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As we head into the third weekend of MLB baseball, there are a handful of fantasy-relevant hitters on the injury report. That said, let's take a look at injured hitters Rafael Devers, Eloy Jimenez, Nathaniel Lowe, Brandon Lowe, and more.
This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters, as of April 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.
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Rafael Devers Injury Update
It sounds as though Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) will need at least another day off on Friday for the start of a series against the Los Angeles Angels. Meanwhile, manager Alex Cora said that infielder Romy Gonzalez (wrist) avoided a fracture after injuring his wrist on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Devers still has soreness in his left shoulder and could require an injured-list stint if he doesn't improve over the weekend.
Cora said there’s no fracture for Romy Gonzalez. Sounds like Devers will need at least another day.
— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) April 12, 2024
Fantasy managers need to prepare for that possibility and keep him out of your lineups again on Friday after he sat out Thursday's loss to Baltimore. Pablo Reyes got the start at third base on Thursday and is likely to fill in there for as long as Devers is out. Devers does have two homers but has just seven hits overall in his first 46 plate appearances this year.
Eloy Jimenez Injury Update
Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said there's a possibility that outfielder Eloy Jimenez (groin) will be able to come off the injured list to play this weekend. "He's getting close," Grifol said. "He feels better than yesterday, that day-to-day thing keeps coming up. But he feels better today than he did yesterday. [Friday] is a possibility. Everything is a possibility.
We have to see where he's at and we'll have to see what we want to do as an organization in the short term and long term to make sure these things don't happen again." The 27-year-old is dealing with a left groin strain, but with both Luis Robert Jr. (hip) and Yoan Moncada (groin) facing extended absences with injuries of their own, don't expect the White Sox to rush Jimenez back. Until Jimenez can return, veterans Robbie Grossman and Kevin Pillar will be in line for more playing time. (MLB.com)
Nathaniel Lowe Injury Update
Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) said he will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Friday. Lowe is ready to test himself in minor-league games after recovering from a right oblique strain that landed him on the injured list to start the 2024 regular season.
Nathaniel Lowe says he will begin a rehab assignment Friday night with @RidersBaseball. #Rangers
— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) April 11, 2024
The Rangers aren't going to rush the 28-year-old left-handed slugger back considering how much time he's already missed, so fantasy baseball managers shouldn't expect him to make his debut with Texas until around late next week. When Lowe does return, Jared Walsh will head to the bench. Lowe has great plate discipline and resides in one of the better lineups in the league in a hitter-friendly home environment, so he should already be rostered in all fantasy formats.
Brandon Lowe Injury Update
An MRI exam revealed that Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique) is dealing with a Grade 1 right-oblique strain, and he will be placed on the injured list before the team's series opener on Friday against the San Francisco Giants. It's a mild strain, but Lowe is still going to miss time. It's nothing new for the left-handed slugger after he was limited to 174 games in the last two years due to back injuries and a fractured right kneecap.
Prospect Curtis Mead and veteran Amed Rosario seem likely to get more work at the keystone in Lowe's absence, and the most likely candidate to fill Lowe's spot on the roster on Friday is switch-hitting infielder Niko Goodrum. In addition to his injury, Lowe has gotten off to a slow start, going just 5-for-27 (.185) with a homer, four RBI, and seven strikeouts in his first eight games played in 2024. Expect him to miss at least several weeks -- if not more. (MLB.com)
Lars Nootbaar Injury Update
The St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned catcher Pedro Pages to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Nootbaar has recovered from two non-displaced fractures in his left rib cage and will make his 2024 debut on Friday on the road in Arizona against the Diamondbacks.
#stlcards have added Lars Nootbaar to the roster right now, this moment.
Pedro Pages was optioned to Class AAA Memphis.— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) April 11, 2024
The 26-year-old didn't swing the bat well on his minor-league rehab assignment, but the only takeaway is that he's healthy now and ready to play every day for the Cardinals in left field, especially with Tommy Edman (wrist) and Dylan Carlson (shoulder) still sidelined. In the last two years, Nootbaar has hit 28 home runs and stolen 15 bases in just 225 games played, making him worth a waiver-wire pickup in mixed fantasy leagues for his power/speed combination if he's available.
TJ Friedl Injury Update
Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said on Tuesday that outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) has a check-in MRI this week. Friedl fractured his right wrist on March 16 during a spring training game and was expected to miss six to eight weeks, but he was able to avoid the 60-day injured list to begin the season. The 28-year-old center fielder should be able to rejoin the Reds in early May if all goes well in his recovery, and his progress is something to monitor for those opting not to stash him.
David Bell said TJ Friedl has a check in/MRI this week. It’s also realistic that Matt McLain could return in August.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) April 9, 2024
Friedl broke out for Cincy last year, slashing a prolific .279/.352/.467 with 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 73 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases across 556 plate appearances. Will Benson is handling the majority of the reps in center for the time being, slashing .209/.277/.512 with eight extra-base hits, four RBI, and two stolen bags over 43 at-bats and carries a decent combination of power and speed for fantasy managers in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.
Vaughn Grissom Injury Update
Boston Red Sox infielder Vaughn Grissom (groin, hamstring) will start his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Friday. Grissom has yet to make his Red Sox debut in the regular season in 2024 due to groin and hamstring issues that he dealt with late in spring training, but he's getting closer and could be activated early next week if he doesn't have any setbacks with Worcester this weekend.
Vaughn Grissom is flying to Syracuse tonight to join the WooSox for his rehab assignment. He’ll play tomorrow.
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) April 11, 2024
Even before Trevor Story suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, the 23-year-old Grissom was projected to play every day for Boston this year (mostly at second base). Grissom was blocked in Atlanta but will play every day in Beantown and should be picked up off the waiver wire in mixed fantasy leagues right now if he's available. If he stays healthy, Grissom has 15-15 potential.
Brent Rooker Injury Update
The Oakland Athletics announced on Thursday that they placed outfielder Brent Rooker (abdominal) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 8) and selected infielder/outfielder Max Schuemann from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. The team also moved right-hander Luis Medina (knee) to the 60-day injured list.
We have made the following roster moves. pic.twitter.com/QjSKezymZs
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) April 11, 2024
Rooker is dealing with a costochondral cartilage injury in his abdomen after leaving Sunday's game early. It's unclear if the 29-year-old will be ready to return to the A's when he's eligible. After his first All-Star selection in 2023, Rooker is off to a slow start this year with a .200 average (6-for-30), but he does have two homers and five RBI in eight games. Until Rooker is able to return, Tyler Nevin figures to benefit from more playing time in Oakland, either in the outfield or at first base.
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