**These reports are prepared by Ryan Dumouchel and Jose Maldonado.
Welcome to the Last Word On Sports 2015 Weekly Baseball Injury Report. This will be a series of reports updated every week to give you the insight and advantage you need to make any necessary changes to your fantasy lineup. It can be tough trying to decipher whether a particular injury is serious enough to keep a player off the field for an extended amount of time and we here at LWOS want to provide you with the best up to date information available. We will also provide analysis and, at times, bench and minor league player recommendations that will gain more playing time because of an injury. Be smart and don’t let the injury bug ruin your team and your chance for a Fantasy Baseball Championship.
LWOS 2015 BASEBALL INJURY REPORT WEEK OF APRIL 12
HOMER BAILEY, SP, CINCINNATI REDS
The Injury: Bailey is currently recovering from forearm surgery and could be back by mid-April.
What It Means: If you have Bailey stashed on your roster, it looks like you’ll still be without him for another 1-2 weeks. Currently, there is a possibility that he will return during the Reds series with the St. Louis Cardinals, which is scheduled for the 17th – 19th.
BRANDON BELT, 1B, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Injury: Belt exited Tuesday’s game against the Diamondbacks with a groin strain.
What It Means: Belt has already had bad luck with injuries and having this happen in the second game of the season is less than ideal. The good news is that he is likely to avoid going on the DL as an MRI revealed that it was a very mild strain.
MICHAEL BRANTLEY, OF, CLEVELAND INDIANS
The Injury: Brantley is day to day with lower back stiffness.
What It Means: So far, this has been a day-to-day injury as he was not in the starting lineup the last two days. He is scheduled to be checked by doctors, which should determine whether this is an issue that will cost him only a few days or something more serious.
RYAN BRAUN, OF, MILWAUKEE BREWERS
The Injury: Braun left Monday’s 10-0 loss to the Rockies with a strained rib cage muscle.
What It Means: If you own Braun, it means that you need to pay close attention. So far, this appears to be a day-to-day injury and there could be a possible MRI if it doesn’t recover by itself. The good news is that this is a minor injury as he was in the lineup on Friday.
MATT CAIN, SP, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Injury: Cain underwent an MRI for right forearm tightness.
What It Means: For those of you who drafted Cain looking for a bounce back, this is not good news. Even worse is that this injury is bad enough for him to be placed on the 15-Day DL.
ALEX COBB, SP, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Cobb is currently recovering from right forearm tendinitis and could be back by mid-April.
What It Means: The good news is that he continues to make progress towards his recovery. Last week he played catch, which went very well. The next hurdle coming up is being cleared to throw off the mound.
SEAN DOOLITTLE, RP, OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The Injury: Doolittle is currently recovering from a left rotator cuff tear. He is currently on the 15-day DL and he could possibly be back by May.
What It Means: The good news is that he is making progress as his shoulder has been gaining strength. While there is no official timetable, right now it looks like he should return sometime in May.
JOSE FERNANDEZ, SP, MIAMI MARLINS
The Injury: Fernandez is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery and could possibly be back by June.
What It Means: As expected, Fernandez is starting the season on the 15-day DL. He should start facing hitters in late-April as he works towards completing the recovery process.
KENLEY JANSEN, RP, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Jansen is recovering from left foot surgery and could be back by late-April.
What It Means: Currently, the expectation is for Jansen to be back around the first week of May. For the meantime, the Dodgers are not making it easy on Fantasy owners as they have the dreaded closer by committee going on.
IAN KENNEDY, SP, SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Injury: Kennedy left Thursday’s start against the Giants with a left hamstring strain.
What It Means: For Kennedy, the news is not good, as the Padres have officially placed Kennedy on the 15-Day DL. For the time being, the Padres have replaced Kennedy with Odrisamer Despaigne in their starting rotation.
JAKE MCGEE, RP, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: McGee is currently recovering from left elbow surgery and could possibly be back by May.
What It Means: There hasn’t been much noise regarding progress or a return date which isn’t a good sign. With that being said, the news available indicates to still expect a return around May.
JENRRY MEJIA, RP, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: Mejia is on the 15-day DL with right elbow stiffness.
What It Means: The good news is that there is no structural damage in his elbow. However, there is no explicit timetable on when he will return. For the time being, Jeurys Familia is expected fill in as closer.
HUNTER PENCE, OF, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Injury: Pence suffered a broken left forearm from a HBP during a spring training game. He is currently on the disabled list.
What It Means: A threat for 20+ HR and 10+ SB with a solid AVG, Pence has a lot of fantasy value. A recent report from mlb.com states that skipper Bruce Bochy would not be surprised if Pence returned by the end of April, barring any setbacks. In the mean time Gregor Blanco has taken over RF and has started off cold this season slashing .188/.235/.250. Blanco will net you some steals but has limited power. Standard 10-12 team leagues can more than likely find better replacements on the waiver wire.
ANTHONY RENDON, 3B, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffered a MCL sprain in his left knee. He is currently on the disabled list.
What It Means: Rendon experienced discomfort in his knee while doing drills on Friday and there is no timetable for his return to game action. This has gone from “don’t worry” to “maybe we should worry a little.” Yunel Escobar has been manning 3B in Rendon’s absence but hopefully you drafted a backup along with Rendon or there is somebody on waivers, as Escobar’s fantasy value is limited.
GARRETT RICHARDS, P, LOS ANGELES ANGELS
The Injury: Recovering from knee surgery he received in August of 2014. He is currently on the disabled list.
What It Means: Richards threw in a rehab start on Thursday and will throw in another one on Tuesday. If all goes well, Richards should make his 2015 MLB debut for the Angeles sometime that weekend. Nothing is definite though so those in weekly leagues will want to keep him inactive until word is official.
HYUN-JIN RYU, P, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Suffering from left shoulder tightness. He is currently on the disable list.
What It Means: Ryu played catch for the first time since he was shut down two weeks ago with shoulder discomfort. Skipper Don Mattingly wanted to stress that Ryu will be taking baby steps and will more than likely not be ready until May. Joe Wieland will more than likely slot into the #5 spot but with how many off days the Dodgers have he will be rarely used.
CHRIS SALE, P, CHICAGO WHITE SOX
The Injury: Sale suffered an avulsion fracture on the lateral side of his left foot.
What It Means: Sale looks to be ready to go for his first start of the 2015 season on Sunday, April 12th. Skipper Rick Hahn wanted to make it clear there may be restrictions depending on how his ankle reacts to full game action. Since his introduction as a starter in 2012, Sale has been a dominant force on the hill. His 626 strikeouts rank 7th among qualified starting pitchers and his 2.79 ERA ranks 5th during that time span. Daily leagues will want to get him activated and starting.
DREW SMYLY, P, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Suffering from shoulder tendinitis. He is currently on the disabled list.
What It Means: Smyly pitched two innings in a Minor League game on Thursday and reported no discomfort. Smyly figures he needs two more rehab starts before being able to join the Rays rotation. Erasmo Ramirez and Nate Kerns would look to benefit from Smyly’s absence.
DENARD SPAN, OF, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Received surgery for a torn rectus abdominis muscle on March 9th. He is currently on the disabled list.
What It Means: Span is progressing nicely from his surgery playing in simulated games and running drills. He will play in two more simulated games and if all goes well, Span will begin his rehab assignment in the minors. In the mean time, Michael Taylor will look to get the majority of reps at CF. His fantasy value is practically non-existent as Taylor is known more for his glove than his bat. Span was getting a good look by fantasy owners so if you already drafted him then sit tight; there is no need to panic and drop him.
KOJI UEHARA, P, BOSTON RED SOX
The Injury: Suffered a pulled left hamstring. He will start the season on the disabled list.
What It Means: Uehara has been throwing bullpens and pitching in simulated games and has been reporting no discomfort. He will pitch in a Minor League game on Saturday and if all goes well, he will join the team sometime during the week. It’s hard to believe that Uehara is going on 40 years old, so don’t be surprised if there is some regression. Look for Edward Mujica to handle the closer duties for now but skipper John Farell may also go by committee if favorable match-ups present themselves.
YORDANO VENTURA, P, KANSAS CITY ROYALS
The Injury: suffered a cramp in his right thumb. He is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Ventura exited his first start with the cramp but the injury is not considered serious at all and Ventura is expected to make his next start.
JUSTIN VERLANDER, P, DETROIT TIGERS
The Injury: Suffering from sore triceps. He is currently on the disabled list.
What It Means: Detroit officially placed Verlander on the disabled list on Wednesday, though it was pretty much a forgone conclusion. This injury is not deemed serious and skipper Brad Ausmus is confident that Verlander will be able to make his next start. This is good news for owners who drafted Verlander and are hoping that he can shake off a rough 2014. Kyle Lobstein was called up and will make a spot start on Sunday.
JAYSON WERTH, OF, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Recovering from shoulder surgery he received in January of 2015. He is currently on the disabled list.
What It Means: Werth is getting closer and closer to returning and will participate in his first rehab game for Class A Advanced Potomac on Saturday. He is expected to play a full nine innings both on defense and offense. Tyler Moore has seen the majority of time in LF in Werth’s absence. Moore showed some pop in 2012 but has not show it in the 271 plate appearances since. Standard 10-12 team leagues will more than likely find better value on the waiver wire until Werth returns.
MATT WIETERS, C, BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Injury: Recovering from Tommy John Surgery he received in June of 2014. He is currently on the disabled list.
What It Means: Wieters has been throwing long toss while increasing the distance every day this week. He still has some time to go before being cleared for a rehab start but the team is targeting early May for his return. In the mean time, Caleb Joseph will be tapped to start behind the dish.
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