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Dr. Reuven's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 9 of the 2022 MLB season. His medical background helps analyze injured MLB players and their recoveries.
June is here and so is the warmer weather which usually means more offense, as most of us fantasy players hope. The dog days of summer are just around the corner and with it a soon-to-be last chance to salvage our fantasy seasons or a chance to pull away and win your leagues. This is the time of year to reassess your fantasy team category by category and try to push all-in or try to make a big move to fix the deficiencies on your team. Knowing when injured players are coming back or how long they will be out is key to your success from now to the end of the season. Injuries continue to be an issue for many teams as well as your fantasy team. I will continue to highlight players on the IL with their hopeful return timeframe and the next man up.
A little about myself for new readers: My name is Reuven Guy and I am a practicing orthopedic/pain management Physician Assistant. I have been dealing with sports injuries for the past 16+ years and have a knowledge of orthopedic injuries and their recovery times based on my medical experience. I have also been playing fantasy baseball during that same period, which has helped me get an advantage in this aspect of fantasy baseball, which I hope to share with you.
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MLB Injury List Update
Of note for all the fantasy baseball injury news is what type of IL the players are being placed on. Besides the regular IL for injuries, there is also a COVID IL. There continues to be an uptick of players placed on this list. COVID positive coaches even forced the postponement of a game between the Guardians and White Sox earlier this week. Vaccinated players with close contacts have no minimum stay, which could frustrate fantasy owners everywhere. Non-vaccinated players still need to stay 7-10 days on the IL, at minimum. The current MLB IL is now at 15 days.
One can learn a lot about the players' current injury based on which IL they get put on. Teams will be placing injured players on the 60-day IL to create for themselves more roster flexibility as those players do not count against the active 40-man rosters. More importantly, if a player is hurt and is placed on the 15-day IL, the team then believes that the player will be back sooner than the 60 days.
Injured Hitters for Fantasy Baseball
Giancarlo Stanton (OF, NYY)- Calf: Stanton injured his right calf, feeling tightness during a game. He has improved and may be activated when he is first eligible to return from the IL this Saturday. Until then, Matt Carpenter should continue to fill in.
Kris Bryant (OF, COL)- Back: Bryant was again placed on the IL with a back injury. He was on the IL earlier this month for the same issue. The issue has not been resolved and Bryant will be eligible to come off the IL as soon as June 2. He has been playing light catch but there is no timeline for his return yet. Yonathan Daza looks to get a lot of playing time with Bryant out.
Jonathan India (2B, CIN)- Hamstring: India landed back on the IL this week with the same injury that landed him on the injured list earlier this year. India is expected to begin a rehab assignment within the next week if there are no setbacks.
Brandon Lowe (2B, TB)- Back: Lowe is on the IL with a back injury. Lowe was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his lower back and won't be available to resume baseball activities for at least two to three weeks. The earliest he could return will probably be mid to late June. Isaac Paredes and Vidal Brujan should fill in for him for the Rays. Although with both of those players struggling, the Rays may look at a trade and/or deeper in their system for another second baseman.
Kevin Newman (2B, PIT)- Groin: Newman has been out on the IL with a groin injury. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that Newman has not resumed baseball activities. He will be out at least until June 27 as he is on the 60-day IL.
James McCann (C, NYM)- Wrist: McCann was diagnosed with a fractured hamate in his left wrist and had subsequent surgery. He should be out for about three to four more weeks. Patrick Mazeika and Tomas Nido will fill in behind the plate with McCann out.
Eddie Rosario (OF, ATL)- Eye: Rosario is on the IL following eye surgery. He is riding a stationary bike and doing light exercises as he recovers from what is still being called just retinal swelling. He remains at least a few weeks away from any baseball activities. Rosario has said that he has yet to regain complete sight in his right eye, which has thus far limited him to conditioning work and light exercises. He has a possible return date for the end of July.
Willy Adames (SS, MIL)- Ankle: Adames was placed on the IL with a high left ankle sprain. Adames is on a rehab assignment and then missed a game due to discomfort in his right quad. No word if this will end up delaying his return.
Austin Meadows (OF, DET)- Vertigo: Meadows is on the IL with vertigo (dizziness). Meadows is currently on a rehab assignment and is trending in the right direction for a sooner rather than later activation from the IL. He could return as early as Tuesday next week. Daz Cameron has been filling in for him.
Dan Vogelbach (1B, PIT)- Hamstring: Vogelbach was placed on the IL with a strained left hamstring. The severity is not yet known. He has been cleared to begin running the bases but there is no timeline for his return. He is eligible to return on June 3. Michael Chavis should see more playing time with Vogelbach out.
Dylan Carlson (OF, STL)- Hamstring: Carlson was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain. Carlson felt good after swinging and sprinting this past Monday. The Cardinals' president of baseball operations said Carlson was diagnosed with a Grade 1 to 2 left hamstring tear based on the MRI. The Cardinals were hoping he will only stay on the IL for about two weeks. Corey Dickerson, Brendan Donovan, and Juan Yepez should see more playing time.
Max Muncy (1B, LAD)- Elbow: Muncy was placed on the injured list due to ongoing pain in his arm. Muncy suffered a partially torn UCL at the end of 2021 but decided to rest it and not undergo surgery. This elbow issue may be playing into his poor first two months of the season. It may be that the only way to fix the problem would be with Tommy John surgery. Muncy took batting practice this week and is expected to be sent to Camelback Ranch within the next few days to start ramping back up baseball activity.
Jean Segura (2B, PHI)- Finger: Segura is on the IL with a fractured right index finger. Manager Joe Girardi said that Segura will need surgery to repair his fractured right index finger. He is projected to require 10-to-12 weeks to recover from the procedure. Nick Maton and Johan Camargo will see more playing time for the Phillies.
Brian Anderson (3B, MIA)- Back: Anderson was placed on the IL with a back injury. The earliest he could return is June 8th. The severity is not known. Jon Berti and Willians Astudillo should fill in for the Marlins.
Joey Wendle (3B, MIA)- Hamstring: Wendle was placed on the IL with a right hamstring strain, retroactive to May 31. The severity is not yet known. He had a PRP injection for his hamstring. Willians Astudillo could fill in at third base for the Marlins.
Alcides Escobar (SS, WAS)- Hamstring: Alcides Escobar landed on the IL with a right hamstring strain. The injury occurred diving and making a play on a ground ball (he got the out). The severity is not known. Luis Garcia will fill in for the Nationals at shortstop.
Kyle Lewis (OF, SEA)- Concussion: Lewis was placed on the concussion IL due to concussion-like symptoms. Abraham Toro was activated off of the IL to take his roster spot for the Mariners.
Royce Lewis (SS, MIN)- Knee: Lewis was placed on the IL with a bone bruise on the right knee. The severity is not yet known. Lewis suffered a knee injury while making a catch. Jose Miranda was called up and Jermaine Palacios will fill in for the Twins at shortstop until Carlos Correa comes off of the COVID IL.
Jonathan Villar (3B, CHC)- Mouth: Villar was placed on the IL because of extensive dental work that he needed to have done. He is expected to need the minimum time on the IL. Nick Madrigal was activated off of the IL at the time for the Cubs.
Tyler Naquin (OF, CIN)- Quad: Naquin was placed on the IL with a quad strain. he has already had a PRP injection performed. Manager David Bell said the rough estimate is he’ll be sidelined for about a month. Albert Almora Jr. could get an increase in playing time with Naquin out.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Jacob deGrom (SP, NYM)- Shoulder: deGrom was placed on the IL with a stress reaction in his right scapula. deGrom had another MRI which showed more healing and he is now ramping up baseball activities. He has been seen throwing and has been traveling with the team. There have been rumors that his return date would be towards the end of June.
Brandon Woodruff (SP, MIL)- Ankle: Woodruff was placed on the IL with a high ankle sprain. It was originally called ankle discomfort. The severity is not yet known and there is no timeline for his return. Ethan Small may fill in the rotation for the Brewers.
Max Scherzer (SP, NYM)- Oblique: Scherzer is on the IL with a moderate to high-grade sprain and will miss 3-5 weeks. David Peterson will continue to fill in for him.
Tylor Megill (SP, NYM)- Biceps: Megill was placed on the IL with biceps tendonitis, based on MRI. Megill threw live batting practice but would still need at least one or two rehab starts before he is activated from the IL. Trevor Williams took his spot in the Mets rotation.
Lance Lynn (SP, CHW)- Knee: Lynn is on the IL following knee surgery. His rehab is going well and Lynn is targeting a return in early June, possibly June 6th. Lynn will need two more rehab starts before he is activated for his season debut.
Aaron Civale (SP, CLE)- Glute: Civale was placed on the IL with left glute soreness. he had left his last start with cramping; however, it seems to have been a little worse than that. Guardians manager Terry Francona said that Civale's MRI revealed a pocket of blood in his left glute that will need to be drained (nonsurgical procedure) before he's able to resume baseball activities. No timeline for his return. Konnor Pilkington was called up.
Clayton Kershaw (SP, LAD)- Back: Kershaw is currently on the IL with back pain, SI joint inflammation. He threw a bullpen session and could possibly be sent on a rehab assignment as early as this weekend. There is no concrete timeline for his return.
Jesus Luzardo (SP, MIA)- Forearm: Luzardo is out on the IL with a left forearm strain. The severity is not yet known. He has yet to resume a throwing program and will take longer than the Marlins initially thought it would for Luzardo to start a throwing program. Cody Poteet filled in for Luzardo.
Stephen Strasburg (SP, WAS)- Shoulder: Strasburg is recovering from thoracic outlet surgery. Strasburg pitched well in his last rehab start but still may need at least two more before being activated. Expect him back in the third week of June.
Andrew Heaney (SP, LAD)- Shoulder: Heaney was placed on IL with shoulder soreness. Heaney is expected to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. This would put him on track to return in about two to three weeks.
Matt Manning (SP, DET)- Shoulder: Manning was placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Matt Manning “came clean” and acknowledged soreness after Tuesday’s rehab start, A.J. Hinch said. He has bicep tendinitis and was shut down.
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP, DET)- Side: Rodriguez has been placed on the IL with a left rib cage sprain. Rodriguez underwent tests on his ribs this week which did not reveal any stress reaction. He played catch with no symptoms reported. Manager A.J. Hinch said that Rodriguez will begin a rehab assignment soon. There is no clear timeline for his return.
Jake Odorizzi (SP, HOU)- Ankle: Odorizzi was placed on the IL with some strains and sprains to the ligaments of his right foot/ankle. He was able to throw a 25-pitch bullpen session this week. There is no timeline for his return.
Hyun Jin Ryu (SP, TOR)- Forearm: Ryu was taken out of a game this past week with forearm tightness and was placed on the IL. He went for an MRI and the results are pending. He may be facing an extended absence. Ross Stripling will take his spot in the Blue Jays rotation.
Nick Lodolo (SP, CIN)- Back: Lodolo was placed on the IL with a lower-back strain. Lodolo has been cleared to restart a throwing program and had a 30-35 pitch bullpen session with positive results. There is no timeline for his return at this time.
Max Meyer (SP, MIA)- Elbow: Meyer is on the IL with ulnar nerve irritation. He has resumed a throwing program and is throwing off of flat ground. No word on when he will get back on the mound.
Sonny Gray (SP, MIN)- Pectoral: Gray was placed on the IL with a right pectoral strain, retroactive to May 30. Gray left his start Sunday due to a sore right pectoral, but he improved in recent days and played catch Wednesday. The severity is not known and there is no timeline for his return. The Twins have yet to name a replacement for Gray in their rotation.
Shane Baz- (SP, TB)- Elbow: Baz underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery in late March. He has been on the IL since then. Baz recently began a rehab stint and has excelled. The earliest he could be activated from the IL is June 6.
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Lucas Sims (RP, CIN)- Back: Sims was placed on the IL today with low back spasms, retroactive to May 11. He was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back. Sims has begun a throwing program but there is no timeline for his return. Art Warren and Tony Santillan are in the mix for the closer role for the Reds.
Aroldis Chapman (RP, NYY)- Achilles: Chapman was placed on the IL with left Achilles tendinitis. The severity is not yet known. He was cleared to play catch this week. Clay Holmes has assumed the closer role for the Yankees.
James Karinchak (RP, CLE)- Shoulder: Karinchak started the season on the IL with a strained right shoulder. He is now set to begin a rehab assignment. No word on how long that would be, however, he could be back by the middle to end of June.
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