When is Keibert Ruiz Coming Back - Fantasy Baseball Injury Return Update

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz is not off to the best start in 2024. He is hitting just .194 at the plate with one home run and three RBI across eight games. It's been a struggle for Ruiz in the early going, and things just got a whole lot worse for the 25-year-old.

Ruiz has been battling an illness for the past couple of games, resulting in him missing five contests. As a result, the Nationals decided to place the young catcher on the 10-day injured list ahead of the team's matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.

So, how serious is Ruiz's IL stint? When is he coming back? Let's dive in and find out.

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Keibert Ruiz Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

Ruiz likely caught an illness sometime after his last appearance on April 8. In that game against the San Francisco Giants, the catcher went 0-for-3 with two walks and one run scored. Then, he missed the next game with the flu. 

The absences, though, continued to pile up for Ruiz. He missed five total games before the team decided to place him on the 10-day IL on Monday. It appears the catcher wasn't getting any better from his illness, so the Nationals made the move to open up a roster spot.

Keibert Ruiz Goes On 10-Day Injured List https://t.co/NvpjMO8GaZ

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) April 15, 2024

That move to send Ruiz to the IL makes sense for Washington, considering they were only carrying one other catcher (Riley Adams) on the roster. Although he will hit the IL (retroactive to April 12), he is first eligible to return on Sunday. So, he should be back shortly.

Keibert Ruiz Fantasy Baseball Outlook

With Ruiz off to a slow start and now on the IL, fantasy managers have grown impatient with the 25-year-old catcher. He is now only rostered in 43% of Yahoo leagues -- down 17% from his rostership on April 8.

It makes sense why his rostership has been dropping, but he's a player that fantasy managers should be looking to stash in one of their IL slots for the time being. Ruiz is coming off a solid season in 2023, where he hit .260 at the plate with 18 HRs, 67 RBI, and 24 doubles.

Keibert Ruiz remains sick and wasn't at the ballpark today. Davey Martinez suggested they're going to need to make a move to get another catcher to L.A. for Monday night's game.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) April 14, 2024

That makes Ruiz worth a look in 12-plus team leagues, especially if you are struggling in the catcher department. He has gotten off to a rough start, but his 2023 numbers should give fantasy managers some hope that he can turn it around.

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