Fantasy Baseball Injury Reports for Pitchers - Updates for Nestor Cortes, Max Fried, Brandon Woodruff, Jose Alvarado, Framber Valdez

As the 2023 MLB season rolls on, we have finally reached the All-Star break. It's an exciting time of year for fans of Major League Baseball. However, teams around the league share the same level of enthusiasm, primarily because players will get much-needed rest. It's also a good time for players to heal from nagging ailments. Let's take a look at injuries for players, including Nestor Cortes, Max Fried, Brandon Woodruff, Jose Alvarado, and Framber Valdez.

Here are some of the top fantasy baseball injury updates for pitchers as of July 10, 2023. We'll be covering all positions throughout the week, so stay tuned. 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 force fantasy managers to search waiver wires in hopes of finding adequate replacements.

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 pitchers.

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Nestor Cortes

New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (shoulder) participated in a simulated game on Sunday morning, throwing 20 pitches. Things turned out well, with the left-handed pitcher reporting afterward he was "totally pain-free." The 28-year-old, who was recently moved to the 60-day injured list, has been out of the mix since early June because of shoulder soreness.

His next step will be to face live hitters on Thursday before tossing again on Monday. Fortunately, Cortes is moving in a favorable direction, although he's still not expected back until the first week of August. Of course, fantasy managers will remain optimistic he'll play better than he did early in the season.

Max Fried

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (forearm) threw 35 pitches over 1 1/3 innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. The 29-year-old left-hander threw 18 strikes and walked a pair of batters in the contest and was taken out after 1 1/3 innings.

This was Fried's first start since early May when he hit the injured list with a forearm strain, so it makes sense that the Braves wanted to keep it short. The team will want to stretch him out a bit more before rejoining the major league club, so he'll get a few more rehab starts.

Brandon Woodruff

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session on Sunday. Per reporters, he sat between 91-93 mph and has his next session scheduled for Thursday, July 13.

The 30-year-old hurler has been out since late April with a shoulder issue, so it's encouraging to see him finally making some progress toward his return. Barring any setbacks, he should rejoin the Brewers sometime in early August if he follows the usual rehab regimen.

Jose Alvarado

The Philadelphia Phillies placed left-handed reliever Jose Alvarado (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 7) with left-elbow inflammation before Sunday's game and recalled right-hander Andrew Bellatti from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move. It's a blow to Philadelphia's bullpen, but there's a chance that Alvarado will only have to miss three total games with the All-Star break coming next week.

The 28-year-old hard-throwing southpaw has been great for the Phils this year and needs to be stashed in all fantasy formats. He's posted a 1.38 ERA, six saves, a 1.15 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched in 2023. With Alvarado sidelined for a bit heading into the second half of the season, right-hander Craig Kimbrel should see the save chances for the Phillies.

Framber Valdez

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (ankle) won't make an appearance during the upcoming All-Star Game. The left-hander has been battling a sprained ankle over the last week. It appears the Astros want to play it safe with their two-time All-Star.

Valdez has been pitching extremely well this season and Houston would like to keep it that way. He's posting a 2.51 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 116/26 K/BB ratio through 17 starts this season. Fantasy managers should expect Valdez to be fully healed from this ankle injury by the end of the All-Star break.

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