X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Friday Focus: Everybody Hurts

Kyle Bishop reflects on what the return of baseball means after an...eventful year, in this edition of Friday Focus.

Last week, we talked about the value of a fresh start. Hope spring trainings eternal, and the beginning of a new season always inspires at least some level of optimism for every baseball fan. Maybe your team isn't contending, but even the worst teams have a couple of players or prospects who might take a big step forward, on whom you can dream. And if you're so disgusted by your preferred laundry that you can't gin up excitement for anybody in it, there's always your fantasy squad.

Alas, the fantasy only extends so far; reality must and does begin rudely intruding upon the best laid plans as soon as the games begin to count and be counted. Any number of misfortunes can befall a roster, virtual or in the flesh, throughout the course of a six-month season. (And isn't it nice to be able to say that again?) This is, of course, part of the deal. The year(s) we emerge victorious were necessarily years from hell for at least a handful of our competitors. Nobody ever expects it to be them, until it is.

Some years, your draft is so poor that you never quite recover. In others, you miss out on too many waiver wire gems. And sometimes, you are beset by that most heinous of foes, the dirty rotten scoundrel known as the injury bug.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Injuries Abound

Thus far, I've been quite lucky. Until Ketel Marte came up limping while running out a ground ball on Wednesday night, the only player on any of my rosters to sustain an injury in the opening week of the season was Joakim Soria, out of over 100 possible victims. My IL slots are populated by the likes of Carlos Carrasco, Luke Voit, and Luis Severino, players whose infirmities were known to us when I opted to draft them at reduced prices. Injury stashes are an early-season luxury that can provide an edge later in the year, but only if your roster page doesn't get immediately drenched in red ink.

Many fantasy managers are finding themselves scrambling already as a rash of injuries has cast a pall over the opening sprint. Trevor Rosenthal had thoracic outlet surgery on Thursday. We may not see him again in 2021. James Paxton is headed toward Tommy John. Both Mookie Betts and Paul Goldschmidt have sat out with balky backs, while Aaron Judge missed a game with what the team termed, "side soreness." Mike Soroka and George Springer both had setbacks in their rehab that took the form of injuries to other parts of their bodies than the ones they were rehabbing. Patrick Corbin and Brad Hand are both in COVID protocol. Cody Bellinger got spiked and hasn't played since. Tim Anderson's on the shelf with hamstring tightness. Josh Donaldson didn't even make it through Opening Day, Ke'Bryan Hayes only outlasted him by a game.

And then, of course, there's Fernando Tatis Jr. I drew the first pick in this year's RotoBaller staff redraft league, and considered Tatis before opting for Juan Soto instead. What ultimately tipped the scales was the shoulder subluxation Tatis had suffered late in spring training. Most people heard the reports that it was something he's dealt with for years and breathed a sigh of relief, especially once he quickly returned and hit a home run. For me, that revelation set off alarm bells.

 

Shoulders Are A Burden

Two years ago, while playing beer league softball, I dove to catch a ball in the outfield. My right shoulder slammed into the ground and I felt it, for lack of a better word, crumple. I popped it back into place, finished the game and hit the bar after with only some soreness. I figured I'd escaped anything more serious. Weeks went by and the shoulder didn't get better. The soreness remained, as did a feeling of instability. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with an impingement. "If it doesn't improve in a couple of weeks, come back for a cortisone shot." It didn't. This time, I saw the sports medicine specialist at that clinic, who had me lay down on the table while he reached toward my shoulder. When he saw how I flinched at even a light touch, he immediately told me to get an MRI.

The imaging showed I'd torn my labrum. Repeated dislocations of that shoulder over the course of my life had taken their toll, and that last crash to the ground had shredded the thing. I had a wilderness excursion planned for later in the year, plus a bunch of other stuff I wanted to do that summer, and I'd been playing non-contact sports like volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee since the injury with only occasional, albeit intense pain. The orthopedic surgeon who would eventually insert six screws into my shoulder to stabilize it told me that I could manage the injury, but that without surgery I would almost certainly pop it out again, over and over, until I began to lose bone.

So when I saw the video of Tatis collapsing in the batter's box on Monday night, cradling his arm in the exact same way I had two years prior, my shoulder ached with familiarity. You can live with a labral tear - I did for five months, which is exactly how long I had to spent rehabbing it post-op - but it's a ticking time bomb, and rest is often not enough to prevent it from going boom. Two subluxations in the span of a few weeks means Tatis is highly likely to suffer another, days or weeks or months from now. And the tear in his labrum, while only slight at present, will get worse when that happens. I'm not a doctor, just a dude who messed up his shoulder. But no matter how optimistic the Padres may be, it certainly seems like surgery is a matter of when, not if. The risk of further injury is that significant, and long term he'll be better off for getting scoped.

Provided he gets the surgery before sustaining further damage to the joint (rotator cuff or capsule), Tatis shouldn't have any lingering issues. You don't ever get back to 100%, but 98% is attainable for regular jerks like you and me, let alone a world-class athlete like Tatis. It's simply a matter of whether he can make it through this season intact - and that feels like a long shot. Recall that Adalberto Mondesi tried to rest and rehab in lieu of surgery back in 2019. He missed six weeks, came back for a few games, didn't play well and then reaggravated the injury. It was late September by that point, so he had the procedure. It got lost in the COVID shuffle, of course, but there was a strong possibility he wouldn't have been ready for Opening Day last year if it had happened as scheduled.

All of which is to say, I feel for managers who built their squads around Tatis. I might have been one of you, if not for the hard-earned healthy respect I have for shoulder woes. My colleague Ariel Cohen already went in depth on your options moving forward. I'd recommend the risk-averse approach, myself. Even if he can play through it, there's no guarantee he'll be the same player. His power might be sapped, or he might avoid stealing bases. It's difficult to recall a top-five pick suffering a potential season-ending injury in recent history, and there's no other way to say it: It sucks. Let's all hope for fewer injuries moving forward, that our fates might be decided by our own competence or lack thereof rather than cruel, inveterate chance.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Bobby Witt Jr.

Exits Early on Friday
Xavier Worthy

Injures Shoulder Early in Brazil, Questionable to Return
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Placed on Injured List With Quad Strain
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched on Friday With Back Tightness
Jayden Reed

Questionable to Play in Season Opener
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Questionable for Season Opener With Calf Issue
Tyreek Hill

Cleared for Week 1
Rasmus Hojgaard

Finishes Tied For Second at Omega European Masters
Tyrrell Hatton

Finishes Tied for 32nd at LIV Indianapolis
Matt Fitzpatrick

Finishes Fifth at Omega European Masters
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied For Second in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Xander Schauffele

Finishes 42nd in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched From Friday's Start for Undisclosed Reasons
Christian Kirk

Ruled Out for Week 1
Shohei Ohtani

Returning to the Mound on Friday
Kyle Finnegan

Lands on Injured List With Adductor Strain
Aaron Judge

Returns to Right Field on Friday
De'Von Achane

Without Injury Designation Heading Into Week 1
Christian McCaffrey

Seen Working on Side Field During Friday's Practice
Malik Nabers

Cleared to Play on Sunday
Willson Contreras

' Suspension Reduced, to Start Serving it on Friday
Kodai Senga

Mets Send Kodai Senga to Triple-A to Get Right
Chris Godwin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 1
Malik Nabers

' Reps Limited Friday Due to "Tight" Back
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card
Axel Sola

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Saquon Barkley

Scores Touchdown in Low-Yardage Outing
Jalen Hurts

Rushes for Two Touchdowns on Thursday
Javonte Williams

Salvages Inefficient Outing With Two Touchdowns
CeeDee Lamb

110-Yard Game Marred by Four Drops
Will Shipley

Questionable to Return on Thursday Night
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Expected to Return on Friday
Micah Parsons

Expected to Play in Week 1
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Exits With Knee Contusions
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Limited With Calf Injury
Justin Jefferson

Not on Week 1 Injury Report
Omarion Hampton

to Start Against Chiefs on Friday
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Najee Harris

Off the Final Injury Report, Will Play in Week 1
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Christian Kirk

Expected to be Sidelined in Week 1, Could Miss More Time
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP