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The fantasy baseball season is a marathon and banged-up key pitchers always seem to complicate lineup decisions as the weeks move along. Having a plethora of viable pitchers on your roster is always important, but injuries can leave fantasy managers unexpectedly searching for replacements. Today, we'll look at the top injured pitchers, including Jacob deGrom, Nestor Cortes, Justin Steele, Pete Fairbanks, A.J. Puk, and more.
This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for pitchers as of June 8th, 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 pitchers.
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Jacob deGrom Injury Update
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (elbow) will have Tommy John surgery to fix a tear in his right UCL. The Rangers shifted deGrom to the 60-day injured list on Monday, and now we know why. The oft-injured 34-year-old right-hander will now miss the rest of the 2023 season and most likely most, if not all, of the 2024 campaign. After landing deGrom as a big free-agent prize in the offseason, the Rangers will only end up getting six starts out of him in 2023.
He'll finish the year with a 2-0 record, 2.67 ERA (1.57 FIP), 0.76 WHIP, fur walks and 45 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. The four-time All-Star and two-time National League Cy Young winner can now be safely dropped in single-year fantasy leagues.
Nestor Cortes Injury Update
New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (shoulder) is going on the injured list, manager Aaron Boone told reporters after their 3-2 loss on Tuesday. The lefty is dealing with a mild shoulder strain and hasn't pitched since May 30. Cortes received a cortisone shot on Tuesday and will be evaluated in 10 days before he starts to throw again.
The 28-year-old was in the midst of a down season, pitching to a 5.16 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 23.4% strikeout rate over 59.1 innings after producing a 2.61 ERA over 251.1 innings from 2021-2022. Expect the 28-year-old to be out until at least the beginning of July. It looks like Randy Vasquez will take his spot in the rotation, but after posting a 5.13 ERA in Triple-A this year, fantasy managers may want to look elsewhere.
Justin Steele Injury Update
Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (forearm) will have a touch-and-feel throwing session on Wednesday, and manager David Ross said on Tuesday that Steele is on track to return from the injured list and start on June 17 against the Baltimore Orioles. It's the first day that Steele is eligible to be activated from the 15-day injured list. The 27-year-old southpaw is dealing with a left-forearm strain, but the injury isn't considered all that serious, and he may only need a short minor-league rehab assignment.
If you're in need of pitching in mixed leagues, it might be a good idea to pick Steele up now if he's available on your waiver wire. In 12 starts (68 innings) so far in 2023, Steele has been sharp with a 2.65 ERA (2.84 FIP), 1.06 WHIP, 16 walks and 58 strikeouts.
Pete Fairbanks Injury Update
Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks (hip), who is currently on the injured list with left-hip inflammation, will throw to hitters on Friday at the Florida Complex League. How that goes will determine if Fairbanks needs another minor-league rehab outing or if he could return from the injured when eligible on Monday.
As long as the 29-year-old right-hander doesn't suffer a setback this weekend on the farm, he should be back for the Rays and fantasy managers next week. He has only appeared in 13 games out of the bullpen in 2023 due to injuries, but he's been great when healthy with a 1.54 ERA (4.23 FIP), five saves, 1.11 WHIP and 10 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings. Jason Adam has been serving as the closer, but Fairbanks should reclaim the role once he returns.
A.J. Puk Injury Update
The Miami Marlins reinstated left-hander A.J. Puk (elbow) from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned pitcher George Soriano to Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Puk missed over three weeks with left-elbow nerve irritation, but he looked good on a short minor-league rehab assignment and is ready to rejoin the back end of Miami's bullpen this week.
Before he went on the injured list, the 28-year-old southpaw reliever had six saves and was essentially the team's primary closer, so he should be picked up in any fantasy league where he was dropped. Puk could share save opportunities with Dylan Floro, but even if he's not getting saves, he can be useful for his strikeout rate and holds.
Andres Munoz Injury Update
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Andres Munoz (shoulder) was activated from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has been sidelined since early April due to a right shoulder strain. He only pitched in three contests before going down, but returned to pitch one inning against the San Diego Padres Tuesday.
His return should take some of the pressure off Paul Sewald. Munoz will probably see save chances, but probably won't be the primary closer in Seattle.
Trevor Rogers Injury Update
Miami Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers (biceps), who tossed five shutout innings on 70 pitches for Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, is scheduled to make his third minor-league rehab start for the Jumbo Shrimp on the weekend of June 9, where he will go six innings. In his first rehab start at Single-A Jupiter on May 30, Rogers threw four scoreless frames. As long as the 25-year-old southpaw doesn't have any setbacks with his left biceps muscle this weekend, he should be ready to rejoin Miami's starting rotation next week.
Rogers has looked good in his four starts so far in 2023, recording a 4.00 ERA (4.12 FIP), 1.22 WHIP, six walks and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. He's rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues right now, so fantasy managers in deep mixed leagues should consider stashing him if you're in need of starting pitching.
Edward Cabrera Injury Update
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (hand) was forced from his start early on Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals due to a blister on his right hand. Cabrera has recently dealt with blister issues, so it seems like a recurrence of that. All things considered, it's good news for his fantasy managers, but it remains to be seen if the blister is serious enough to keep him from making his next start.
Despite leaving early, Cabrera still picked up his fifth win of the season in the team's 6-1 victory by holding the Royals to one run on two hits while walking two and striking out four in five innings of work. The solid performance dropped his season ERA to 4.29 in 13 starts. The 25-year-old Dominican right-hander came into Wednesday's start with a 4.50 ERA (4.20 FIP), 1.43 WHIP, 36 walks and 76 K's in 58 innings over 12 starts.
Mason Miller Injury Update
Oakland Athletics rookie right-hander Mason Miller (elbow) has resumed a throwing program. It's a good start, but Miller has a ways to go before the A's return him to their starting rotation. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect the 24-year-old pitching prospect to be back in the big leagues for at least another month.
He's currently on the 15-day injured list due to a mild UCL sprain in his right elbow. The team's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, was looking solid in his first four major-league starts before the injury, posting a 3.38 ERA (3.10 FIP), 0.98 WHIP, seven walks and 22 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings pitched. Miller is currently rostered in only 16% of Yahoo leagues, but that number will inevitably rise once he's closer to a return.
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