Injured MLB Players Who'll Have Biggest Impact on 2023 Playoff Races
The days of August waiver trades are a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean contenders can't still welcome their own in-house roster reinforcements once the trade deadline has passed.
Max Fried (ATL), Nestor Cortes (NYY) and Brandon Woodruff (MIL) all returned to action last week after extended stays on the injured list, and there is plenty of other talent poised to return from injury in time to impact playoff races.
Ahead, we've highlighted a handful of notable names who are expected to be back on the field in the coming days and weeks. The focus was on players who have been sidelined since at least before the All-Star break, so guys like Nathan Eovaldi (TEX), Jonah Heim (TEX) and Cedric Mullins (BAL) were not included.
Which of these players will help propel their team into the postseason?
Recently Returned from Injury
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LHP Nestor Cortes, New York Yankees
Sidelined since the end of May with a rotator cuff strain, Cortes returned on Saturday with four innings of one-hit ball against the Houston Astros. The 2022 All-Star had a 5.16 ERA through 11 starts when he landed on the injured list.
2B Thairo Estrada, San Francisco Giants
Despite missing 26 games with a fractured hand, Estrada still ranks fourth on the Giants roster with 2.0 WAR in 72 games. The 27-year-old has a 106 OPS+ with 28 extra-base hits and 18 steals, and he is 2-for-8 in two games since returning to the field.
LHP Max Fried, Atlanta Braves
Fried has a chance to be as impactful as any pitcher who moved at the trade deadline over the season's final two months. The Atlanta ace struck out eight over six shutout innings against a red-hot Chicago Cubs team on Friday in his first start since May 5, and now has a 1.69 ERA in six starts this year.
LHP Hyun Jin Ryu, Toronto Blue Jays
Last Tuesday, Ryu made his first appearance since June 1, 2022, after spending more than a year recovering from Tommy John surgery. There was bound to be some rust, but he navigated nine hits allowed to surrender four runs in five innings. His return gives the Blue Jays the ability to roll with a six-man rotation the rest of the way. However, his return may be short-lived after exiting his second start on Monday with a right knee contusion.
RHP José Urquidy, Houston Astros
Urquidy made six starts in April and struggled to a 5.20 ERA in 27.2 innings before missing the next three-plus months with shoulder inflammation. Barring injury, the 28-year-old will fill the No. 5 starter before likely shifting to the bullpen in the postseason.
RHP Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have been without one of the best pitchers in baseball for most of the season. Woodruff made just two starts in April before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the next four months. He returned with a bang on Sunday. The 30-year-old struck out the first five batters he faced to open the game, and finished with nine punchouts while allowing two runs in five innings.
Notable Relief Pitchers
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RHP Tejay Antone, Cincinnati Reds
Antone logged a 2.48 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in 36 appearances between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but a forearm strain, Tommy John surgery and a platelet-rich plasma injection to address a flexor strain has kept him sidelined for nearly two years. The 29-year-old has pitched a pair of scoreless innings in a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville this month, and he could provide the Cincinnati bullpen with a major boost.
RHP Andrew Kittredge, Tampa Bay Rays
Kittredge was a surprise All-Star in 2021 when he posted a 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 with nine wins, eight saves and seven holds in 57 games. The 33-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last June, and he has made nine appearances at Triple-A Durham since beginning a rehab assignment last month. He has allowed just two hits and one walk in 4.1 scoreless innings his last four outings.
LHP Dylan Lee, Atlanta Braves
Lee had a terrific season out of the Atlanta bullpen as a rookie last year, posting a 2.13 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a 59-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 50.2 innings. He made 20 appearances through mid-May before he was shelved with shoulder inflammation, and after two-plus months on the injured list he started a rehab assignment on Saturday with a perfect inning of relief at Triple-A Gwinnett.
RHP Hunter Greene and LHP Nick Lodolo, Cincinnati Reds
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The Cincinnati Reds failed to upgrade a starting rotation that ranks 28th in the majors with a 5.51 ERA ahead of the trade deadline, instead pinning their hopes of improvement on the return of a pair of young starters.
Flame-thrower Hunter Greene signed a six-year, $53 million extension in April, and had a 3.93 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 73.1 innings through June 17 when hip soreness landed him on the injured list. He has made a pair of rehab starts in August, tossing 2.2 innings at Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.
Left-hander Nick Lodolo had a 6.29 ERA through seven starts before a tibia stress reaction forced him to the sidelines. The 2019 first-round pick and former top prospect had a 3.66 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 103.1 innings as a rookie last season, and he has the potential to be every bit as impactful as Greene.
According to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Greene is slated to return on Aug. 20, while Lodolo is expected to return to action before the end of the month.
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OF Michael Brantley, Houston Astros
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The Houston Astros addressed a pair of major items on their trade deadline wish list by acquiring Justin Verlander and Kendall Graveman to bolster the pitching staff, but they failed to find the left-handed hitter they were seeking.
Veteran Michael Brantley could fill that void.
The 36-year-old had his 2022 season cut short by shoulder surgery, and the Astros re-signed him during the offseason knowing he was going to miss some time recovering, but setbacks have delayed his return and he was shut down entirely before the All-Star break.
A .298 career hitter who has posted a .306/.368/.464 line over four seasons in Houston, he has returned to baseball activities, hitting off a tee on Friday.
Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker are currently the only left-handed hitters on the Astros active roster.
OF Mitch Haniger, San Francisco Giants
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The San Francisco Giants signed Mitch Haniger to a three-year, $43.5 million deal during the offseason after missing out on signing Aaron Judge, hoping he would return to the 39-homer, 100-RBI season he posted with the Seattle Mariners in 2021.
The oft-injured outfielder missed the entire 2020 season and played just 57 games last year, and he has spent a sizable portion of this year on the injured list as well after suffering a fractured forearm in June.
The 32-year-old hit just .238/.281/.372 in 40 games prior to the injury, and while he will likely be sidelined beyond his date of activation from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 13, he was cleared for baseball activities two weeks ago.
The Giants are tied for 28th in the majors with 19 home runs since the All-Star break, and they are thin in the outfield with Mike Yastrzemski sidelined by a hamstring strain, so getting Haniger back could address multiple issues.
LHP John Means, Baltimore Orioles
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Left-hander John Means was the Baltimore Orioles only All-Star representative during a 108-loss season as a rookie in 2019, and he also logged a 3.62 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 146.2 innings in 2021.
He was Baltimore's Opening Day starter in 2022, but he started just two games before he was diagnosed with an elbow strain that eventually led to Tommy John surgery on May 11, 2022.
The 30-year-old has thrown multiple bullpen sessions and is eyeing a Sept. 1 return date, though his role with the team once he does return to action remains to be seen as he will need time to build up his arm.
With deadline pickup Jack Flaherty joining Kyle Gibson, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer and Grayson Rodriguez in the starting rotation, Means could still be a valuable late roster addition in a multi-inning bullpen role.
RHP Chris Paddack and IF Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins
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Chris Paddack looked like one of the most promising young pitchers in baseball during the 2019 season when he finished 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 153 strikeouts in 140.2 innings as a rookie with the San Diego Padres.
Injuries and inconsistency hampered him during the 2020 and 2021 seasons before he was traded to the Minnesota Twins in a five-player deal that sent All-Star closer Taylor Rogers the other way.
He made five starts for the Twins last year before suffering a torn UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he has been working his way back since he started throwing bullpen sessions in June. The 27-year-old could face live hitters for the first time next week as the next step forward in his recovery.
Veteran Dallas Keuchel started on Sunday in place of the injured Joe Ryan, and while he delivered five strong innings, relying on him for the stretch run is risky given his struggles the last few years. Paddack would provide further rotation depth.
1B Rowdy Tellez, Milwaukee Brewers
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The Milwaukee Brewers have a .681 OPS as a team since the All-Star break, and outside of left fielder Christian Yelich and catcher William Contreras the lineup has been wildly inconsistent all season.
Rookie Sal Frelick has provided a boost since he was called up from the minors, and veterans Carlos Santana and Mark Canha were acquired at the trade deadline, but getting first baseman Rowdy Tellez back will be huge.
The burly slugger posted a 115 OPS+ with 35 home runs last season, and he had 12 long balls in 79 games this season before he was sidelined with a forearm injury. Then while he was working his way back from that issue, he got his finger caught in the outfield fence shagging fly balls in batting practice and required surgery.
Barring any setbacks, he is expected to return in mid-August, and he could help jump start the offense in the midst of a wide open NL Central race.
OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
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Will the Los Angeles Angels still be legitimate postseason contenders by the time Mike Trout returns to action?
Since pivoting to buy at the trade deadline after months of speculation that they could deal superstar Shohei Ohtani this summer, the Angels have gone 0-6 to begin the month of August, and they were swept by the Seattle Mariners over the weekend.
An 11-4 stretch of games to close out July pushed them back into the wild-card picture, and they did that with Trout watching from the sidelines.
The 32-year-old suffered a wrist injury on July 3, and two days later he underwent surgery to remove a fractured left hamate bone. He was expected to return at the end of August, but he could return sooner if a rehab assignment is not needed.
RHP Michael Wacha, San Diego Padres
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The San Diego Padres signed veteran Michael Wacha to a one-year, $7.5 million deal during the offseason that includes three additional years with a mix of club and player options.
The 32-year-old was one of the season's biggest surprises over the first few months, as he started 8-2 with a 2.84 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 85.2 innings, and he allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 straight starts before suffering a shoulder injury.
He made his first rehab assignment on Saturday, throwing two scoreless innings for Triple-A El Paso, and with the Padres clinging to life in the NL wild-card race his return can't come soon enough.
Right-hander Joe Musgrove hit the injured list with shoulder inflammation leaving Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Seth Lugo and deadline pickup Rich Hill as the current starting rotation options.
LHP Chris Sale and SS Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox
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Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale has pitched just 107.1 innings total since the 2020 season, and he has missed significant time once again this year with a stress reaction in his left shoulder blade.
Prior to the injury, he had a 4.58 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 59 innings over 11 starts, including a terrific month of July where he logged a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings. On the comeback trail once again, he has thrown 6.1 shutout innings over two starts at Triple-A Worcester, and if he can stay healthy he can make a huge impact in the AL wild-card race.
Meanwhile, infielder Trevor Story is working toward finally making his season debut after undergoing right elbow surgery in January.
It was announced on Sunday that he will continue his rehab assignment for the maximum 20 days through Wednesday, giving him the maximum possible time to shake off the rust. The 30-year-old is hitting .300/.417/.700 with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBI in 48 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.
LHP Clayton Kershaw and RHP Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Los Angeles Dodgers added Lance Lynn and Ryan Yarbrough at the trade deadline to provide some depth to a banged up starting rotation that has been forced to lean heavily on a number of rookies behind Julio Urías and Tony Gonsolin.
More reinforcements are on the way.
Clayton Kershaw looked like the NL Cy Young front-runner over the first three months of the season, going 10-4 with a 2.55 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 105 strikeouts in 95.1 innings, but he has not pitched since June 27 while dealing with shoulder discomfort.
The 35-year-old is set to return to the Dodgers rotation later this week, and the current expectation is that he will start Thursday at home against the Colorado Rockies.
Walker Buehler is less than a year removed from undergoing Tommy John surgery on Aug. 23 last year, but he is already working towards his own return, and he threw a bullpen session on Friday.
He has set a personal goal to be back by Sept. 1, and even if he's only capable of providing some bullpen innings, he has the stuff to make a major impact even in an abridged role.
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