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Dr. Reuven Guy's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 26 of the 2024 season. His medical background helps analyze MLB injuries for hitters and pitchers.
With only two waiver wire pickups left in the fantasy baseball season, now is the time to act desperate. Spend all of your FAAB money and make aggressive bids to get who you want to block other teams from their first choices on the waiver wire. As we hear of players getting injured from now until the end of the year, there is only limited time for those players to come back. Keep in mind the hitters IL is ten days while the pitcher IL is 15. Regardless of the injury, those are the minimum stays for injured players.
With this knowledge, injured players could be dropped with limited worry. Picking up players that could come back off of the IL is an option but what value could they have if they may be coming back too soon to help their own teams' playoff push. I will continue to update relevant players' injuries and, if they will return this year, with their replacements, increased playing time.
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 also played fantasy baseball during that time. This has helped me get an advantage in this aspect of fantasy baseball, which I hope to share with you. Stay updated 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!
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Injured Hitters for Fantasy Baseball
Alec Bohm (3B, PHI)- Hand: Bohm is on the IL with a left-hand strain retroactive to September 3. The Phillies were at first hopeful this IL stint could have been avoided, but it was not. Severity is not known. Edmundo Sosa and Kody Clemens have been filling in with Bohm out.
Corey Seager (SS, TEX)- Hip: Seager was placed on the IL this week with right hip discomfort. He is scheduled for season ending sports hernia surgery, which was causing this discomfort. Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran, and Jonathan Ornelas have been playing more with Seager out.
Seager sports hernia surgery tomorrow on right side
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) September 12, 2024
Ozzie Albies (2B, ATL)- Wrist: Albies is on the IL recovering from a left wrist fracture. He has been having difficulty with left-sided swinging. Albies is a switch hitter. The earliest he could return to the Braves lineup is September 20.
Bo Bichette (SS, TOR)- Calf: Bichette is on the IL with a moderate right calf strain. Bichette is on a rehab assignment and could be activated off of the IL next week.
Ryan Mountcastle (1B, BAL)- Wrist: Mountcastle is on the IL with a left wrist sprain. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said this week that he is not sure when Mountcastle will return. He is eligible to return off of the IL next week but that is in question now.
Chas McCormick (OF, HOU)- Hand: McCormick is on the IL with a right-hand fracture. Due to this injury, he is most likely done for the year with the slight possibility that he could return for the last few games. Ben Gamel should get more playing time down the stretch.
The Astros called up Grae Kessinger and Bryan King. Chas McCormick to the IL and Nick Hernandez optioned.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 12, 2024
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (OF, ARI)- Calf: Gurriel is on the IL with a left calf strain. The severity is not yet known. He has begun baseball activities and could return from the IL within the next week.
Jo Adell (OF, LAA)- Oblique: Adell was placed on the IL with a left oblique strain. Due to the severity, he is done for the year. Bryce Teodosio looks to benefit from playing time with Adell out.
Willson Contreras (C, STL)- Finger: Contreras is on the IL with a fractured left middle finger. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said this week that Contreras will be reevaluated on Monday, and then they will decide on a possible return timetable. He has been out of his splint for a week and wants to try to return.
#STLCards catcher Willson Contreras (broken left middle finger) will be reevaluated on Monday and the club will then chart his path to a return, manager Oliver Marmol said.
Contreras, who didn’t have surgery, has been out of the splint for the past week and is eager to return.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) September 12, 2024
Ha-Seong Kim (SS)- Shoulder: Kim was placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. Padres manager Mike Shildt said Sunday that Kim is "not as close as we'd like" to returning. Shildt described it as "not necessarily a setback," but "it just wasn't a move forward." The Padres initially had hoped Kim would need just a minimum stay on the IL, but he does not appear close to returning.
Jordan Westburg (3B, BAL)- Hand: Westburg continues to recover from a right-hand fracture that landed him on the IL. He continues his rehab and should still need a rehab assignment before returning. A return in mid to late September still looks possible.
Jeff McNeil (2B, NYM)- Wrist: McNeil suffered a fractured wrist when he was hit by a hit and is done for the year. Jose Iglesias is seeing more playing time along with infield backup Eddy Alvarez.
Anthony Rendon (3B, LAA)- Rendon was placed on the IL with a left oblique strain. Severity is not yet known, and he may be done for the year. This is his third trip to the IL this year. Niko Kavadas could benefit from more playing time with Rendon out.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Luis Castillo (SP, SEA)- Hamstring: Castillo was placed on the IL with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. He has already received a PRP injection and hopes to make one or two more starts this year. Based on this injury, that hope may be just that- hope.
Tyler Glasnow (SP, LAD)- Elbow: Glasnow is on the IL with right elbow tendinitis. He is set to have a sim game this weekend, and there is a chance for Glasnow to make one or two starts, possibly abbreviated before the season ends.
Justin Steele (SP, CHC)- Elbow: Steele was placed on the IL with left elbow tendinitis. Steele threw a bullpen session this week with the chance to pitch to live hitters next week. There is a chance he could still make one or two starts before the season ends.
Reynaldo Lopez (SP, ATL)- Shoulder: Lopez was placed on the IL this week with right shoulder inflammation. Severity is not yet known. The Braves called up Daysbel Hernández. Lopez is eligible to return the last week of the season for one or two possible starts. Most probably, he is done for the year.
Kyle Harrison (SP, SF)- Shoulder: Harrison was placed on the IL with left shoulder inflammation. He is not eligible to return until mid-September, and there is a chance that the Giants just shut him down for the rest of the year. Austin Warren was called up
Max Meyer (SP, MIA)- Shoulder: Meyer was placed on the IL with right shoulder bursitis. Severity is not yet known and the Marlins may shut him down for the rest of the year. Darren McCaughan could take his rotation spot for the remainder of the year.
Jeffrey Springs (SP, TB)- Elbow: Springs was placed on the IL due to left elbow fatigue. There is a good chance that he may be done for the year. Tyler Alexander looks to continue to fill in for him in the Rays rotation.
Clayton Kershaw (SP, LAD)- Toe: Kershaw is on the IL with a bone spur in his left big toe. Kershaw threw off of a mound this week but remains without a clear return timetable.
Alex Cobb (SP, CLE)- Hand: Cobb was placed on the IL this week with a right-hand blister. He is eligible to return for the last week of the season. Joey Cantillo looks to see more playing time, especially with Ben Lively dealing with a thigh injury.
The Guardians have called up Andrew Walters. Alex Cobb to the IL.
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) September 12, 2024
Paul Blackburn (SP, NYM)- Hand: Blackburn was hit in the right hand with a comebacker and was placed on the IL with a right-hand contusion. He has been dealing with low back pain now also, and imaging was performed. There is no timeline for his return. Tylor Megill continues to take his rotation spot for the Mets.
Nick Lodolo (SP, CIN)- Finger: Lodolo was placed on the IL this week with a sprained finger. Manager David Bell said that if Lodolo could bend his finger all the way then he could start a throwing program.
Michael Lorenzen (SP, KC)- Hamstring: Lorenzen was placed on the IL with a strained left hamstring. He is on a rehab assignment and could return around September 20.
Robbie Ray (SP, SF)- Hamstring: Ray is on the IL with a hamstring strain He continues to up his workload in bullpen sessions with a hope to return to the Giants before the year ends.
Osvaldo Bido (SP, OAK)- Wrist: Bido was placed on the IL with right wrist flexor tendinitis. Severity is not known and he may be done for the year, based on the severity of this injury. Brady Basso was called up and could start in Bido’s place.
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Liam Hendriks (RP, BOS)- Elbow: Hendriks continues to rehab after Tommy John's surgery. Hendriks suffered a setback during his rehab assignment and was shut down for the rest of the year.
Hendriks had an MRI on his elbow following this prolonged break from pitching. It’s been sent to his doctor in Texas and Cora said it’s likely they shut him down this year but will wait to hear from the doctor.
— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) September 12, 2024
Yimi Garcia (RP, SEA)- Elbow: Garcia was placed on the IL this week due to right elbow inflammation. He still continues to have pain and was shut down for the rest of the year.
Calvin Faucher (RP, MIA)- Shoulder: Faucher was placed on the IL this week with right shoulder impingement. He is most probably done for the year. Anthony Bender, John McMillon, and Jesus Tinoco could close for the Marlins.
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