What happened: Shea Langeliers tore the meniscus in his right knee while running the bases Friday against the Minnesota Twins and opted for repair surgery. Juan Soto’s recurring left calf issue was diagnosed as a Grade 2 strain after Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with an absence of at least three weeks expected. Cody Bellinger sustained a Grade 2 left hamstring strain Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Why it matters: Langeliers’ injury removes one of MLB’s most productive catchers from the lineup and closes his path to an Aug. 3 deadline trade. The cluster of injuries leaves clubs little time to replace significant middle-of-the-order production before the deadline.
By the numbers: Langeliers hit .263/.332/.497 with 23 home runs, 55 runs and 51 RBI in 416 plate appearances, producing a calculated .829 OPS. Soto hit .283/.404/.539 with 21 homers and 52 RBI in 357 plate appearances, good for a calculated .943 OPS.
What to watch: Kyle Harrison is scheduled to throw five to six innings for High-A Wisconsin on Thursday. He could rejoin the Milwaukee Brewers’ rotation next week against the Pittsburgh Pirates.