When Will Jeffrey Springs Return and Be Back? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

Fantasy baseball does not care when you develop into a stud. Such is the case with Rays left-hander Jeffrey Springs after he burst onto the scene with a 2.46 ERA across 33 appearances (25 starts) in his age-29 campaign. All he did as an encore was three starts of 0.56 ERA ball (one earned run in 16 innings) in the 2023 campaign before devastation hit.

Yes, he was removed from an April 13 start against the Red Sox in 2023 after just three innings with elbow soreness. Of course, on came the dreaded Tommy John surgery which not only cost him the remainder of the season but also a solid chunk of the 2024 campaign, as well. A budding, late-blooming star cut down just as the fantasy community began salivating. It was a major blow for all involved.

However, the grass could be greener on the other side. Let's check in on Springs' injury update, when he could return, and what fantasy managers could expect when the talented left-hander gets back on the bump.

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Jeffrey Springs Update for Fantasy Baseball

While there is no concrete evidence as to when Springs will make his big-league return, he sure seems to be on his way back.

He is five games into his rehab and has allowed all of one earned run through six innings of work. He has walked one and struck out 10 in that time but has yet to pitch more than two innings in any outing. Obviously, he is being eased back into action as his pitch count rises, but the latest has him tossing four innings of shutout ball with just three hits against and zero walks against five strikeouts across his last two outings, both of which came with Triple-A Durham following a trio of outings in the Complex League.

Jeffrey Springs with a sterling start to his rehab in Durham giving up only one hit. Was slated to go 2 innings for 30 pitches, but only needed 18.

8 whiffs and 3 K.

We even get to see Logan Driscoll with the hose as he is returning to Durham, as well. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/ZCU7wA2IkV

— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) June 12, 2024

There is no timetable at this point but the signs are positive as we approach the final week of June.

Jeffrey Springs Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy managers cannot be blamed for keeping all eyes on Springs' steps toward his return to the Rays' rotation. Dude has been lights out for some time, including 44 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA ball as a reliever in the 2021 season. His transition to a full-time starter has been seamless, to put it mildly.

The owner of a career 19.4% K-BB%, including a 36.4% clip in a small three-start sample in 2023, Springs was a hot commodity as a later-season stash in drafts this spring. Those who bet on the 31-year-old are eager to see whether his superb rehab results will translate to The Show.

12 Ks and 0 H for Jeffrey Springs.

You're gonna want to keep an eye on this guy. pic.twitter.com/Yz4zABSUKR

— MLB (@MLB) April 2, 2023

While caution needs to be thrown to the wind given his usage and need to build up a pitch count, the next couple of weeks could tell us all a lot about how much of a fantasy contributor he can be in the 2024 season, and beyond.

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