Pitchers and Catchers are not the only things reporting this week. MLB teams are dumping injury news on our timelines and ruining the hopes and dreams of early fantasy baseball drafters. The reports have (thankfully) slowed down in recent days, but there is always more bad news creeping around the corner.
Teams around the league are ramping up, and this will result in more injuries. There is no avoiding them. We can only hope the nicks and strains are closer to mild rather than severe.
The players discussed in this piece will hopefully find themselves on the shorter side of their recovery timeline with a return to full health.
Fantasy Baseball Preseason Injuries Worth of Panic
Francisco Lindor (SS – NYM) – Hamate Fracture (6-8 weeks)
Francisco Lindor recently underwent surgery on a broken left hamate bone and will miss at least six weeks of action. With the MLB season five weeks away, we can assume that Lindor will begin the season on the 15-Day Injured List to give him ample time to recover and ramp up.
Hamate bone fractures are typically an ominous injury for MLB players. However, with this injury occurring just over a month before games begin, Lindor could return to 100% and have a normal season if he does not rush his timeline. The typical issue with hand and/or wrist injuries is the power drain players experience when sustained midseason.
Players want to get back on the field and help their team win as soon as possible. Nevertheless, 162 games make for long seasons, and the most important thing for the Mets is Lindor’s performance down the stretch, not in April. If he takes the time necessary to return, buying in on this elite athlete’s discount could be savvy.
Corbin Carroll (OF – ARI) – Hamate Fracture (6-8 weeks)
Corbin Carroll also fractured his hamate bone and underwent surgery this week. The star outfielder suffered the injury while swinging and will miss the World Baseball Classic he was slated to participate in. Similar to Lindor, the likelihood of missing Opening Day is high, along with potentially being placed on the 15-Day IL to start the 2026 season.
Carroll is a tough athlete who has played through multiple shoulder issues, including dislocation. However, with that “tough it out” mindset, there should be fear in drafters that he may return too soon and either reaggravate the injury, or prevent a full recovery.
He could also be a fantastic buy-low player in drafts, as time will tell how this injury impacts him. With Carroll’s history of shoulder issues and this hand fracture, I am not willing to pay the top-two round price it will take to get him.
Jackson Holliday (2B – BAL) – Hamate Fracture (6-8 weeks)
In the sage words of D.J. Khaled…another one. Jackson Holliday’s hamate bone is somehow also broken and will be surgically repaired this week. The injury is not uncommon, but three significant players suffering the same injury in the same week seems unprecedented.
Orioles President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, Mike Elias, commented on Holliday’s injury, saying he “won’t be ready for Opening Day, and hopefully his return is measured in weeks after that, but you’re not going to see much of him here in Sarasota.” This virtually guarantees an IL stint for Holliday and starts a season following last year’s mini-breakout on the wrong foot.
Fortunately, the former first-overall pick is only 22 years old. He has plenty of time to show what earned his pedigree, beyond that last name. If he falls in drafts to the point where he can be a cheap IL stash, that is a worthwhile pick. Ideally, you will have a quality starting 2B to pair him with as a fallback if he falters upon return. A duo like Matt McLain and Jackson Holliday would be perfect in drafts. McLain can start the season at 2B while Holliday sits on the IL. Both give you plenty of upside in case something happens to one or the other.
Jordan Westburg (3B – BAL) – Oblique (No Timetable)
The Orioles have taken multiple hits to their infield this week. Between Holliday and Westburg, they are down two key pieces to unlocking their full potential this season. Luckily, these injuries occurring in mid-February are significantly better than those occurring in mid-March.
Jordan Wetsburg’s oblique injury reportedly occurred three weeks ago, but there is optimism that he will be ready for Opening Day. He is expected to miss several Spring Training games, which is not a big deal. The priority for Westburg and the team is getting him fully healthy. Westburg has yet to complete a full season in the MLB. He has played just 192 MLB games over the past two years due to hip, hand, hamstring, and ankle issues.
This oblique issue can be resolved. Unfortunately, with his recent history, and the nagging nature of obliques. It is best to drop Westburg down in rankings, even with the poor fantasy depth at 3B. Westburg should be viewed in a similar risk category as the cheaper Royce Lewis, who is at least healthy entering this season.
Josh Hader (RP – HOU) – Bicep Inflammation (No Timetable)
The Astros’ closer role might look different to start this season. Josh Hader is uncertain for Opening Day due to bicep tendinitis following a season cut short by a significant shoulder injury. Hader is claiming to feel good after throwing off flat ground in practice. However, he is not practicing anywhere close to full intensity and will require multiple weeks, if not a full month, to ramp up when he does.
With the uncertainty in Hader’s timeline and his shoulder issue potentially lingering to cause these bicep problems, the best course of action is to fade him entirely in drafts. The Astros have a star reliever backing him up in Bryan Abreu. Abreu only has 16 career saves, but he did close seven last season with better peripheral numbers than Hader. If Hader is fully healthy, he will be the closer. Sadly, we have to think of that more as an “if” than a “when”. You can draft Abreu after the middle rounds of drafts right now and save yourself an early pick on a volatile position like RP.
Spencer Schwellenbach (SP – ATL) – Elbow (60-Day IL)
Schwellenbach’s stellar 2025 season was cut short by a fractured elbow, and now, his 2026 season will be delayed due to bone spurs in that same elbow. He is potentially undergoing surgery to remove the loose bodies causing discomfort, but will start this season on the 60-Day IL regardless.
With back-to-back seasons of an issue like this, the best course of action is to avoid Schwellenbach entirely, even as an IL stash late in drafts (unless you have multiple IL spots). We have to see him healthy again first before buying back in.
Anthony Santander (OF – TOR) – Shoulder (5-6 Months)
This surgery is long overdue. A nagging shoulder injury ruined Santander’s 2025 season and will now ruin his 2026 season due to his delayed decision on said surgery. There were likely conflicting reports on surgery recommendations and rest, but the worst-case scenario has arisen.
Santander played 54 games last year and slashed .157/.271/.294 with the worst strikeout rate of his career. He attempted a return in the postseason after missing nearly every game from June through September, but was quickly shut down again.
This 5-6 month timeline may imply a July or August return for Santander, but with the needed time for ramp-up after missing over 100 games last year, his regular season is virtually over. The only chance he has to contribute is if the Blue Jays make another postseason run.
Cam Schlittler (SP – NYY) – Lat (No Timetable)
Initial reports for Schlitter’s injury were back tightness. However, there was later clarification from Schlitter himself on Twitter/X that the injury is a lat issue. Schlitter seems optimistic and unconcerned, but that is a natural reaction from athletes. Ideally, he takes the necessary time to recover and doesn’t exacerbate the issue by trying a different throwing motion, which could cause injuries elsewhere via overcompensation.
Schlitter is very talented, but due for some regression after a 2.96 ERA (3.84 SIERA) season and priced around several other talented pitchers. His cost should fall in drafts from roughly SP40 to SP55-SP60.
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