As an exercise in sheer optimism, let's ignore what we know about the current negotiations (status: lousy) and assume, however naively, that eventually, common sense will prevail.
Regardless of the length of a 2020 season, injuries will be factor. In fact, it's almost certain that they will be a bigger factor than ever.
A shortened second spring training figures to be half as long as a normal one, and while that doesn't necessarily mean that the injuries will occur at twice the usual rate, an uptick is a given. Pitchers will have approximately half the time to which they're accustomed to build arm strength and that alone could produce a glut of problems.
Now, add in the uncertainty of a return date (that precludes players from aiming for a specific start, as happens in typical winters), far fewer -- perhaps as few as a handful -- actual exhibition games and a compressed schedule with fewer off-days for recovery time and you have the potential for an injury rate like never before.
Generally speaking, teams with more older, veteran players would seem to be at greater risk. But every team will be dealing with this unwelcome phenomenon in one way or the other.
Here's a look at the five Red Sox players who seem most susceptible to injuries in 2020:
- Nathan Eovaldi
