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Dr. Reuven's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 17 of the 2022 MLB season. His medical background helps analyze injured MLB players and their recoveries.
The trade deadline is this week. There may be some blockbusters trades and some small trades and most of the trades will affect your fantasy team in one way or another. Players coming back from injury may affect the trades that are made in the MLB as well as your home league. 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.
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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Injured Hitters for Fantasy Baseball
Mike Trout (OF, LAA)- Ribs: Trout is currently on the IL with a rib injury. Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad said that Trout has been diagnosed with a rare back condition called costovertebral dysfunction. It is somewhat related to the right ribcage inflammation. He received a cortisone shot this past week and there is no timeline for his return yet. Trout is not currently doing any baseball activities following the injection.
"This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back," Frostad said. "The doctor (Dr. Robert Watkins), who is one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country, if not the world, doesn’t see a lot of these. ... We do have to look at this as something that – he has to manage it, not just through the rest of this season, but also through the rest of his career probably."
There is no timetable for his return. Trout himself said he plans on playing again this year and this should not affect his career.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS, SD)- Wrist: Tatis is on the IL following pre-season wrist surgery for a fracture. Tatis took batting practice this week, the first time he has done so since injuring his wrist. Barring any setbacks, Tatis could face live pitching "a couple of times next week" and head out on a rehab assignment afterward.
Brian Anderson (3B, MIA)- Shoulder: Anderson was placed on the IL with a sprained left shoulder. An MRI was performed revealing a sprain. He was on the IL twice last year with injuries to the same shoulder. The severity is not yet known. Joey Wendle and Luke Williams should have an increased role with Anderson out.
Adam Duvall (OF, ATL)- Wrist: Duvall was placed on the IL with an injured left wrist (torn tendon sheath). He will undergo surgery on his left wrist and miss the rest of the season. Eddie Rosario will see more time in the Braves outfield with Duvall out.
Luis Robert (OF, CHW)- Head: Robert is on the IL due to a head injury. Manager Tony La Russa said Robert is still dealing with some symptoms of lightheadedness and blurred vision. Robert is not expected to be activated from the IL when first eligible, however, he did already begin a rehab assignment.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B, MIA)- Back: Chisholm was placed on the IL with a right lower-back strain. Results of his CT scan showed a stress fracture in his back and he will be out at least another six weeks. He was placed on the 60-day IL. The earliest he could return is September 2.
Enrique Hernandez (OF, BOS)- Hip: Hernandez is on the IL with a right hip strain. Hernandez was pulled from his rehab assignment and visited a specialist to be re-evaluated again. He received a PRP injection in the hopes that it will speed up his recovery time. He is expected to begin swinging a bat again this weekend.
Michael Brantley (OF, HOU)- Shoulder: Brantley was placed on the IL with right shoulder discomfort. The severity is not yet known. Manager Dusty Baker said that Brantley has still not yet begun swinging a bat. There is no timeline for his return. Jake Meyers has seen an increase in playing time with Brantley out.
Juan Yepez (OF, STL)- Forearm: Yepez was placed on the IL with a right forearm strain. It has been diagnosed as a Grade 2 strain. Yepez sustained his forearm injury on a throw from the outfield to home plate. He has begun swinging a bat but has not yet begun throwing. Albert Pujols, Corey Dickerson, and Lars Nootbaar should see increased playing time in his absence.
Bryce Harper (OF, PHI)- Thumb: Harper is on the IL following left thumb surgery. Harper has still not been cleared to have the pins removed from his surgically repaired left thumb and will be re-evaluated next week. Harper remains weeks away from being activated.
Giancarlo Stanton (OF, NYY)- Achilles: Stanton was placed on the IL with left Achilles tendonitis, retroactive to July 24. Stanton went to the Yankees trainer with this injury which was deemed to be bad enough for an IL stint. The earliest Stanton could return would be the middle of this coming week. Matt Carpenter may see more time in the outfield for the Yankees and Tim Locastro was called up.
Mike Zunino (C, TB)- Neck: Zunino is on the IL with a neck strain. Zunino will have thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and he is done for the year.
Mitch Haniger (OF, SEA)- Ankle: Haniger is on the IL as he continues to recover from an ankle sprain. Haniger has begun a rehab assignment as he works his way back to the Mariners. He has only been a DH during his rehab stint and should begin playing the outfield next week.
Rafael Devers (3B, BOS)- Hamstring: Devers was placed on the IL with right hamstring inflammation. He apparently tweaked his hamstring this past Friday and it's serious enough for him to end up on the IL. Franchy Cordero and Bobby Dalbec should play pretty regularly with Devers sidelined.
Jorge Soler (OF, MIA)- Back: Soler was placed on the IL with lower-back spasms. Reports say that this injury will not end his season but it has bothered Soler for big chunks of the year. Luke Williams will see more time and JJ Bleday was called up to take Soler’s roster spot.
Tyler Stephenson (C, CIN)- Shoulder: Stephenson was placed on the IL with a broken right clavicle which he sustained when he was hit in the shoulder by a foul ball. There is no timetable for return however it takes four to six weeks for this type of fracture to fully heal. Michael Papierski and Mark Kolozsvary will fill in until Aramis Garcia comes off of the IL himself.
Austin Meadows (OF, DET)- Achilles: Meadows is on the IL due to bilateral Achilles tendon strains. Meadows was expected to be pulled off his rehab assignment after he reported soreness in both of his Achilles tendons this past week. Manager A.J.Hinch said that Meadows has not yet begun running. This may make the earliest return date for Meadows some time in mid-August.
Evan Longoria (3B, SF)- Hamstring: Longoria was placed on the IL with a hamstring strain. According to reports, Longoria does not expect a lengthy absence, and more clarity about his return timeline should come after having his MRI. The MRI showed a Grade 1 strain and he has already begun to take grounders. That being said, there is still no definitive timeline for his return.
Garrett Cooper (1B, MIA)- Wrist: Cooper was placed on the IL with a right wrist contusion. The injury occurred when he was hit by a pitch. Lewin Diaz was called up and the soonest Cooper could return would be August 3.
Trevor Story (SS, BOS)- Hand:- Story was placed on the IL with a bruised right hand. He was hit by a pitch on that hand. Manager Alex Cora said on Thursday that Story is still experiencing discomfort in the hand. Yolmer Sanchez and Jeter Downs continue to fill in for the Red Sox.
Francisco Mejia (C, TB)- Shoulder: Mejia was placed on the IL with right shoulder impingement. The severity is not yet known. Rene Pinto was called up and will back up Christian Bethancourt with Mike Zunino out, also with a shoulder injury.
Brandon Crawford (SS, SF)- Knee: Crawford was placed on the IL with a right knee injury. He had an MRI performed which showed bruising and inflammation. Crawford has been cleared for a running program but there is no word on when his rehab assignment will begin. Thairo Estrada should be the primary shortstop for the Giants.
Brad Miller (2B, TEX)- Neck: Miller was placed on the IL with a neck strain. The severity is not yet known. Ezequiel Duran was called up. Miller is set to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.
Jon Berti (2B, MIA)- Groin: Berti was placed on the IL with a left groin strain. The severity is not yet known. Berti has begun hitting in the batting cage and running but no word on when a rehab assignment could commence.
James McCann (C, NYM)- Oblique: McCann is on the IL with an oblique strain. He began his rehab assignment this past Thursday and could return to the Mets sometime next week, barring any setbacks.
Jake Burger (3B, CHW)- Hand: Burger is on the IL with a bone bruise in his right hand. Burger was scheduled to begin his rehab assignment this week with a possible return looming soon.
Max Kepler (OF, MIN)- Toe: Kepler has a mildly displaced fracture of his right pinky toe. He has not yet been placed on the IL and remains day to day. This injury occurred via a hit by pitch. Kepler will test his foot out over the next few days to see if he could play through this injury or whether he will require an IL stint.
Harrison Bader (OF, STL)- Foot: Bader is on the IL with plantar fasciitis of the right foot. He is now expected to be shut down for a “matter of weeks.” He will not require surgery but there is no timetable for his return.
Manuel Margot (OF, TB)- Knee: Margot is on the 60-day IL with a right knee sprain. He has recently resumed running. Manager Kevin Cash said that it is still early in the recovery phase but he still feels that Margot will be able to return when he is first eligible, August 20.
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. He has made four rehab starts so far and is currently penciled in to make his season debut this week.
Freddy Peralta (SP, MIL)- Lat: Peralta is on the IL with a shoulder/lat injury. Peralta made his first rehab start earlier this week. He continues to track for an early to mid-August return, barring any setbacks.
Walker Buehler (SP, LAD)- Forearm: Buehler is on the IL with a Grade 2 flexor strain in his right elbow. He began throwing this week, his first action since his initial injury. There is still some time to go before he would be able to return and is expected to be out at least until September 16.
Daniel Lynch (SP, KC)- Hand: Lynch was placed on the IL with a blister on his pitching hand. Lynch began a rehab assignment this week. He is not eligible to return until August 1.
Lance McCullers Jr. (SP, HOU)- Forearm: McCullers continues his recovery from a forearm injury. He made a rehab start at Triple-A this week. He will continue to build up his workload, possibly two more rehab starts, before being activated by the Astros. His ETA for a return to the majors, barring any setbacks, remains around mid-August, with the earliest date being August 13.
Michael Pineda (SP, DET)- Arm: Pineda was placed on the IL with a right triceps strain. Pineda had said that the triceps was bothering him for a while. There is no timeline for his return. Angel De Jesus was recalled to take his roster spot.
Max Meyer (SP, MIA)- Elbow: Meyer was placed on the IL after pitching less than one inning in his last start. He was diagnosed with a sprained right elbow. An MRI revealed a UCL tear and Meyer will undergo Tommy John surgery. Expect him back in 2024.
Steven Matz (SP, STL)- Knee: Matz was placed on the IL with a torn left MCL (medial collateral ligament). He is scheduled to meet with the team surgeon to determine if he will require a procedure to address the issue. Manager Oliver Marmol did not rule out the possibility of Matz returning to the field this season. Matz will wait one more week until he decides if he will go forward with surgery.
Dustin May (SP, LAD)- Elbow: May is on the IL recovering from Tommy John surgery last year. He has made two rehab starts so far and has not thrown more than 49 pitches yet. He will need to build up to about five innings during his rehab before he will be activated. May could make his season debut for the Dodgers early to mid-August.
Michael Lorenzen (SP, LAA)- Shoulder: Lorneznen is on the IL with a shoulder strain. He recently had a setback in his recovery and was scratched from his latest rehab start. The severity and timetable for return is not yet known.
MacKenzie Gore (SP, SD)- Elbow: Gore was placed on the IL with a sore left elbow. The severity is not yet known. He will miss at least two weeks and Dinelson Lamet was called up.
Zach Eflin (SP, PHI)- Knee: Eflin is currently on the IL with a right knee injury. It was diagnosed as patellofemoral pain and does not have a timetable to return. He underwent tests during the All-Star break that didn't reveal structural damage, but he's no longer throwing off a mound and doesn't have a timetable to do so. Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said Eflin will go through a "really aggressive strengthening program" but won't resume mound work until he's making better recovery progress.
Matt Manning (SP, DET)- Shoulder: Manning is on the IL with a shoulder injury which was followed by biceps tendonitis. Barring any setbacks, Manning is still trending to return to the Tigers’ rotation next week.
Michael Wacha (SP, BOS)- Shoulder: Wacha was placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. Wacha is scheduled for a simulated game this weekend of three innings. The Red Sox would want him up to five innings before he is able to return. Expect Wacha back, barring any setbacks, in the second week of August.
Luis Severino (SP, NYY)- Lat: Severino was placed on the IL with a low-grade right lat strain this week. He will be shut down for two weeks and then re-evaluated after he starts a throwing program. There is no timetable for his return.
Edward Cabrera (SP, MIA)- Elbow: Cabrera is on the IL with right elbow tendonitis. Cabrera has had three rehab starts, looking very good in his last one. There is a chance he could return to the Marlins’ rotation this week, taking Max Meyer’s spot.
Bailey Ober (SP, MIN)- Groin: Ober has been on the IL for eight weeks and continues only slow progress. He called it an aponeurotic plate injury, or, a tendon pulling on his pelvic bone. He hopes to play catch this week but he is trending toward missing the rest of the season based on his progress, or lack of it.
Tyler Wells (SP, BAL)- Side: Wells was placed on the IL with left side discomfort. The severity is not yet known as he awaits further testing. Beau Sulser was called up and Kyle Bradish should take his rotation spot as he is finishing up his own rehab assignment.
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Dany Jimenez (RP, OAK)- Shoulder: Jimenez was placed on the IL with a strained right shoulder. Jimenez is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment on July 29 and could be activated from the IL next week.
Brusdar Graterol (RP, LAD)- Shoulder: Graterol was placed on the IL this week with right shoulder inflammation. Graterol is reportedly pain-free and is scheduled to have his first bullpen session this weekend. There is no timetable for his return.
Drew Smith (RP, NYM)- Lat: Smith was placed on the IL with a right lat strain. He had an MRI to confirm this diagnosis. There is no timetable for his return.
Diego Castillo (RP, SEA)- Shoulder: Castillo is on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. Manager Scott Servais said on Thursday that he expects Castillo to be back after missing only a minimum 15 days on the IL.
Reynaldo Lopez (RP, CWS)- Back: Lopez was placed on the IL with a lower back strain, retroactive to July 25. The severity is not yet known and there is no timeline for his return.
Joe Barlow (RP, TEX)- Finger: Barlow is on the IL due to a blister on his pitching hand. He will begin a rehab assignment this weekend and could return next week.
Ken Giles (RP, SEA)- Shoulder: Giles has been on the IL since July 9 with shoulder tightness. Manager Scott Servais said this week that Giles will throw a live bullpen session soon. He will then also probably need a rehab assignment before he could be activated from the IL.
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