Evan Gattis is expected to return from injury early this week
With a full week in the books, it’s time to take a look of who is injured and who you could add to your fantasy team as a result.
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Evan Gattis (HOU-DH)
Gattis has begun his rehab assignment and should be able to return soon, perhaps as early as the team’s upcoming series against the Royals. If somehow he got overlooked in your draft, pick him up immediately, as he should be back this week.
Lance McCullers (HOU-SP)
Another Astro who could be back soon is McCullers. He is expected to make his first rehab start Monday. Keep an eye on McCullers and stash him on your bench if you have that flexibility. McCullers had a 3.32 ERA in his rookie season and looks to build on his success in 2016.
Ender Inciarte (ATL-OF)
Inciarte had left hamstring tightness on Friday and was not in the starting lineup on Saturday or Sunday. He was ultimately sent to the 15-day DL by the team. Drew Stubbs has started in place of Inciarte. Stubbs typically is only good against lefties, but did take Adam Wainwright deep on Sunday. If you’re in a deep league, Stubbs could be worth a look.
Kyle Schwarber (CHC-OF)
The biggest injury news of the week was without a doubt that involving Kyle Schwarber. The slugger will miss the remainder of the 2016 season with a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. Schwarber sustained this injury in a game against the Diamondbacks when he and Dexter Fowler collided. This means that Jorge Soler and Matt Szczur will see more action. The Cubs had Kris Bryant in right field and Tommy La Stella at third base recently, so it will be interesting to see what Joe Madden does with his lineup day-to-day.
Daniel Nava (LAA-OF)
Nava left the game the other day with a laceration on his left hand. X-rays were negative and he was cleared to swing but not throw. Nava isn’t expected to be out long, but in the meantime, Craig Gentry should see more starts. Like most Angels hitters, Gentry isn’t very good and should remain on the waiver wire.
Carl Crawford (LAD-OF)
Crawford suffered lower back pain last week that was painful enough to land him on the disabled list. In his absence, a combination of Trayce Thompson, Scott Van Slyke, and even Kike Hernandez will likely fill in. Van Slyke left the game on Saturday and was not in the starting lineup on Sunday. His status is still unknown right now. These players really don’t have much value except in deep leagues and DFS, though Thompson would carry upside if given consistent playing time.
Ben Revere (WAS-OF)
Revere was injured in game one of the season due to an oblique strain. He was placed on the disabled list and his timetable to return is unknown. Michael Taylor has been filling in so far while Revere has been out. Taylor has started four games in the leadoff spot and has gone 1-for-17. While he’s gotten off to a slow start, Taylor possesses a solid power/speed combo as displayed in 2015.
Adam Jones (BAL-OF)
There isn’t much news about Jones’ rib cage injury, but it’s become more alarming now that he has missed three straight games. This could be a situation where Jones’ injury does not go away and he is retroactively placed on the disabled list. It could also be the Orioles giving the veteran plenty of time to heal considering their recent stretch playing through colder weather. Joey Rickard has benefitted the most with Jones being out, as he’s played in all five of the team’s games thus far. Rickard has hit well, going 8-for-20 with a home run. He’s also recently moved up in the order with Jones’ absence, but it’s not clear if this will remain to be the case moving forward. If Rickard is still available on your waiver wire, go grab him.
Robinson Chirinos (TEX-C)
Chirinos suffered a fractured right forearm and was immediately placed on the 60-day disabled list. He’s expected to miss 10-to-12 weeks due to the injury. The newly acquired Bryan Holaday will see the majority of the time behind the plate for the Rangers. It’s still unknown if the Rangers will try and trade for a catcher, considering they don’t have much depth at the position. Even with regular playing time, Holaday’s upside is limited given his career totals.
Shin-Soo Choo (TEX-OF)
Another Rangers’ player who was placed on the disabled list recently is Choo. He was sent to the 15-day disabled list and is expected to be back by the middle of next month. Choo’s injury is a pretty big blow to this offense as they were just starting to gel. Top prospect Nomar Mazara was called up to replace Choo. He batted second on Sunday and is worth taking a flyer on if Prince Fielder continues to hit behind him in the order.
Nick Tasso is a correspondent at FantasyPros. Find his other work at FantasyPros here. He also contributes toDaily Fantasy Cafe. Follow him on Twitter @theinefficient2.
