Baseball is back, and draft season is in full swing. For many, this weekend is the biggest draft weekend for you this year. Unfortunately, there has been a ton of injury news, and it can be challenging to keep up with it all. So, I found details on every injured player who is fantasy relevant. I have broken the players down by team. Having all the injury info in one place is extremely valuable to review before drafting.
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Injuries To Consider Before Drafting
Arizona Diamondbacks
Shoulder Bursitis/Questionable for Opening Day
- Zac Gallen had offseason shoulder bursitis and underwent an MRI on his own during the lockout. Gallen has since thrown two bullpens and two live batting practices. Gallen may not be built up enough for Opening Day but could only miss one start. Bursitis should not be a long-term impact. Gallen could come at a discount in drafts and provide an excellent return on investment.
Atlanta Braves
Torn ACL/Should return the first week of May
- Ronald Acuña Jr. is still recovering from a torn ACL last season. His recovery has gone smoothly, but the Braves plan to ease him back into action. As of the most recent team update, Acuña will get back into game action the first week of May. He will begin rotation in and out of the designated hitter role to ease himself back onto the field. Acuña is still worthy of a first-round pick.
Torn Achillies/60-Day IL
- Soroka will miss a significant portion of the season due to tearing the same ACL twice. He is not fantasy-relevant unless you are in a deep draft-and-hold league.
Baltimore Orioles
Tricep Strain/Questionable for Opening Day
- Rutschman has not been ruled out for Opening Day, but it seems unlikely as he will not be able to get many Spring Training at-bats. Even if he was healthy, it is unknown whether he would have broken camp with the team or began the season in Triple-A.
Boston Red Sox
Stress Fracture in Right Ribs/Schedule for Late May Return
- Sale plans to return in late May if “all goes as expected.” That has been far from the case with Sale in his career. This type of injury can take two to three months to heal and linger for some time. For fantasy, I would avoid Sale for 2022.
Tommy John Surgery/Mid-Summer Return
- Paxton had Tommy John surgery in April 2021 and will likely be out until at least the middle of the summer. He is only fantasy draft relevant in draft and hold leagues or leagues with deep ILs.
Chicago Cubs
Elbow Surgery/Should be ready for Opening Day
- Happ had surgery to clean up his elbow in February. He is back in-game action and should be ready for Opening Day, even if it is in a designated hitter role to begin the season.
Back Tightness/Day-to-Day
- Schwindel has been nursing back tightness but has resumed hitting in a cage. The team is proceeding with caution to avoid a more severe issue.
Right Lat Strain/60-Day IL
- Alzolay will miss at least two months with a right lat strain. He cannot return until early June, being on the 60-Day IL. He is an avoid in fantasy drafts.
Tommy John Surgery/Out for Season
- Heuer was a sneaky candidate to grab the closer role in Chicago but, unfortunately, will miss the entire 2022 season.
Unspecified/On Pitch Count to Begin Season
- Miley is supposedly on the Cubs “veteran” program and not injured. But, he will not throw many innings in Spring Training, hindering his availability to start the season.
Chicago White Sox
Hamate Fracture in Left Hand/Out 6-8 Weeks
- Mercedes will undergo surgery on his left hand due to a hamate fracture. He was likely not going to fit into the White Sox lineup, but this opens a clear path for Andrew Vaughn to keep everyday at-bats.
Behind Schedule(Illness)/Pitch Count to Begin Season
- Kopech is throwing bullpens and live batting practice but is behind schedule. This is not a huge issue as Kopech was likely going to be on limited innings in 2022.
MLB 2022 Injury Questions Part 1: Which Former MVP is Set For a Bounce-Back Season?
Cincinnati Reds
Shoulder/Day-to-Day
- Moustakas hurt his shoulder on a diving play in a Spring Training game. He will likely be ready for Opening Day and the team’s everyday third baseman.
Shoulder Soreness/Delayed Start to Season
- Minor was recently traded from Kansas City to Cincinnati, but his debut in Cincinnati will be delayed a few starts with shoulder soreness. Minor has a long track record of poor health, so he is probably an avoid for fantasy drafts.
Shoulder Soreness/Doubtful for Opening Day
- Castillo is doubtful for Opening Day with shoulder soreness. His ADP has fallen significantly, and it creates a great buying opportunity for Castillo, who is horrible every April anyways as a poor cold weather arm. With the injuries to multiple Reds starters, the door is open for Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo.
Hamate Fracture/Out until May
- Barrero was slated to have a shot at the everyday shortstop role with the Reds. The setback could hurt his power even upon return. Kyle Farmer should be the Reds shortstop in Barrero’s absence.
Cleveland Guardians
Teres Major Muscle Strain/60-Day IL
- Morris was a popular sleeper for 2022 as he had an outside chance to crack the Guardians rotation in 2022. Unfortunately, his shoulder issue has him shut down for the foreseeable future and landed him on the 60-Day IL.
Broken Right Leg/Mid-April Return
- Naylor broke his leg from a collision with a teammate last season. Currently, Naylor is playing in Minor League games but will likely miss Opening Day. He should be a contributor in Cleveland’s outfield upon return and be a sneaky late-round target.
Arm Stiffness/Day-to-Day
- Karinchak was incredible in his first three months of 2021 but fell off hard and lost the closer role to Emmanuel Clase. Karinchak should be back soon but will have a lot of work to do to regain favor in the backend of the Guardians bullpen.
Colorado Rockies
No fantasy-relevant injuries.
Detroit Tigers
Tommy John Surgery/Will Miss Most of 2022
- Spencer Turnbull underwent Tommy John surgery last July, which will likely cause him to miss the entire 2022 season.
Houston Astros
Lance McCullers Jr. (SP – HOU)
Flexor Tendon Strain/No Return Date
- McCullers has been dealing with injuries since last postseason. He is coming off a career-best season, but there is a strong possibility he does not throw a pitch in 2022. He is an easy avoid in drafts.
Torn Labrum/Will Miss Opening Day
- Jake Meyers is ahead of schedule in his rehab from his November shoulder surgery. When he returns, he should have a chance to establish himself as an everyday outfielder.
Kansas City Royals
No fantasy-relevant injuries.
Los Angeles Angels
Stress Fracture in Back/60-Day IL
- Canning will miss a couple of months as he lands on the 60-day IL dealing with a back injury. His career so far has had many ups and downs. His spot upon return from injury is still uncertain.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Tommy John Surgery/Late 2022 Return
- May was amid a breakout 2021 season before being shut down and ultimately having Tommy John surgery. He is throwing off a mound but is still a ways away from game action.
Administrative Leave/April 16 Decision
- Bauer has been dealing with legal issues and missed over half of last season. The MLB hopes to decide on Bauer’s possible discipline by April 16.
Miami Marlins
No fantasy-relevant injuries.
Milwaukee Brewers
Quadriceps/Shut Down Two Weeks
- Luis Urias‘s quad injury is unspecified and still needs more testing, but he has been shut down for two weeks. Urias will miss Opening Day in the process but hopes to return soon after.
Minnesota Twins
Tommy John Surgery/Eying September Return
- Maeda underwent Tommy John surgery last season and wants to return in September. He is a non-factor in fantasy drafts.
New York Mets
Back Tightness/Should Return by Opening Day
- James McCann has been dealing with minor back tightness but should return to action on Tuesday, setting him up to be ready for Opening Day.
Oblique Soreness/Could be ready for Opening Day
- Marte was diagnosed with an oblique injury on March 14. He began hitting March 22 and played in a Minor League game on the 23rd. The team plans to have Marte return to big league action next Tuesday, giving him a week to get up to speed for Opening Day.
Knee Surgery/Opening Day Status Unknown
- Walker is pitching Saturday behind start David Peterson. Walker’s status should be more apparent after his outing.
New York Yankees
Shoulder Impingement/60-Day IL
- German’s 2021 season ended early due to shoulder inflammation. He is currently throwing from 60 feet but is on the 60-Day IL so he will miss at least two months.
Oakland Athletics
AC Joint Irritation/Late April Return
- Kaprielian is out until at least late April with AC Joint irritation. Kaprielian is earning the label of injury-prone.
Philadelphia Phillies
Patellar Tendon Surgery/Could be Ready for Opening Day
- Eflin underwent surgery on his knee to repair patellar tendon damage. He is ahead of his timeline and could be ready for Opening Day. Eflin is a sneaky late-round pick who has a 4.12 ERA in 328 innings since 2019.
Mild Oblique Strain/Out 4-to-6 Weeks
- Herrera suffered a mild oblique strain that will likely keep him out for four-to-six weeks. This opens the door for Matt Vierling or Adam Haseley to take the Phillies Opening Day center field job.
Shoulder Soreness/Could be Ready for Opening Day
- Wheeler dealt with shoulder soreness earlier in the offseason but is currently healthy. He threw 42 pitches in a recent side session and could be on track for Opening Day. It seems like worst case, he misses one time through the rotation. This should not be a worry for Wheeler’s 2022 outlook.
Pittsburgh Pirates
No fantasy-relevant injuries.
San Diego Padres
Fernando Tatís Jr. (SS/OF – SD)
Wrist Surgery/Out Three Months
- Tatís is slated to miss three months after having surgery on his wrist. Tatís still has shoulder issues from last season as well. When healthy, Tatís is arguably the best hitter in baseball for fantasy purposes. Someone in your league will likely still draft Tatís high in drafts because of the potential strong return from surgery. He would need to go after pick 100 for me to consider him in drafts.
Tommy John Surgery/Should be Ready for Opening Day
- Clevinger underwent Tommy John in November 2020 and recently said: “I feel healthier than I have in my entire career.” He plans to pitch in his first time through the rotation. Clevinger has a 2.96 ERA in 489.1 innings since 2017.
San Francisco Giants
Finger Soreness/Day-to-Day
- Longoria is experiencing finger soreness in his right index finger. Longoria was hit on the hand by a pitch last season, and the pain has flared up again. While Longoria does not think it’s serious, it seems weird for finger soreness to flare up from over six months ago.
Flexor Tendon Surgery/June Return Date
- Boyd had surgery in his left elbow on his flexor tendon last September. He is expected to return in June and will have a chance to earn a rotation spot.
Seattle Mariners
Tommy John Surgery/Ready for Opening Day
- Giles is back and throwing 95 mph in batting practice. He is slated to make his Spring Training debut soon. Giles could get some saves, but the Mariners will not have a full-time closer.
Torn Meniscus/Will Miss Opening Day
- Lewis tore his meniscus early last season. The Mariners are exercising caution in Lewis’s return, so he will miss Opening Day. Lewis will likely be the teams’ designated hitter upon return.
St. Louis Cardinals
Shoulder/60-Day IL
- Alex Reyes has been placed on the 60-Day IL with shoulder issues. He had a stem-cell injection in March after not throwing off a mound all winter.
Shoulder Inflammation/Will Miss Opening Day
- Flaherty will miss Opening Day after receiving a second opinion on his shoulder. Flaherty dealt with oblique and shoulder injuries last season which limited him to 78 innings. Flaherty will need time to build up even if he can begin throwing after a two-week shutdown. The concern is he misses a significant amount of time.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tommy John and Ankle Surgery/Will Likely Miss 2022 Season
- Glasnow will likely miss most, if not all, of 2022 after having Tommy John surgery.
Arthroscopic Surgery on Right Elbow/Shut Down 2-3 Weeks
- After being shut down, Baz will miss several starts and will still need to build up his arm strength. The procedure is not severe, though, and should not affect Baz’s 2022 outlook considering he was likely on an innings limit anyway.
Shoulder Soreness/Day-to-Day
- Patino has been experiencing some shoulder soreness but recently completed a 20 pitch bullpen. He will throw live batting practice on Saturday and could return to game action soon.
Texas Rangers
No fantasy-relevant injuries.
Toronto Blue Jays
Wrist Sprain/Day-to-Day
- Hernandez suffered a wrist sprain but is expected to return to game action this weekend. His Opening Day status is not in question.
Washington Nationals
Neck/Mid-May Return
- Stephen Strasburg is eyeing a mid-May return, and the National expects him to pitch 20-25 starts. Strasburg has struggled with injuries and pitched just 26 innings over the last two years.
Sprained UCL/60-Day IL
- Kieboom stood a chance to take the Nationals’ third base job but will miss extended time with a sprained UCL. He hopes to avoid Tommy John surgery. Maikel Franco should get the majority of time at third base in his absence.
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