When I was assigned this article at the beginning of the season, I thought there would not be enough injuries to talk about 20 players each week. Boy, was I wrong. This last week was absolute carnage from an injury standpoint, and it truly feels like an epidemic at this point. Most of my leagues have all four injured list (IL) slots full, and it’s time to get ready to drop some of these players. That’s as important as anything when evaluating this article because making those tough cuts can put you ahead of the field since every fantasy team is riddled with injuries.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this week’s fantasy baseball injury updates and rankings.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- Rest-of-Season Rankings
- Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Baseball Injury Stashes (Week 13)
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for ailing pitchers.
Pitchers to Stash Right Now
I love kickstarting an article like this. Max Scherzer has been rehabbing for months now and will finally make his season debut on Saturday. He’s had back and thumb issues but should be fully healthy and ready for a full workload after a start or two.
Zac Gallen has been hampered by a hamstring injury all season and it finally forced him to go to the IL a few weeks ago. The Arizona ace has been steadily progressing, throwing a simulation game on Tuesday. He completed three innings in that and will likely need another one or a rehab start to be ready to return. In any case, Gallen should be back with the Diamondbacks next week.
Justin Verlander had his start scratched this week with a neck issue, but Houston decided to take the cautious approach and put the veteran on the IL. The good news is that this isn’t expected to be serious, so Verlander could be back when his 15-day IL stint is up next week. He is beyond 40, though, so we need to keep an eye on it.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was a massive loss last week, suffering a rotator cuff strain. That’s a terrible injury to suffer. Hearing Dave Roberts say it’s not season-ending is far from an encouraging sign. Early speculation is he’ll miss at least a month, with a two-month timetable being the most likely outcome.
Blake Snell completed a three-inning simulation game on Tuesday, rehabbing from his groin issue. He should be inching close to a return. He’ll likely need one more simulation game or a rehab start before returning to the Giants, so look for Gallen and Snell to return around the same time.
There weren’t many updates regarding Yu Darvish coming into the week, but we got a massive one this week. The Padres pitcher made a rehab start on Wednesday, allowing six runs across 3.1 innings. We expected him to return from his groin issue after that, but getting shelled by a Single-A team might earn him another rehab start before returning to San Diego. In any case, he should be back by the end of next week.
Clayton Kershaw has been the best pitcher in baseball for a decade, but he has yet to make his debut this season. The Cy Young winner has been out due to offseason shoulder surgery but has slowly ramped up his rehab. He made a three-inning rehab start yesterday and will likely need at least two more before being ready to return. We could see the superstar back on the mound early in July.
Jordan Romano is in his second stint on the IL, dealing with the same elbow issue that sidelined him earlier. The Toronto closer resumed throwing last week and is projected to begin some mound work in the coming days. A bullpen session and a few rehab appearances would be next on tap. We’d expect Romano to be back in about two weeks.
Joe Musgrove has been sidelined with bone spurs in his elbow, and he hasn’t made much progress since then. The first step of his rehab will occur today, with the righty projected to throw for the first time. He has numerous steps before being ready to return, with a post-All-Star break return looking most likely.
Jacob deGrom is the most talented pitcher in the league, but he’s one of the most injury-prone players in baseball. He’s been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery last season but has worked up to bullpen sessions. He got in a 15-pitch bullpen session earlier this week and should start a rehab assignment later this month. We likely won’t see deGrom until after the All-Star break, but he could be the best pitcher in the league for the final two months.
On the Border Fantasy Baseball Injury Pitcher Stashes
Kodai Senga, Merrill Kelly, Jeffrey Springs, Robbie Ray, Devin Williams, Eduardo Rodriguez, Luis Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, Gavin Williams
Hitters to Stash Right Now
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters on the mend.
There was some thought Kyle Tucker would return when first eligible last weekend, but his lower leg injury has been lingering. The All-Star took a nasty foul ball off his shin but is inching close to a return. He could do that this weekend, but we’d expect Tucker back with the Astros before the end of next week.
Mookie Betts (2B, SS, OF – LAD)
This was one of the most disappointing injuries of the season. Everyone loves Mookie Betts, but the superstar will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks after fracturing his wrist last weekend. The only silver lining is that one of those weeks is the All-Star break, and Los Angeles is expected to have Betts fully healthy for the final two months of the season. If you’re deep in the standings, try to trade Betts for whatever can help you crawl out from the bottom.
J.T. Realmuto had meniscus surgery last week and is expected to miss a month. This knee issue has been ailing him for weeks, but he’s expected to be fully healthy sometime in July. The All-Star break starts July 15, so a return on July 19 is the most likely scenario.
Josh Jung has missed most of the season with a fractured wrist, but the slugger is slated to return before our next article is published. He just started a rehab assignment this week and flirted with a 1.500 OPS before getting injured.
Bo Bichette was added to the IL on Wednesday, dealing with a calf issue. It’s been a struggle for the shortstop, so Toronto is hopeful these 10 days will be a great time to reset. They said he should be ready to return when first eligible, but we’re too early into the diagnosis to know for sure. He was placed on the IL on June 15, so a June 25 return is not out of the realm of possibility.
We were worried about Mike Trout’s knee surgery when it happened, stating he could be out longer than anticipated. That appears to be happening with progress slower than Trout would have hoped. He’s yet to resume running, which is scary since Realmuto had the same surgery. We wouldn’t expect Trout back anytime before the break, with an August return possible.
Willson Contreras fractured his arm less than two months ago and was projected to miss 10 weeks, but he’s on pace to obliterate that timetable. The catcher started a rehab assignment and played DH earlier this week. He likely needs at least 2-3 appearances as a catcher before being ready to return, but there’s optimism he could be back in St. Louis on Monday.
Atlanta is having terrible injury luck, with Michael Harris the most recent addition to the IL. The outfielder suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain over the weekend and is expected to miss at least a month. That’s a lengthy timetable and hamstrings can be tricky. Like many players in this article, a return around the All-Star break is possible.
Triston Casas had a wild interview on Sunday Night Baseball last week. If that tells us anything, this man is working tirelessly to return. The slugger said he wants to return by July 1st. He landed on the IL due to a severe elbow strain. He’s taken some light swings this week and will have to make some rapid steps to reach that July 1 goal. We’d anticipate him returning before the All-Star game but not by July 1.
Max Muncy has been frustrated with his rehabilitation from an oblique strain, seeing very little progress since the injury occurred. The third baseman is at least a week away from being able to swing a bat, which means he’s at least 2-3 weeks away from a rehab assignment. This is another guy looking at a return around the All-Star break.
On the Border Fantasy Baseball Injury Hitter Stashes
Xander Boegarts, Evan Carter, Kerry Carpenter, Matt McLain, Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar, Wilyer Abreu
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
