When Will Ryan Helsley Return From Injury? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

June 23, 2023

When will Ryan Helsley return from injury? What should fantasy baseball managers do until he returns? Pranav Uppalapati takes a deeper look at how Helsley's return impacts fantasy baseball.

The Cardinals have been bitten by the injury bug this year, and the latest victim is closer Ryan Helsley. He felt discomfort playing catch pre-game on June 11, prompting injury concerns. A day later, he was put into a 10-day shutdown period and placed on the 15-day injured list for a forearm strain.

With their star closer sidelined for an undetermined amount of time, the St. Louis bullpen went into a state of flux. But one Cardinals reliever has picked up the slack and pushed themselves into possible long-term fantasy relevance.

When will Helsley return to a major league mound? What are the fantasy implications? Let's take a look at the latest reports and find an answer.

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Ryan Helsley Injury Update

Helsley's last appearance was June 7 as he picked up his seventh save of the season. The star closer felt discomfort in his throwing arm while playing catch on June 11, and was later placed on the 15-day injured list on June 12, retroactive to June 9.

He underwent a second imaging scan on June 13, with doctors concluding that there was minimal concern regarding Helsley's forearm. However, MLB.com's John Denton reported the shutdown period will continue as expected before Helsley begins rehab. There has been no information regarding a timetable for Helsley's return, but with the shutdown period near its end, he should be expected back relatively soon.

Ryan Helsley Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Helsley has been solid this year, with a 2.59 FIP, a 32% strikeout rate, and a .198 opponent batting average. While three wins, four losses, two holds, and seven saves are relatively disappointing numbers for the 2022 all-star, the Cardinals notably faced team-wide early-season struggles in 2023.

Upon Helsley's injured-list appointment, Giovanny Gallegos became the team's de facto closer. He was already in striking distance of the closer role before Helsley's injury, with Gallego racking up five holds and seven saves before Helsley hit the injured list on June 7.

But after Gallegos blew his third save of the year on June 14, reliever Jordan Hicks stepped up and has since picked up three saves in his last three appearances. With this recent development, Hicks becomes a priority add in all league sizes and formats.

With the competition of Gallegos and the emergence of Hicks, Helsley's fantasy value becomes somewhat unstable. However, he should remain rostered until manager Oli Marmol makes it clear who the team's closer is going forward. Regardless, all three should remain rostered in saves+holds leagues.

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