Ever since I saw the news that Jacob deGrom would hit the 15-day IL, I’ve had this song in my head. (I went to the gym shortly thereafter and asked if I could remake that video with some friends. The 20-year-old at the desk had no idea what I was talking about, so they shrugged but then kicked me out later when I was rearranging the treadmills. Very unfair.)
I digress, of course, because I’m not really sure what to say about deGrom anymore. Will he go down in history as one of the greatest “What if?” pitchers ever? Year in and year out, his talent is too alluring to pass up during the draft season, so we bake the price of injury potential into his ADP. The problem is that instead of being an automatic first-round pick, he falls to the third round, but is there any other player with this level of injury history that still goes that high?
He has thrown 30 1/3 innings this year with his typically ridiculous 45:4 K-to-BB ratio. But now, he has right elbow inflammation, and while there does not appear to be structural damage, the deGrom injury carousel is speeding up. It’s up to each fantasy manager whether they’re good to stay on the ride or find someone else who wants their seat.
Jacob deGrom since signing with the Texas #Rangers:
Spring training: Side tightness.
April 17: Wrist soreness.
Friday: Elbow inflammation.
Saturday: Injured list.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 29, 2023
Here’s the rest of the round-up.
- Weekly Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Trade Value Chart
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Injury Roundup: Week 4
Aaron Judge (OF – NYY)
Judge injured his hip on a slide in Minnesota last week. He exited the game early a couple of days later and sat out the weekend. New York is planning to decide on whether he requires an IL stint on Monday after diagnosing him with a hip strain. They have, however, also stated he will not play again until Tuesday at the earliest.
What to do: The first game of the week is early (1:10 p.m. ET) with a make-up game for the Braves and Mets, so the pressure is on those in weekly leagues to risk it or not. Pay close attention on Monday morning, though if there is no word, I would be inclined to sit him for the week.
Julio Rodriguez (OF – SEA)
Rodriguez also hurt himself on a slide Saturday night, experiencing a low back strain and being removed from the contest. He sat out Sunday and has an off day on Monday, after which he will hopefully have no issues going forward.
What to do: While it is a risk to start him in weekly leagues, all signs so far say it is a minor injury, so it would still be worth starting him.
Corbin Carroll (OF – ARI)
As I continue to write this list, I keep thinking that maybe we are just not allowed to have nice things this year in baseball. Carroll left Saturday’s game after a violent crash into the outfield wall left him with a knee contusion. He is considered DTD, though as of this writing, there has been no official update.
What to do: While it’s nice to see outfielders hustling (what up, Luis Robert?), this isn’t a great situation for a speedy guy like Carroll. Keep an eye out for any updates Monday morning, but with an off day, weekly lineups may be flying blind.
Other injuries:
- Garrett Whitlock (SP, RP – BOS): 15-day IL with right elbow ulnar neuritis – return uncertain
- German Marquez (SP – COL): 15-day IL with triceps injury – return uncertain, concern it might need Tommy John surgery
- Kerry Carpenter (OF – DET): 10-day IL with shoulder injury – expected return in late May
- J.D. Martinez (UTIL – LAD): 10-day IL with back injury – expected return in early May
- Kenta Maeda (SP – MIN): 15-day IL with triceps injury – possible return in late May
- Cristian Pache (OF – PHI): 10-day IL with knee injury – out indefinitely
Injury Updates
Mariners GM Justin Hollander said that Andres Munoz is still in Arizona, finishing up his throwing program. He threw two days ago. And could head out on a rehab assignment "fairly soon."
M's front office is urging caution with Munoz since he's max effort in how he throws.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) April 29, 2023
#Rays Tyler Glasnow (oblique) threw a 2-inning live BP session at the Trop today and Kevin Cash said the report from Rick Knapp was "very encouraging". Next step is a 3-inning outing at Durham, likely within the next week. Mid-May is still the target for Glasnow's return.
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) April 29, 2023
Alex Wood (hamstring) threw a bullpen session yesterday and will do a two inning simulated game Tuesday before likely going on a (maybe short) rehab assignment.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) April 30, 2023
Brandon Woodruff’s follow up MRI was “very positive relative to what it could have been,” per Matt Arnold. The target is to have him back in the big league rotation by the end of June.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) April 30, 2023
Sounds like Robert, Andrew Benintendi, Tim Anderson, and Hanser Alberto all could be available by Tuesday.
Joe Kelly said yesterday that he’s due to go on paternity leave soon, which could be part of the roster calculus.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) April 30, 2023
We’ll see you next Monday. May you all keep your IL spots open and, as always, good luck!
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Kelly Kirby is a featured writer and content specialist at FantasyPros. You can check out her archive here and follow her on Twitter at @thewonkypenguin.
