Fantasy Baseball Injury Reports for Hitters - Updates for Yordan Alvarez, Starling Marte, Jose Altuve, Jarred Kelenic, more

Heading into the weekend, there is no shortage of key MLB position players dealing with injuries. That said, fantasy baseball lineup decisions will be affected, and managers need to be ready to pivot. Let's take a look at injured hitters Yordan Alvarez, Starling Marte, Jose Altuve, Jarred Kelenic, and more.

This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters as of July 21, 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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Yordan Alvarez Injury Update

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez (oblique) is expected to be reinstated from the injured list ahead of Monday's games against the Rangers. He will play Friday and Saturday with Triple-A Sugar Land before returning to Houston Monday.

The 26-year-old has been sidelined due to a right oblique strain since early June. He is slashing .277/.388/.589 with 17 home runs, 55 RBI, and 41 runs across 242 plate appearances in 2022. Barring any setbacks, Alvarez is a few days away from returning and will significantly boost the lineup for fantasy managers and the Astros.

Starling Marte Injury Update

The New York Mets placed outfielder Starling Marte (head) on the 10-day injured list prior to their game against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday due to migraines. Marte was out of the lineup for the third straight game on Thursday, but he was shagging fly balls during batting practice and was said to be feeling better. He won't be eligible to return to the Mets until next Thursday, but hopefully he'll be feeling better by then.

Until he returns, Mark Canha should continue to see most of the playing time in right field. Marte has played in only eight games in July, going 8-for-30 (.267) with a home run, four RBI, three stolen bases and three runs scored. The 34-year-old Dominican has mostly been helpful in fantasy with his 24 stolen bases in 2023.

Jose Altuve Injury Update

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique), who landed on the injured list on July 6, took batting practice on the field on Monday and is nearing a minor-league rehab assignment. Altuve missed the first 43 games of the year with a fractured right thumb and has managed to play in only 32 games in 2023. In those 32 games, he's slashing .264/.371/.479 with six home runs and 18 RBI.

The 33-year-old also resumed running the bases on Sunday. He's trending toward starting a rehab assignment late this month, and barring a setback, he should be able to return to the Astros lineup in early August. Until Altuve is back, Mauricio Dubon will continue to see regular playing time at the keystone for the 'Stros. (MLB.com)

Jarred Kelenic Injury Update

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left foot fracture. It was also revealed that Kelenic broke his foot while kicking a water cooler after striking out in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Kelenic has had a nice season, hitting .252 with 11 homer runs, 12 stolen bases, and a .759 OPS across 90 appearances on the season.

However, the former top prospect has cooled off significantly following a hot start. Since May 1, the 24-year-old is hitting .230 with four homers, seven steals, a 34.5% K%, and a .673 OPS across 64 games, good for an 86 wRC+ that sits 14% below the league average. Outfield prospect Cade Marlowe has been recalled from Triple-A to take Kelenic's spot on the roster.

Andrew Vaughn Injury Update

Chicago White Sox outfielder/first baseman Andrew Vaughn (foot), who was out of the starting lineup for the second straight day on Thursday against the New York Mets, is getting an X-ray on his left foot, according to manager Pedro Grifol. "We're not anticipating anything wrong but he was pretty sore," Grifol said.

Vaughn hasn't played since fouling a ball off his foot on Tuesday, but it looks like he has avoided a serious injury and should be considered day-to-day heading into the weekend series against the Minnesota Twins, which begins on Friday. Vaughn is currently hitting .244/.316/.422 on the year with 12 homers, 54 RBI and 43 runs scored in 353 at-bats.

Harrison Bader Injury Update

Updating a previous report, New York Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader (rib) left the game early on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels with a left posterior rib contusion. Bader was hit in the ribs by a pitch in the sixth inning and had to leave.

The good news is that the 29-year-old should be able to avoid another stint on the injured list, but he could still have to miss a few games, despite the Yankees having an off day on Thursday before starting a new series on Friday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. Bader has been disappointing in fantasy because of injuries the last two years, but he deserves to be rostered in most fantasy leagues because of his power/speed combination when healthy.

Esteury Ruiz Injury Update

There is no timeline for Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz's (shoulder) return, but he has started throwing and is taking batting practice. Manager Mark Kotsay said late last week that Ruiz was further along in his rehab from a right-shoulder subluxation than the team expected and had already started hitting off a tee.

It sounds like the 24-year-old speedster is making decent progress, though, although it remains to be seen if he'll need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before being reinstated from the injured list. Despite not playing since July 5, Ruiz still leads major-league baseball with 43 stolen bases in 85 games. He has no power to speak of, but he should remain stashed in all fantasy leagues because of his wheels. JJ Bleday should continue to start in center field for the A's with Ruiz sidelined.

Ke'Bryan Hayes Injury Update

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) has been running, taking grounders and hitting, and the team is hopeful that he'll continue to get repetitions to be in a position to take at-bats before he's activated from the 10-day injured list. A minor-league rehab assignment is possible once he recovers from lower-back inflammation.

Because he's played in just one game since June 24, it's likely that the 26-year-old will play in minor league games before returning to Pittsburgh. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect to see him back in the big leagues until at least early August. With Hayes out, rookie Jared Triolo has excelled at third base for the Bucs, going 19-for-61 (.311), although he has yet to hit a home run. (MLB.com)

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