Upcoming Comebacks That Could Shake Up the MLB Landscape in 2015
Tom Petty isn't talking about injuries and baseball when he sings, "the waiting is the hardest part," but he might as well be—waiting for injured stars to return to action can be a painful, seemingly never-ending process.
It may seem silly to think one player on a roster of 25 can change a team's fortunes merely by returning to health, but go ahead and ask the San Francisco Giants if they'd still be just two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West without a healthy Hunter Pence, with whom the club has gone 7-1.
Or ask the New York Mets if they'd be within shouting distance of the Washington Nationals and first place in the NL East without ace Matt Harvey, who, despite a brutal outing in his last start, has performed at an elite level since returning from Tommy John surgery.
Speaking of the Mets, team captain David Wright was originally on this list, but after news broke that he's been diagnosed with spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spine)—a potentially career-ending condition—the decision was made to remove him, as he may not play again this year.
A healthy Wright would certainly help the Mets keep pace with, if not surpass, the Nationals in the division. The nine stars featured here are all capable of doing the same for their respective teams—pushing them to new heights of success and into a lofty spot in the standings.
Matt Cain, SP, San Francisco Giants
1 of 9
Injury
Strained right flexor tendon; on 15-day disabled list since April 4
Latest Update
Matt Cain is scheduled to throw live batting practice before San Francisco's game in Milwaukee on Tuesday, per the San Jose Mercury News' Andrew Baggarly, but he's nowhere close to beginning a minor league rehab assignment, much less returning to the mound for the Giants.
As manager Bruce Bochy explained to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, there's a reason for the Giants taking things extra slow with Cain, who was shut down after only 15 starts last year before undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow.
"When you have an injury, whether it's a hamstring, an elbow, whatever, when you have it a second time, that's when your rehab becomes a bigger issue," Bochy said. "That's why we want to make sure it's fully healed and he's good to go so we will have him for the last couple of months."
Projected Return
Mid-to-late July (after the All-Star break)
Potential Impact
The Giants don't need Cain to take the reins as the team's ace, but his ability to pitch deep into games will be a welcome addition, giving the team's relievers (who haven't been overworked thus far) more rest and allowing Bochy to slide Chris Heston or Ryan Vogelsong into the bullpen mix.
One of the primary leaders in the clubhouse, Cain's off-field impact might ultimately be greater than anything he could possibly do while toeing the rubber.
Jose Fernandez, SP, Miami Marlins
2 of 9
Injury
May 2014 Tommy John surgery
Latest Update
Courtesy of the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson:
"[Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Michael] Hill said Jose Fernandez is on track to be back pitching in the big leagues between late-June and mid-July if he has no setbacks. He will pitch a bullpen session on Wednesday, followed in the coming weeks by two simulated games, an appearance in extended spring training and an undetermined number of starts in the minors. That would take us to late-June, barring setbacks.
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Projected Return
Late June to mid-July
Potential Impact
Fernandez, 22, is a superstar and one of the game's most exciting young players, but even his return might not be enough to save a sinking Marlins ship, one that could be on its third manager by the time he's able to step back on a major league mound.
Even if he's only at, say, 80 percent of where he was, Fernandez would still be a welcome addition (and the unquestioned ace) to a rotation that has gotten little from the two arms expected to pick up the slack in his absence, Henderson Alvarez and Mat Latos.
At the very least, a Marlins club with Fernandez can look to play spoiler down the stretch, should the team's losing ways continue.
Hisashi Iwakuma, SP, Seattle Mariners
3 of 9
Injury
Strained right lat; on 15-day disabled list since April 24
Latest Update
Things have not improved in the 10 days since the Seattle Mariners had to shut down Hisashi Iwakuma, as the 34-year-old continues to deal with tightness in his upper back and is unable to throw.
“I would imagine when we get back [from the team's current road trip on May 28], he'll start throwing again and then start his process all over again,” manager Lloyd McClendon told MLB.com's Greg Johns. “He's going to be out awhile.”
Projected Return
Late June to early July
Potential Impact
Iwakuma has proved to be a terrific complement to Felix Hernandez atop Seattle's rotation, pitching to a 3.09 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 80 career starts. J.A. Happ looked up to the task of filling that spot in April but has stumbled in May, pitching to a 5.40 ERA and 1.40 WHIP.
With a trio of King Felix, Iwakuma and James Paxton atop the rotation and Happ and Roenis Elias rounding things out, the struggling Taijuan Walker can return to Triple-A, as his continued shelling in the big leagues isn't helping anyone.
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Matt Moore, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
4 of 9
Injury
April 2014 Tommy John surgery
Latest Update
In his first live game action since going under the knife, Matt Moore threw 36 pitches over two innings of work in an extended spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out one, per the Tampa Tribune's Roger Mooney.
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash was noncommittal in terms of what the next step for his talented southpaw would be, telling MLB.com's Bill Chastain that while a minor league rehab assignment is the logical next step, all options remain on the table.
"I think so, but don't quote me on that," Cash said. "That could possibly be the next step. There's a chance we could say, 'Let's do [another extended spring training game] and have a three-inning outing.' I don't think there's any point to rushing the assignment to start that date."
Projected Return
Late June to early July
Potential Impact
Walks have always been an issue for Moore (4.3 BB/9 over parts of four major league seasons), so there's a bit of concern as to how sharp his command will be upon his arrival—command is often the last thing to return for a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery.
That said, Tampa Bay would sure welcome the All-Star back into its rotation, which has already lost Alex Cobb for the year to—you guessed it—Tommy John surgery and has been without Drew Smyly (torn labrum) for much of the season as well.
Chris Archer, Nathan Karns and Jake Odorizzi have done a solid job atop the rotation, but adding Moore back into the mix will give the club four quality arms, which could be enough to put some distance between itself and the rest of the field in a wide-open AL East.
Yasiel Puig, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
5 of 9
Injury
Strained left hamstring; on 15-day disabled list since April 26
Latest Update
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told the Los Angeles Times' Steve Dilbeck that Yasiel Puig's injured hamstring is still a major problem, and his All-Star outfielder won't return to the team any time soon.
"The other day, he swung the bat a little bit but has had trouble trying to run and still feels tightness when jogging," Mattingly said. "So we still haven't gotten past that. Obviously, we're still a ways away with that."
Projected Return
Late June
Potential Impact
We all know what Puig is capable of doing when he's healthy and locked in at the plate. He's the kind of dynamic talent that can jump-start an offense—or put it on his back and carry the load for a bit, if necessary—and his defensive chops and rocket arm force the opposition to change its game plan.
The more interesting dynamic with Puig's return—whenever it may be—is how the team will handle the glut of outfielders that it's been able to avoid juggling thus far while Puig (and Carl Crawford) have been on the shelf.
Puig is going to take playing time away from someone—Andre Ethier, most likely—and Ethier has proved he's not nearly as productive when he's coming off the bench as he is when he's getting regular playing time.
His return could force the club to eat more of Ethier's contract than it prefers in order to remove any potential distractions from the clubhouse and, perhaps, get the additional starting pitcher it's going to need to hold off San Francisco, a team that isn't going away any time soon.
Anthony Rendon, IF, Washington Nationals
6 of 9
Injury
Sprained left MCL and strained left oblique; on 15-day disabled list since April 1
Latest Update
Anthony Rendon could be headed to extended spring training in Florida next week, according to a report from the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes, after which the team would decide whether to send him on a minor league rehab assignment.
The 24-year-old was a full participant in batting practice and got in some work at second base before the Nationals' 8-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, and while skipper Matt Williams told Janes he was pleased, he cautioned MASN's Chris Johnson not to read too much into Rendon's outing:
"Oblique's are difficult because you just don't know. So the objective is to make sure that he's fully ready to go ... that he has no pain doing anything, no issues doing anything and then we can look to games. That timetable nobody really knows. We'll just continue to ramp it slowly, but as much as we can. And when he's ready to go, he's ready to go.
"
Projected Return
Mid-June
Potential Impact
Rendon's versatility will be a welcome addition to the mix for Williams, who told Johnson that he envisions Rendon getting time at both second and third base. But with Danny Espinosa and Yunel Escobar playing well at those spots, respectively, it will be interesting to see how Williams handles the situation.
Regardless, Rendon was Washington's most productive hitter in 2014 and adds another dimension to an already potent lineup. His arrival could provide the Nationals with the push they need to pull away from the upstart New York Mets, a team that has hung tough thus far.
Masahiro Tanaka, SP, New York Yankees
7 of 9
Injury
Strained right forearm and tendinitis in right wrist; on 15-day disabled list since April 28
Latest Update
Masahiro Tanaka made it through his first minor league rehab start for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders with flying colors, tossing three innings of scoreless ball, scattering two hits while striking out two and using his full complement of pitches.
“I felt pretty good out there. I was able to use all my pitches. So I felt pretty good,” Tanaka told reporters, including the New York Post's Fred Kerber, after the outing, during which his fastball sat consistently in the low-90s.
Kerber said while the club has not put an official timetable on a return for Tanaka, the general thinking is that he'll need at least two more rehab starts before they'd consider activating him from the disabled list.
Projected Return
Mid-June
Potential Impact
Both Tanaka and the team continue to insist the partially torn UCL in his throwing elbow is not an issue, but you can't help but feel like he's pitching on borrowed time and a full tear of the ligament—and Tommy John surgery—is inevitable.
The New York Yankees desperately need Tanaka taking the ball every fifth day if they're going to have a chance of staking claim to a wide-open AL East. CC Sabathia is unreliable, Michael Pineda is fragile and, well, there's not much left in the rotation after that.
Tanaka's return will help the Yankees on their quest to avoid the unthinkable—a third consecutive season without playoff baseball in the Bronx—but that return may be short-lived.
Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles
8 of 9
Injury
June 2014 Tommy John surgery
Latest Update
Rehabbing his elbow in Florida since mid-March, Matt Wieters is set to join the Double-A Bowie Baysox for a rehab assignment Tuesday, where he expects to play every other day, and has his sights firmly set on June 4—the first day he's eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list—to return to the Orioles.
“I think so. I feel, like I said, I feel pretty good to play. The last few games I've gone out there and played, the feelings of being able to get back in a big league game are there. It's not quite back to where it was yet, but it feels good enough to get back playing at this level,” Wieters told CSN Baltimore's Rich Dubroff.
Projected Return
June 4
Potential Impact
One of baseball's best all-around catchers, Wieters was well on his way to a breakout campaign in 2014 before his elbow betrayed him. Whether he can regain that form after such a lengthy period of time off remains to be seen, but Wieters makes an already potent Baltimore lineup that much more dangerous.
Caleb Joseph has done a phenomenal job this year as Wieters' replacement, and because of that, the Orioles can ease him back into the flow behind the plate. Chances are, Wieters will be in the lineup as a designated hitter more often than we will see him squatting at the dish, at least in the first few weeks following his return.
SP Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
9 of 9
Injury
Strained right triceps; on 15-day disabled list since March 27
Latest Update
Per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, Justin Verlander threw a bullpen session before the Detroit Tigers' 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday and is scheduled to throw a simulated game in Oakland on Tuesday.
If all goes well, the next step would appear to be for him to begin a minor league rehab assignment, though Tigers manager Brad Ausmus was noncommittal about when that might be.
Projected Return
Early-to-mid June
Potential Impact
If Verlander is completely over the maladies that helped to sabotage his 2014 campaign, namely a right shoulder problem and offseason abdominal surgery—and he told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal back in spring training that he was—then Verlander could be an X-factor in the AL Central race:
"To be honest, it's night and day. I feel better than I have in years. I was able to get back into my normal routine, get into the weight room. I also was seeing a physical therapist for an hour and a half, three days a week, just learning about my body, how the surgery could have affected me. I feel great right now.
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Expecting a return to elite status might be a stretch, but a healthy Verlander—even one with reduced velocity—is capable of putting up quality numbers, something along the lines of the 3.46 ERA and 1.315 WHIP he posted over 34 starts in 2013.
Unless otherwise linked or noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs and are current through games on May 23.
Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
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