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Dr. Reuven Guy's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 27 of the 2024 season. His medical background helps analyze MLB injuries for hitters and pitchers.
Well, we have made it to the last week of the season. If your playoffs have finished, congratulations on getting through a 26 week, 6 month, 150+ game season. If your league champion has not yet been crowned, good luck to those of you still in the running. If you are still in the running for a league championship, or even if you are just playing for pride, this is probably the easiest week to manage your roster. Whoever you cannot picture having in your starting lineup is droppable. Any player coming into the week injured and who may not play or may be shut down are droppable. Any player who is questionable, for any reason, is droppable.
I will, one last time this year, go through the injured fantasy relevant players for this coming week. I hope this article, throughout the season, helped you manage your roster with better ease and more confidence. This was the goal of this weekly in season article, as it did help my own teams, just writing it and taking a deeper dive into team depth charts. If you want to keep up with offseason injuries, feel free to follow me on Twitter/X @mlbinjuryguru and watch for this article to start up again next year towards the end of Spring Training. You could also listen to me on the Beat the Shift podcast discussing injuries throughout the offseason. I want to thank all of you who have followed this article throughout the year.
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
Francisco Lindor (SS, NYM)- Back: Lindor has not been placed on the IL but has missed the last week of games due to a low back strain. His MRI came back normal. He was thought to be only day to day and the Mets are now saying he may be either Saturday or Sunday at the latest.
The Mets had a team meeting after he got hurt which makes me think that he may be out longer than what the Mets are saying. Luisangel Acuna and Jose Iglesias are getting more playing time with Lindor out.
Francisco Lindor runs in the outfield pic.twitter.com/RcqytWlWri
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 18, 2024
Bo Bichette (SS, TOR)- Finger: Bichette is on the IL with a fractured right middle finger. He is done for the year. Look for Ernie Clement and Leo Jimenez to handle shortstop for the Blue Jays down the stretch.
News: Bo Bichette has a fractured right middle finger.
He’s been placed on the IL and his season is over. #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 19, 2024
Ryan Mountcastle (1B, BAL)- Wrist: Mountcastle is on the IL with a left wrist sprain. He is close to a rehab assignment and could be activated from the IL on September 24.
Hyde hoping Ryan Mountcastle will join Norfolk by end of week #orioles
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) September 19, 2024
Daulton Varsho (OF, TOR)- Shoulder: Varsho was placed on the IL with a shoulder strain. He will now undergo shoulder surgery for his rotator cuff. He is done for the year and rehab time for a typical shoulder surgery is four to six months, based on the procedure.
Steven Kwan (OF, CLE)- Back: Kwan was placed on the IL this week with mid-back inflammation. He had missed five straight games and could be out until the last weekend of the year. The Guardians called up Myles Straw but Angel Martinez is expected to serve as the primary replacement in left field.
Willson Contreras (C, STL)- Finger: Contreras is on the IL with a fractured left middle finger. He has been ruled out for the rest of the year.
Jeimer Candelario (3B, CIN)- Toe: Candelario is on the IL with a fractured toe. He is still having pain in the toe and is unlikely to return to the Reds this year.
Ha-Seong Kim (SS)- Shoulder: Kim was placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. He is set to “ramp up” his throwing but still has no clear return timetable.
Max Kepler (OF, MIN)- Knee: Kepler is on the IL with knee tendonitis. He also received a cortisone injection for hip soreness and is still expected to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. There is a chance for him to return sometime next week for the Twins.
Alex Call (OF, WAS)- Foot: Call is on the IL with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Nationals manager Dave Martinez said this week that Call should start a rehab assignment soon and possibly return this week.
Jordan Westburg (3B, BAL)- Hand: Westburg continues to recover from a right-hand fracture that landed him on the IL. He has begun a rehab assignment and should be activated from the IL next week.
Jordan Westburg RBI single in Norfolk as the Orioles lead the Giants 3-2 pic.twitter.com/kC7FBHSB01
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) September 19, 2024
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Tyler Glasnow (SP, LAD)- Elbow: Glasnow is on the IL with right elbow tendinitis. He was transferred to the 60 day IL and is out for the rest of the regular season.
Kyle Harrison (SP, SF)- Shoulder: Harrison was placed on the IL with left shoulder inflammation. Giants manager Bob Melvin said that it is unlikely that Harrison could return to the Giants this year.
Lance Lynn (SP, STL)- Knee: Lynn is on the IL with right knee inflammation. He pitched this past week and got a win but the Cardinals ruled him out for the rest of the year with a knee injury. Steven Matz or Michael McGreevy could slide into his rotation spot for a start or two.
Jeffrey Springs (SP, TB)- Elbow: Springs was placed on the IL due to left elbow fatigue. He has been ruled out for the rest of the year.
Clayton Kershaw (SP, LAD)- Toe: Kershaw is on the IL with a bone spur in his left big toe. Kershaw has a mound session this week but has been ruled out for the rest of the year.
Clayton Kershaw threw a bullpen session in excess of 80 pitches just now. Dave Roberts said Kershaw reported improvement in his left big toe. The door remains open for him to return this year, but no scheduled date yet to face hitters.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) September 18, 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 but he hopes to return in the middle of next week.
Gavin Stone (SP, LAD)- Shoulder: Stone was placed on the IL this past week with shoulder soreness. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that it is "very unlikely" that Stone will return this year.
Andrew Abbott (SP, CIN)- Shoulder: Abbott is on the IL with a shoulder strain. He threw a bullpen session this week and could be activated from the IL next week. Do not expect full length from him as a starter, though, because of his time off.
Braxton Garrett (SP, MIA)- Forearm: Garrett has been on the IL since June 23 with a left forearm flexor strain. He has made two rehab starts, the last one going 59 pitches. He could be activated to start next week but do not expect a start much longer than 85 pitches.
The José Devers DFA makes 40-man roster room for Braxton Garrett to come back from the 60-day IL in the near future https://t.co/wOJ6QDBEah
— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) September 19, 2024
Osvaldo Bido (SP, OAK)- Wrist: Bido was placed on the IL with right wrist flexor tendinitis. Severity is not known. He has not yet begun playing catch and is most probably done for the year.
Ryne Nelson (SP, ARI)- Shoulder: Nelson was placed on the IL this week with right shoulder inflammation. Severity is not yet known. He will be eligible to return for the last weekend of the year if he can. Jordan Montgomery is likely to move back from the bullpen into the Diamondback rotation.
Nick Lodolo (SP, CIN)- Finger: Lodolo was placed on the IL this week with a sprained finger. Reds manager David Bell said that Lodolo has been shut down for the rest of the regular season.
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 24.
Robbie Ray (SP, SF)- Hamstring: Ray is on the IL with a hamstring strain. Ray says he hopes to make one more start this year but based on how long he has been out for, the question will be how many innings he could go.
Kodai Senga (SP, NYM)- Calf: Senga has been rehabbing from a high grade left calf strain which forced him to land on the IL. Senga hopes to make a one-inning rehab appearance this weekend and possibly be able to return to the Mets bullpen as a reliever for the final week of the season.
Kodai Senga (left calf strain) says he hopes to get in a Triple-A game this weekend and potentially return next week. But he continues to stress that he won't do so unless he's 100%.
"I've been working my tail off," Senga said through an interpreter. "I need to make this work."
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 18, 2024
Grayson Rodriguez (SP, BAL)- Lat: Rodriguez is on the IL with a lat strain since early August. Orioles general manager Mike Elias said this week that it is possible that Rodriguez temporarily pitches out of the bullpen when he returns from the IL.
Christian Scott (SP, NYM)- Elbow: Scott is on the IL with a UCL sprain. It has now been determined that he will undergo a traditional Tommy John surgery combined with an internal brace early next week. He is done for this year as well as 2025.
"It sucks, I love to do what I do. This is the best job in the world."
Christian Scott on needing Tommy John surgery: pic.twitter.com/VJdB8hb6tl
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 18, 2024
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Pete Fairbanks (RP, TB)- Lat: Fairbanks has been on the IL since mid-August with a lat strain. Based on how his rehab is progressing, he will not have enough time to return to the Rays bullpen this year.
Paul Sewald (RP, ARI)- Neck: Sewald was placed on the IL with left neck discomfort. Severity is not yet known. He is not eligible to return to the Diamondback bullpen until September 27.
Ben Joyce (RP, LAA)- Shoulder: Joyce is on the IL with right shoulder impingement. Angels manager Ron Washington confirmed this week that Joyce will not return from the IL this year.
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