This has been a busy week from an injury standpoint. We knew there wouldn’t be many developments because many of the players on the injured list (IL) are still a few weeks from returning. It’s incredible how many are projected to return right around the All-Star break. That first article back will be a wild one. We still have way too many good players on the IL. Hopefully, it slows down at some point.
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 15)
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for ailing pitchers.
Pitchers to Stash Right Now
Nick Lodolo is back on the IL, but this blister issue is far from concerning. That never keeps a pitcher out for more than a few weeks unless you’re Rich Hill, so we expect Lodolo to return to the Reds rotation within the next two weeks.
Blake Snell is in his third rehab stint, landing on the IL due to a groin issue. He also made his third rehab start on Wednesday. This is expected to be his final tune-up before joining the Giants’ rotation next week. He has a 3.29 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 1.51 K/9 rate in the minors this year. He could be one of the best buy-lows for the second half of the season.
David Bednar is on the IL with an oblique issue, but Pittsburgh said it was minor when the injury occurred. That certainly appears to be the case with Bednar completing a bullpen session this week. He might only need one or two more of those before returning to the Pirates.
This Justin Verlander absence has gone on much longer than fantasy managers were anticipating. The former Cy Young winner has been out since June 9 with a neck issue but was able to resume throwing this week. It’s unclear if he’ll need a rehab start before returning to the Astros, but Verlander should be back before the All-Star break.
Bryan Woo has been on the IL numerous times this year, but he’s ailing from a hamstring issue this time. That’s much better than the elbow that bugged him earlier in the year, especially since Woo completed a 20-pitch bullpen session just two days ago. He’s expected to have an extended one in the coming days and could forgo a rehab assignment and return after a minimum of 15 days. That would have him slated to return early next week.
We haven’t had many updates regarding Yoshinobu Yamamoto because this is a healing time for the offseason signing. He’s trying to recover from a rotator cuff strain and the only real update we’ve seen is that Yamamoto isn’t out for the year. That’s about as discouraging as it gets. We don’t expect a real update until the break.
Walker Buehler was placed on the IL with a hip injury, but we all know it was due to ineffectiveness. That can happen after returning from Tommy John surgery. Fantasy managers are hopeful this break will get him back on track. His last start was June 18, so he was eligible to come off the IL yesterday. He’s been working on some things and we should get a more precise timetable next week.
Yu Darvish was rehabbing a groin injury when he suffered an elbow injury during his rehab. He’s been out for nearly a month but resumed throwing this week. His MRI was clean, though, so we’re hopeful he’ll ramp things up over the next week and potentially return right after the All-Star break.
Clayton Kershaw completed three innings in his first rehab start but was shut down due to some shoulder soreness. He called it “old man soreness,” so it doesn’t appear to be a severe issue for the former Cy Young winner. He resumed throwing on Tuesday and should be back on a rehab assignment, possibly next week.
Kodai Senga has yet to make a start this season, but we’re inching close to a return. The Mets pitcher has been rehabbing a shoulder issue but made his first rehab start on Wednesday. That’s the final steps before a return, with Senga trying his best to make it back before the All-Star break. He’ll need at least a few rehab starts before being able to return.
On the Border Fantasy Baseball Injury Pitcher Stashes
Merrill Kelly, Jeffrey Springs, Robbie Ray, Devin Williams, Eduardo Rodriguez, Luis Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, Jordan Romano, Jesus Luzardo, Joe Musgrove, Jordan Montgomery, Javier Assad
Hitters to Stash Right Now
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters on the mend.
Kyle Tucker wasn’t going to go on the IL initially, but he’s been out for nearly a month now. Seeing a player out so long from a bruised shin is bizarre, but he’s getting close to some game action. The All-Star resumed baseball activities last week and could be sent on a rehab assignment before next week’s article is published. We’ll bet on him being back within the next two weeks.
Bryce Harper pulled his hammy running to first base over the weekend and is now on the IL. The good news is that it’s a low-grade strain, so the All-Star shouldn’t be out too long. There’s some speculation he could return on July 9 when he’s first eligible, but that feels optimistic.
Royce Lewis is a late addition to this article and a bonus 11th guy. That’s far from great news, especially since Lewis has spent more time on the IL than on the field throughout his career. It’s a groin issue that will sideline the former top pick, diagnosed as a Grade-2 adductor strain. That will keep him out through the All-Star break.
Last weekend was a nightmare for the Phillies with Kyle Schwarber landing on the IL due to a groin issue. This is expected to be a minor injury and Schwarber is projected to return after a minimum of 10 days.
Injuries being called minor is a disturbing trend because that’s what happened to Fernando Tatis when he first got injured. That “mild” quad issue turned into something serious with Tatis expected to be out through the All-Star break. San Diego has stated they expect him to recover fully and this will be some much-needed time off. We expect the All-Star to be back in the first game after the break as long as the rehab runs smoothly.
Mookie Betts (2B, SS, OF – LAD)
Mookie Betts fractured his wrist a few weeks ago, and he’s still expected to be out for at least one month. His initial timetable was 6-8 weeks. We’re not even halfway through that yet. The All-Star break is at the end of the month, so returning right after that would be the best-case scenario.
The Phils were battered by injuries in June, with J.T. Realmuto getting meniscus surgery on June 11. He was expected to miss a month when that happened, but Realmuto resumed baseball activities this week. That’s a quick turnaround, but he’ll be a month removed from his surgery next week. We anticipate Philadelphia being cautious with their prized catcher and bringing him back after the break.
Giancarlo Stanton is back on the IL once again, with a hamstring strain sending him there this time. That’s been a common theme throughout the slugger’s career. The Yankees said he’d miss four weeks when the injury occurred. He did some light hitting this week and even found his way onto a treadmill for a light jog. He’s still about 20 days from his timetable, which directly correlates with the All-Star break.
We’re finally making progress on Mike Trout, with the superstar saying he would be back this month. He had surgery two months ago and resumed baseball activities over the last week. He also said he’s pain-free. That’s a massive step to return right around the break.
It’s hard to believe, but here’s another guy projected to return around the All-Star break. Michael Harris suffered a Grade-2 hamstring strain a month ago and said he will start running sometime next week. That’s the most significant step. As long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks we could see him return before the end of July.
Max Muncy was frustrated with his rehabilitation from an oblique strain, but he’s finally seeing some gains. The slugger has been out since June 21 but was able to do some baseball drills over the weekend. That’s the first time we’ve heard him resuming baseball activities. Muncy is likely to return in about 2-3 weeks.
On the Border Fantasy Baseball Injury Hitter Stashes
Starling Marte, Josh Jung, TJ Friedl, Triston Casas, Xander Bogaerts, Evan Carter, Kerry Carpenter, Matt McLain, Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.