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Dr. Reuven's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 4 of the 2022 MLB season. His medical background helps analyze injured MLB players and their recoveries.
April is over, and it is now four weeks into the baseball season. May should bring the return of many injured players. However, injuries will continue to be an issue for many Major League baseball team as well as your fantasy team. I will continue to highlight players on the IL with their hopeful return timeframe and the next man up.
A little about myself for new 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 15+ years and have a knowledge of orthopedic injuries and their recovery times based on my medical experience. I have also been playing fantasy baseball during that same time period, which has helped me get an advantage in this aspect of fantasy baseball which I hope to share with you.
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MLB Injury List Update
One thing to note for all the fantasy baseball injury news you may hear is what type of IL the players are being placed on. There is still a COVID IL (a few players have already been placed on it). Vaccinated players with close contacts have no minimum stay. Non-vaccinated players still need to stay around seven to 10 days on the IL. The current MLB IL remains at 10 days. Starting this week, the IL will be 10 days for hitters and 15 days for pitchers. One can learn a lot about the players' current injury based on which IL they get put on. Teams will be placing injured players on the 60-day IL to create for themselves more roster flexibility as those players do not count against the active 40-man rosters. More importantly, if a player is hurt and is placed on the 15-day IL, the team then believes that the player will be back sooner than the 60 days, or the mid June.
Also of interest, MLB will allow rosters to have 14 pitchers on their active rosters through May 29, and then the limit of 13 pitchers will take affect. This will go into the thinking of Major League teams when calling up players for injured ones. When picking up and dropping players, keep that in mind.
Injured Hitters for Fantasy Baseball
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF, ATL) - Knee: Acuna was activated off of the IL on April 28. The question that surrounded him when he was coming back was whether he is healthy enough to start stealing right when he comes back. Acuna answered that with two stolen bases in his first game back. He may only play every other day to start until he builds up the stamina to play every day.
Teoscar Hernandez (OF, TOR) - Oblique: Hernandez was placed on the IL with a left oblique strain. This week, he began hitting in the cage against a high-velocity machine. This is the first step to his return but there is still no timetable for his return. Raimel Tapia or Bradley Zimmer will continue to benefit with more playing time for the Blue Jays.
Jose Altuve (2B, HOU)- Hamstring: Altuve was placed on the IL with a strained left hamstring. He is currently on a rehab assignment and is expected to be activated this week, maybe Monday.
Luis Urias (3B, MIL) - Quad: Urias injured his left quad running the bases earlier this spring and is yet to play this season. He is on a rehab assignment and should be activated from the IL this week.
Evan Longoria (3B, SF) - Finger: Longoria was placed on the 10-day IL following surgery to repair a ligament in his right index finger in mid-March. He is participating in baseball activities and started to increase his hitting progression. There is still no timetable for his return. Wilmer Flores will continue to fill in at 3B.
Joc Pederson (OF, SF)- Groin: Pederson may still be placed on the IL with a groin strain. He was diagnosed with a Grade 1 adductor strain. He is not expected to go on the IL immediately and remains day to day right now, but the IL still remains a possibility. Lamont Wade, who is on a rehab assignment for his leg injury, could be activated if Pederson does need to be placed on the IL.
Yoan Moncada (3B, CHW) - Oblique: Moncada was placed on the IL with an oblique strain. Moncada is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.
Eloy Jimenez (OF, CHW)- Hamstring: Jimenez is on the IL with a torn right hamstring. He had surgery this past Tuesday and has a timetable to return around mid June. Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets will get more playing time with Jimenez out.
Wil Myers (OF, SD)- Thumb: Myers aggravated a bruise between his right thumb and index finger during Tuesday's game and was placed on the IL. May 7 is earliest he could return with Matt Beaty possibly seeing more playing time for the Padres.
Kyle Lewis (OF, SEA) - Knee: Lewis was placed on the IL as he continues to come back from knee surgery last year to repair a torn meniscus. He recently began playing in extended spring training games. He still require a minor league rehab stint before the Mariners will activate him.
Alex Kirilloff (OF, MIN)- Wrist: Kirilloff was placed on the IL with a recurrence of the right wrist issues that sidelined him for much of last season. He began a rehab assignment this past week and could be activated as soon as this weekend.
Tyler Stephenson (C, CIN)- Head: Stephenson is on the concussion IL after a collision at home plate with Luke Voit. He is trending in the right direction and could be activated as early as this Tuesday.
Luke Voit (1B, SD)- Biceps: Voit was placed on the IL with a biceps tendon injury. Voit was scheduled to undergo medical testing, but the results of those tests remain unclear. His timeline for his return is not yet clear. Luis Campusano was called up.
Adalberto Mondesi (3B, KC)- Knee: Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore announced on Thursday that Mondesi was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee. He should be done for year, needing surgery. Kyle Isbel was called up and the Royals moved Whit Merrifield back to second base and Nicky Lopez back to shortstop.
David Fletcher (IF, LAA)- Hip: Fletcher is on the IL with a strained left hip. He went through an extensive on-field workout on Thursday this past week and could be activated this weekend. He has already went through a rehab assignment.
Eddie Rosario (OF, ATL)- Eye: Rosario was placed on the IL due to blurred vision and swelling in his right. He required surgery and could out for up to 8 weeks. Ronald Acuna was activated.
Gary Sanchez (C, MIN)- Abdomen: Sanchez has missed the last few games, almost a week, with abdominal tightness and is awaiting the results of an MRI. He may still go on the IL, retroactively. Ryan Jeffers should continue to fill in for him for the Twins.
Miguel Rojas (SS, MIA)- Head: Rojas was diagnosed with a jaw contusion after getting hit in the head with a pitch last night. He is considered day to day.
Garrett Hampson (2B, COL)- Hand: Hampson is on the IL with a bruised right hand. He has started to take batting practice and is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Jacob deGrom (SP, NYM) - Shoulder: deGrom was officially placed on the IL with a stress reaction in his right scapula. deGrom had a new MRI exam and CT scan performed which showed "considerable healing of the stress reaction on his scapula.," The Mets press release said nothing regarding when deGrom might return to throwing, as he has been cleared for "loading and strengthening" work with his shoulder. This is done to build up his shoulder girdle musculature. DeGrom is set to undergo another MRI in approximately three weeks to determine the next steps in his rehab.
Luis Castillo (SP, CIN) - Shoulder: Castillo has been placed on the IL with shoulder soreness. He is expected to need to more rehab starts until he is activated, around mid-May.
James Kaprielian (SP, OAK) - Shoulder: Kaprielian is going through his recovery from AC joint irritation/inflammation and was placed on the IL. He continues to through his rehab assignment with no medical issues.
Mike Clevinger (SP, SD) - Knee: Clevinger is on the IL due to a sore right knee. Clevinger continues his rehab and is up about 80 pitches. He could be activated within the next 10 days.
Blake Snell (SP, SD)- Groin: Snell was placed on the IL with left adductor tightness. Snell has said this injury is "way more minor" than the issue he dealt with in 2021, but he'll still be forced to miss at least one turn through the rotation. Snell threw a simulated game and began his rehab assignment this past Thursday.
Andrew Heaney (SP, LAD)- Shoulder: Heaney was placed on IL with shoulder soreness. He has not yet begun throwing since he was placed on the IL. Tyler Anderson looks to take his place in the Dodgers rotation.
Matt Manning (SP, DET)- Shoulder: Manning was placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Manning has not been cleared to resume throwing since he's still experiencing tightness in his shoulder. There is no timeline for his return.
Casey Mize (SP, DET)- Elbow: Mize is on the IL with a medial collateral sprain or golfers elbow. He has begun a throwing program and must build up his stamina prior to being activated. He still be two to three weeks away from returning.
Lance Lynn (SP, CHW)- Knee: Lynn is on the IL following knee surgery. He is progressing in his throwing program and could return by the end of May.
Hyun Jin Ryu (SP, TOR)- Forearm: Ryu was placed on the IL with left forearm inflammation. He has begun throwing bullpen sessions. He is still expected to advance to live batting practice at some point before returning to game action.
Nick Lodolo (SP, CIN)- Back: Lodolo was placed on the IL with a lower-back strain. He is expected to miss a short period of time as this was done as a precautionary measure. No word form the Reds who will replace him in their rotation.
Alex Cobb (SP, SF)- Groin: Cobb was placed on the IL with a right adductor strain. He recently threw at 70% intensity in a bullpen session this week. He has a Grade 1 strain and the Giants hope that they will be able to activate him this week.
Anthony DeSclafani (SP, SF)- Ankle: Desclafani was placed on the IL with right ankle inflammation. DeSclafani visited an ankle specialist and underwent an MRI, but the test didn't reveal anything more than the inflammation. He will be shut down from throwing for another week and will have to get back up to speed at that point.
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Dylan Floro (RP, MIA)- Shoulder: Floro has been on the IL with shoulder tendonitis. He continues his rehab assignment and should be activated soon.
Ryan Pressly (RP, HOU)- Knee: Pressly was placed on the IL with right knee inflammation. He believes this is why he had a decrease in velocity. Manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday this week that Pressly is "not quite ready" to be activated from the IL. Hector Neris should fill the closer role for the Astros until Pressly returns.
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