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Dr. Reuven's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 19 of the 2021 MLB season. His medical background helps analyze the injured MLB players and their recoveries.
The second half of the baseball season has begun and the trade deadline has come and gone. We are coming up to the stretch run in the baseball season and the fantasy season. Playoff seedings are being determined in the MLB as well as fantasy leagues. Knowing injury timelines is now at a vital part of the fantasy baseball season. Will certain players be back in time to help your team or should he be dropped to clear roster space? Will the injured player you stashed (Mike Trout, Chris Sale, Noah Syndergaard, Carlos Carrasco, Luis Robert...etc) be able to help you in your league or do you take a risk and trade/drop for a non-injured player with less risk? These are questions that have to be answered over the next few weeks.
This week, I continue to highlighted players on the IL with their hopeful return time frame. Some teams still do not give us enough information to have a time frame for a few of the previously injured players on the IL and their hopeful return time frame.
A word about starting pitchers coming back from injury. Due to the fact that there have been a lot of starters getting injured, there has also been an increase in bullpen games by a lot of teams this year. Most commonly, pitchers coming back from injury tend to have a few rehab assignment starts prior to being activated from the IL. This trend may begin to change a little as teams are thinking about possibly having these starters "rehab" in the majors and act as their openers. Knowing this, putting a starting pitcher coming off of an injury back into your lineup right away may not always be the best idea as they may be on a pitch/inning count or have a role in the bullpen initially. Now, let's look at the latest injury breakdown as we enter Week 19 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season.
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Injured Players - New Listings
The new IL listings for this week is shorter. This is due to the fact that the majority of IL placements this week were due to COVID protocols. When players go through the protocols, they could be out a couple of days or as much as 10 days (if COVID positive). This is the guideline one should use when they set their lineups and hear this unfortunate news.
Nico Hoerner- (2B, CHC): Hoerner was placed on the IL with a right oblique strain. Severity is not yet known. David Bote should see more playing time for the Cubs.
Jared Walsh- (1B, LAA): Walsh was placed on the IL with a right intercostal strain. Severity is not yet known. Earliest activation date would be August 6th. Phil Gosselin and Matt Thaiss, who were called up, should fill in at first base for the Angels.
Pete Fairbanks- (RP, TB: Fairbanks was placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation. This is the second time he has landed on the IL with this injury this year, which is concerning. No word on if there is a new injury related to this.
Taylor Rogers- (RP, MIN): Rogers was placed on the IL with a left middle finger sprain. Severity is not yet known. Further test reports are pending. As long as Hansel Robles is still a Twin, he will continue to see the majority of save opportunities.
Trevor Rogers- (SP, MIA): Rogers was placed on the IL with lower-back muscle spasms. Severity is not fully known. Rogers was scheduled to throw a bullpen session this week and his timeline for return will be based on how he feels following this test.
Injured Players - Updates
Jacob deGrom- (SP, NYM): deGrom is on the IL with forearm tightness. He has said that he will not return until the tightness has subsided, which means no current timeframe. He continues to throw bullpen sessions and is scheduled to have a possible rehab assignment begin next week. His MRI was clean.
Francisco Lindor (SS, NYM): Lindor is on the IL with an oblique strain. An MRI showed it to be a grade 2 oblique strain. The Mets have given a timeline of four to five weeks for recovery, which sets Lindor up for an end of August or the first week of September return.
Ian Anderson (SP, ATL): Anderson was placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to July 13. There is no timeline for return yet, but he has been able to start playing catch. He is feeling better and will be re-evaluated in a few days. Touki Toussaint has been filling in for him.
Clayton Kershaw- (SP, LAD): Kershaw was placed on the IL with left forearm inflammation. It was originally called left elbow inflammation, but the MRI revealed forearm inflammation instead. Kershaw will make a rehab start or throw a sim game this Sunday before potentially rejoining the Dodgers rotation next week
Mike Trout- (OF, LAA): Trout has been on the IL with a calf strain. Trout took batting practice and has been doing baseball activities as well as running the bases. Watch for him to start some rehab games soon with a possible return around the beginning of August. The Angels are now considering moving Trout to a corner-outfield spot when he is able to return to action.
Luis Robert- (OF, CHW): Luis Robert was diagnosed with a Grade 3 strain of his right hip flexor and has been on the IL. Robert is currently rehabbing at Triple A. Expect him to be back in one to two weeks.
Luis Severino- (SP, NYY): Severino is currently on the IL rehabbing from Tommy John surgery last year. He then suffered a Grade 2 groin strain during his rehab stint. Luis Severino has been facing hitters and will begin a rehab assignment next week. He is still three to four weeks away from returning barring any setbacks.
Luke Voit- (1B, NYY): Voit is currently on the Il with a knee injury. He was taking live BP off of Luis Severino earlier this week but there is still no timetable for his return.
Chris Sale- (SP, BOS): Sale is on the IL rehabbing from Tommy John surgery last year. Sale has begun a rehab assignment and has done well so far. The Red Sox said he needs two more rehab starts before his is activated from the IL.
Corey Kluber (SP, NYY): Kluber is on the IL with a subscapularis strain, or a shoulder strain. Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that he does not expect Kluber to return from the IL until September. Kluber threw a bullpen session with no lingering issues, which is the first step in the right direction.
Huascar Ynoa- (SP, ATL): Ynoa is on the IL with a broken hand. He is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment this Sunday and could be ready to pitch in the Braves rotation in about two weeks.
Carson Kelly (C, ARI): Kelly is on the IL with a fractured right wrist. He is expected to return this coming week.
Jack Flaherty (SP, STL): Flaherty is on the IL with a left oblique strain. Flaherty has begun a rehab assignment and the Cardinals want to build him up to about 70-75 pitches before they consider activating him. His last rehab outing was 31 pitches.
Corey Dickerson (OF, TOR): Dickerson is on the IL with a foot injury. Dickerson has begun a rehab assignment and could make his Blue Jays debut next week.
Nick Castellanos- (OF, CIN): Castellanos has a right wrist microfracture, as seen on CT scan. He is getting close to baseball activities and there will be a more clear timetable for his return once this process starts.
Zach Eflin- (SP, PHI): Eflin was placed on the IL with right patella tendinitis. Eflin had surgery in 2016 to repair both patellar tendons which makes you think that there is a strong chance that his knee is acting up. The Phillies aren't particularly concerned with the injury, however he did not come out of his bullpen session as the Phillies would have liked. This will push back his activation.
Danny Duffy- (SP, KC): Duffy was placed on the IL with a left flexor strain Tuesday. General manager Dayton Moore expressed confidence in Duffy's ability to pitch again this season and estimated he could return within three to four weeks. Based on the fact that he has been on the IL twice for this issue, I would not be surprised if this is not the case.
Brady Singer- (SP, KC): The Royals placed Singer on the IL this week due to right shoulder fatigue. Royals manager Mike Matheny said that Singer will likely begin a rehab assignment soon.
Garrett Cooper- (1B, MIA): Cooper was placed on the IL this week with a sprained left elbow. An MRI confirmed a partial UCL tear and is set for surgery. Cooper is done for the year. The initial diagnosis and it is unclear when he will be able to return. Jesus Aguilar should benefit with an increase in playing time.
Colin Moran- (1B, PIT): Moran has been on the IL with a fractured left wrist. He began his rehab assignment this past Thursday and could activated this coming week.
Mike Moustakas- (2B, CIN): Moustakas has been on the IL since May 15 with a heel injury. He is finally set for a rehab assignment to start next week. He could be about ten days to two weeks away from activation off of the IL.
Stephen Strasburg- (SP, WAS): Strasburg is on the IL with a neck injury. He required subsequent thoracic outlet surgery, which was performed earlier this week. He is done for the season.
Travis d'Arnaud- (C, ATL): D'Arnaud has been on the IL for two months following surgery on his left thumb for a torn ligament. He was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment this week and could be activated from the IL as earlier as the end of next week. The Braves recently acquired veteran Stephen Vogt but traded backup Alex Jackson, perhaps with the expectation d'Arnaud would be back soon.
Chris Archer- (SP, TB): Archer has been on the IL since the start of the season due to right lateral forearm tightness. He is currently on a rehab assignment and his next start in the minors will be to get Archer to the 75-80 pitch mark. If all goes well, Archer could be activated from the IL within the next ten days to two weeks.
Brandon Belt- (1B, SF): Belt was placed on the IL with an inflamed right knee. Belt has been on the IL for about a month. He is currently on a rehab assignment and could be activated within the next week.
Nick Senzel- (OF, CIN): Senzel is on the IL following knee surgery. He was set to begin his rehab assignment this past Friday. If all goes well, Senzel could be activated from the IL by the end of next week.
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