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With each coming week of the fantasy baseball and MLB season, fantasy managers will have to navigate new injuries that pop up at a moment's notice. The season is lengthy and it can be challenging to keep up, but we have the latest injury updates on hitters. Let's take a look at injured hitters including Jose Altuve, Manny Machado, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Corey Seager, Christian Yelich, and more.
This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters as of May 17, 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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Jose Altuve Injury Update
Houston Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb), who has been out all year after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic, is joining Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday to continue his minor-league rehab assignment.
He has gone 1-for-13 in three rehab games for Triple-A Sugar Land. "He hasn't a bunch of hits, but he feels good," manager Dusty Baker said. "He's going to go to Corpus and spend a couple of days down there. He knows his timing is off a little bit so he wants to be wide open when he gets here and have everything be back to normal." If everything goes well at Double-A, Altuve could make his season debut this weekend against the Oakland Athletics.
Manny Machado Injury Update
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (hand) was held out of the starting lineup versus the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. This doesn't come as a shock considering Machado left Monday's game after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. Luckily, it appears Machado has avoided serious injury. It sounds like he's dealing with some wrist soreness, so Machado will likely be out of the lineup for a few days.
Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Machado to require a trip to the injured list. In the meantime, Ha-Seong Kim will cover third base and bat seventh versus right-hander Brady Singer.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Injury Update
Miami Marlins outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (toe) will miss four to six weeks with turf toe, according to Craig Mish of Miami Herald Sports. The talented 25-year-old was removed from Saturday's contest and hasn't been in the lineup since, and the team placed him on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday. That's a significant blow to the Marlins and fantasy managers, as Chisholm Jr.'s slashing .229/.291/.403 with 14 steals, seven homers, and 16 runs and RBI.
Owners can stash him everywhere, as he should come back to provide more power and speed later in the season. In the meantime, expect Garrett Hampson to take over in center. The 28-year-old can provide some speed in deep leagues, but he isn't too exciting considering his career .236/.296/.373 slash line.
Corey Seager Injury Update
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (hamstring, illness) was cleared to return from his injured list stint on Monday. However, he wasn't back in the lineup on Tuesday due to a stomach illness. It sounds like a minor issue, so Seager should be back in the lineup before the weekend.
He has been sidelined since the middle of April due to a hamstring issue. Fantasy managers should check back on Wednesday for another update on his status. Ezequiel Duran will cover shortstop and bat seventh versus lefty Jared Schuster on Tuesday.
Christian Yelich Injury Update
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) is out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Yelich was pulled out of the game as a precaution on Monday due to back tightness.
It appears the team gave him an extra rest day to fully recover on Tuesday.
Cody Bellinger Injury Update
Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (knee) injured his left knee in Monday's loss to the Houston Astros while making an excellent catch against the outfield wall to rob Kyle Tucker of extra bases. "A lot of it. It's just a little sore," Bellinger said. "You think of the worst-case situation right away, but it's definitely not that, which is nice." He described the injury as a hyperextension of his left knee, but he was able to walk off the field under his own power and should be alright.
The Cubs held Bellinger out of Tuesday's game against Houston, and fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he sits out another game or two. The 27-year-old finished 1-for-3 before leaving, and he's hitting .271 with seven homers, nine doubles, 20 RBI, 29 runs and an .830 OPS in a resurgent season in his first year in Chicago.
Yandy Diaz Injury Update
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Yandy Diaz (groin) left the game early on Sunday in the first inning with what the team called left-groin tightness. He underwent an MRI exam on Monday, and the results were encouraging enough that the Rays consider him day-to-day.
It's great news for Tampa and Diaz's fantasy managers, but he didn't play in Tuesday's series opener against the New York Mets. Diaz has been a key piece in real life and fantasy, as he's hitting .321 with a share of the team lead in homers with 10, 24 RBI, a .429 on-base percentage (second in the majors) and a 1.022 OPS. He's also currently riding a career-high-tying 12-game hitting streak. Fantasy managers will want to get him back into their lineups when he returns.
Dylan Carlson Injury Update
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson (ankle) remained out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The 24-year-old was forced to exit early during Sunday's game after spraining his ankle while running the bases. The organization believes this is a day-to-day issue, so Carlson shouldn't require a stint on the injured list.
Michael Brantley Injury Update
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley (shoulder) remains out indefinitely after experiencing a setback in his return to action. He played in nine minor-league rehab games at Triple-A Sugar Land (24 at-bats) and was hoping to be activated from the injured list soon. However, he continued to feel pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder and was shut down.
Brantley hasn't played for the Astros since last June 26 and had surgery in August. "Very frustrating," Brantley said. "You rehab all offseason, you put in the work every single day, you do everything the right way -- and sometimes it just doesn't work out to your favor." The 36-year-old left-handed hitter has no timeline to return to Houston, and it remains to be seen if he'll even play at all in 2023.
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