**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 MAY 3RD
HOMER BAILEY, SP, CINCINNATI REDS
The Injury: Bailey is out with a right elbow strain and was placed on the 60-Day DL.
What It Means: The decision has been made that Bailey will have Tommy John surgery. He will be out for the rest of the season and will not return until 2016.
ARCHIE BRADLEY, SP, ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
The Injury: Bradley is on the 15-day DL from a right sinus fracture that occurred after being hit in the face by a line drive.
What It Means: There is optimism that he will be able to return after the 15 days are up and we should all be fortunate, as this injury could have been much worse.
MATT CAIN, SP, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Injury: Cain is currently on the 15-day DL with a right flexor tendon strain.
What It Means: Originally, this appeared to be a short-term injury. However, the prognosis has not changed for the better, while he is expected to start playing catch, he still weeks away from returning to action.
ALEX COBB, SP, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Cobb is currently recovering from right forearm tendinitis.
What It Means: Cobb has continued to make progress towards returning to the field. He recently threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session and appeared to get through this without any issues.
COCO CRISP, OF, OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The Injury: Crisp is recovering from right elbow surgery and could possibly be back by late-May.
What It Means: Crisp still has a long way to go before getting back on the field. However, he appears to be making progress in his recovery, as he could start to take batting practice sometime next week.
CARL CRAWFORD, OF, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Crawford is on the disabled list with a right oblique strain and he could possibly be back by late-May.
What It Means: Crawford has been very injury prone over the last few seasons and this injury is continuing this trend. On average these injuries do take about a month to heal. However, this can vary based on how serious the strain is.
TRAVIS D’ARNAUD, C, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: Travis d’Arnaud is currently out with a right hand fracture.
What It Means: The initial timetable is that he will be re-evaluated in a few weeks to determine if he will have to miss additional time.
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: Doolittle is making progress in his recovery as he is gradually increasing the amount of pitches he is throwing at a time.
ALCIDES ESCOBAR, SS, KANSAS CITY ROYALS
The Injury: Escobar is currently experiencing concussion-like symptoms.
What It Means: This injury occurred after Escobar was hit by a pitch. While it appears that Escobar is likely to avoid DL time, it is unclear how much time he will miss.
PHIL HUGHES, SP, MINNESOTA TWINS
The Injury: Hughes is day-to-day with a left hip flexor strain.
What It Means: This injury caused Hughes to be removed from his most recent start. So far, it has not been verified whether this injury will land him on the disabled list.
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: While Fernandez still weeks away from returning to action, there has been some good news as he is getting ready to face live hitting.
SCOOTER GENNETT, 2B, MILWAUKEE BREWERS
The Injury: Gennett is currently on the 15-day DL with a left hand laceration and could possibly be back by early-May.
What It Means: He had some stitches removed from his hand that was put in to treat this injury. Gennett has been taking some swings and is on track to return to the Brewers active roster once he is eligible to do so.
YAN GOMES, C, CLEVELAND INDIANS
The Injury: Gomes was placed on the 15-day DL with a right MCL sprain and could possibly be back in June.
What It Means: This is definitely a blow for anyone who drafted him looking for high-level production from the Catcher position as the prognosis is an absence of 6-8 weeks.
CARLOS GOMEZ, OF, MILWAUKEE BREWERS
The Injury: Gomez was recently placed on the DL with a right hamstring injury.
What It Means: The recovery process from this injury went very smoothly as Gomez was removed from the disabled list on Saturday.
GREG HOLLAND, RP, KANSAS CITY ROYALS
The Injury: Holland is on the 15-Day DL with a right pectoral strain.
What It Means: Holland is making progress in his recovery. He threw 15 pitches in a bullpen session without having any issues. He could be ready to return from the disabled list next week.
HISASHI IWAKUMA, SP, SEATTLE MARINERS
The Injury: Iwakuma is out with a right lat-strain and could be back by mid-May.
What It Means: Iwakuma is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. To replace him in the rotation, the Mariners called up Roenis Elias from Triple-A. Elias is coming off a season where he had a 3.85 ERA/4.03 FIP and racked up 7.86 K/9.
KENLEY JANSEN, RP, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Jansen is recovering from left foot surgery and could be back by mid-May.
What It Means: Jansen is still pretty far from getting back on the field. However, it looks as though a rehab assignment is right around the corner.
JED LOWRIE, SS, HOUSTON ASTROS
The Injury: Lowrie is on the disabled list with a torn ligament in this right thumb.
What It Means: This is bad news for Lowrie who had been off to a strong start this season. He is unlikely to return to action until after the All-Star break. In his absence playing time at SS for the Astros is likely to be split between Marwin Gonzalez and Jonathan Villar.
JONATHAN LUCROY, C, MILWAUKEE BREWERS
The Injury: Lucroy was placed on the 15-day DL with a broken left toe and could possibly be back in May.
What It Means: The initial prognosis was that this injury would cost him 4-6 weeks which would put him on track to return in late-May.
BRANDON MCCARTHY, SP, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: McCarthy has a torn ulnar collateral ligament and he is expected to miss the rest of the season.
What It Means: If you had McCarthy on your team, now would be the time to get rid of him. Currently, the Dodgers are looking to replace McCarthy from within their organization but there hasn’t been a clear decision on how this will be.
JAKE MCGEE, RP, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: McGee is currently recovering from left elbow surgery and could possibly be back by early-May.
What It Means: McGee is getting very close to returning. He made his first rehab assignment appearance where he retired all three batters he faced.
JENRRY MEJIA, RP, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: Mejia is on the 15-day DL with right elbow stiffness.
What It Means: Right now, injuries are the least of Mejia’s concerns. He is currently serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. If you are holding out hope that he may help you at the end of his suspension, the reality is that the closer job (or a spot in the Mets bullpen) is not guaranteed upon the end of this suspension.
DEVIN MESORACO, C, CINCINNATI REDS
The Injury: Mesoraco is currently day-to-day with a left hip impingement.
What It Means: Even though Mesoraco has made a few pinch hitting appearances since this injury came up, he continues to not be in the starting lineup. While this injury has technically been day-to-day, his playing time has been as close to non-existent as possible without an actual disabled list trip.
JOE NATHAN, RP, DETROIT TIGERS
The Injury: Suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will undergo Tommy John surgery.
What It Means: Nathan will miss the rest of the 2015 season and his career is more than likely over as well. At the age of 40, Nathan will have a difficult road back and may just opt to hang up his cleats instead. Nathan currently ranks seventh in all time saves with 377. Joakim Soria is firmly entrenched in the closer role now with Al Alburquerque the likely next man up.
ADAM OTTAVINO, RP, COLORADO ROCKIES
The Injury: Suffering from right triceps inflammation. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Ottavino replaced Latroy Hawkins as the closer for the Rockies and looked real good all the way up until he landed on the DL. John Axford has since replaced Ottavino. Axford has a ton of experience in the closer role and if he continues to put zeros up on the board, Ottavino may just end up finding himself in the set-up role once he returns.
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 15-day DL.
What It Means: A threat for 20+ HR and 10+ SB with a solid AVG, Pence continues to be a solid fantasy option. Pence took live batting practice for the first time since breaking his forearm during Spring Training. Skipper Bruce Bochy stated that the end of May seems realistic for a return. Hopefully you have a DL spot or a deep bench to stash Pence, until then. In the meantime, Gregor Blanco has taken the majority of reps at RF and he doesn’t have much fantasy value, as he is slashing .229/.315/.375 with only 1 SB. 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.
YASIEL PUIG, OF, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Suffering from a tight hamstring. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: The Dodgers are being cautious with Puig and his hamstring and will opt to shut him down to let him rest instead of just sitting on the bench for a few games. Skipper Don Mattingly stated that Puig could probably have come back in 5-6 days but there is no need to rush. This is smart, as it’s still early in the season and the Dodgers need him at 100%. He will be back as soon as he is eligible but in the meantime look for Scott Van Slyke or Andre Ethier to get extra playing time.
ANTHONY RENDON, 3B, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffered a MCL sprain in his left knee. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Do you remember how we stated last week that the Nationals are breathing easier now with Rendon back in game action? Well on Monday he was scratched from a rehab game with discomfort in his knee. He did miss two more games but after a successful workout on Thursday, Rendon was back in the lineup for the Harrisburg Senators on Friday. Rendon needs to prove he can play for an extended amount of time before rejoining the Nationals. 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.
JOSE REYES, SS, TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The Injury: Suffering from a cracked rib. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Reyes was down with the injury before but tried to play through the pain. He is a switch-hitter but was only swinging from one side to protect his injured rib but it was not working out so he was shut down to rest and rehab. Ryan Goins and Jonathan Diaz have been splitting duties at 2B with Goins getting the majority of the playing time. Both options have limited fantasy upside but if you are in a deep league with no options, Goins may have to be your guy until Reyes returns.
ALEX RIOS, OF, KANSAS CITY ROYALS
The Injury: Suffered a fractured fifth metacarpal in his left hand. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Alex Rios had an x-ray on his hand on Monday and will hopefully be able to do hand strengthening exercises in approximately 7-10 days. Jarrod Dyson has 29 PA compared to the 57 PA for Paulo Orlando. It seems as long as Orlando continues to hit and run the bases like a mad man he will continue to start over Dyson. Orlando became the first person in MLB history to triple three times in his first three at bats. He is an interesting pickup and we recommend him for deep leagues.
HYUN-JIN RYU, SP, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Suffering from left shoulder tightness. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Ryu threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday (all fastballs) and reported no discomfort. The plan was for him to throw another bullpen a few days after that. Carlos Frias had his first start of the season on Friday and did well tossing 5.1 scoreless innings with 3 K and only 1 BB while picking up the win against the Diamondbacks. Look for him to spot start in the future.
DENARD SPAN, OF, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffering from a sore abdominal muscle. He is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Span, who was recently taken off the DL from his abdominal surgery, has missed the last few days to rest. One may think that he possibly rushed back to quick and didn’t let the surgery heal 100% but I’m not a doctor (you would know if I was because I wouldn’t be here). Michael Taylor is back in CF and is a decent pickup if there is nobody better on your waiver wire.
JUSTIN VERLANDER, SP, DETROIT TIGERS
The Injury: Suffering from sore triceps. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Verlander had a light soft toss session on Thursday (which he was ecstatic about by the way) throwing about 20 balls from 60 feet. Skipper Brad Ausmus has stated that Verlander will not pick up a ball again until his next MRI. No timetable has been set for his return but Jon Morosi predicts possibly sometime in June. Kyle Lobstein was called up to make a spot start and will continue to start until Verlander returns.
ADAM WAINWRIGHT, SP, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The Injury: Recovering from Achilles surgery. He is currently on the 60-day DL.
What It Means: Tough loss for Wainwright and his owners as he will miss the entire 2015 season. Wainwright had a bit of a scare earlier in the season with his arm but seemed to shake it off only to have his foot take him out. This injury occurred during Wainwright’s at-bat and has sparked conversation again about whether the N.L. should have a DH position or not. In the meantime, Tyler Lyons will likely see some extra starts.
MATT WIETERS, C, BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Injury: Recovering from Tommy John surgery he received in June of 2014. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Wieters is still attempting to get healthy enough to start a rehab assignment but as of now he has just seen limited amounts of playing time in extended Spring Training games. There is still no timetable for his return but the end of the month would be a reasonable expectation. In the meantime, Caleb Joseph is starting behind the dish and is tearing the cover off the ball slashing .327/.435/.462 through 13 games. His .400 BABIP though shows some regression is likely in the future.
DAVID WRIGHT, 3B, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: Suffered a pulled hamstring. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Wright just can’t seem to stay healthy in recent years. Wright was eligible to come off the DL on the April 30th but GM Sandy Alderson stated that it’s going to be another week or so before thinking of activating Wright. In the meantime, Eric Campbell was replacing Wright but has been terrible so the Mets called up Dilson Herrera who started at 2B while Daniel Murphy shifted over to 3B.
CHRISTIAN YELICH, OF, MIAMI MARLINS
The Injury: Suffering from a lower back strain. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: It seems the back is feeling much better for Yelich as he will begin a rehab assignment today. If all goes well and he reports no discomfort he could be activated sometime this coming weekend. Yelich was on the disabled list last season with a similar injury so it’s not very encouraging to see it flair up again. The crafty veteran Ichiro Suzuki will man left field until Yelich returns while Justin Bour will get called up from AAA to fill the last spot on the 25-man roster.
BEN ZOBRIST, OF, OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The Injury: Suffered a left medial meniscus tear. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Zobrist is proving himself to be some kind of super human as he was seen not limping around the clubhouse even though he was barely 24 hours out of knee surgery. The outlook is extremely positive and late-May is now the reported timetable for his return. Eric Sogard has taking over 2B for the time being. The Oakland Athletics called up Max Muncy to take Zobrist’s spot on the 25-man roster. We can see why Billy Beane likes Muncy, as his BB% never dipped below 12% in his Minor League career.
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