The MLB has been plagued with injuries throughout the start of the 2022 season. Some of the games biggest starts have yet to make their debut in 2022. Here are 5 injured MLB stars awaiting a return.
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During the offseason, Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. suffered a broken wrist that would require surgery. He successfully underwent this surgery and his timetable to return was about three months. This would put a huge damper on the beginning of the Padres season, as Tatis is seen as the face of the franchise. He has even been referred to as the face of baseball by some. Let’s take a glimpse into what made him so special in 2021.
First off, his counting stats were off the charts. He racked up 42 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases. But, he was even more impressive in advanced statistics. He ranked in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity, max exit velocity, and HardHit%, while being 96th percentile in sprint speed. He also finished 99th percentile in Barrel% while being in the 100th percentile in xSLG.
The Padres and the MLB are eager to get this young superstar back, with good reason.
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There is not a more dominant pitcher in all of baseball. Jacob DeGrom was the offseason consensus favorite to win the CY Young in the NL as well as having a chance to compete for an MVP. That was until he suffered a stress reaction in his scapula. This would likely sideline him until June or July. Now that it’s June, the Mets star has only begun ramping up his intensity, still a ways away from being back on a Major League mound.
In 2021, he put up some historic numbers before being sidelined with a shoulder and forearm injury towards the end of the year. He had a 1.08 ERA in 92 innings while tallying 146 strikeouts. His WHIP was an absurd 0.55 at the time of his injury. He was in the 100th percentile in xERA, xBA, K%, Chase Rate and fastball velocity. He also ranked in the 99th percentile in xSLG, BB%, and Whiff%.
Jacob DeGrom is the best pitcher in baseball and he looks to continue his historic dominance upon his return.
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The Miami Marlins have been a gold mine for young pitching talent. As of now, they have Pablo Lopez and Sandy Alcantara in the CY Young race. They also have Edward Cabrera, one of the highest-ranked prospects in the entire league, along with 2021 Rookie of the Year finalist, Trevor Rogers. None of this includes their ace, Sixto Sanchez, who has missed time with arm-related injuries.
Sanchez is a truly incredible young arm, potentially one of my favorite young pitchers in the entire league. Sanchez relies on five pitches, with an even distribution through all of them. His changeup would be his best pitch and his most used pitch, as he throws it 26.7% of the time.
The return of Sanchez could slingshot the Marlins into the NL Playoff picture. His return could give the Marlins one of the youngest and highest ceiling pitching staffs in a long time.
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Lance Lynn will make his 2022 debut before the other four guys on this list. In fact, he is scheduled to start tonight, June 13. Here is a look at his incredible 2021 season, to prep for his 2022 return.
In 2021, he was lights out. Lynn held a career-low 2.69 ERA, along with 176 strikeouts and only 45 walks. He was consistently seen among the best pitchers in the league last year. He ranks among the league’s best in many advanced stats.
It will be interesting to see how often he throws his cutter this season. He has increased his cutter percentage over the last few seasons while slowly dropping his sinker and fastball off. If the trend continues, he will throw his cutter around 35-40% of the time this year.
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Tyler Glasnow is a true generational talent. He has an otherworldly physical appearance, while having an average velocity in the upper 90s. His fastball has a natural cut due to a nerve issue in his throwing hand, adding to his deception.
Glasnow is the player on this list with the lowest chance to make an appearance this year. He had Tommy John Surgery in August of 2021 to fix a UCL tear in his throwing arm. This recovery timetable projects for a 12-14 month recovery time. While he has vigorously worked to get back to form, he is fighting an uphill battle to make a 2022 return. He has made great strides in his throwing progressions that leaves him on track for an August or September return, but the Rays will likely decide to be cautious with the young ace.
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