Fantasy Baseball Injury Reports for Pitchers - Updates for Framber Valdez, Jordan Romano, Jose Urquidy, Michael Kopech, more

MLB action is set to begin Friday after a brief All-Star break, so it's time to check in on the latest fantasy pitchers dealing with injuries. We'll likely continue to see stud pitchers come in and out of the injury headlines during the second half of the season, so be sure to stay up to date. For now, let's take a look at the top injured pitchers including Framber Valdez, Jordan Romano, Jose Urquidy, Michael Kopech, and more.

This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for pitchers as of July 13, 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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Framber Valdez Injury Update

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (ankle) didn'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 wanted 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, 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.

Jordan Romano Injury Update

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano (back) exited Tuesday's All-Star Game in the seventh inning with lower back tightness, per the American League team's manager, Dusty Baker.

Romano came in to start the seventh inning and recorded one out before exiting in the middle of the second at-bat. Per Baker, Romano felt tightness in his lower back while warming up in the bullpen and the tightness did not resolve during his outing. Fantasy managers should have more details in the coming days once Romano returns to Toronto, but he should be considered day-to-day at this time.

Jose Urquidy Injury Update

Houston Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy (shoulder) was able to throw a successful 40-pitch simulated game on Sunday. The right-hander has been steadily making progress and is now nearing a rehab assignment.

The plan is for Urquidy to make four starts between Triple-A Sugar Land and Double-A Corpus Christi following the All-Star break. That seems fair given the fact that Urquidy has been sidelined since the beginning of May. That being said, Urquidy is unlikely to return until some point in August, but is at least making solid progress. (MLB.com)

Michael Kopech Injury Update

Chicago White Sox right-hander Michael Kopech (shoulder) is listed as the team's probable starter on Friday to kick off the second half of the season in the series opener against the Atlanta Braves. The White Sox will be activating Kopech from the 15-day injured list so that he can make that start. He'll be followed by right-hander Lance Lynn on Saturday and right-hander Dylan Cease on Sunday in the series finale.

The 27-year-old Kopech will be returning from right-shoulder inflammation that landed him on the injured list in early July, but the White Sox did it by design to give him a little extra rest heading into the second half. Kopech set a career-high for innings with 119 1/3 last year for Chicago, and he's already sitting at 86 frames in 2023, so the White Sox are looking for ways to limit him in the second half.

Bryce Miller Injury Update

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said that rookie right-hander Bryce Miller (finger) will rejoin "the backside of our rotation coming out of the (All-Star) break for sure." Miller left his June 30 start in the fourth inning due to pain from a blister on his right middle finger, and he'll be eligible to return from the injured list as soon as July 16. He was able to throw on flat ground from around 60 feet before the team's contest last Saturday.

Fantasy managers made a mad dash to the waiver to pick Miller up when the Mariners initially called him up. The 24-year-old has had his ups and downs in his first 11 big-league starts, but he's still deserving of being rostered in at least deep-mixed fantasy leagues due to his strikeout upside. (MLB.com)

John Schreiber Injury Update

Boston Red Sox right-hander John Schreiber (shoulder), one of the team's top setup men this year, could return from the injured list by late July. Schreiber began a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on July 7, recording two outs while allowing a walk and no runs.

He was scheduled to make another rehab appearances on July 9 and will make multiple appearances in the minors following the All-Star break this week. Boston is hoping Schreiber can return when the New York Mets are in town from July 21-23. The 29-year-old reliever has been solid for the BoSox so far in 2023, posting a 2.12 ERA (3.16 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, eight walks and 21 strikeouts in 17 relief innings. (MLB.com)

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