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The MLB season continues to chug along and injuries continue to play a factor in fantasy baseball lineups. Fantasy managers must stay up to date with the latest news surrounding banged-up hurlers. Let's take a look at the top injured pitchers including Shohei Ohtani, Max Fried, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and more.
This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for pitchers 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 pitchers.
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Shohei Ohtani Injury Update
Los Angeles Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani (finger) will make his next start on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ohtani has been dealing with a cracked fingernail on his pitching hand in his last couple of starts on the mound, but it hasn't kept him from serving as the team's designated hitter.
He has allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits (two homers) while walking seven and striking out 12 in 10 innings in his last two starts against the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros, so he hasn't been nearly as sharp while pitching through his nail issue. It's something to consider for his start on Friday, but the 29-year-old two-way superstar isn't expected to face any pitch-count restrictions, and the matchup against Pittsburgh is too good to ignore.
Max Fried Injury Update
Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried's (forearm) third minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday was postponed due to rain. There will be a doubleheader on Friday, but the Braves haven't decided which game Fried will start. Instead, the 29-year-old will toss five innings a day later.
If he can avoid any setbacks on Friday, the Braves should reinstate him from the injured list at some point next week. He's made a start each for Gwinnett and High-A Rome so far and has gone 4 1/3 shutout innings while walking two and striking out four on the farm. Fried has only made five starts so far in 2023 due to injury, but he's a fantasy ace when he's healthy and he should not be on any waiver wires.
Kevin Gausman Injury Update
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (side) is penciled in to start on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. Gausman was scratched from his start last weekend as a precaution due to left-side discomfort, so he'll be making his first start of the second half of the season this weekend in Seattle. The 32-year-old All-Star last took the mound on July 8 against the Detroit Tigers and gave up two earned runs in six innings while fanning seven.
He'll be a bit more risky against the M's this weekend because of his side injury, but we wouldn't recommend benching him in a solid matchup. Overall, Gausman has gone 7-5 with a 3.03 ERA (2.46 FIP), 1.13 WHIP, 29 walks and 153 strikeouts in 19 starts in his second year in Toronto.
Shane Bieber Injury Update
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (elbow) reportedly will not be traded by the trade deadline, as the right-hander's elbow injury has depleted his trade value. The 28-year-old landed on the 15-day injured list earlier this month after experiencing elbow discomfort but won't require surgery.
Bieber is having a decent season, pitching to a 3.77 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, but owns a career-low 19.4% strikeout rate across 19 starts. Fantasy managers can expect the former Cy Young winner back before the end of this season, still in a Guardians uniform.
Jose Urquidy Injury Update
Houston Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy (shoulder) made his second minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday and allowed two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out two over 45 pitches in three innings. He gave up two unearned runs while walking one and striking out two in two innings in his first rehab start with Sugar Land on July 14.
The plan is for Urquidy to report to Double-A Corpus Christi to make two starts, the first of which will be four innings, followed by a five-inning outing on July 30. Barring a setback, he could then rejoin Houston's starting rotation in early August. The 28-year-old will be returning to a 2-2 record, 5.20 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings over his six starts this year. (MLB.com)
Bobby Miller Injury Update
Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed rookie Bobby Miller (knee) is scheduled to make his next start on Saturday on the road against the Texas Rangers. Miller made it only 4 2/3 innings in his last start against the New York Mets on July 16 due to right-knee discomfort, but the injury wasn't serious enough to cause him to be skipped in the rotation.
The 24-year-old gave up just two earned runs while striking out 23 in his first four big-league starts (23 innings), but since then he's allowed 21 earned runs on 30 hits while walking nine and striking out 24 in 25 2/3 frames over five starts. The strikeouts have been nice, but Miller will be a risky streamer on the road against one of the best hitting clubs in the big leagues this weekend.
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