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Every MLB season brings a never-ending cycle of key fantasy baseball hitters dealing with injuries. Some key players have been out for a while, but others are new to this season's injury headlines. Either way, fantasy lineups will be affected. Let's take a look at injured hitters including Yordan Alvarez, Nolan Arenado, Corbin Carroll, Bryan Reynolds, Anthony Rizzo, and more.
This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters as of June 30, 2023. We'll be covering all positions throughout the week, so stay tuned. Some players on this list impact fantasy baseball more than others, but with leagues of all shapes and sizes, you never know which guys will force fantasy managers to search waiver wires in hopes of finding adequate replacements.
To keep close tabs on all of the news across the MLB, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy baseball player news page, and download the free RotoBaller fantasy baseball mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news. Let's look at the injury updates for hitters.
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Yordan Alvarez Injury Update
Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (oblique) hit off a tee on Wednesday and also did soft toss in the batting cages. Alvarez has been out since early June with a right-oblique strain, but he's making some progress. There's still no timetable for his return to the Astros' lineup, though, and fantasy managers shouldn't get their hopes up that he'll return before the All-Star break in mid-July.
The 26-year-old is one of the best all-around hitters in baseball when healthy, so he shouldn't be languishing on any waiver wires. The left-handed Cuban slugger has a .277/.388/.589 slash line with an impressive .978 OPS, 17 homers and 55 RBI in 57 games. Corey Julks has seen most of the playing time in left field in Houston of late, although Chas McCormick and Bligh Madris have also mixed in.
Nolan Arenado Injury Update
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (back) was functioning as the designated hitter in Thursday's lineup against the Houston Astros after exiting Wednesday's game with lower-back stiffness. The 32-year-old admitted his back is still a "little irritated" to reporters before the game.
However, it's evidently not enough to prevent Arenado from playing. Fantasy managers should still monitor the situation going forward, as Arenado has experienced the back tightness since Tuesday.
Corbin Carroll Injury Update
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said the level of concern for outfielder Corbin Carroll (shoulder) is "minimal," and he's not currently set to undergo any testing after leaving Thursday's game early against the Tampa Bay Rays with right-shoulder soreness. It's the same shoulder that Carroll had surgery on in 2021, but it's still apparently not very concerning to Arizona. The 22-year-old stud outfielder went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in the contest before departing.
It remains to be seen if he'll be back in the lineup on Friday for the start of a series against the Los Angeles Angels, but if Carroll is in there, he needs to be started in all fantasy lineups. He entered Thursday with an impressive .292/.369/.563 slash line, .932 OPS, 17 homers, 44 RBI, 24 steals and 60 runs in 284 at-bats on the year.
Bryan Reynolds Injury Update
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds (back) hit on the field on Thursday and will return from the 10-day injured list "in the coming days." Reynolds said himself that he's hoping to return on Friday for the start of a big series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Even if the 28-year-old isn't able to return Friday, he should be back at some point this weekend. He's been sidelined since June 19 due to lower-back inflammation.
Fantasy managers will want to get him back into their starting lineups as soon as possible, as Reynolds continues to be one of the better hitters in all of baseball. He's currently batting .279 (72-for-258) with eight long balls, 20 doubles, three triples, 40 RBI, eight stolen bases and 38 runs scored in 68 games played.
Anthony Rizzo Injury Update
New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (elbow) left the game early on Thursday against the Oakland Athletics after getting hit by a pitch on his back elbow, but thankfully X-rays came back negative, according to manager Aaron Boone. The Yankees are calling Rizzo day-to-day, and there's a good chance he'll be out on Friday for the start of a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Before leaving Thursday's contest, the 33-year-old left-handed slugger went 1-for-3 with a run scored, and he's now hitting .269 on the year with 11 home runs and 37 RBI in 75 games for the Yankees. It sounds like there's a pretty good chance Rizzo will be back on either Saturday or Sunday, but fantasy managers will want to move him to their bench for Friday's slate.
Aaron Judge Injury Update
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (toe) played catch in Oakland on Wednesday for the first time since tearing a ligament in his right big toe on June 3. Judge didn't do any running or anything like that, but it's a small step in the right direction for the All-Star slugger. There remains no timetable for Judge's return, and fantasy managers are just crossing their fingers that he'll be able to return at some point in July after the All-Star break.
With Judge out, the Yankees have mostly been using Jake Bauers as the starter in right field. Judge obviously needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues after breaking an American League record with 62 home runs in 2022. He's currently hitting a strong .291 (51-for-175) with 10 doubles, 19 homers and 40 RBI in 49 games.
Seiya Suzuki Injury Update
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (neck) remained absent from the team's starting lineup on Thursday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Suzuki is dealing with tightness in his neck and will be missing his second straight game, but fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.
Mike Tauchman got the start in right field and occupied the leadoff spot for the Cubbies against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker. On top of the neck injury, Suzuki has been struggling at the plate of late, going 4-for-32 (.125) with no homers and four RBI in his last eight games. Hopefully for his fantasy managers, the 28-year-old Japanese outfielder will return soon and turn things around with the lumber.
Kris Bryant Injury Update
Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant (heel) will be activated off the injured list ahead of Friday's game for the start of a weekend series versus the Detroit Tigers. The 31-year-old has been out of action since May 31 with a left heel bruise. It was the same foot which costed Bryant over two months of his 2022 Rockies debut season.
In 2023, the four-time All-Star is slashing a weak .263/.346/.374 with five home runs and 17 RBI over 214 trips to the plate. Nonetheless, Bryant should slot into the top-third of the Colorado lineup and aims to provide a much-needed boost to an offense averaging less than four runs per game since he went down on May 31.
Ke'Bryan Hayes Injury Update
The Pittsburgh Pirates expect third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) to miss the minimum time on the 10-day injured list after he was placed on it on Wednesday with a lower-back injury. Hayes hadn't played since last Saturday, so the Pirates decided to give him a little rest. But the 26-year-old should be able to rejoin the starting lineup before the All-Star break in mid-July, barring a setback.
With Hayes out, infield prospect Jared Triolo will get a short audition at the hot corner in Pittsburgh. Hayes has been a pretty average producer for fantasy managers at third base so far in 2023, hitting .254 (73-for-287) with five homers, 16 doubles, a league-high five triples, 32 RBI, eight stolen bases and 34 runs scored in 74 games. He should remain stashed in mixed leagues during his short absence.
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