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Dr. Reuven's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 17, 2024. His medical background helps analyze MLB injuries for hitters and pitchers.
We have made it to All Star Weekend. The half point of the season has just passed. This upcoming week, there will be a flurry of moves being made. The trade deadline is a little more than two weeks away. Injured players will start returning from the IL starting next Friday. But more importantly, lots of "banged up" players are getting this extra week to recover from nagging in-season injuries.
A lot of the time, players try to play through little injuries. These injuries, if managed correctly, should not affect the players' output. But sometimes, it does have an effect on their play and we do not learn about the injury until the teams tell us that a player has been dealing with a certain issue for a while. These few days off will help recharge these players and hopefully, they will play again to the back of their baseball cards or better. But others may try to push it too quickly and end up on the IL right after the break. In this article, I will continue to highlight injured players and their possible return times as well as mention a few players who really needed this time off and should benefit from it.
Here's a little about myself for both new and returning 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 17+ years. Therefore, I have knowledge of orthopedic injuries and their recovery times based on my medical experience. I have also been playing fantasy baseball during that same time. This has helped me get an advantage in this aspect of fantasy baseball, which I hope to share with you. Make sure to stay up to date on the latest MLB breaking news with our award-winning news desk and our free fantasy baseball mobile app with 24/7 push notification alerts!
Injured Hitters for Fantasy Baseball
Cody Bellinger (1B, CHC)- Finger: Bellinger was placed on the IL with a fractured left middle finger. The Cubs have not given a timetable for his return but it could range from one to two months based on whether surgery is needed. This may affect his fantasy value for the rest of the year as his actual trade value has gone down. Alexander Canario was called up and Michael Busch and Patrick Wisdom could get some time at first for the Cubs.
Bo Bichette (SS, TOR)- Calf: Bichette missed this past Thursday's game with a fascia strain in his right calf. This was the same calf that landed him on the IL in June. There is a possibility that he re-aggravated the injury or was just never 100% when he came back from the injury. This is something to watch as a trip to the IL could happen over the All Star Break.
Bo Bichette was removed from Wednesday's Blue Jays game with right calf soreness.
Bichette spent 10 days on IL due to a right calf issue in late June. He first suffered the injury during Toronto's series in Milwaukee June 10-12
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) July 11, 2024
Triston Casas (1B, BOS)- Ribs: Casas is on the IL with torn cartilage in his left ribcage. Casas has begun hitting off of a tee and may begin a rehab assignment soon after the All Star Break.
Max Muncy (3B, LAD)- Oblique: Muncy is on the IL with a Grade 1 right oblique strain. Muncy is still experiencing soreness and will not return when first eligible on August 2. He has stopped swinging a bat, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Muncy has no clear timeline for a return.
Joey Ortiz (3B, MIL)- Neck: Ortiz was placed on the IL with neck inflammation, retroactive to July 1. He has begun a rehab assignment and could be activated this weekend.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B, TOR)- Knee: IKF was placed on the IL this week with a left knee sprain. MRI confirmed this with no other damage noted. He has resumed baseball activity but may require a rehab assignment before being activated from the IL.
Kyle Tucker (OF, HOU)- Leg: Tucker is on the IL with a bruised right shin. Astros manager Joe Espada said that Tucker will not return from the IL until after the All-Star Break. He has begun playing catch but still may require an extended rehab assignment prior to activation from the IL.
Giancarlo Stanton (DH, NYY)- Hamstring: Stanton was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain. Stanton did some hitting this week for the first time since his injury. Yankees manager Aaron Bone said this week that Stanton may return from the IL without a rehab assignment.
Giancarlo Stanton could be ready to return shortly after the All-Star break. He may return without a Minor League rehab assignment, Aaron Boone said.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 10, 2024
Tyler Soderstrom (1B, OAK)- Wrist: Soderstrom was placed on the IL with a left wrist bone bruise. Severity is not yet known. Tyler Nevin and Armando Alvarez are likely to see action at first base while Soderstrom is out. Seth Brown was called up to take his roster spot.
A’s placed Tyler Soderstrom on the IL with a left wrist bone bruise and selected Seth Brown from Triple-A.
Brown earns his way back to the Majors after hitting .403 with a 1.152 OPS, seven homers, three doubles and 24 RBIs in 16 games with Las Vegas.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) July 11, 2024
Parker Meadows (OF, DET)- Hamstring: Meadows was placed on the IL with a hamstring strain. Severity is not yet known. "I don't love what I heard from the get-go in talking to him and our trainers," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. Matt Vierling will likely shift back to center field while Meadows is sidelined.
Tommy Edman (2B, STL)- Wrist/Ankle: Edman is on the IL recovering from right wrist surgery. Edman has begun a rehab assignment and could be activated from the IL after the All-Star Break.
Matt McLain (SS, CIN)- Shoulder: McLain has been on the IL since late March following left shoulder surgery. Reds manager David Bell said this week that McLain has started swinging a bat and is hoping to begin a rehab assignment August 12. Look for McLain to be ready to return from the IL late August or early September.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Tyler Glasnow (SP, LAD)- Back: Glasnow was placed on the IL this week with lower back tightness, retroactive to July 6. This injury occurred while playing catch last Sunday. He will miss the All Star Game and the hope is that he will be ready to start for the Dodgers sometime during the first time through the Dodgers starting rotation.
Dodgers currently have one of the best IL rotations you'll ever see
Tyler Glasnow
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Shohei Ohtani
Clayton Kershaw
Walker BuehlerOh, and Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Emmet Sheehan as your depth
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) July 9, 2024
Zack Wheeler (SP, PHI)- Back: Zack Wheeler left his last start after only five innings due to lower back tightness. An MRI of his back was negative. Wheeler has dealt with back issues before, usually during Spring Training. Wheeler is expected to be ready to go to begin the second half.
Zack Wheeler will not start Sunday as previously scheduled. Rob Thomson said Wheeler will start in his first turn coming out of the break. Not sure which day yet.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) July 11, 2024
Justin Verlander (SP, HOU)- Neck: Verlander was placed on the IL with neck discomfort. Verlander said this week that he has increased the frequency of his flat-ground throwing, but there remains no timetable for when he will throw off a mound.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (SP, LAD)- Shoulder: Yamamoto is on the IL with a right rotator cuff strain. He is now “pain-free” and could begin a throwing program soon. He is scheduled to begin playing catch next week.
Jared Jones (SP, PIT)- Lat: Jones was placed on the IL with a strained right lat. It is a Grade 2 strain. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks. A Grade 2 strain usually is an injury that could shut a pitcher down for four to six weeks at least.
Kodai Senga (SP, NYM)- Triceps: Senga is on the IL with a right posterior shoulder capsule strain. He then dealt with right triceps tightness. Senga will have another rehab start this weekend. He has thrown 35 pitches in a start already but the Mets want Senga to get to around 75-80 pitches before he would be activated from the IL.
Clayton Kershaw (SP, LAD)- Shoulder: Kershaw continues to recover from November 2023 shoulder surgery. Kershaw is scheduled to have a rehab start this weekend and may need another one or two rehab starts before the Dodgers activate him.
Bryan Woo (SP, SEA)- Hamstring: Woo is currently on the IL with a right hamstring strain. Woo has been cleared to possibly return to the Mariners rotation this weekend.
Jordan Montgomery (SP, ARI)- Knee: Montgomery was placed on the IL this week due to right knee inflammation. The severity is not yet known. He is expected to be ready to return from the IL soon after the All-Star Break.
Graham Ashcraft (SP, CIN)- Elbow: Ashcraft was placed on the IL this week due to a right elbow strain. Severity is not yet known. Ashcraft began experiencing the tightness about a week ago and attempted to pitch through the issue. He will be shut down for two weeks and there is no timeline for his return.
Ryan Weathers (SP, MIA)- Finger: Weathers was placed on the IL with a left index finger strain. Weathers is expected to be re-evaluated in one to two weeks with the hope of beginning a throwing program. He was transferred to the 60-day IL and cannot return until around August 9.
Ricky Tiedemann (SP, TOR)- Forearm: Tiedemann left his last start at Triple-A due to left forearm tightness. Severity is not yet known, however, this could hinder him being called up to the majors this year.
Ricky Tiedemann left his start with the Buffalo Bisons tonight after one inning and 27 pitches due to left forearm tightness
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) July 11, 2024
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
David Bednar (RP, PIT)- Oblique: Bednar is on the IL with a strained left oblique. Bednar is on a rehab assignment and could return from the IL either this weekend or right after the All Star Break, barring any setbacks.
Devin Williams (RP, MIL)- Back: Williams has been on the IL recovering from a few stress fractures since Spring Training. He will begin a rehab assignment this weekend. As a late-inning reliever, Williams will not require an extensive buildup, but he is still likely to remain on his rehab assignment after the All Star Break. Williams should return to their Brewers bullpen by the end of July.
Closer Devin Williams will begin a Minor League rehabilitation assignment on Saturday with the @TimberRattlers, the Brewers announced.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 11, 2024
Adbert Alzolay (RP, CHC)- Forearm: Alzolay has been on the IL since May with a flexor strain. He threw a 30-pitch bullpen session this week. Alzolay appears to have responded well to what was his first time throwing off a mound since he is on the IL. Alzolay will need to make multiple rehab appearances in the minors before returning and there is no timeline for when that would start.
Reed Garrett (RP, NYM)- Elbow: Garrett was placed on the IL with right elbow inflammation. MRI showed only nerve inflammation and no ligament damage. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Garret will be out two to four weeks. Based on this injury, I would think it would be closer to the four week mark for a return from the IL.
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