By Will Carroll

The reason this column exists, both for baseball and football, is the lack of transparency sports teams have regarding medical information and situations. I realize that part of this is a privacy thing; I wouldn't want my medical records out there to be analyzed by the public. Still, there's a "news value" to this and an information advantage for fantasy players. (Let's also not completely ignore baseball's third rail, gambling.)

The problem is that sports injuries are dealt with using a "hazy wall" rather than a real one. Hockey obfuscates with generalities like "upper body injury," but most sports deal with injury information on a case-by-case basis. There's no reason to hide that Stephen Strasburg hurt his arm. We all saw it happen and followed as he went from the mound to the surgeon's table. Even in cases where we'd rather not know all the details, like injuries to Adrian Beltre or Kaz Matsui, the details find their way out.

The fact is that with so much interest and coverage, there's no advantage to withholding. The Nats let athletic trainer Lee Kuntz give a briefing on current situations. I wish more teams would do this on a regular basis, but I don't think they will. That stubbornness keeps me in a job, keeps the information advantage asymmetrical and lets those who have better, smarter usage and access win more often. But information wants to be free, McLuhan said, and it's very true with the details teams try to hide behind the closed door of the training room.

Powered by theCopa del Rey, on to the injuries:

Jake Peavy (strained shoulder, 5/10)

The White Sox have been patient with Peavy, and having to wait a week or two more doesn't throw their plans off much. Peavy's latest setback turned out to be nothing more than some scar breaking loose near the re-attachment site. Peavy was understandably nervous and smartly cautious. The Sox will slow things down a bit, delaying his next rehab start until the 28th. That gives him one "normal" side session before he's slotted back in. He could have three rehab starts, but the Sox are open to him being ready after just two. Peavy will need to show 80-90 pitch stamina and no symptoms in order to head north.

Ryan Zimmerman (strained abdominal, 5/5)

The Nats are getting more concerned about Zimmerman's return. He's been off of any baseball activity since going on the DL on April 12th, which means he'll likely need more of a rehab assignment than the team had expected. Actually, the team had hoped Zimmerman would be able to keep himself tuned up without needing a visit to the minors, but given the severity of the strain and the location, that was always a bit optimistic. The Nats will have Zimmerman evaluated again on Monday when they get back home, where they'll set up the specifics of a return plan.

Pablo Sandoval (strained triceps, 4/22)

The Giants expect Sandoval will be ready to go on Friday after a missed game and a day off. His strained triceps isn't a significant problem, and the Giants are hoping the rest will keep it from turning into anything more. Sandoval has a reputation as one of those players who avoids the training room at all costs (one source joked "because that's where they keep the scales") but it's often a problem for young players who don't want to be labeled. It's even worse for Latin players who have a language barrier on top of that. It's one thing to speak enough English to get by with the press or ordering dinner, but even native English speakers can get tripped up by the Latinate workings of the medical staff. Sandoval should be fine in both the long and short term.

Logan Morrison (sprained foot, 5/20)

The Lisfranc sprain is more common in football than baseball, but Morrison managed the feat. He also has a muscle strain, which is unusual, especially in combination with the sprain. I spoke with a couple doctors, and they weren't sure how this could have happened. Even after seeing the play, it remains a very fluky injury. Morrison is in a hard cast and crutches for the weekend and his healing response will determine how long this will take. The early estimate of two to four weeks is very optimistic given the nature of the injury and the extent and location of the damage. I'm leaning more toward him missing a month, though once he returns he shouldn't have too much trouble getting back to doing his thing.

Dallas Braden (strained shoulder, 5/20)