Evan Gattis is one of several notable players to start the new season on the DL
On last week’s edition of the Injury Report, I touched on the most relevant fantasy injuries for upcoming drafts. Now that the season is finally here, here is a short list of players who find themselves on the sidelines for Opening Day.
Get free start/sit and waiver wire advice for your fantasy team 
- Evan Gattis (HOU-DH)
The big news on Sunday was that Evan Gattis would begin the 2016 season on the sidelines as he continues to recover from hernia surgery he had back in February. He should be back relatively soon, but the Astros want him to get extra at-bats before making his season debut. Preston Tucker looks to benefit the most while Gattis is out.
- Tommy Pham (STL-OF)
Tommy Pham got his first Opening Day start of his career on Sunday, but it lasted only one at-bat as he left early due to an oblique issue. Pham will be re-evaluated on Monday to see if it is an oblique strain. If it is a strain, this could sideline him for a good chunk of April. Matt Holliday will likely slide back to his old left field spot which will open up potential starts for both Matt Adams and Brandon Moss at first. Adams has the higher upside than Moss due to his on-base capabilities, while they both provide power.
- A.J. Pollock (ARI-OF)
Pollock made the injury report last week as he had some elbow soreness. The news got worse for Pollock this weekend when he re-injured his elbow. Tests found that he had a broken elbow. Pollock is hopeful to return in 2016 after surgery, but I think that’s a lofty goal to have considering the projected recovery. In his absence, it seems as Socrates Brito will be in a platoon role with Chris Owings in center. Owings is the veteran player who can play superb defense, but Brito would be more impactful with his bat. Keep an eye on this situation and stash Brito (if you haven’t already) on your bench if you have the room.
- Yasmani Grandal(LAD-C)
Clayton Kershaw’s personal catcher, A.J. Ellis, should see the bulk of the catching duties early on, as Grandal is working his way back from right forearm soreness. Grandal is expected to return in a little under two weeks so it’s probably not worth it to pick up Ellis. Ellis is a light-hitting catcher, so even if Grandal missed extended time, there probably are better options available.
- Jarrod Dyson (KC-OF)
Dyson missed the opener on Sunday night due to a right oblique strain. Although he should return in about 2-3 weeks, this opens up some playing time in right field for the Royals. The lefty Reymond Fuentes saw the start Sunday night against a righty and went hitless in three at-bats. It looks like the Royals will platoon Fuentes with Paulo Orlando for the time being.
- Cameron Maybin(DET-OF)
He fractured his wrist on a hit by pitch in early spring training. It’s still unclear as to when Maybin will play in the outfield for the Tigers, but Detroit is optimistic that he will return in late April or early May. It looks like Anthony Gose will see time again in center field, but he doesn’t really offer a lot of upside outside of stolen bases. Gose was given the opportunity to be the everyday center fielder last year and did not perform to expectations. If Gose happens to lead-off, he would have to be considered for DFS purposes.
- Carson Smith (BOS-RP)
Smith was only worth a look if you play in leagues where holds is a category as he was going to fit nicely in the seventh inning for the Boston Red Sox. Now, they are very unsure about what Smith’s contributions will be this year as he continues to recover from a strained forearm suffered during Spring Training. This news really affects the streaming potential of the Red Sox 2-5 starters as it’s one less guy the Sox could count on to close out games. It will be tougher for guys like Clay Buchholz to get a win if he only goes five or six innings. I doubt that this news will affect David Price’s production, but it is something to note if the Red Sox bullpen becomes overworked.
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.
