RADIO
Memorial Day weekend is upon us! It is time to break out your barbeques and swimwear and really start to enjoy baseball. This is the unofficial first weekend of the summer and a major checkpoint in the fantasy baseball season. This is a time to assess your team and see what could and needs to be done to help you win or salvage your fantasy baseball season. This checkpoint is still early enough in the season when changes could be made to your roster that could significantly help you in the long run.
The baseball season is a marathon, and this is not the time to give up, even if you are near the bottom of your league. All you need is to make "the trade" or pick up the "next best thing" on your waiver wire. It is possible that the next best thing is injured right now and could be had at a discount. I will continue to update fantasy-relevant injured players to help you make a decision that could change the course of your fantasy season.
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. He has said that he expects to miss at least six weeks and is currently at week three. He has been running at about 80% with no setbacks.
Trea Turner is taking grounders at shortstop and did some running today and should be taking batting practice again. He is really progressing from the strained hamstring and could be back soon pic.twitter.com/lDxhZza8AC
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) May 22, 2024
Austin Riley (3B, ATL)- Side: Riley has missed ten straight games due to a left intercostal strain. Atlanta had initially viewed Riley as day-to-day. Riley showed some progress this week by taking swings on the field this Tuesday. There is still no word if he will be placed on the IL or not. Zack Short has been filling in at third for the Braves.
Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B, PIT)- Back: Hayes was placed on the IL with a back issue. Hayes has resumed baseball activities and could be back by the end of the month.
Josh Lowe (OF, TB)- Side: Lowe was scheduled for an MRI of his right side after suffering a "right side strain." Once the results are known, the severity and how long he will be out will be known as well. Lowe landed on the IL during spring training due to a right oblique strain and missed the first month-plus.
#Rays Cash now said J. Lowe has a “right side strain” and will get an MRI.
Also Cash said: “Not ideal.”— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) May 23, 2024
Eloy Jimenez (DH, CHW)- Hamstring: Jimenez was placed on the IL with a strained left hamstring. The severity is not yet known, as is the timeline for his return. Soft-tissue injuries continue to be a problem with Jimenez, who also missed time with an adductor strain earlier this season.
Xander Bogaerts (2B, SD)- Shoulder: Bogaerts is out indefinitely and on the IL with a fractured left shoulder. Bogaerts suffered the injury on an awkward dive on Monday. So far, he does not appear to be dealing with any damage to his labrum and will avoid surgery. He could be out a few months with this injury. Luis Arraez is likely to move off of the DH spot and see more consistent playing time at second base. David Peralta and Donovan Solano look to get more playing time as well.
Michael Conforto (OF, SF)- Hamstring: Conforto was placed on the IL with a right hamstring strain. He has taken batting practice but has not yet progressed to running at the time of this article being written. There is no timeline for his return yet.
Luis Robert (OF, CHW)- Hip: Robert has been out since early April with a Grade 2 right hip flexor strain. He has begun a rehab assignment, but the White Sox have not said how long he will be on it.
Luis Robert 1 swing and 1 HR. I’m thinking he’s back #ProspectOne pic.twitter.com/Bs87SW5PGs
— The Welsh (@IsItTheWelsh) May 23, 2024
TJ Friedl (OF, CIN)- Thumb: Friedl was hit by a pitch and is on the IL again with a fracture, this time his left thumb. Friedl has progressed to hitting flipped balls in the batting cage and hopes to be cleared to take batting practice soon. The hope is for him to return from the IL in early June.
Brandon Drury (2B, LAA)- Hamstring: Drury is on the IL with a left hamstring strain. There is no timeline for his return; however, he has begun hitting in the batting cages. The next step will be to see how he runs.
Rhys Hoskins (1B, MIL)- Hamstring: Hoskins landed on the IL this week with a right hamstring strain. Hoskins tweaked his hamstring while running to first base. The severity is not known. Jake Bauers and Owen Miller should fill in at first with Hoskins out.
Royce Lewis (3B, MIN)- Quad: Lewis has been on the IL since Opening Day with a right quad strain. After starting with some light running last week, Lewis was able to run the bases for the first time this past Monday as he continues to rehab. It is expected that Lewis will need a rehab assignment before returning, which should push his timetable for a return to early June.
Royce Lewis started running the bases yesterday in Minneapolis. Head trainer Nick Paparesta says Friday will be a big day for him as Lewis moves closer to beginning a rehab assignment.
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) May 21, 2024
Sean Murphy (C, ATL)- Oblique: Murphy is on the IL with a Grade 1 left oblique strain. He is on a rehab assignment and homered in his first game. The earliest he could be activated from the IL is sometime this weekend.
Good sign: In the first at-bat of his rehab assignment, Sean Murphy homered off the batter's eye. This is his first time facing live pitching, too.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) May 21, 2024
Esteury Ruiz (OF, OAK)- Wrist: The Athletics placed Ruiz on the IL with a strained left wrist. It is not clear when or how Ruiz suffered the injury, but he will be out for at least the next week and a half.
Francisco Alvarez (C, NYM)- Thumb: Alvarez underwent surgery on April 23 to address a torn UCL in the thumb on his glove hand. He is on the IL for this reason. The Mets are aiming for Alvarez to begin taking batting practice during their upcoming homestand. It has been a month since Alvarez had surgery, and he is almost ready to pick up a bat as he advances his rehab. Alvarez remains on track to return from the IL in mid-to-late June.
Francisco Alvarez is "progressing well" and is scheduled to take live BP with the Mets when they return home pic.twitter.com/VrD1UmsXdt
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 22, 2024
Nolan Jones (OF, COL)- Back: Jones was placed on the IL with a lower back strain. He was on a rehab assignment and had his rehab assignment paused because of right knee soreness stemming from a slide. There is now no timetable for his return.
#Rockies have halted the rehab assignment with Triple-A @abqtopes of OF Nolan Jones (low back strain) because of right knee soreness sustained on a slide. Jones had an MRI that came back clean, but he will rest a few days before getting back on the field.
— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) May 21, 2024
Josh Jung (3B, TEX)- Wrist: Jung had surgery on April 2 for a fractured right wrist and is on the IL. Jung has yet to pick up a bat after undergoing surgery and is expected to be reevaluated in another couple of weeks before being cleared to start taking swings. The initial timeline for his return was six to eight weeks which was later adjusted to ten to twelve weeks.
Masataka Yoshida (OF, BOS)- Thumb: Yoshida was placed on the IL with a left thumb sprain. He is still having thumb pain and will not need surgery. There is no timeline for his return.
Jasson Dominguez (OF, NYY)- Elbow: Dominguez is continuing his rehab following Tommy John surgery last year. He has begun a rehab stint, now at Double-A, but is expected to be optioned to the minors when he completes his rehab.
Garrett Mitchell (OF, MIL)- Finger: Mitchell is on the 60-day IL with a fractured finger. He is aiming to return from the IL on June 17. Mitchell is scheduled to begin hitting off a tee this weekend.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Gerrit Cole (SP, NYY)- Forearm/elbow: Cole has been on the IL to start the season with an elbow injury/inflammation. Cole faced hitters for the first time since being shut down with elbow inflammation. He threw about 20 pitches in what is expected to be the first of two to three total live sessions. Cole is still trending to return in mid-June as opposed to the end of May.
A look at some of the work Gerrit Cole did today 👀 pic.twitter.com/CgGYZKceGS
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 21, 2024
Zach Eflin (SP, TB)- Back: Eflin was placed on the IL this week with a lower back injury. Rays manager Kevin Cash said that he expects Eflin to be sidelined for two to four weeks. Eflin said it feels similar to an injury that cost him two weeks last season.
Keaton Winn (SP, SF)- Forearm: Winn was placed on the IL with a right forearm strain. He had an MRI, which, even though the results were not revealed, led the Giants to place him on the IL. Mason Black was called up to take his spot in the Giants rotation.
Nick Lodolo (SP, CIN)- Groin: Lodolo was placed on the IL with a left groin strain. He threw an extended bullpen session and is on track to return from the IL next week.
Garrett Whitlock (SP, BOS)- Oblique: Whitlock was placed on the IL with a left oblique strain. On his rehab assignment, he began having elbow issues, and now surgery is on the table for him for his elbow issue.
John Means (SP, BAL)- Forearm: Means was placed on the IL with a left forearm strain. It is the same injury that forced Means to the IL prior to Opening Day. The severity is not yet known, but having a flare-up like this is not a good sign. Cole Irvin is the likeliest candidate to slide into Means' rotation spot.
Jon Gray (SP, TEX)- Groin: Gray landed on the IL this week with a right groin strain, retroactive to May 22. An MRI revealed a mild strain. He would seem to have a good chance at returning from the IL using only the minimum time. No word on who will take his spot, but it is possible that Nathan Eovaldi will be ready to return that day.
Jon Gray indicates he has a mild groin strain, sounds like he will not make next start
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) May 23, 2024
Jeffrey Springs (SP, TB)- Elbow: Springs is recovering from Tommy John surgery last year. He began a rehab assignment and has a target of the end of June to return to the majors.
Cody Bradford (SP, TEX)- Back: Bradford is on the IL with a back issue. He was transferred to the 60-day IL with a stress fracture in his rib and is expected to be sidelined for a while. The earliest he could return is June 24.
Kodai Senga (SP, NYM)- Shoulder: Senga is on the IL with a right posterior capsule strain. He had a setback with triceps tightness, and his rehab has been pushed back.
Kodai Senga played “light catch” today, Carlos Mendoza said. https://t.co/TlQu4z9AF9
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) May 21, 2024
Joe Ross (SP, MIL)- Back: Ross was placed on the IL with a low-back strain.
Tobias Myers is back up. He last pitched two innings on May 25 and was scheduled to start today with Nashville. https://t.co/2jVxh26GIf
— Sophia Minnaert (@SophiaMinnaert) May 21, 2024
The severity is not yet known, however, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said it is something that's bothered Ross for a while. Tobias Myers has taken Ross' spot on the roster and could also take his place in the rotation.
Jose Urquidy (SP, HOU)- Forearm: Urquidy is on the IL with a forearm strain. He will make a rehab start this weekend and could be activated this week from the IL.
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Evan Phillips (RP, LAD)- Hamstring: Phillips is on the IL with a right hamstring strain. He is expected to need multiple rehab appearances prior to being activated off of the IL.
Adbert Alzolay (RP, CHC)- Forearm: Alzolay was placed on the IL this week with a right flexor strain. He was now shut down for two weeks.
Giovanny Gallegos (RP, STL)- Shoulder: Gallegos is on the IL with a right shoulder impingement. He has begun throwing bullpen sessions and could be activated by early June.
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