Kyle Trimble is a licensed physical therapist here to provide MLB injury analysis on Cody Bellinger’s left fibula hairline fracture.
Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger is out for the foreseeable future following a hairline fracture in his left fibula. This comes after getting spiked by Oakland Athletics reliever Reymin Guduan during a play at first base April 6. He was originally diagnosed with a bruised calf and placed on the 10-day IL. However, Bellinger was not progressing as expected which necessitated further scans revealing the fracture.
Cody Bellinger Injury Update: Hairline Fracture Explained, Timetable for Return
Cody Bellinger Injury: Fibula Hairline Fracture
The fibula is a bone on the lateral aspect of the lower leg that serves as multiple attachment points for muscles in the foot and ankle. A hairline fracture is a small crack or severe bruise to the bone as the result of either overuse, trauma, or other causes. Bellinger likely continued to have pain and tenderness during training which necessitated further scans.
Fibula anatomy with stress fracture. (Image: Sports Injury Clinic)
While reports indicate no timetable for return, based on the available knowledge, a reasonable timeline can be established. He has since returned to light jogging and swinging, indicating that he is progressing in his rehab. As long as his pain does not worsen during exercise or affects his movement, then he can progress with intensity and duration of activity.
Cody Bellinger Betting & Fantasy Baseball Outlook
It typically takes 6-to-8 weeks for a hairline fracture to fully heal which would put Bellinger to return roughly mid-May to early June, barring any setbacks. While this injury is unfortunate for him personally, it doesn’t appear to be hampering the Dodgers 13-3 start. This allows Bellinger to fully rehab and continue to work on his shoulder rehab from this offseason.
For fantasy, find a short-term replacement, but don’t sell Bellinger. As for betting, with the way the Dodgers are playing, don’t hesitate to continue to place any daily bets or season-long bets to win. They are still (-500) to win the NL West and a healthy (+160) to win the NL pennant at BetMGM. (Use BetMGM’s Welcome Offer of a Second-Chance Bet of up to $600 to wager on either of these 2021 Los Angeles Dodgers futures bets.)
Kyle Trimble is a licensed physical therapist who also works as an injury spotter for Dr. David Chao. Kyle has extensive experience in outpatient orthopedics, skilled nursing, acute care hospital, and home care. He’s also a member of Bills Mafia and runs the website Banged Up Bills.
Disclaimer from Kyle: My opinions are my own. Any thoughts I have on the injuries are based on media reports, my knowledge of the injury, and speculation based on the information currently available including video and print media. This information is subject to change based on the information released by the team.
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