As families gathered on Sunday to celebrate the holiday weekend and millions of children around the world searched for easter eggs, fantasy baseball owners were treated to the rude surprise of injuries to multiple high-profile players, including Miguel Cabrera, Zach Britton, Hanley Ramirez, and Rich Hill.
Some of the injuries sustained this past weekend and over the last week of action appear to be mild, while others, like the forearm injury to Zach Britton, could linger well into the season.
Here are a few of the fantasy baseball relevant injuries we are tracking as we kick off week three of the season.
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A tailing 95-mph fastball from Taijuan Walker careened off the batting helmet of Buster Posey, forcing the three-time World Series Champion to spend a stint on the seven-day concussion disabled list.
Posey was clearly shaken by the impact of the pitch and reported concussion-related symptoms the following week. To the surprise and hope of cautious Giants fans, Posey is already working out and taking ground balls before games, with the intention of returning to action Tuesday against the Kanas City Royals.
But that was the similar response when Joe Panik suffered a concussion on a hit-by-pitch last season. Panik returned to action after missing minimal time, only to be hindered off and on for the remainder of the season. Posey owners may want to look for a viable long-term replacement option, as it is not out of the realm of possible outcomes for Posey to have lingering effects going forward.
The significant injury risk of Hill was indeed built into his ADP this season, as a player with top five pitching ability is usually taken much higher than the ninth round. But for those poor souls who invested in the delicate southpaw, myself included, the risk/reward of drafting Hill may have been underestimated as Hill left his second start of the year with a blister injury on his throwing hand.
Blisters for pitchers are like hamstrings for wide receivers in that they are lingering injuries that can flare up repeatedly. In the case of Hill, he spent over a month on the disabled list last year with a blister before tearing up the league as part of the Dodgers’ playoff push.
Perhaps an extended DL stay is the best course of action for the 37-year-old starter, which will give him enough time to heal from the current blister. Not great news for fantasy owners, but likely the best option for Hill from a real-life baseball perspective.
Noah Syndergaard could not be any more different of a pitcher than Rich Hill. Thor is a young, hard-throwing righty with long hair and an imposing presence on the mound, while Hill is an old, clean-cut lefty that makes his money using a killer breaking ball.
One way that they are similar is the fact that both pitchers have been limited by finger injuries to start the 2017 season, and both pitchers have left multiple starts this season due to their respective ailments.
But unlike Hill, Syndergaard does not have an extensive history with blister problems and does not pose the same long-term risk. In his latest malady, Syndergaard left his start against the Marlins on Saturday with two split fingernails on his right hand. You read that correctly, a 6-4 242-pound beast of a man who owns a nickname from a Norse God was forced to leave his start due to a cuticle injury.
All joking aside, the blister and fingernail issues that have hampered Thor at the onset of the season could be a long-term cause of concern. I am considering trying to buy low on Thor from a scared owner looking to receive 80 cents on the dollar from a second-round pick that is causing some regret.
The same back ailment that forced Miggy to leave the World Baseball Classic early reared its ugly head on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland. After launching an RBI single in the eighth inning against the Indians, the future Hall of Fame first baseman came up limp extending his single into a double. At age 33 and with 7,890 plate appearances under his belt, Miggy could be finally entering the decline of his career.
There are no plans on placing Cabrera on the DL and manager Brad Ausmus planned on resting Miggy on Monday when the team heads south to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays. It appears as though rest and care are the remedies for Cabrera, which is not exactly something fantasy owners want to hear when they are missing their starting first baseman.
He surprised owners last year with 38 home runs after failing to reach 20 in 2015. Unlike Thor, I am looking to sell Miggy to anyone who will give 75 cents on the dollar. I recommend doing the same if you own the aging slugger.
Ramirez left Sunday’s game with what the team is calling a leg cramp. The injury is not believed to be serious, and the veteran DH plans to play on Monday.
The Astros dodged a bullet with starting shortstop Carlos Correa, who left Saturday’s game against the Athletics with a hand injury on a hit-by-pitch.
X-rays turned out to be negative, and team doctors diagnosed Correa with a right-hand contusion. Although he was not in the lineup on Sunday, the prognosis of his return to action in the short term looks positive.
Staying in the American League West and with the shortstop position, Marcus Semien of the Oakland Athletics was placed on the 10-day DL with a right wrist contusion. Semien told reporters that the injury has been hindering him since Spring Training and the team will have him undergo tests on Monday to discover any fractures or ligament damage.
Although Semien is batting under the Mendoza line, he has been surprisingly patient at the plate with a crazy 21.7% walk rate through his first 11 games. He is eligible to return from the disabled list on April 25, but I wouldn’t be surprised if his injury keeps him out longer.
Manager John Gibbons and Toronto Blue Jays fans are scrambling for an imaginary reset button after the team from the North is off to a disappointing 2-10 record. Not much has gone right for the birds, and the addition of Josh Donaldson and Aaron Sanchez to the disabled list will not make things better.
A lingering right calf injury forced Donaldson to the DL for the first time in his career after the nagging injury flared up on Thursday. As of now, the plan is to rest Donaldson to give his injured heal a chance to get better, but the question is how long can a scuffling team be without one of its top players.
Forearm tightness in his throwing arm forced Britton to be placed the 10-day DL on Sunday, opening the door for Brad Bach to likely assume the closing role for the Orioles. A forearm injury can be a bad omen for a pitcher, as others who have reported that type of issue eventually deal with more significant elbow issues.
It is too early in the process to make assumptions like that, and a short stay on the DL may be all that Britton needs. But this could be a sign of more problems to come, and the red flag for Britton owners has been placed next to his name on fantasy rosters.
The Cincinnati Reds now have four of their starting pitchers on the disabled list with the addition of Finnegan on Sunday. Finnegan is dealing with shoulder inflammation and will not likely throw until May.
Manager Bryan Price told the Associated Press, “We can realistically expect him to be back here in a few weeks, but it’s not going to be one or two weeks, and he’ll be back in the mix. At least two to three weeks of rest. This is something they can re-scan and check on the healing and decide if he can start throwing.”
Fantasy owners in deep leagues may want to hold Finnegan if possible, while those is shallow leagues may want to cut bait for another mid-level pitching option.
Updating Existing Injuries
Jason Kipnis (2B – CLE): Shoulder Inflammation
Kipnis began a rehab assignment on April 15.
Trea Turner (SS – WAS): Hamstring
Close to returning. Running sprints and taking batting practice.
David Price (SP – BOS): Left forearm strain
Price threw a side session on Saturday and will likely face live batters in practice this week.
Garrett Richards (SP – LAA): Right Biceps Strain
Not cleared to throw and underwent cervical spine MRI last week.
Matt Kemp (OF – ATL): Hamstring
Placed on DL retroactive to April 8th.
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Andrew Swanson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive or follow him @andyswansonESPN.
