RADIO
Sprains, strains, and surgeries. These three words make chills run down the spine of even the most hardened fantasy owner. They're the little “what if” clauses hanging over every fantasy season, those things you can't really predict no matter how much pre-draft research you do. Like it or not, being able to properly deal with injuries is one of the main separators between casual fantasy players and league champions. Given the importance of this aspect of the game, I'll be devoting a weekly column to discussing the latest injury updates pertaining to the fantasy community for RotoBaller readers.
A disclaimer before we get started: the sheer size of the fantasy baseball player pool means I won't be able to discuss every injury that might affect teams out there. Furthermore, this article will be tailored towards standard leagues. I'll do my best to cover all the important names, but some guys are going to be inevitably left out. When they are, feel free to bring them up in the comments section below. I'm always happy to chat if there's a player you need to know more about.
Week One Injuries
Brantley experienced problems with lower back stiffness through much of Spring Training. The Indians obviously thought they were out of the woods when they penciled Brantley into their starting lineup on Opening Day, but he seems to have experienced a setback. He was scratched from the lineup on Wednesday and his prognosis going forward is day-to-day. So far the condition doesn't seem overly serious, but it is one worth monitoring closely considering how highly Brantley was taken in most drafts.
Braun has missed his last two games because of a strained rib cage muscle. The Brewers have not made any indication that this injury will warrant a DL-stint, however, so expect to see Braun back in the starting lineup in the next day or two.
A right flexor strain will keep Nathan out of commission through at least late April, according to MLB reporting. Joakim Soria has been named the closer in his absence and should be a strong source of saves going forward. Considering how ineffective Nathan was last season, Soria stands a chance of even holding the role after Nathan returns.
An MRI on Mejia's elbow thankfully showed no structural damage to the ligaments. The damage was sufficient to land Mejia on the DL, however. In his absence Jeurys Familia is the most likely candidate for saves opportunities, although it is quite possible the Mets elect to go with a closer-by-committee approach instead.
Ventura's condition doesn't look like anything serious. He was forced to exit his first start of the year early due to a right thumb cramp, but it's unlikely this will be something that will affect him going forward.
“He’ll just hydrate a lot more next time out,” Manager Ned Yost told the Kansas City Star. “It’s as simple as that, I believe.”
Yost added that Ventura's next start will be Sunday afternoon at Angels Stadium, as previously scheduled.
The good news is the Giants haven't made any indication that Belt is DL-bound. The bad news is that we don't really know all that much about the severity of his condition outside of the fact that it's a groin strain. Whatever the nature of the injury is, it forced an early exit from Tuesday's game and kept Belt out of Wednesday's starting lineup. For now, the young first baseman's condition is day-to-day. We'll just have to wait and see how long it takes him to return.
Another Giant, another good news, bad news scenario. The good news: Cain doesn't look like he'll require Tommy John surgery. The bad news is that he has a right flexor tendon strain that should put him out of action at least through April. Whether he'll be ready to return once May rolls around is a more difficult question. Cain's elbow has been the source of much focus for Giants fans. The organization hoped that offseason surgery to remove bone spurs would solve the problems. This latest setback sadly proves otherwise.
Ongoing Injury Updates
According to Matt Williams, the Nationals' star second baseman is still a ways away from a return after the left knee MCL sprain he suffered during Spring Training.
“As far as Anthony goes, he’s still doing straight line forward and backward exercises,” Williams told CBS. “And he’s a week-to-week type evaluation. So at the end of every week, we evaluate where he’s at and create new protocol for him to do to increase all of the exercises that he needs to do to get him back doing baseball activities.”
“That’s a tough injury,” he added. “So when it is healed, it’s healed, and then we can start him back on his progress to get back to playing.”
Early May looks like a safe date to project for Rendon's return to the lineup, although he could return earlier if his rehab progresses well going forward.
A right foot fracture has held the Sox ace from the starting rotation up until this point in the season. That looks to change very soon though. The team says it expects him to make his first start of the season on April 12th, great news to hear for fantasy owners who are more than ready for his help.
The Nationals have targeted April 13th as a return date for their star outfielder. He's currently on a rehab assignment with their Class A affiliate and if all goes well we should see him back with the big league club very soon.
Wieters is working on throwing drills at the moment, according to MLB. It's been a long road back from last year's Tommy John surgery, but the end seems to be in sight. The Orioles seem to think he'll be back in early May so fantasy owners can look forward to getting his bat back in the lineup soon.
Richards is expected to pitch in a minor league intrasquad game this Thursday, according to the Orange County Register. If that start goes well, all that would be between him and the Angels starting rotation is a final rehab start on April 14th with the Angels minor league affiliate.
The A's closer could be back as soon as late May, although early June may be more likely. Meanwhile, Tyler Clippard will be the primary source of saves for the A's and for fantasy owners.
Jansen is currently working his way back into the Dodgers lineup after offseason foot surgery. He's progressed to playing catch this week so things look to be going well. Provided Jansen doesn't experience any major setbacks, he should be ready to rejoin the Dodger's bullpen in mid-May.
Hyun-Jin Ryu
Ryu landed on the DL with left shoulder tightness. Any time you hear of a shoulder injury for a pitcher, it's a scary thing. In Ryu's case, however, it doesn't look too serious. He's a good candidate to rejoin the Dodgers rotation in mid-to-late May.
