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Dr. Reuven's (@mlbinjuryguru) fantasy baseball injury updates for Week 15 (2023). His medical background helps analyze MLB injuries for hitters and pitchers.
June is now in our rearview mirror. In comes July, and with it the Major League Baseball All-Star game. This is a significant point in the season. Teams will begin to decide if they are in it to win it or not. But it is also a time when teams could start to try to get healthy, or healthier, for their playoff push. If some players have nagging injuries, this is a time when teams are more prone to place players on the IL to get that added rest for them to recover.
Right after the All-Star break is a time when a lot of injured players come off of the IL. The minor league season continues and rehab stints continue, allowing injured players to get their reps and be ready to return after the break. Knowing when these players are expected back could help your fantasy team in the standings as one could manage their FAAB better around this time of year. I will continue to highlight fantasy-relevant players and their timeframes for their returns.
Here's a little about myself for new 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 and have a knowledge of orthopedic injuries and their recovery times based on my medical experience. I have also been playing fantasy baseball during that same time period, which 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
Aaron Judge (OF, NYY)- Toe: Aaron Judge was placed on the IL with a sprained right big toe. Manager Aaron Boone said that the biggest test for Judge will be ensuring that he can swing the bat comfortably and with no pain, as the toe issue could affect the ability "to torque and turn on that back foot." Once Judge is able to resume hitting without any restrictions, Boone said it would be a good indication that he is nearing a return from the IL. He did start playing catch this week, which is the first of many steps for his return.
Corbin Carroll (OF, ARI)- Shoulder: Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said this week that there is only "minimal" concern about Corbin Carroll’s sore right shoulder. Carroll began experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder during an at-bat this week. Carroll required surgery on that same shoulder in 2021 to repair a labrum tear and posterior capsule damage, but he is not even scheduled for any imaging tests this time around. He is considered day-to-day for now.
Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B, PIT)- Back: Ke'Bryan Hayes was placed on the IL with lower back pain. It is not considered serious. He was placed retroactive to June 25 and is expected to return when first eligible. Jared Triolo could see some time at the hot corner for the Pirates until Hayes returns.
Brandon Lowe (2B, TB)- Back: Brandon Lowe was placed on the IL with low back inflammation. He is currently on a rehab assignment and is on target for a return from the IL next week.
Yordan Alvarez (OF, HOU)- Oblique: Yordan Alvarez is on the IL with a Grade 1 oblique strain. Alvarez has begun stretching and has begun hitting off a tee while soft tossing. He is still a few weeks away from returning from the IL.
Michael Conforto (OF, SF)- Hamstring: Michael Conforto left this past Wednesday’s game with left hamstring tightness after making a catch in the outfield. He then missed Thursday’s game. It is unclear at this point whether he might require a stint on the IL but it is not out of the question. Luis Matos and Austin Slater look to get more playing time with Conforto out.
Chris Taylor (OF, LAD)- Knee: Chris Taylor was placed on the IL with a right knee bone bruise. Manager Dave Roberts said that the bone bruise in Taylor's right knee has not gotten any worse since he suffered the injury on June 16, but there's also been minimal improvement since then. Yonny Hernandez was called up.
Jorge Polanco (SS, MIN)- Hamstring: Jorge Polanco has been on the IL since late May with a left hamstring strain. He has now begun baseball activities. Polanco has been hitting in the cage while taking groundballs and is in the midst of a running progression with Twins trainer Nick Paparesta. He still has to progress to running the bases and then a rehab assignment.
Tyler O'Neill (OF, STL)- Back: Tyler O’Neill has been on the IL with a back injury for the past few weeks, since early May. He said this week that he is aiming to begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week. Assuming all goes well and there are no setbacks, he could return before the All-Star break.
Taylor Walls (3B, TB)- Back: Taylor Walls has missed the past few games with right lat/back tightness and has not yet, as of the writing of this article, been placed on the IL. However, if there is no improvement over the next day or two, an IL stint is likely. The MRI he had did come back negative, which is positive. Vidal Brujan may get more playing time with Walls out.
Anthony Rendon (3B, LAA)- Wrist: Anthony Rendon was placed on the IL with a left wrist contusion. There is no timetable for his return but he was able to take batting practice this week. Eduardo Escobar has been seeing playing time at third since he was acquired from the Mets.
Patrick Wisdom (3B, CHC)- Wrist: Patrick Wisdom is on the IL with a sprained right wrist. He has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment and could be activated at the end of this weekend or early next week.
Zach Neto (SS, LAA)- Oblique: Zach Neto was placed on the IL with a left oblique strain. He is planning on resuming baseball activities this weekend. There is still no definite timeline for his return.
Yoan Moncada (3B, CHW)- Back: Yoan Moncada was placed again on the IL due to a low back issue. He has dealt with a herniated disc in his back since spring training. He got in some fielding drills this week but the issue is more with his back than his swing. White Sox manager Pedro Grifol has said that there is still no telling exactly how long Moncada will be out for.
Riley Greene (OF, DET)- Leg: Riley Greene is on the IL with a stress fracture in his left fibula. Greene was sent out on a rehab assignment and could return to the Tigers by next week.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Carlos Rodon (SP, NYY) - Back: Carlos Rodon continues to make progress from his lower back injury that has him on the IL at this time. Rodon may make his final rehab start this weekend with a possible July 7 debut lined up for him.
Clayton Kershaw (SP, LAD)- Shoulder: Clayton Kershaw said this week that he is dealing with left shoulder inflammation. Kershaw said his shoulder got "cranky" toward the end of his last start. He received a cortisone shot and will not throw for the next few days. He has not been placed on the IL yet but he looks to be trending that. Kershaw said, "I'm not gonna be stupid about it."
Brandon Woodruff (SP, MIL)- Shoulder: Brandon Woodruff has been on the IL dealing with a shoulder issue for almost two months. He threw a bullpen session and he is still scheduled to throw a few more bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment. There is still no timeline for his return but early August seems on the table.
Jose Urquidy (SP, HOU)- Shoulder: Jose Urquidy is on the IL with shoulder inflammation. He threw a bullpen session this week and is scheduled to throw one more session before facing live hitters and then a rehab stint. Without any setbacks, he could return from mid to end of July.
Jose Quintana (SP, NYM)- Rib: Jose Quintana has been on the IL from the start of the season following rib surgery. He is scheduled for a rehab start this weekend and could be activated this week.
Tarik Skubal (SP, DET)- Elbow: Tarik Skubal continues to rehab his elbow injury for the Tigers. He is still on a rehab assignment, which last started this past Wednesday. He is on the 60-day IL and the earliest he could be activated is on July 1.
Hunter Greene (SP, CIN)- Hip: Hunter Greene was placed on the IL with right hip pain/discomfort. The Reds "aren't counting on" Greene to return from the IL before August. The Reds are unlikely to put an official timeline on Greene's return from the IL until he receives a second opinion on his right hip. He has been dealing with the hip issue for a few weeks now.
Matthew Boyd (SP, DET)- Elbow: Matthew Boyd landed on the 60-day IL with an elbow issue and underwent Tommy John surgery this past week. He is done for this year and most of next year.
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP, DET)- Finger: Eduardo Rodriguez was placed on the IL with a left index finger pulley rupture. Rodriguez has made one rehab start and will need one more before being activated as soon as the end of next week or the week after.
Dustin May (SP, LAD)- Forearm: Dustin May is on the IL with a right flexor pronator strain. It has been six weeks since he received a PRP injection. He has not resumed throwing and is still rehabbing. There is no known timeline for his return.
Merrill Kelly (SP, ARI)- Calf: Merrill Kelly was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right calf and was placed on the IL. He played catch this week. Kelly said that the swelling had subsided "a little bit" and that he feels he's trending in the right direction. He is expected to undergo a follow-up ultrasound early next week. It's unclear when Kelly will be able to return to the mound.
Marco Gonzales (SP, SEA)- Elbow: Marco Gonzales was placed on the IL with a forearm flexor strain. He has now been shut down for two weeks because of nerve issues in his elbow. This should push back his return date significantly.
Max Meyer (SP, MIA)- Elbow: Max Meyer is recovering from Tommy John surgery that occurred last year. Meyer could recover in time to pitch in the Arizona Fall League this year (October/November).
Trevor Rogers (SP, MIA)- Lat: Trevor Rogers is on the IL with a biceps injury, which he seems to have moved past. However, he was diagnosed with a partial tear in his right (non-throwing) lat and hopes to have better clarity on his timeline after the All-Star break. Rogers said that his doctors told him they had never seen a non-throwing shoulder injury like his, and he has "a ways to go" even though his range of motion has improved.
Ben Lively (SP, CIN)- Pectoral: Ben Lively was placed on the IL with a right pectoral strain. The severity is not yet known. The Reds did not announce a corresponding move yet, so it remains to be seen who will start in Lively's place.
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Liam Hendriks (RP, CHW)- Forearm: Liam Hendriks was placed on the IL with right elbow inflammation. He has been cleared to begin throwing but is still two to three weeks away from activation from the IL.
Matt Moore (RP, LAA)- Oblique: Matt Moore has been on the IL with a Grade 2 oblique strain since the end of May. He is on a rehab assignment and felt some soreness after his last appearance, which the Angels are concerned about.
Ben Joyce (RP, LAA)- Wrist/Hand: Ben Joyce was placed on the IL with right ulnar neuritis. He has been cleared to begin throwing again but is still two to three weeks away from activation.
Seranthony Dominguez (RP, PHI)- Oblique: Seranthony Dominguez is on the IL with a left oblique strain. He has begun throwing but still has a ways to go to return. The earliest he could be back is probably right after the All-Star break.
Ryan Helsley (RP, STL)- Forearm: Ryan Helsley is dealing with a forearm strain and is on the IL. He has been cleared to begin a throwing program but is still a ways away from activation.
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