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Over the past week, a few major prospects have been called up to the big leagues such as Paul Skenes. Prospects also sometimes end up being sent down just as quickly as they get called up. Tyler Black was called up but sent back down when the Brewers activated Christian Yelich. When it comes to which prospects go up or down, there are a few factors that play into these decisions.
These decisions are different from team to team. Some teams feel a player is ready while others want to try to stay relevant and feel that the prospect could give them a boost. Other teams, like the Brewers, call up players out of injury necessity. Knowing when players are supposed to return from injury could help give us a clue as to whether or not these prospects could stick with the big club and if we should spend our FAAB on them. I will continue to highlight the fantasy-relevant injured players and when they are expected to return.
Here's a little about myself for both new and returning readers. My name is Reuven Guy, and I am a practicing orthopedic/pain management Physician Assistant. I have been dealing with sports injuries for the past 16+ years. Therefore, I have knowledge of orthopedic injuries and their recovery times based on my medical experience. I have also been playing fantasy baseball during that same time. This has helped me get an advantage in this aspect of fantasy baseball, which I hope to share with you. Make sure to stay up to date on the latest MLB breaking news with our award-winning news desk and our free fantasy baseball mobile app with 24/7 push notification alerts!
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Injured Hitters for Fantasy Baseball
Trea Turner (SS, PHI)- Hamstring: Turner is on the IL with a left hamstring strain. Turner has said that he expects to miss at least six weeks with his left hamstring strain and that a return sooner than that "would be a win." Edmundo Sosa and Bryson Stott have been filling in for the Phillies at shortstop.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B, CIN)- Wrist: CES was hit by a pitch last month on his right wrist and only now, after further testing, did a fracture show up. This is common as sometimes swelling in the area could hide this type of injury. He is expected to miss four to six weeks. Jeimer Candelario, Santiago Espinal, and the newly signed Mike Ford could fill in at first for the Reds.
#Reds Christian Encarnacion-Strand was hit by a pitch on 4/27 (video below).
X-rays were negative and he was DTD and missed a handful of games.
They found the fracture today and now will miss 4-6 weeks per reports. pic.twitter.com/rvkxsnmfxk
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) May 8, 2024
Willson Contreras (C, STL)- Forearm: Contreras was hit in the left forearm by a swing by J.D. Martinez. This fractured his left forearm and required surgery. He is expected to be out for six to eight weeks. Ivan Herrera will fill in for the Cardinals with Pedro Pages serving as the backup.
Willson Contreras left tonight’s game after a catcher’s interference play pic.twitter.com/yerZDCetnr
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 8, 2024
Sean Murphy (C, ATL)- Oblique: Murphy is on the IL with a Grade 1 left oblique strain. He has just begun hitting off of a tee and still has a ways to go before starting a rehab assignment.
Mike Trout (OF, LAA)- Knee: Trout is on the IL with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He had surgery on May 3. Trout said this week that his surgery went well and that he still had the stitches in his knee. Trout also said that he had the option to DH all season and play through the injury but he wanted to go forward with the surgery. There is no timetable for his return.
Mike Trout said his surgery went well Friday and he’s still recovering. He still has stitches in his knee. No exact timeline. He said he had the option to DH all season and play through the injury but wanted to the surgery and recover as soon as possible.
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) May 9, 2024
Wyatt Langford (OF, TEX)- Hamstring: Langford was placed on the IL with a right hamstring strain. He is expected to miss three to four weeks. Hamstring injuries sometimes could take longer than that, depending on what grade the strain is. Jonathan Ornelas was called up.
Steven Kwan (OF, CLE)- Hamstring: Kwan was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain. He is currently expected to miss about four weeks or so. The Guardians are likely to use Estevan Florial, Ramon Laureano, and Gabriel Arias to fill in. Kyle Manzardo was called up.
Chas McCormick (OF, HOU)- Hamstring: McCormick is on the IL with hamstring soreness. Manager Joe Espada said McCormick should begin a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend.
Byron Buxton (OF, MIN)- Knee: Buxton is on the IL with right knee inflammation which he injured while attempting a stolen base. An MRI showed no structural damage. He has already begun running in a pool and participating in his normal workouts but has not been swinging a bat. There is no timetable for his return. Buxton can return on May 12, however, the Twins may want to wait two more days until the Twins return from Toronto so he can avoid the Astroturf.
#MNTwins Byron Buxton left today’s game with an apparent leg injury.
The injury occurred during this stolen base attempt.
He was able to walk off under his own power. pic.twitter.com/iFLPbH1IkE
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) May 1, 2024
Nolan Jones (OF, COL)- Back: Jones was placed on the IL with a low-back strain. He was shut down but now has begun throwing and running drills. Manager Bud Black acknowledged that Jones is progressing each day, and the current expectation is that he will be able to return by mid-May.
Jorge Soler (OF, SF)- Shoulder: Soler was placed on the IL this week with a right shoulder strain. The severity is not yet known. Heliot Ramos was called up.
The Giants put Jorge Soler on the IL with a right shoulder strain. Heliot Ramos is up after a strong start to his Triple-A season.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) May 8, 2024
Austin Hays (OF, BAL)- Calf: Hays is on the IL with a calf strain. Hays has begun a rehab assignment this week with hopes of returning to the Oriole lineup as soon as he can. With Colton Cowser struggling, Hays may end up right back into the starting outfield position for the Orioles.
Seiya Suzuki (OF, CHC)- Oblique: Suzuki was placed on the IL with a moderate right oblique strain. He has started a rehab assignment and could be activated from the IL as early as this weekend.
Zack Gelof (2B, OAK)- Oblique: Gelof was placed on the IL with a strained left oblique. Gelof has started a rehab assignment, and barring any setbacks, Gelof could be activated next week.
Gio Urshela (3B, DET)- Hamstring: Urshela is on the IL with a right hamstring strain. Urshela is on a rehab assignment and should be activated from the IL this Monday.
Lane Thomas (OF, WAS)- Knee: Thomas is on the IL with an MCL strain in his left knee. Thomas will need to do some running and other drills before being cleared for a rehab assignment, but he has begun taking batting practice. There is no timetable for his return.
Oswald Peraza (3B, NYY)- Shoulder: Peraza has been on the IL since the start of the season with a right shoulder strain suffered back in late February. Peraza began a rehab assignment earlier this week. Given how much time he's missed, he will presumably require more than a handful of rehab games.
Masataka Yoshida (OF, BOS)- Thumb: Yoshida was placed on the IL with a left thumb sprain. Yoshida is still having thumb pain and has met with a specialist. Manager Alex Cora has said that surgery is a possibility for Yoshida.
Jasson Dominguez (OF, NYY)- Elbow: Dominguez is continuing his rehab following Tommy John surgery last year. Manager Aaron Boone said that Dominguez could begin a rehab assignment within the next two weeks. Dominguez will require a lengthy rehab assignment before being activated but he appears on track to return before the All-Star break.
Boone says Jasson Dominguez could start playing in rehab games as a DH "in the middle of the month" per @BrendanKutyNJ pic.twitter.com/uT5S7K5hh9
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 7, 2024
J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA)- Oblique: Crawford was placed on the IL with a Grade 1 right oblique strain. Crawford has begun jogging and fielding grounders and now this week he has begun swinging in the batting cage. There is no timetable for his return.
Brandon Drury (2B, LAA)- Hamstring: Drury was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain. The severity is not yet known. Ehire Adrianza and Cole Tucker could see more playing time with both him and Rengifo out.
Luis Rengifo (3B, LAA)- Illness: Rengifo was placed on the IL, after missing the past few games, with a viral infection. There is no timetable for his return. The Angels traded for Luis Guillorme to help the Angels with infield depth.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Grayson Rodriguez (SP, BAL)- Shoulder: Rodriguez is on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. He did throw off of a mound this week but remains without a timetable for a return.
Grayson Rodriguez threw off mound today for first time since IL. 15 pitches. Threw everything. Felt good. Encouraging #orioles
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) May 8, 2024
Joe Musgrove (SP, SD)- Elbow: Musgrove was placed on the IL this week with right elbow inflammation. It's unclear when the injury surfaced. Randy Vasquez, who came over in the Juan Soto trade, was called up and could take his rotation spot until Musgrove could return.
Dane Dunning (SP, TEX)- Shoulder: Dunning landed on the IL this week with a right rotator cuff strain. The severity is not known. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that Dunning is not expected to have a long IL stint. Jose Urena and Jack Leiter are options for the Rangers for their starting rotation.
Ryan Pepiot (SP, TB)- Leg: Pepiot was placed on the IL with a left lower leg contusion. This occurred when he was hit by a line drive. He has been able to play catch already and may stay on the IL for only the minimum time.
Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot exited his start after taking a 107 MPH comebacker off the leg pic.twitter.com/NM8PlzlKJt
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 5, 2024
Edward Cabrera (SP, MIA)- Shoulder: Cabrera was placed on the IL with right shoulder impingement. He was taken out of his last game after two innings for what was called right biceps discomfort at the time. This is the same injury that kept him out for the first few weeks of the season. There is no word on a timetable for his return yet.
#Marlins moves
Placed RHP Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL (right shoulder impingement).
Returned LHP Braxton Garrett from rehab and reinstated from the IL.
— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) May 8, 2024
Blake Snell (SP, SF)- Adductor: Snell was placed on the IL with a Grade 2 adductor sprain. Snell is scheduled to make a rehab start this weekend. This may be the only rehab start he needs before he returns.
Garrett Whitlock (SP, BOS)- Oblique: Whitlock was placed on the IL with a left oblique strain. He is scheduled to throw against live batters this weekend and the hope is he could start a rehab assignment. Whitlock, barring any setbacks, could be back in the Red Sox rotation in two or three weeks.
Max Scherzer (SP, TEX)- Back: Scherzer is on the recovery trail from back surgery this past December. He was scheduled to make his second rehab start but it was delayed due to thumb soreness. He is still shut down
J.P. France (SP, HOU)- Shoulder: France was demoted to the minors and then suffered a shoulder injury. France is without an official timeline for his return but could be out "a while."
Jordan Wicks (SP, CHC)- Forearm: Wicks is on the IL with a left forearm strain. He has been cleared to throw a bullpen session but remains a few weeks away, needing multiple rehab starts.
DL Hall (SP, MIL)- Knee: Hall is on the IL with a sprained left knee. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that Hall has started playing catch and is "progressing," but he remains without a clear timeline for a return.
Tylor Megill- (SP, NYM)- Shoulder: Megill is on the IL with a right shoulder strain. Megill is scheduled to make his second rehab start this weekend and could return to the Mets rotation at the end of this week.
Kodai Senga (SP, NYM)- Shoulder: Senga is on the IL a right posterior capsule strain. He threw a 32-pitch live batting practice session last weekend. He is not eligible to return until May 27, however, he is on track to return on or around that date.
Kyle Hendricks (SP, CHC)- Back: Hendricks was placed on the IL with a lower back strain. Hendricks is scheduled for a second rehab start after which he could be activated from the IL.
Brayan Bello (SP, BOS)- Lat: Bello was placed on the IL with right lat tightness. Bello is scheduled to return to the Red Sox rotation on May 12.
Nathan Eovaldi (SP, TEX)- Groin: Eovaldi was placed on the IL with a groin strain. He has already begun playing catch. Barring any setback, Eovaldi could be good to go without needing a rehab assignment, by May 18.
#Rangers Nathan Eovaldi left the game with a lower body (possibly leg) injury. This was the final pitch of his afternoon. He appeared to tweak something.
The trainer came out after this pitch and Eovaldi left the game shortly after. pic.twitter.com/vmPFWcAISf
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) May 2, 2024
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Pete Fairbanks (RP, TB)- Arm: The Rays have placed Fairbanks on the IL with a “nerve issue”. Fairbanks has made a rehab appearance already and could be activated over the next week once he has one or two more innings under his belt.
Pete Fairbanks #RaysUp during his rehab outing with Durham: IP, 2 H, K
16 pitches (10 strikes - 62.5 Strike%)
Velocities were normal, this could be a short rehab stint ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/xYl9R8RAom— Closer Monkey (@CloserMonkey) May 8, 2024
Evan Phillips (RP, LAD)- Hamstring: Phillips is on the IL with a right hamstring strain. It is considered a Grade 1 strain. This could mean a three or four-week absence. Daniel Hudson has received the first few save opportunities for the Dodgers with Phillips out.
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