10 MLB Injury Updates That Could Make/Break Your Team's Playoff Hopes

While everyone knows and understands that injuries are part of the game, that knowledge does nothing to lessen the impact when a major piece of a team's puzzle is removed, even for only a short period of time.

If the absence is for an extended period of time, the results can be catastrophic to a team's postseason aspirations.

So far in 2012, between old injuries and new ones, MLB contenders have seen major pieces make progress towards returning to action, while others have been sidelined.

Let's check in on the latest news surrounding 10 of the biggest names who are currently out of action.

Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers

Adrian Beltre had to leave the first game of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers after pulling up lame into second base as he legged out a double in the top of the second inning.

Beltre, who suffered a strained left hamstring, says that he's not too concerned about the injury: “I don’t think it’s quite as bad as last year. It didn’t grab me that much. I don’t think it’s that bad. Hopefully, that’s the case.”

Beltre, like the majority of the Rangers batters, is off to a hot start in 2012, hitting .304/.344/.482 with two home runs and seven RBI. He says that he'll be getting an MRI today, and depending on the results, he and the team will map out a course of action.

Losing Beltre hurts, but when you can plug another All-Star into his place in the person of Michael Young, it doesn't hurt Texas nearly as much as it would another team.

Update: Beltre's MRI came back clean, and the third baseman is expected to return to action for the Rangers tonight against the New York Yankees in a battle of Japanese starters, Yu Darvish versus Hiroki Kuroda.

Lance Berkman, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals

When Lance Berkman has been in the lineup for new Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, he's produced, hitting .348/.500/.522 with two doubles, a triple and two RBI.

The problem is that Berkman hasn't been able to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis, and now he finds himself on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf muscle.

It started two weeks ago when the 36-year-old missed a game due to a sore right hand that he injured on an awkward swing.

Then last weekend, Berkman tweaked the calf muscle, though he didn't think much of it—until Thursday, when he re-aggravated the injury.

Berkman knew that he was headed to the disabled list when reporters spoke with him following the game: "It doesn't seem like it's going to be one of those that you can really push through. It's certainly frustrating. I don't like missing time, I like being in there, being productive."

St. Louis won't rush Berkman back, and it's likely that he'll be good to go when he's eligible to come off the disabled list when the Cardinals start a three-game series in Houston on May 4th.

But this is the kind of injury that can linger, and the Cardinals can't afford to have Berkman miss a significant amount of time.

While Matt Carpenter has filled in admirably for John Jay in the outfield, asking the rookie to fill Berkman's shoes at first base for an extended period of time may be asking too much.

Carl Crawford, LF/CF, Boston Red Sox

Rehabbing from offseason wrist surgery, Carl Crawford has progressed enough in extended spring training that he will be meeting with Red Sox team doctors this week to determine the next step.

The next step in his rehab will be to move from designated hitter to the outfield, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine hopes:

"

If the exam goes well, they're going to ... put him in the outfield, which I'm hoping he can just go in the outfield and underhand it in for a while, and just start playing that way and then get on a throwing program. I'm hoping that's the next step.

"

Crawford, 30, struggled in his first season with the Red Sox in 2011, hitting .255/.289/.405 with 11 HR, 56 RBI and 18 stolen bases.

Even with this weekend's acquisition of Marlon Byrd from the Chicago Cubs, a healthy Crawford in Boston's lineup would be a welcome addition—and an addition that could make a big difference in its offensive output.

If all goes well with his exam this week and his continued rehabilitation, it's conceivable that Crawford could rejoin the Red Sox no later than Memorial Day weekend.

Stephen Drew, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks

Saturday was an important step for Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew—"step" being the key word.

Drew ran the bases extensively for the first time since breaking his right ankle sliding into home plate in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers last July.

According to Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson, Drew was impressive:

"

Stephen was awesome. I watched his whole workout for about an hour, and I'd invite any of you guys to try it. He's in great shape. He was getting his butt kicked. ...

He ran five or six first-to-thirds and he ran two first-to-homes. He's getting better. He couldn't do that very long ago.

"

He's yet to try sliding, which you'd imagine is something that he'll be tentative with at first, but Drew seems to be making solid progress as he tries to return to action for the defending NL West champions.

With Willie Bloomquist and John McDonald both struggling in place of Drew—the duo is hitting a combined .214 with one home run and three RBI—a healthy Drew returning to the lineup would be akin to the Diamondbacks adding a big-time free agent in the middle of the season.

While there is no slated timetable for his return, Drew is likely to need a few weeks of action in the minor leagues before he's able to rejoin the Diamondbacks.

The likelihood of Drew seeing action in Arizona before June is remote, but he continues to make progress in the right direction.

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF, Boston Red Sox

After suffering a partially dislocated right shoulder against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 13, Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury seemed destined for the operating room and a few months on the disabled list.

But last week, Ellsbury revealed that his injured shoulder will not require surgery, and while he's anxious to get back with the team, he has no idea when that might be:

"

We’re icing, doing a lot of icing to get the swelling out. Once the swelling [subsides], I can start getting into exercises and that sort of thing with the shoulder. As far as the timeline, we don’t have one right now. ...

As of right now, I’m focused on getting my work in and getting back as soon as possible. I’ll be playing this year, hopefully sooner than later.

"

Something to keep in mind is that there is still significant swelling around the shoulder, which means that while Ellsbury and the team doctors can speculate that the injury won't require surgery, they really won't know for certain until the swelling subsides and they can see exactly what damage exists in the joint.

Should the prognosis of no surgery remain accurate, Ellsbury likely needs at least another four to six weeks of rest and rehabilitation before he'd be ready to reclaim his spot atop Boston's lineup, which would put his return towards the end of May or first two weeks of June.

However, if the damage is more significant than originally thought, he could miss the majority of the season.

Marlon Byrd will help to fill the void left by both Ellsbury and Carl Crawford's absences, but the Red Sox simply don't have a viable replacement who can do everything as well as Ellsbury can.

Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies

The 2011 season didn't end how Ryan Howard envisioned it.

Not only did he make the last out of the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals, but he tore his left Achilles' tendon in the process.

Months after undergoing surgery to repair it and suffering through a nasty infection in the wound, Sporting News reports that Howard is meeting with a specialist today to determine if he's ready to take the next step towards joining the Philadelphia Phillies.

The next step would be for Howard to begin to participate fully in baseball activities, which likely includes a stint in extended spring training down in Clearwater, followed by at least a week or two of games with a number of the Phillies' minor league affiliates.

Howard, who hit .253/.346/.488 with 33 home runs and 116 RBI in the middle of the Phillies lineup last year, has left a gigantic void with his absence.

Should things go well with the doctor today and Howard suffer no setbacks, the earliest he'd likely be able to return to action for the Phillies would be early June, though even that might be on the optimistic side.

One thing is for sure—a healthy Ryan Howard cannot return to the Phillies lineup soon enough.

Tim Hudson, SP, Atlanta Braves

Remember Tim Hudson?

He's on the verge of rejoining the Braves rotation, and not a minute too soon.

With Randall Delgado and Jair Jurrjens both struggling at the back of the Braves rotation—a combined 2-2 with a 6.83 ERA and 1.86 WHIP—the Braves can use another experienced starter.

Hudson, 36, underwent back surgery in November after a largely successful 2011 campaign that saw him go 16-10 with a 3.22 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 158 strikeouts over 215 innings pitched.

He is scheduled to make his final rehab start tomorrow night for the Gwinnett Braves, the team's Triple-A affiliate, in a game against the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

If all goes well, expect Hudson to be activated after Randall Delgado's start for the Braves on Sunday, with Delgado optioned back to Triple-A.

A healthy Hudson inserted into the Braves rotation only makes them better.

Cliff Lee, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

During the 10th inning of Cliff Lee's dominating performance against the San Francisco Giants last Wednesday, he suffered a strained oblique muscle on the left side of his abdomen, one that landed him on the 15-day disabled list.

This is not the first time that Lee has missed time for a strained oblique. Three times over the course of his 11-year career, Lee has landed on the disabled list with a similar injury.

Kyle Kendrick will take his spot in the rotation, and the Phillies don't believe that Lee will be out for any significant length of time, according to manager Charlie Manuel:

"

We've got Kendrick. I feel comfortable with Kendrick. We've got the pitching to offset that. I got a feeling [Lee's] not going to be out long. When his time is up he's going to be back. I think we can definitely cover that.

"

While Lee may not miss significant time, these injuries are difficult to rehabilitate without significant rest, and the very motion of throwing a ball or swinging a bat can quickly re-aggravate a still-healing muscle.

This is an injury that could stay with Lee throughout the course of the season, and it's something to keep an eye on. His tolerance for pain and his ability to pitch through it will likely dictate whether he needs to be shut down again or not.

Victor Martinez, DH, Detroit Tigers

Friday afternoon, ESPN's Jim Bowden threw this little gem out on Twitter:

"

Dave Dombrowski just told us that there is a possibility Victor Martinez could return to the Tigers in Aug/Sept based on latest medicals

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) April 20, 2012

"

Martinez, 33, tore the ACL in his left knee this past January while participating in an offseason conditioning workout.

In his first year with the Tigers in 2011, Martinez hit .330/.380/.470 with 12 home runs and 103 RBI.

Should he return this season, as Bowden suggests, Martinez would only strengthen what is already one of the best lineups in all of baseball.

Conceivably, the Tigers lineup heading into the stretch run could look like this: Austin Jackson, Brennan Boesch, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Victor Martinez, Delmon Young, Alex Avila, Jhonny Peralta and Ryan Raburn.

That's a scary lineup—one that will give pitchers around the game nightmares.

Michael Pineda, SP, New York Yankees

Expected to be a major part of the Yankees' starting rotation in 2012, Michael Pineda had a mediocre spring training before being placed on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder soreness.

Pineda rested his shoulder, with the Yankees believing that he was suffering from mild tendinitis. On Saturday, in his first extended action since spring training, Pineda lasted only 15 pitches before having to be pulled from the game with lingering pain and fatigue in the back of his right shoulder.

This is not good news.

Pineda, 23, will be meeting with Yankees team doctor Christopher Ahmad today in New York, and he is expected to undergo a dye-contrast MRI exam—a procedure where dye is injected into the bloodstream to illuminate damage that may go unnoticed on a regular MRI exam.

The best-case scenario is that the procedure shows no new damage (or damage that was missed initially) and Pineda can return to Tampa to rest and rehab his arm once again. If this is how things play out, Pineda likely would not be a candidate to rejoin the team until June at the earliest.

The worst-case scenario is that a significant injury is discovered that requires surgery, knocking Pineda out of commission for 2012 and putting the start of 2013 into question.

With every pitcher in the Yankees rotation having difficulty to start the season, Pineda's injury could become a major problem.