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

The Fantasy Injury Exam Room - deGrom, Gallo and More

Scott Engel and Inside Injuries look into recent MLB player injuries and analyze their fantasy baseball implications including Jacob deGrom, Joey Gallo amd more.

In our weekly feature in collaboration with Inside Injuries, we take a comprehensive look into major injuries and their Fantasy implications.

The medical team at Inside Injuries breaks down each player’s outlook from physical perspectives. RotoBaller then provides in-depth fantasy recommendations based on the impact of every injury breakdown. It’s an unrivaled combination of medical and fantasy expertise, designed to help you gain a true advantage in your roster management.

Inside Injuries predicts the impact of injuries on player performance by using data analytics, medical expertise and statistical modeling.

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

 

Andrew McCutchen

The Phillies have lost Andrew McCutchen for the season. The outfielder got caught in a rundown and just took a wrong step, leading to the non-contact knee injury. An MRI on Tuesday confirmed an ACL tear that will require season-ending surgery. McCutchen knew something was wrong right away as he wasn’t able to put much weight on his knee, and left the stadium on crutches. He hoped that he avoided ligament damage and had something more minor like a meniscus tear, but that wasn’t the case. He now faces a roughly nine month recovery but should be ready at the start of the 2020 season.

Engel’s Fantasy Analysis

Top prospect Adam Haseley was expected to refine his game more at Triple-A in preparation for a possible promotion later this year. But he has already been inserted as the replacement starter in center field for the Phillies. He has the potential to hit for a respectable average with some pop and speed, but he hardly spent any time at Triple-A and was not quite ready to be pushed to the Majors yet. He is only an add in NL monoleagues right now. Bryce Harper is not an option to play CF and we will have to see if the Phillies acquire another outfielder to plug their hole at the position the rest of the way. Haseley is the future, but could be overmatched in the present. Fantasy owners were getting fine OF production from McCutchen and will likely now have to make a trade to compensate in the lineup unless the roster depth is good enough to overcome the loss.

 

Carlos Correa

The strangest injury so far this season was suffered by Carlos Correa. He suffered a rib fracture while getting a massage in his home last week and has been placed on the I.L. Correa said that he felt a crack and had pain when doing simple everyday things like breathing and walking. He told the team and was sent for scans. An MRI showed the fracture. Now Correa is expected to miss four to six weeks, which is in line with our five week Optimal Recovery Time.

Even before this rib injury, our algorithm had Correa in the High Injury Risk Category (IRC). He played 110 games last season and 109 the season before due to lower back and oblique tightness (2018), a torn left thumb ligament (2017), and a right hand contusion (2017). His back continued to be a major concern heading into the season, and it’s possible he had some weakness around his ribs already that lead to his latest problem. Correa needs to very slowly work his way back once his rib is pain-free. He could cause a more serious injury such as an oblique strain if he tries to return before his rib is fully healed.

Engel’s Fantasy Analysis

Jack Mayfield was called up from the minors as a plug-in for the injury-depleted Astros. At best, Mayfield will hit for a respectable average and can offer some occasional power. But replacing Correa via any free agency move is simply not going to cut it, obviously. If you can plug and play overall offensively, even at other positions, for the month-plus Correa is gone, you can stay afloat in your standings until he returns.

 

Hunter Dozier

The Royals placed Dozier on the I.L. with thorax tightness in his right side. He hasn’t played since last Thursday and is eligible to return on June 10. The good news here is that while his Injury Risk did increase, he is now Elevated (19%), not High Risk. His Health Performance Factor (HPF) is Below Average (60%) but should improve pretty quickly over the next week. Thorax tightness is really chest tightness to the pecs or lat muscles, so there is likely a mild strain that needs a week or two to heal. Unless there’s something more serious going on that the Royals haven’t revealed, this shouldn’t be a long-term concern.

Engel’s Fantasy Analysis

Dozier had been operating as a terrific corner infield value before his injury. This report indicates he won’t be out for too long, and even if his batting average regresses some, he should continue to be a quality source of power and run production. Dozier is showing why he was a former high MLB draft choice and is erasing considerable doubts that existed about him before the 2019 season.

 

 

Jacob deGrom

deGrom exited his last start on Saturday night early due to a hip cramp. He had thrown just 66 pitches heading into the seventh inning but ended the night with 89 pitches through 6.2 innings. deGrom said he incurred a hip cramp on his right side as he was arising from a squat but was fine to continue despite being evaluated briefly by the Mets medical staff. The discomfort lingered and eventually forced him to leave the game. Fortunately this seemed like a precautionary move as the Mets wanted to protect their ace. Our algorithm is showing a soft tissue injury, which is the most minor classification. This one comes with a one week Optimal Recovery Time. It makes sense for the Mets to push his next start back a day or two to give his hip a few extra days to calm down, but this isn’t a serious concern going forward. Right now deGrom has an Elevated (20%) Injury Risk and an Above Average (68%) Health Performance Factor. These numbers should significantly improve if he waits to return until the weekend.

Engel’s Fantasy Analysis

deGrom has not been as dominant as he was last season, and some of his struggles at times have been attributed to mechanical issues. If this issue does affect his mechanics or approach, he could possibly be headed for a bumpy outing in his next turn. This does not sound like a major problem overall, but could still potentially lead to some performance concerns.

 

Aaron Judge

It’s been six weeks since Judge landed on the I.L. with a significant oblique strain, and he finally seems to be making some progress. When he initially got hurt we warned that this is a very slow injury to heal and the recovery is tricky. It doesn’t take much to aggravate an oblique injury. That’s why he was given a 5-7 week Optimal Recovery Time, and then after hitting this mark it takes a few additional weeks to ramp up baseball activities and go on a rehab assignment. Judge has progressed to hitting in the cage but doesn’t seem to be doing anything at full speed just yet. The Yankees haven’t provided a clear timeline to return, but if all goes well it could be before the All Star break. Our algorithm is still showing a very concerning IRC of 53%, so he needs to make sure he doesn’t do too much too fast. Swinging the bat places a lot of stress on the oblique, so with the slightest bit of tightness or pain he would need to shut things down again. By slowly ramping up his activities he should be able to avoid a setback because his oblique should be close to fully healed at this point.

Engel’s Fantasy Analysis

Judge’s return does not seem imminent, but this latest report seems encouraging for him helping your Fantasy team during the second half of the season. The indication that he is not likely to suffer another setback should be reassuring for the longer term.

Joey Gallo

Gallo landed on the I.L. this week after suffering an oblique strain during an at-bat on Saturday. While the team hasn’t reported the severity of the strain, oblique strains are tough injuries to recover from in just a few weeks, even the minor ones. In the case of Judge, there was no indication early on that his absence would approach two months, but here we are at that point. Right now we are showing a three week Optimal Recovery Time for a mild strain, but Gallo’s ORT jumps to five weeks if it’s a more serious strain. Because of how easy it is to aggravate the oblique, his Injury Risk is High (35%). Don’t expect him back after the minimum 10 days, and if he somehow returns that quickly it won’t take much for him to get hurt again.

Engel’s Fantasy Analysis

The Gallo owner may have to now take the uncomfortable mental approach that Judge’s did when he went down. You cannot expect to see him back in action any time soon and must at least take solace in the fact he can return to help your team at some point later this season. In the interim, Gallo is so tough to replace as he was coming through with the best season of his career so far. You will have to possibly compensate with more than one significant roster move (such as tradew) to replace a good chunk of his power.

 

Zach Eflin

Eflin was placed on the I.L. after lasting just 3 2/3 innings during his last start. He is dealing with mid-back tightness, a new problem for the starting pitcher. Eflin started to experience tightness and mild spasms earlier in the week and tried to pitch through it. That was not a good idea, especially for a pitcher who was placing a lot of stress on the back every time he delivered a pitch.

Right now our algorithm is showing a two week Optimal Recovery Time, so Eflin may only need to miss a start or two as he recovers. If Eflin did happen to cause a strain by playing through the initial tightness, his ORT would jump to four weeks. Right now there’s no indication that this is a more serious injury, though, and by taking the time now to rest he should be able to avoid a setback like this. The tightness leads to spasms, which are painful and difficult to play through. Rest will solve the problem as long as there isn’t an underlying disc issue.

Engel’s Fantasy Analysis

Eflin was contributing as a serviceable Fantasy option before he was injured, but advanced statistical indicators seemed to point to regression soon. You obviously did not invest much in Eflin, so he should not be difficult to replace on your Fantasy staff while he is out. If he continues to overachieve when he returns, take what you can get from him while you can.

 

Dee Gordon

Gordon hasn’t played since May 20 due to a deep bone bruise in his right wrist. He was initially hurt when he was hit by a pitch on May 9th, and it didn’t get better as he tried to play through it. This injury is less severe than a fracture, but it still needs multiple weeks to heal. The Inside Injuries algorithm classified this as a grade 2 injury that comes with a three week Optimal Recovery Time. Because Gordon tried to play through it, this 3 week timeline didn’t begin when he was hurt in the first place. It starts on May 20 when he was shut down, so his Healthy to Return Date is June 10. Gordon’s HPF is still Below Average at 59% and his strength will continue to be a concern over the next few weeks, but he should be back at Above Average pretty soon. He has been taking grounders and hitting in the batting cage, so he could be cleared for a short rehab assignment later in the week. Gordon is right on track.

Engel’s Fantasy Analysis

You apparently will not be without Gordon for much longer. In the meantime, teammate Mallex Smith may be available as a free agent and can fill the speed need at least temporarily. Smith should improve too, after some early struggles, and having the duo of him and Gordon could really boost you in the stolen base department overall.

More 2019 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

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF