As Major League Baseball’s 2015 season winds down, injuries have a chance to affect the postseason standings.
Some clubs are counting on potential returns to spark their postseason push, while others face the reality of what a devastating injury means to their chances.
Can the New York Yankees capture the American League East if Mark Teixeira lands on the disabled list? Will Denard Span’s return give the struggling Washington Nationals a lift in the National League East?
Let’s take a look at a major injury from one team in each division and examine what it means for that particular club’s playoff hopes.
AL East
New York Yankees
The division race between the Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays is the tightest in baseball. The Yankees lead the surging Blue Jays by one game.
Inconsistency has plagued the Yankees in August. The club is 5-5 in its last 10 games, but the offense put up 16 combined runs in back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Twins in a recent series.
The biggest question mark moving forward is the health of Teixeira. The All-Star first baseman fouled a ball off his leg and had to be removed from Monday’s game.
Manager Joe Girardi told Mike Rose of Newsday that the injury is a bone bruise.
“He’s got a pretty good bone bruise,” Girardi said on Wednesday.
Rose noted that it doesn’t appear Teixeira can play through it.
“Girardi added that Teixeira is ‘not a whole lot better’ and couldn’t even pinch hit Wednesday if needed.”
Girardi told Chad Jennings of The LoHud Yankees blog that a trip to the DL isn’t out of the question.
It’s concerning. I was concerned when he did it right away because of where it hit. Forget the padding that you put on, but there’s no padding when you hit it off your shin. That’s straight bone. I was concerned last night.
Losing Teixeira for an extended period of time isn’t good for the team’s hopes of capturing a division title. The slugging first baseman leads the club with 31 home runs and 79 RBI.
With the Yankees playing the Blue Jays seven more times in September, getting Teixeira back quickly is important. The Blue Jays and Yankees have the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked offenses in baseball according to ESPN.
With Teixeira, the Yankees would have a tough time holding off the new-look Blue Jays. The club was swept by the Blue Jays in early August and was limited to just one run in three games. Add in that the Blue Jays are relatively healthy and on an 11-3 tear in August.
Without him, it’s difficult to imagine the Yankees winning enough games to capture the division title.
AL Central
Minnesota Twins
The AL Central race is essentially over.
The second-place Twins trail the Kansas City Royals by 13.5 games, but the second wild-card spot is within reach.
The Twins trail by three games, but injuries are beginning to take a toll. The biggest question mark for the club entering 2015 was pitching. The Twins lost their best reliever and arguably their best starting pitcher in recent days.
Glen Perkins is dealing with a neck injury that’s reportedly been bothering the closer for nearly two months.
Derek Wetmore of 1500 ESPN reports that Perkins is scheduled to receive a cortisone shot in his neck prior to Wednesday’s game.
He’s struggled recently and has allowed eight runs in his last nine appearances.
Phil Hughes landed on the 15-day DL with lower-back pain.
The right-hander was pulled from his last start with the injury after giving up seven runs on nine hits in just three innings of work on Sunday.
Manager Paul Molitor told ESPN that he wasn’t aware of any discomfort prior to Hughes’ start.
“Quite transparently, I knew nothing,” said manager Paul Molitor. “And I don’t think that anybody thought anything was going on until he got out there on Tuesday.”
If the Twins hope to continue their postseason push, the pitching staff needs to step up. Rookie Tyler Duffey and reliever Trevor May are being promoted to the starting rotation and need to provide the Twins with solid performances.
Even though the pitching staff improved immensely this season, the loss of Hughes and Perkins seems too much to overcome.
AL West
Houston Astros
The Astros are enjoying their best season in a decade.
There’s still plenty of work to do as the Los Angeles Angels trail by just 2.5 games.
The offense has struggled over the Astros’ last 10 games and averages just 2.7 runs during that span. The club went 4-6 during that stretch.
Help is on the way in the form of George Springer. The outfielder has been on the DL since early July with a fractured wrist.
According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Springer played catch on Tuesday and is progressing in his rehab.
Springer told Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle that he’s nearing a rehabilitation assignment.
I didn’t really know what to do, to be honest with you. I prepared myself for no and yes. I got told yes and it was just kind of a relief. It’s obviously been hard these last six weeks to not be able to play out there with these guys. I’m almost there.
The right fielder could return in late August or early September. His presence gives the Astros a powerful bat in their lineup. Houston leads the league in home runs and Springer offers another threat in that department.
With seven games remaining against the Angels, Springer will likely be available for all of them if he continues progressing. With the way Houston is pitching and the offensive boost it will receive with Springer, the club should make the postseason.
NL East
Washington Nationals
The Nationals have slumped to become a .500 baseball team. The club is 4.5 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East.
The offense continues to sputter without Span. The Nationals’ .248 batting average is six points below league average. Before Tuesday’s 15-6 win over the Colorado Rockies, the club lost six games in a row and showed no signs of busting out of its slump.
Span has been sidelined with a back injury since early July. He’s been on a rehab assignment with the organization’s minor league affiliates and could return in late August.
Before the injury, Span hit .304 with five home runs for the Nationals.
Span told Fox Sports that he felt good following his latest rehab game.
I haven’t sprinted like that or reacted like that to a ball in a month, so it felt good considering I haven’t done anything like that in a month. My legs felt a little like Jell-O because I haven’t played in awhile. … But overall, a good day.
His return could provide the Nationals a spark. With Span, the Nationals are 35-24 but just 23-35 without the outfielder.
The team’s morale is low, but the Nationals still have a ton of talent, and the return of a key player can help turn things around. The club has struggled finding an ideal leadoff hitter during Span’s absence, but his return will solve those issues while helping to raise the team’s low batting average.
With the type of talent that’s on the roster, it wouldn’t be surprising if Span’s return sparks a September charge.
NL Central
Pittsburgh Pirates
It’s unlikely the Pirates will catch the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals, but the club continues trying to strengthen its grip on a wild-card spot.
The team boasts one of the best rotations in baseball and should benefit from the return of A.J. Burnett. The Pirates have the third-best ERA in the majors at 3.21.
Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that manager Clint Hurdle says that Burnett is feeling well and could return to the mound soon.
The 38-year-old has a 3.06 ERA in 21 starts.
His return should boost an already superb rotation and give the Pirates an opportunity to win ballgames in the postseason.
NL West
San Francisco Giants
The Giants aren’t healthy.
The club has multiple players missing from its starting rotation and lineup. The biggest might be Mike Leake, who the Giants acquired at the trade deadline this year.
Leake is dealing with a hamstring strain that’s cost him his last three starts. He was expected to rejoin the rotation on Tuesday, but soreness continues to keep him on the DL and he’s listed as day-to-day.
Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com reports that the club’s plan is to have him return this weekend against the Pirates.
“Each day it gets better,” Leake told Pavlovic. “It’s just not ready. You can only go as fast as your body lets you.”
Outfielder Hunter Pence was placed on the DL on Tuesday with a moderate oblique strain according to Pavlovic. He’s expected to miss a few weeks with the injury.
One could throw a dart at a list of names and find an injured player that’s important for the Giants’ postseason push. Yet Leake was acquired at the deadline in hopes of solidifying the rotation. The organization gave up young prospects for the pending free agent to help the club down the stretch.
The Giants trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by two games and the final wild-card spot by three games. The return of Leake, among others, gives the Giants a strong chance of pushing past the Dodgers for the NL West title.
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