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The weekend is upon us and the MLB season is flying by. However, there are plenty of must-start studs in this week's injury headlines, so fantasy managers will need to be ready to pivot at multiple positions. Let's take a look at injured hitters including Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Starling Marte, Tommy Edman, Willson Contreras, and more.
This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters as of July 28, 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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Mike Trout Injury Update
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (wrist) held a bat and took very light dry swings on Wednesday. Trout is slowly resuming baseball activities after also doing some running drills at Comerica Park on Tuesday. Fantasy managers are going to need to be patient, though, as Trout isn't exactly close to returning to the big leagues after having surgery on his left hamate bone earlier this month.
He will continue to slowly ramp up his baseball activities before likely going in a minor-league rehab assignment in early August. In a best-case scenario, Trout could return to the Halos in mid-August. Until then, left-handed-hitting Mickey Moniak will continue to hold down most of the playing time in center field.
Juan Soto Injury Update
San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto (finger) will undergo an MRI exam on his right middle finger on Thursday. It has been bothering Soto for a while, and the Padres were hoping to avoid using him at all in the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. The 24-year-old All-Star didn't start on Wednesday, but he drew a walk as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 3-2 loss.
Fantasy managers might want to prepare for the worst, but hopefully Soto's MRI exam will come back clean on Thursday and he'll be available for Friday's series opener against the visiting Texas Rangers. The three-time All-Star leads the majors with 94 walks and is also slashing .262/.416/.501 with a .917 OPS, 20 homers, 24 doubles, 61 RBI, six stolen bases and 59 runs in a league-high 102 games played this year.
Starling Marte Injury Update
New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (head) is "somewhat" still dealing with migraine issues, according to manager Buck Showalter, including suffering from additional ones on a "lesser scale" this week. It's likely that Marte will seek a second opinion after the imminent birth of his child. It was originally believed that the 34-year-old could return from the injured list when eligible on Thursday, but that's not happening, and there remains no timetable for his return.
Fantasy managers are going to have to remain patient but Marte is worthy of stashing in all fantasy leagues for his speed (24 stolen bases). Until he's back, the right-handed-hitting Mark Canha should continue to see increased playing time in Queens.
Tommy Edman Injury Update
St. Louis Cardinals infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman (wrist) is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Saturday. The 28-year-old is slated to work out with the team on Thursday and Friday and head for the assignment thereafter. It puts Edman on track to return to the major-league lineup as early as Tuesday's series opener versus the Minnesota Twins. The speedy Edman has sat on the injured list with right wrist inflammation since July 7.
The former Gold Glover is hitting .237 with a .693 OPS, seven home runs, 29 RBI, and 14 stolen bases over 372 at-bats this season. Fantasy managers should ensure Edman isn't available on waiver wires.
Willson Contreras Injury Update
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (head) is considered day-to-day after exiting Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs early with a scalp laceration. Cubs outfielder Ian Happ's backswing hit Contreras in the back of the head during the first inning, and he was immediately removed from Thursday's contest. The 31-year-old was replaced in the game by Andrew Knizner. Contreras' next chance to return will be Friday against the Cubs.
Knizner would see an uptick in playing time if Contreras misses additional time. The 28-year-old is mainly an option in NL-Only leagues, slashing .226/.250/.419 with six home runs, 20 RBI, 19 runs, and a stolen base over 39 games in 2023.
Jorge Polanco Injury Update
Minnesota Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) will play in a minor-league rehab game on Wednesday for Triple-A St. Paul and then fly to Kansas City with the Twins to be activated from the 10-day injured list on the road trip. Polanco should be back in Minnesota's starting lineup on Friday for the series opener against the Royals, so fantasy managers should look to potentially scoop him up off the waiver wire if he's available in your league.
The 30-year-old should see plenty of playing time at third base for the Twins against right-handed pitchers when he's back, and his power/speed combination shouldn't go overlooked. The Dominican switch-hitter was batting .250 (30-for-120) with five homers, nine doubles, 16 RBI and 11 runs scored in 30 games before his injury.
Esteury Ruiz Injury Update
Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (shoulder) will head to Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday and is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Friday, according to manager Mark Kotsay. If Ruiz doesn't suffer any setbacks in the minors, he could be activated from the injured list at some point early next week.
The 24-year-old Dominican speedster was one of the A's few bright spots in 2023 before his injury, slashing .257/.310/.329 with a home run, 19 doubles, a triple, 35 RBI and 33 runs scored in 369 trips to the plate over 85 games. Despite missing some time with his shoulder injury, Ruiz steals leads the league with 43 stolen bases in 51 tries. Infielder Kevin Smith (back) will also begin his rehab assignment with Vegas on Friday.
Brandon Drury Injury Update
Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury (shoulder) is taking ground balls at third base on Thursday and is making throws across the diamond. Drury has been out since early July with an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder, and he looks to be on track to start a minor-league rehab assignment soon. With Anthony Rendon (shin) still out for at least another couple of weeks, Drury could be back before then and should see regular playing time at the hot corner, at least until Rendon returns.
However, the Angels could decide to trade for a third baseman such as the Nationals' Jeimer Candelario, which would further complicate the situation. Before his injury, the 30-year-old Drury was hitting a solid .277 (78-for-282) with 14 long balls, 45 RBI and 36 runs scored.
Jonah Heim Injury Update
Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim (wrist) left Wednesday's game early against the Houston Astros with left-wrist soreness. Heim will continue to be evaluated, so consider him day-to-day for now and check back Thursday morning for an update on his condition. The injury occurred on a swing from Heim in the fourth inning.
It would be a tough break for the Rangers and fantasy managers alike if the 28-year-old All-Star catcher is forced to miss significant time due to the injury. Texas has an off day on Thursday, but it remains to be seen if Heim will be ready to return on Friday against the San Diego Padres. If Heim has to miss any time, Mitch Garver should see most of the starts behind the plate for the Rangers.
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