him a spot on the disabled list. Tampa Bay rolled the dice, hoping the reliever would be ready before the end of the year, but that gamble looks to have backfired.
McCann exits with abductor strain
Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann exited Thursday's game with a right abductor strain and is listed as day-to-day, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
McCann left the game in the second inning, but Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is not overly concerned about the injury; he simply wanted to pull the catcher before the strain worsened. He has been a key contributor to the Braves offense, batting .256/.337/.462.
Bourn rests sprained wrist
Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Bourn missed his second consecutive game Thursday with a sprained right wrist, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. He injured his wrist sliding into second base during Tuesday's game against the White Sox.
Indians manager Terry Francona stated the outfielder would be available as a pinch-runner if necessary, but will need to test his wrist by throwing and hitting before returning to the lineup. Bourn will begin the tests before Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins.
Iglesias, Napoli could return Friday
A pair of key contributors could return to their respective team's lineup on Friday: Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias and Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli.
Iglesias has been sidelined since last Thursday after taking a fastball of his left hand. The shortstop has fielded grounders and taken batting practice since the injury, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. The Tigers even used Iglesias as a defensive sub at shortstop during Wednesday’s division-clinching win against the Twins.
Napoli has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, but manager John Farrell told Evan Drellich of MassLive.com that he expects Napoli to return to first base Friday. Napoli has rested for six days, and Farrell is hopeful that the rest will help him at the plate.
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