I’m genuinely amazed at how many injuries there are every week. Fantasy football players complain about injuries during the NFL season, but those people have never experienced an MLB season. To put it in perspective, six of the top 12 players from drafts are currently on the injured list (IL). That number has fluctuated all season, but we can never have nice things in fantasy baseball.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this week’s fantasy baseball injury updates and rankings.
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- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- Rest-of-Season Rankings
- Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Baseball Injury Stashes (Week 14)
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for ailing pitchers.
Pitchers to Stash Right Now
Zac Gallen has been out for a month with a hamstring issue, but he’s steadily creeping close to a return. The righty threw a simulated game last week and got in an extended live batting practice on Tuesday. There’s some speculation he might be ready to return after that, with Arizona beat reporters saying he could start for the Diamondbacks this weekend.
Justin Verlander has been out for two weeks with a back issue and has yet to resume throwing as of Monday. There was some thought he would be ready to return after the initial 15 days, but that’s impossible at this point. We should have some news this week, but we wouldn’t expect Verlander to return for at least two weeks.
Nick Lodolo has trouble staying off the IL, with a blister sending him there this time. While a blister is painful, it’s one of the best diagnoses for a pitcher. He’ll likely only need the minimum time on the IL before returning, with the lefty eligible to come off the IL late next week.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is dealing with a rotator cuff strain and is expected to miss a significant amount of time. The only real update we’ve received is that it’s not a season-ending injury, but that’s far from a glowing report. There’s no chance he will return before the All-Star break because he has a lengthy rehab ahead of him.
Blake Snell has been on and off the IL all season, but he’s inching close to a return. He made a rehab start just a few days ago but couldn’t even make it through two innings. The reigning Cy Young winner was frustrated with his ineffectiveness in that rehab start and will need at least two more before he’s ready to return to San Francisco’s rotation. A return next weekend looks most likely.
David Bednar is on the IL with an oblique injury. The Pirates closer felt some soreness during a side session but is not expected to be out too long. Aroldis Chapman will be the closer in his absence, with Bednar eligible to return early next week. If he gets in a bullpen session this weekend that could be in play.
This was one of the most bizarre IL placements all season. L.A. said they wanted to put Walker Buehler on the IL due to ineffectiveness and threw in some bogus hip injury for the designation. The Dodgers have stated it’s just some time to get Buehler right because he hasn’t looked normal since returning from Tommy John surgery. That dates back to last Thursday, so Buehler could return next week if L.A. wants that.
Yu Darvish was slated to return from his groin issue on Tuesday but had that start scratched due to lingering elbow soreness. That’s a nightmarish diagnosis, but San Diego says it’s a minor issue. There’s some thought he could still return next week, but we need to see him get in an extended bullpen session before that’s a possibility.
Clayton Kershaw has been ramping up recently, completing three innings in his first rehab start. We got some terrible news on Monday, though, with Kershaw being shut down due to shoulder soreness. He’s said it’s a natural progression in his rehab, but being shut down for a week is still a disappointing development. We’d bet on Kershaw being out through the All-Star break at this point.
Bryan Woo is having an unbelievable season, but he cannot stay healthy. The Mariners pitcher is now on the IL with a hamstring strain despite dealing with elbow issues earlier in the year. We feel lucky this isn’t an arm issue, but Woo will be out for at least two weeks. It’s been classified as a low-class strain, so a return after a minimum of 15 days is possible.
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, Jordan Romano, Jesus Luzardo, Joe Musgrove
Hitters to Stash Right Now
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters on the mend.
Houston said Kyle Tucker would be back when he was first eligible, but that was nearly three weeks ago. The good news is that he shredded the walking boot and resumed hitting earlier this week. He’ll likely start a rehab assignment in the next handful of days and be back with the Astros sometime next week.
Mookie Betts (2B, SS, OF – LAD)
Mookie Betts suffered the most disappointing injury of the season, fracturing his wrist two weeks ago on a hit-by-pitch (HBP). The superstar was projected to miss 6-8 weeks when the injury occurred, and nothing will change until we see some significant healing.
Fernando Tatis was only supposed to miss a few days due to a stress reaction in his quad, but things took a turn for the worse. The outfielder is now projected to be out through the All-Star break and has never really played a full season. They’ve stated that this is some time to get the superstar healthy and he should be ready to go in about a month.
J.T. Realmuto had meniscus surgery nearly three weeks ago and should start some activity here shortly. The catcher said he would only miss a month after the surgery, but if Mike Trout‘s timetable tells us anything, that’s an optimistic thought. The All-Star break is about four weeks away, which looks like the most likely outcome for Realmuto right now.
Josh Jung was supposed to be back with Texas this week, but lingering wrist soreness will keep him on the IL. The Rangers are calling it inflammation. There’s optimism he could be back with them sometime within the next week. A setback from wrist surgery is a scary sign for the future, though, because most players who have had wrist surgery have seen their power numbers plummet when they return.
Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t had many healthy seasons throughout his career. The slugger is back on the IL with another hamstring strain. That’s been a common issue for the big man throughout his career. This one is supposed to sideline him for four weeks. That means he should be back right around the All-Star break.
Mike Trout had knee surgery back on May 3 and has been progressing slowly in his recovery. The superstar has resumed running on a treadmill but hasn’t started any baseball activities. Being shelved for two months was the hope at the beginning, but that won’t happen at this point. We’d be surprised to see Trout back before the All-Star break.
Starling Marte was a surprise addition to the IL on Tuesday, dealing with a bone bruise in his knee. New York said he’d be out for at least four weeks, which is sad since he had seven homers and 12 steals in a bounce-back season. It’s ironic how many players’ timetables are right around the All-Star break. We could see numerous players return after that small break.
Michael Harris is another unfortunate injury for Atlanta. The outfielder is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. That is expected to sideline the speedy outfielder for at least a month, making him yet another guy projected to return right around the break.
Triston Casas has been out since the opening weeks of the year, suffering fractured ribs. The first baseman has claimed he’ll be ready to return on July 1, but that’s unlikely. He had an MRI on Monday and resumed swinging a bat last week. Some batting practice and a rehab assignment should be next on deck, with Casas out for the next few weeks.
On the Border Fantasy Baseball Injury Hitter Stashes
TJ Friedl, Max Muncy, 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.
