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Midweek MLB action is set to begin, and as always, there are plenty of banged-up players to cover. Injuries complicate fantasy lineup decisions, so it's important to stay in the know. That said, let's take a look at injured hitters Corey Seager, J.T. Realmuto, Yainer Diaz, Max Muncy, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and more.
This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters, as of June 12, 2024. Some players on this list impact fantasy baseball more than others, but with leagues of all shapes and sizes, you never know which guys will be important in lineups.
To keep close tabs on all of the news across the MLB, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy baseball player news page, and download the free RotoBaller fantasy baseball mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news. Let's look at the injury updates for hitters.
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Corey Seager Injury Update
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (hamstring) remained out of Tuesday's lineup for the series opener against the hosting Los Angeles Dodgers.
Rangers lineup for June 11, 2024 at Los Angeles-NL. pic.twitter.com/6Vx4AEnoG3
— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) June 11, 2024
Monday's day off wasn't enough time off to heal for Seager, who missed a fourth consecutive game due to left hamstring tightness. His next chance to return for the Rangers comes on Wednesday against LA.
J.T. Realmuto Injury Update
Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said that catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee) will miss around a month. Realmuto has been playing hurt and was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday to undergo right-knee meniscectomy surgery on Wednesday in Philadelphia. It's a big blow to the Phillies and fantasy managers alike, as the 33-year-old veteran backstop continues to be one of the most valuable all-around catchers in the game in 2024.
Phillies President Dave Dombrowski in Boston tells @NBCSPhilly JT Realmuto will miss about a month. https://t.co/x51vMLFCod
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 11, 2024
It's even more impressive that he has been playing at a high level while battling through a knee injury that requires surgery. Keep Realmuto stashed in all fantasy leagues while he recovers. In the meantime, the Phillies will move forward with Garrett Stubbs as the primary catcher, with Rafael Marchan backing him up. Realmuto is currently slashing .261/.309/.411 with seven homers, 20 RBI, and 28 runs scored in 207 at-bats.
Yainer Diaz Injury Update
Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (finger) was still out of Tuesday's lineup against the hosting San Francisco Giants. Diaz and the Astros got good news on Tuesday, however, when X-ray and MRI results on the backstop's right index finger came back negative prior to Tuesday's game, per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 in Houston. It's fair to expect Diaz to get back into Houston's lineup for Wednesday's series finale against San Francisco, but they could hold him out until Friday's series opener against the Detroit Tigers with a day off on Thursday.
Game 2 in SF
⚾️: 8:45pm (CST)
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#Relentless x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/eKTEDNPdVW— Houston Astros (@astros) June 11, 2024
The 25-year-old slugger has gone 8-for-25 with four home runs and 10 RBI over his last six outings and needs to be held in all fantasy leagues while he recuperates.
Max Muncy Injury Update
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (oblique) says he is "not progressing as fast" as he would like to from his strained right oblique. Muncy took grounders and ran the bases on Tuesday, but he hasn't resumed swinging at this stage, per MLB.com. He remains without a timetable for a return, and considering Muncy will likely need a minor-league rehab assignment before doing so, an activation from the injured list in late June seems like a best-case scenario.
.@Dodgers slugger @maxmuncy9 says he is "not progressing as fast" as he would like to from his oblique injury. pic.twitter.com/H0yU1pxvfC
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 11, 2024
The 33-year-old three-true-outcomes slugger was slashing a solid .223/.323/.476 with nine home runs, eight doubles, and 28 RBI across 167 plate appearances as LA's everyday man at the hot corner before getting injured, and he should stay stashed in all fantasy leagues. Enrique Hernandez and Miguel Rojas should continue handling the bulk of action at third base in Muncy's stead, but neither is worth considering outside of the deepest leagues.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand Injury Update
Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said on Tuesday that infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) has been considering options that include season-ending surgery to fix ligament damage in his fractured hand. Encarnacion-Strand went on the 10-day injured list in early May and could now miss the remainder of the 2024 regular season. In addition to his injury, the 24-year-old power hitter was batting just .190/.220/.293 with two home runs in 29 games before fracturing his hand.
Manager David Bell fielded questions today about statuses of Encarnacion-Strand and Williamson. Both have been considering options that include season ending surgeries.
CES has ligament damage with his fractured hand. Williamson has a lesion in his shoulder.
— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) June 11, 2024
Even if CES avoids surgery, it doesn't sound like he'd be able to return to the Reds' lineup anytime soon. Until we know for sure that Encarnacion-Strand is done for the year, continue to stash him in fantasy leagues. His injury has allowed the Reds to give Spencer Steer playing time at first base, opening up more playing time in the outfield for others.
Willson Contreras Injury Update
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (forearm) has progressed to hitting soft toss, and he caught a bullpen ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. It's been a remarkable turnaround for Contreras, who is making swift progress in his recovery from a fractured left forearm. He has a chance to return to the Cardinals before the end of June with the strides he's made, so fantasy managers should be stashing him in all leagues at this juncture.
Willson Conteras has progressed to hitting soft toss and caught a bullpen from Nick Robertson today.
Keynan Middleton, who is out for the year with a forearm injury, had his surgery today, per #STLCards manager Oli Marmol.
— Daniel Guerrero (@TheDanGuerrero) June 11, 2024
Before going down, the 32-year-old star backstop was St. Louis' most effective hitter with a hearty .280/.398/.551 triple-slash line, six home runs, 11 doubles, and 12 RBI over 128 plate appearances. Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages are sharing work behind the dish at the moment, but neither has done enough overall to warrant much fantasy attention this year.
Joey Ortiz Injury Update
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Joey Ortiz (hamstring) was scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. This was frustrating news considering Ortiz has been extremely hot at the plate. He's batting .298 with four home runs and 15 RBI over his last 30 games.
Reigning NL Rookie of the Month Joey Ortiz has been scratched from the Brewers starting lineup with right hamstring soreness. Andruw Monasterio takes over at third base and in the leadoff spot.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) June 11, 2024
Hopefully, the Brewers are just being cautious and Ortiz won't be forced to miss an extended period of time.
Javier Baez Injury Update
The Detroit Tigers announced on Tuesday that they have placed infielder Javier Baez (spine) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 9) with lumbar spine inflammation and recalled infielder Ryan Kreidler from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. The hits just keep coming for Baez.
The Tigers have announced the following roster moves:
• Placed INF Javier Báez on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 9, with lumbar spine inflammation
• Recalled INF Ryan Kreidler from Triple A Toledo— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) June 11, 2024
The 31-year-old veteran has been bothered by back issues for most of the season and will now get some time off to heal up. Given the nature of the injury, fantasy managers in deeper leagues shouldn't expect Baez to return in 10 days. For however long he's away from the team, expect Zach McKinstry and Kreidler to share playing time at shortstop in Detroit. Baez's fantasy value has cratered since he joined the Tigers in 2022, and he's batting a weak .183/.209/.247 on the year with just one homer, 25 RBI, and six stolen bases in 53 games played.
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