For the second week in a row fantasy owners were hit with numerous injuries to marquee players, as Houston Astros outfielder George Springer was placed on the DL with a hamstring strain and David Price has been put on the shelf by the Boston Red Sox due to inflammation in his troublesome left elbow.
Springer, the No. 5 ranked outfielder in Yahoo leagues, strained his left leg while getting his cleat caught in the fence in Philadelphia earlier in the week. The team does not believe the injury to be significant and the plan is to be cautious with the All-Star outfielder, especially because the Astros own a commanding lead in the AL West as the month of July comes to a close.
The elbow trouble that has haunted Price since Spring Training flared up once again for the hard-throwing lefty, who was placed on the 10-day DL on July 28th (retroactive to July 25th). On a positive note, Price believes the discomfort he felt with the latest injury is not as severe as the strain that caused him to miss the first month of the season.
Here are a few other injuries that we are tracking from the previous week of action.
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Troy Tulowitzki (SS – TOR)
Ligament damage in his right ankle forced Tulo the 10-day disabled list on July 29th. The former All-Star shortstop will likely miss more time than just 10 days, with the real question of whether or not he will return to the field at all this season.
Tulo is set to see a specialist on Sunday to take further tests to determine the severity of the injury. With an unknown timetable and possible season-ending surgery as options for the Blue Jays, Tulo may spend the rest of the season on the bench.
Matt Kemp (OF – ATL)
No stranger to hamstring strains, Kemp has once again been placed on the 10-day DL with a hammy issue. It is the third time this season the veteran outfielder has dealt with hamstring issues, with the first time resulting in only one rehab game and the required 10-day stint on the disabled list.
He played through his second hamstring strain, missing two games before the All-Star break to rest and recover. His latest strain required a trip to the DL, and it is unclear how much time this ailment will force him to miss.
Despite missing time throughout the year due to injuries, Kemp has been a viable fantasy player in all formats, with a .290 batting average, 14 home runs, and 48 runs batted in. Owners looking for short-term replacements might want to consider Cory Spangenberg or Gerardo Parra, two hitters who have been hot of late and are owned in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
Robbie Ray (SP – ARI)
A line drive off the bat of St. Louis Cardinal first baseman Luke Volt struck Ray on the side of the head in a scary scene at Busch Stadium on Friday night. Fortunately, a CT scan and X-ray on Ray’s head came back clean, and no damage beyond a concussion was determined for the southpaw pitcher.
With that said, concussions are serious, and the Diamondbacks placed the starting pitcher on the seven-day concussion disabled list. It is unknown at this time if Ray will require more than just seven games to recover from his head injury. Some players like Buster Posey have returned without issue, while others, like former Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, have missed an extended period due to post-concussion symptoms.
Zack Wheeler (SP – NYM)
Wheeler is the latest of a long line of Mets players to deal with injuries in 2017, as a stress injury to his right pitching arm resulted in a trip to the DL. On a positive note, the stress injury is located in the humerus bone in his arm, not his surgically-repaired elbow in which he underwent Tommy John surgery two years ago.
His return to action is to be determined at this time. Owners in deep leagues should consider stashing him on the bench, but in most leagues, Wheeler can be dropped for other options.
Ian Desmond (1B/OF – COL)
A disappointing first season with the Rockies continued to go south for Ian Desmond, who was placed on the 10-day DL with a calf injury, the second time he has been placed on the shelf with the ailment. Desmond missed most of the first month of the season after going under the knife for a fractured wrist.
The two-time All Star has managed just 242 at-bats this season, with a respectable .285 batting average and 32 runs batted in. Do not drop Desmond, as he has been productive enough playing in Denver in limited action and could be a difference maker down the stretch. Let’s just hope he can avoid any further issues in the final two months of the season.
Updating Previous Injuries
Clayton Kershaw (SP – LAD) Back tightness
Kershaw played limited catch on July 28th but is still expected to miss four-to-six weeks due to lower -back tightness. The sizable lead for the Dodgers in the NL West could afford Dave Roberts and the coaching staff the liberty to give Kershaw as much time as needed to rest for the playoffs.
Johnny Cueto (SP – SF) Fingers
Cueto tossed a 45-pitch bullpen session and will make a minor league rehab start on Monday or Tuesday.
Stephen Strasburg (SP – WAS) Elbow
After waiting a few days, the Nationals decided to play it safe with Strasburg’s elbow by placing the ace on the 10-day DL retroactive to July 24th.
Gregory Polanco (OF – PIT) Hamstring
Polanco played catch and did basic outfield drills over the weekend, signaling a possible early-August return to the field.
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Andrew Swanson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive or follow him @FantasyProsAndy.
