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Several key fantasy baseball pitchers dealing with short or long-term ailments heading into the weekend. This is nothing new for MLB pitchers, but it's something fantasy managers will have to consider when making lineup decisions. As always, we have the latest updates. Let's take a look at the top injured pitchers including Shane McClanahan, Clayton Kershaw, Eduardo Rodriguez, Alex Cobb, and more.
This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for pitchers as of June 30, 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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Shane McClanahan Injury Update
Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (back) left his start early against the Kansas City Royals on June 22 after 3 2/3 frames due to tightness in his back that was affecting his delivery. McClanahan has thrown off the mound twice since his last outing and said he's good to go for Friday night's series opener against the Seattle Mariners.
He doesn't expect it to be an ongoing issue moving forward. "I feel good. I feel ready to go," McClanahan said. "Definitely a wake-up call. Might have needed to hammer out some more stuff in the training room, address some stuff. And I'm glad I had this opportunity now rather than later. Threw my normal side, lifted, ran, did everything normal and routine, and [I] mixed in with some really good treatment. Feel like I'm in a good spot." Fantasy managers will want to get the 26-year-old southpaw back into all starting lineups.
Clayton Kershaw Injury Update
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) acknowledged Thursday that he's dealing with shoulder inflammation. He said his shoulder got "cranky" during the sixth inning in Tuesday's start against the Rockies. The 35-year-old received a cortisone shot and will not throw in the next few days.
He hopes to make his next start but is "not gonna be stupid about it." Kershaw owns a (10-4) record with a 2.55 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 105: 24 K: BB across 95 1/3 innings in 2023. It's unclear when Kershaw will make his next start, but he is not expected to be placed on the injured list. Stay tuned for further updates.
Eduardo Rodriguez Injury Update
Detroit Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (finger) allowed three hits and a walk while striking out four across 4 1/3 innings in Thursday's rehab outing with Triple-A Toledo. The 30-year-old threw 58 pitches, landing 41 for strikes. He is expected to make another rehab start in the minors before being activated from the injured list.
Rodriguez owned a 2.13 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a 67: 16 K: BB across 67 2/3 innings before landing on the injured list on May 30. Fantasy managers should continue to stash Rodriguez in all league formats, as he is expected to return to Detroit's rotation soon.
Alex Cobb Injury Update
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (oblique) is poised to return from the 15-day injured list to start Friday's game against the New York Mets. The 35-year-old appears to have only needed the minimum stint on the mend with a left oblique strain after being placed on the IL retroactive to June 15. Cobb struggled versus the Mets in 2022, yielding nine earned runs over 10 1/3 innings pitched in two starts against New York last year.
The right-hander's lifetime 5.87 ERA vs. the Mets (23 IP) marks his worst figure against any National League club. Despite the potentially dicey matchup, fantasy managers should gladly welcome back Cobb's solid 3.09 ERA with 76 strikeouts across 78 2/3 innings overall this year.
Chris Sale Injury Update
Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale (shoulder) received good MRI results and is back to building up pain-free. He resumed a throwing program from 60 feet on Thursday, and while he probably still has a long ways to go in his recovery from a stress reaction in his left scapula, it's good news that he's back to throwing again. Given all of the 34-year-old southpaw's injuries in recent years, the Red Sox are probably going to slow play Sale's rehab.
Sale is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list in early August, but fantasy managers might not want to expect a speedy recovery. He was able to make it through 11 starts in 2023 before encountering another injury, and Sale had gone 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA (3.69 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, 15 walks and 71 K's in 59 innings. Keep him stashed while optimism remains that he will return in 2023.
Michael Wacha Injury Update
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael Wacha (shoulder) is throwing a bullpen session on Thursday before the team's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. With Yu Darvish (illness) questionable to make his next start this weekend on the road against the Cincinnati Reds, the Padres are really hoping Wacha's bullpen goes well so he can make a start against the Reds after having his turn skipped last Saturday against the Washington Nationals due to right-shoulder fatigue.
The 31-year-old right-handed veteran has been the Padres' most consistent starter in 2023, going 7-2 with a 2.90 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings over 14 starts, but he'll be extra risky if he starts this weekend in Cincy coming off shoulder fatigue.
Dustin May Injury Update
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he misspoke on Wednesday when he said that right-hander Dustin May (forearm) had started a throwing program. In fact, May hasn't started playing catch yet and is still rehabbing from a flexor-pronator-mass injury. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection six weeks ago. Hopefully, the 25-year-old hard-throwing hurler will resume throwing soon, but it's another reminder that fantasy managers stashing him will need to be patient for much longer.
At this point, May probably won't have a realistic chance to return until at least the middle of August. His injury came at a really inopportune time for the Dodgers, as he had gone 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA in nines starts to begin the year, albeit with only 34 punchouts in 48 innings of work.
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