When is Jake Burger Coming Back? Fantasy Baseball Injury Return Update

Miami Marlins third baseman Jake Burger put up some strong numbers in the minor leagues since making his professional debut in the 2017 season. He hit the ground running upon his MLB debut in the 2022 season but really enjoyed his coming out party in the 2023 campaign.

After debuting with eight homers alongside a .760 OPS across just 51 games in the 2022 season, Burger broke out with a hefty 34 long balls and an .827 OPS across 141 games last season between the White Sox and Marlins. He drove in 80 runs and put together a .268 isolated power that ranked ninth among 123 qualified hitters. He was easily one of the most underrated bats in the game.

His production hasn't been quite the same out of the gate this season as he suffered an intercostal injury in an April 14 game against the Braves and has not yet returned to action.

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Jake Burger Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

Christina De Nicola of MLB.com recently tweeted that the 28-year-old is better and will soon be evaluated to see when he can begin hitting.

Sandy play catch 2day
Eury range motion
Puk treatment
Simpson eval 2day
Bethancourt w/team
Burger better, eval to start hitting
Chargois pitch again 2morrow with Triple-A
Edwards chain but no baseball activities
Garrett threw bullpen yday, another next few days #Marlins

— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) April 22, 2024

That's certainly positive news for fantasy managers as Burger hasn't experienced any sort of setback with an injury that requires time and patience for proper healing. At the same time, he will need some time to get his timing down once cleared to start hitting, which hopefully comes within the next few days. It's unclear if Burger will require a rehab assignment but don't be surprised if he plays a couple of minor league games before returning to the big club.

Jake Burger Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Burger is a must-stash at the hot corner given his big-time raw power. He is far from a perfect hitter as he sports a subpar 6.2% BB% and an elevated 28.1% K% across his first 223 big league games but was striking out at a far more palatable 20.3% clip in his 16 games before hitting the 10-day injured list.

Fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on his status in the next few days and once he returns to action. Intercostal/rib injuries are precarious. They need to be treated with caution given the torque required to hit in the major leagues. Fingers crossed, but setbacks are always possible with this type of ailment.

Nonetheless, make sure to get the slugger back into your lineup immediately upon his return, which could come within the next week. This does not appear to be a long-term issue for the 2017 first-round pick.

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