Fantasy Baseball Injury Reports for Hitters - Updates for Bo Bichette, Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Tim Anderson, Byron Buxton, more

The 2023 MLB season continues to chug along, and fantasy baseball leagues will be wrapping up before we know it. That said, it's never been more crucial to stay up to date with the latest injury headlines for key hitters. Let's take a look at injured hitters Bo Bichette, Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Tim Anderson, Byron Buxton, and more.

This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters as of August 16, 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 hitters.

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Bo Bichette Injury Update

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (knee) will start his minor-league rehab assignment as the designated hitter on Tuesday night with Triple-A Buffalo, and the plan is for him to play shortstop on Wednesday. A return to the Blue Jays active roster by this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds is a possibility. That should be music to fantasy managers' ears. The 25-year-old is one of the best fantasy options at shortstop when he's healthy, and he still currently leads the league in hits with 144.

When he returns, Paul DeJong will operate in more of a utility role for the Blue Jays. Bichette will come back to a strong .321/.352/.494 slash line with an .847 OPS, 17 home runs, 25 doubles, a triple, 59 RBI, three stolen bases and 50 runs scored in his 471 plate appearances. The stolen bases are down, but everything else has been gravy.

Mike Trout Injury Update

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (wrist) said he's been hitting off a pitching machine, but he has yet to face full velocity. There is still some pain in his left wrist when he swings, but he's getting better. There remains no timetable for his return to the big leagues after recovering from a hamate-bone fracture in early July. The Angels desperately need the 32-year-old All-Star back as their starting center fielder, but the team is by no means going to rush him back.

Trout is feeling better every day, and his eventual return to the lineup will likely depend on pain tolerance. The three-time MVP should be rostered in all fantasy leagues despite his lengthy absence due to injury. When he does return, he'll be coming back to a .263/.369/.493 slash line with an .862 OPS, 18 home runs, 44 RBI and 54 runs scored in 81 games.

Jose Altuve Injury Update

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (knee) left Tuesday's game early against the Miami Marlins with a left-knee contusion after X-rays came back negative, according to the press-box announcement. Altuve fouled a pitch off his left knee in his first at-bat of the game, and while it looks like he dodged a significant injury, he could still be forced to miss some time moving forward.

Fantasy managers should consider the 33-year-old to be day-to-day. Altuve did single in his only plate appearance before being replaced at the keystone by Mauricio Dubon. The eight-time All-Star has had an injury-filled 2023 campaign, but when he's been on the field, he's been his usual solid self, as he entered Tuesday's contest hitting .323/.422/.545 with a .966 OPS, nine homers, 28 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 43 runs scored in 49 games.

Tim Anderson Injury Update

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (neck) was scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the Chicago Cubs due to a stiff neck. Anderson, who has been one of the biggest busts in all of baseball in 2023, should be considered day-to-day. Check back to see if he's available to play on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old made the All-Star team in the previous two seasons, but he's been far from an All-Star in 2023, hitting .240/.285/.286 with only one home run, 21 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 38 runs scored in 91 games.

Byron Buxton Injury Update

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hamstring) was placed on the injured list in early August due to a lingering hamstring issue. His timetable to return has been uncertain, but manager Rocco Baldelli cleared it up on Tuesday.

Baldelli said that Buxton will need to go on a rehab assignment before returning to the Twins roster. That means, Buxton isn't quite ready to return yet, but fantasy managers shouldn't rule out a return in August. The hope is that Buxton will be ready before the end of the month.

Rowdy Tellez Injury Update

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez (hand) will remain on his rehab assignment until he gets going at the plate, according to manager Craig Counsell. That means he'll be with Triple-A Nashville at least through the Dodgers series, which ends on Thursday.

So far, Tellez is batting just .111 at Triple-A so he'll get a few more days to get it going at the dish. He has been out since mid-July after getting stitches on his hand. He'll split first base duties with the recently-acquired Carlos Santana at first base once he's back with the Brew Crew. He put up a lackluster .653 OPS over 253 at-bats before his injury so he's a little hard to trust for fantasy purposes at the moment.

Brandon Marsh Injury Update

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (knee) did some running on Tuesday to test his injured left knee and he's scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this week. Marsh looked to be moving well before the IronPigs' Tuesday night game. If the 25-year-old can avoid any setbacks this week in the minors, he should be able to return to the Phillies by early next week.

Marsh has been sidelined since Aug. 6 with a bruised left knee, but he's getting ready to return soon. He was having a pretty impressive season in his first full season with the Phils before the injury, slashing .281/.367/.460 with an .827 OPS, eight home runs, 20 doubles, six triples, 43 RBI, six stolen bases and 41 runs scored in 101 games. Marsh should play regularly against right-handed pitchers when he's back in the bigs.

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