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Sprains, strains, and surgeries. These three words make chills run down the spine of even the most hardened fantasy owner. They're the little “what if” clauses hanging over every fantasy season - that thing you just can't ever really predict no matter how much pre-draft research you do.
Like it or not, being able to properly deal with injuries is one of the main separators between casual fantasy players and league champions. Below we'll take a look at recent and ongoing injuries for week 3 of the 2015 fantasy baseball season, as of April 21st, 2015.
A disclaimer before we get started: the sheer size of the fantasy baseball player pool means I won't be able to discuss every injury that might affect teams out there. Furthermore, this article will be tailored towards standard leagues. I'll do my best to cover all the important names, but some guys are going to be inevitably left out. When they are, feel free to bring them up in the comments section below. I'm always happy to chat if there's a player you need to know more about.
Recent MLB Injuries & Updates
The hits just keep coming for the Brewers it seems. Lucroy was sent to the DL on April 20th as a result of a broken bone in his left toe. There is no established timetable for his return at this point. At the earliest, one might imagine Lucroy returning to the team in mid-May, but depending on how the rehab process goes it could be longer.
Zobrist was pulled early from Sunday's game due to complaints of left knee soreness. Thankfully, an MRI on the area showed no ligament damage. Nonetheless, the A's have ruled out any possibility of Zobrist playing before Thrusday's game.
After the incident CSN Bay Area's Joe Stiglich tweeted that, “Zobrist glad MRI showed nothing to suggest surgery needed. But if knee doesn't respond, he says it can't be ruled out either.”
If the A's medical staff were to decide surgery was necessary, this would obviously mean a DL stint for Zobrist. Right now though the hope seems to be that the condition isn't serious enough to sideline him for more than a few days. Fantasy owners will want to watch this situation closely as it could still easily go either way.
A cracked rib and a strained rib muscle have held Reyes out of action since April 16th. The good news is that the Jays medical staff was hopeful that Reyes would be able to return to action on Tuesday, and he did with a 1 for 4 game, a steal and a couple RBI. Assuming no further setbacks, fantasy owners should have their star shortstop back in their lineups.
Jansen took another important step on his way back from left foot surgery this past week. He threw off a bullpen mound for the first time on April 18th. Based on what he told the LA Times afterwards everything is feeling strong.
"Really good day for me today," Jansen told reporters after the bullpen session. “Body's in shape, arm's in shape.”
Live batting practice is the next step for Jansen, followed by a short minor league rehab run. Assuming he experiences no further setbacks, he's likely to rejoin the Dodgers in mid-May.
Puig was held out of the Dodgers' starting lineup on April 19th because of hamstring pain. Manager Don Mattingly told MLB.com that he's hopeful Puig won't need a trip to the DL to recover from the injury, but he refused to rule out the possibility.
"We're taking it as regular soreness. We hope it's nothing serious and this buys us an extra day [because of Monday's off-day],” Mattingly told reporters. “To be honest, if they say DL, I'm fine with it. I like the way Andre [Ethier] is playing. I'm not pushing to get Yasiel in the lineup. We've got guys in Triple-A swinging the bat. If medical says DL, it's DL."
Puig owners will have to monitor this situation carefully going forward, although he did play on Tuesday with a 2 for 4 game and looked fine for the most part.
Carrasco scared the living daylights out of Indian fans when he took a liner to the head during his last major league start. Thankfully, he seems to have escaped the incident without serious injury. He was back on the mound Tuesday with a solid 5 IP, 8 K, 1 ER performance.
d'Arnaud will miss at least three weeks as a result of a right hand fracture he suffered during Sunday's game. In his absence Kevin Plawecki looks to be taking over catching duties for the Mets. The number two prospect in the Mets' system, Plawecki brings an interesting mix of power and average to the position. While he could be a target for owners in deeper leagues or two catcher formats, he probably shouldn't be on the radar for players in standard formats quite yet.
Arenado was a late scratch from Monday's game after complaining of left wrist pain. It's worth noting that Arenado told the Denver Post that he didn't think the injury was serious and that the day off was largely precautionary.
“This is nothing chronic, just some soreness,” he explained. “I’ve never had this before. I think I’ll be fine.”
Plantar fasciitis pain in his left foot forced Dickerson to exit early from Monday's game and he was only able to pinch hit on Tuesday. Manager Walt Weiss described the injury as mild, but fantasy owners may want to show caution in this case. As a lingering, nagging condition, plantar fasciitis can be a difficult thing to treat during the season. While it's still to early to say anything for sure, it would not be unheard of for this to lead to a DL trip for Dickerson in the future.
Ramirez missed Monday's game due to an unspecified illness. The condition seems mild, however.
“There was just the onset of some illness, some lightheadedness,” Manager John Farrell told reporters with NESN after the game. “He was examined by the doctors here when he came out of the game. Stayed off his feet. I don’t anticipate him missing tomorrow, but he was unable to go for the remainder today.”
Ramirez was back in the lineup on Tuesday and went 2 for 4 with a steal. It seems that all systems are go.
Mesoraco has missed the last seven games with left hip discomfort. His condition is described as day-to-day, but owners will have to be prepared for a DL stint if Mesoraco remains out of action for too much longer.
In a tough blow for fantasy owners, top closer Greg Holland was placed on the DL on April 18th with a right pectoral strain. The condition shouldn't limit Holland for more than the minimum time, however. Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera are the prime candidates to take the mound in save opportunities going forward, and Davis locked up the first opportunity on Tuesday night.
Wright was placed on the DL on April 15th with a mild right hamstring strain. The Mets have yet to release a precise timetable for his return to the team. Owners will have to stay tuned to the situation for more information.
Ongoing Injury Updates
Nothing new to report on the status of the first round fantasy pick. This might be one of those cases where no news is good news, however. Gomez seems to be making progress each day and is on track to rejoin the Brewers lineup in early May.
Matt Weiters
Weiters caught in a simulated game on April 17th and remains a strong candidate to rejoin the Orioles lineup in early May.
While the Rays are refraining from calling this news a setback, it seems that Cobb has still not been cleared to throw a bullpen session. This delay will push his return date to mid-May at the earliest, a bit later than what some fantasy owners had hoped for.
Smyly reportedly feels 100% and is "definitely" ready to join the Jays rotation. He has been recovering from shoulder tendinitis which is always concerning, but it seems his recovery has went smoothly. Smyly might make his debut as early as Friday. He should be owned in all leagues.
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