**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 BASEBALL INJURY REPORT WEEK OF MAY 31st
JOSE ABREU, 1B, CHICAGO WHITE SOX
The Injury: Suffering from a swollen index finger on his right hand. He is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Abreu went to the hospital on Friday night because the swelling was so extreme. X-rays came back negative and everything is OK (or at least seems to be). He may need a couple days off for the swelling to subside, so monitor his situation closely.
MATT ADAMS, 1B, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The Injury: Adams is out with a strained right quad and could possibly be back by late August.
What It Means: Adams is set to have surgery. There is a probability that he may be out for the rest of the season. Unless you own him in a keeper league, now would be the time to drop Adams if you have not already done so.
ERICK AYABAR, SS, LOS ANGELES ANGLES
The Injury: Ayber is day-to-day with left hamstring tightness.
What It Means: Aybar left Thursday’s game early with this injury. At this point, this appears to be a day-to-day issue and is unlikely to be placed on the DL.
ASDRUBAL CABRERA, SS, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Cabrera is day-to-day with a mild left groin strain.
What It Means: While he has had a couple of pinch-hitting appearances this week, Cabrera has not been in the lineup for the last few days. Even though it appears that Cabrera should be ready to be back, it would help to closely monitor this situation to ensure that this injury doesn’t linger for an extended time period.
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: The good news is that Cain’s recovery is progressing without any setbacks so far. While he is making steps such as facing live hitters, it appears that the Giants are taking it slow with his recovery and may not be back until sometime around the All-Star break.
ALEX COBB, SP, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Cobb is out with a right elbow partial ligament tear and is likely to miss the rest of this season.
What It Means: It has been confirmed that Cobb will need Tommy John surgery. If you have not already done so (and are not in a keeper league), now would be the time to drop him from your roster and find a replacement.
PARICK CORBIN, SP, ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
The Injury: Corbin is recovering from Tommy John surgery and could be back in June.
What It Means: The timetable for Corbin’s next rehab start has been pushed back slightly. This appears to be more of a precautionary move and at this point Corbin still appears to be making good progress in his recovery.
JOHNNY CUETO, SP, CINCINNATI REDS
The Injury: Cueto is currently day-to-day with elbow stiffness.
What It Means: The status of the next scheduled start for Cueto is very much up in the air. The good news is that an MRI showed there was no tear and at this point it does not appear serious enough to place him on the disabled list.
TRAVIS D’ARNAUD, C, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: Travis d’Arnaud is currently out with a little finger fracture on his right hand and could possibly be back soon.
What It Means: The good news with d’Arnaud is that there is a plan in place for his return. He ran into a minor setback when he experienced wrist pain and has seen a specialist. Early June still looks to be a possibility though.
COREY DICKERSON, OF, COLORADO ROCKIES
The Injury: Dickerson is on the 15-day DL with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and could be back by early-June.
What It Means: Dickerson has been bothered by this issue for most of the season even if it had not been negatively impacting his on field production. While this should only cost him a couple weeks, this is a situation that will need to be closely monitored for any status changes.
JACOBY ELLSBURY, OF, NEW YORK YANKEES
The Injury: Ellsbury is on the 15-Day DL with a right knee sprain and could possibly be back in June.
What It Means: With Ellsbury, there is a risk that this injury is long term as it appears possible that his knee could cost Ellsbury more than a month of the season.
JOSE FERNANDEZ, SP, MIAMI MARLINS
The Injury: Fernandez is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery and could possibly be back by early July.
What It Means: The Marlins season has been rough to say the least but there is at least some good news on the horizon. Barring any setbacks, the Marlins are expecting Fernandez to be back in late-June.
NETFALI FELIZ, RP, TEXAS RANGERS
The Injury: Feliz is currently on the 15-Day DL with an axillary abscess on his right side.
What It Means: One of the contributing factors for placing Feliz on the DL was to open up a roster spot for Josh Hamilton. Even when he returns from the DL his fantasy value will likely be limited, as he had already been removed from the closer role.
DOUG FISTER, SP, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Fister is on the 15-day DL with a right flexor strain and could possibly be back by early June.
What It Means: While Fister is yet to resume throwing, the goal is for this process to start soon. This situation will need to be watched closely to see when he starts to make progress towards his return.
YASMANI GRANDAL, C, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Grandal is on the 7-day DL with a concussion.
What It Means: The good news is that Grandal will only need to spend the minimum required amount of time on the DL and appears to be on track to return to action.
BRYCE HARPER, OF, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffering from a sore back, he is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Harper took a pitch between the numbers on his back Friday night and ended up having to sit out of Saturday’s contest. Harper has suggested that he may sit out of Sunday’s game as well so make sure to keep an eye on his status. The injury doesn’t seem serious, just necessary precautions the Nationals are the taking on their young star.
HISASHI IWAKUMA, SP, SEATTLE MARINERS
The Injury: Iwakuma is out with a right lat strain and could be back by late June.
What It Means: A return to action is not on the immediate horizon for Iwakuma. At this point, he has yet to resume throwing activities.
ADAM JONES, OF, BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Injury: Suffered an ankle sprain, he is considered day-to-day.
What It Means: Adam Jones rolled his ankle on Thursday, played on Friday, but was scratched from Saturday’s game. He is getting x-rays and more information will be out soon but we are comfortable saying he, more than likely, will not start Sunday. Monitor the situation but the injury doesn’t look too serious.
SCOTT KAZMIR, SP, OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The Injury: Kazmir is experiencing left shoulder tightness.
What It Means: The good news with Kazmir is that an MRI showed no structural damage and could only miss one start. It is possible that Kazmir will be able to avoid a trip to the DL.
MAT LATOS, SP, MIAMI MARLINS
The Injury: Latos is on the 15-day DL with left knee inflammation.
What It Means: The good news is that this looks to be a short-term injury for Latos. There is optimism that his return should occur relatively soon.
JONATHAN LUCROY, C, MILWAUKEE BREWERS
The Injury: Lucroy was placed on the DL with a broken left toe and could possibly be back soon.
What It Means: Lucroy appears to be very close to returning. He is set to be activated from the DL on Monday, barring any setbacks.
VICTOR MARTINEZ, 1B, DETROIT TIGERS
The Injury: Martinez is on the 15-day DL with left knee inflammation and could be back by early June.
What It Means: The good news regarding Martinez is that he has started his rehab assignment. The bad news is that there is no clear timetable for when Martinez will return.
DEVIN MESORACO, C, CINCINNATI REDS
The Injury: Mesoraco is on the DL with a left hip impingement.
What It Means: After being labeled as day-to-day for several weeks, the Reds finally placed Mesoraco on the DL. It is possible that he may need season ending surgery.
MATT MOORE, SP, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Moore is recovering from Tommy John surgery and could be back in June.
What It Means: Moore recently pitched in an extended Spring Training game. While he did give up some runs in this start, the main thing is that he got through this session without any further setbacks.
MICHAEL MORSE, OF, MIAMI MARLINS
The Injury: Morse is currently on the 15-day DL with a ring finger sprain on his right hand.
What It Means: Morse was placed on the 15-Day DL retroactive to May 24th. While he is eligible to be activated on June 8, there is no specific timetable for his return date.
JUSTIN MORNEAU, 1B, COLORADO ROCKIES
The Injury: Morneau is on the 7-day DL with concussion like symptoms.
What It Means: Even though Morneau has been eligible to be activated off the 7-day DL for a while, it appears that he is still not ready to return to action.
BRANDON MORROW, SP, SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Injury: Morrow is on the 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation.
What It Means: Morrow is making progress towards his return. He threw 45 pitches in a simulated game and it was indicated that he felt great afterwards.
WIL MYERS, OF, SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Injury: Myers is on the 15-Day DL with left wrist tendinitis.
What It Means: Myers underwent some tests to determine whether he can work towards rehabbing this injury. The best-case scenario still has him not being ready to come back when he is eligible to be activated from the DL.
JAMES PAXTON, P, SEATTLE MARINERS
The Injury: Suffering from a strained tendon in his middle finger of his left hand. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Paxton endured the injury during his start on Friday and was ultimately pulled from the game after 4.2 innings. Injuries like this can be tricky, so it remains to be seen if Paxton will be good to go by the time he is eligible to be activated. Reliever Dominic Leone was called up from Triple-A Tacoma to fill the vacant spot on the 25-man roster. No news on who will take the spot in the rotation on Tuesday. The Mariners may go with a handful of bullpen guys or Mike Montgomery could be called up to make a spot start.
YASIEL PUIG, OF, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Suffering from a tight hamstring. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Puig may be able to start a rehab assignment within the week according to skipper Don Mattingly. This is great news, as last time I checked, Puig couldn’t run 20 feet without experiencing tightness. Expect him to return by mid-June, barring any setbacks.. The Dodgers are not going to rush his recovery process, as it’s no secret that the roster is deep so they can afford to take it slow. Scott Van Slyke (who is day-to-day with a sore back) and Andre Either will continue to man RF and both have been playing well. They are good platoon options if you have a need on your roster.
ANTHONY RENDON, 3B, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffered a MCL sprain in his left knee and an oblique strain. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Hold your breath and cross your fingers, as Rendon is officially under way on his 2nd rehab assignment. He played 7 innings on Friday for Double-A Harrisburg and did not report any discomfort. He will play again on Saturday and presumably today as well. No word on how many games he will need but I would imagine we could be seeing him as soon as this weekend, barring any setbacks. Yunel Escobar has been manning 3B in Rendon’s absence and even though his fantasy value is limited, he is slashing .314/.370/.390 so a look is warranted for deep leagues. With how well Escobar is playing, he will stay at 3B and Rendon will shift to 2B upon his return.
DREW SMYLY, P, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Suffering from a torn labrum in his shoulder. He is currently on the 60-day DL.
What It Means: It was looking bleak for Smyly at first but after more testing and consultation, Smyly will not undergo shoulder surgery. It’s going to take him at least 6-8 weeks to rest and rehab the shoulder before returning so late-July or early August is the likely time for his return. Until then, there’s going to be more opportunities for Nate Karns and Alex Colome to impress the Rays’ front office. Matt Moore is getting closer to a return from the 60-day DL as well.
STEPHEN STRASBURG, P, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffering from neck tightness. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: The nightmare season for Strasburg continues its downhill momentum, as he was pulled from his start on Friday after only 16 pitches due to the injury. Strasburg has been dealing with minor injuries all season, which may be one of the causes of his unsightly 6.55 ERA (3.76 xFIP). He has obviously been unlucky too but players will sometimes change their mechanics to deal with an injury and that tends to lead to poor results. Tanner Roark is already filing in for the injured Doug Fister so Taylor Jordan was asked to replace Strasburg. Taylor Hill was called up from Triple-A to take Strasburg’s spot on the 25-man roster, so either Jordan or Hill will fill out the rotation.
MASAHIRO TANAKA, P, NEW YORK YANKEES
The Injury: Suffering from a forearm strain. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Tanaka has finished his rehab assignment and has rejoined the Yankees. His first scheduled start off the DL will come Wednesday against the Mariners in Seattle. Those in weekly leagues will want to get him activated. I still think that arm is a ticking time bomb with surgery not too far in the future, but the Yankees and their medical staff know better than we do.
DEVON TRAVIS, 2B, TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The Injury: Suffering from left shoulder inflammation, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Travis was scratched from his rehab start on Saturday afternoon with shoulder soreness. He is eligible to come off the DL on Monday and was expected to be activated, but that seems unlikely to happen now. The lingering soreness is obviously not a good sign but hopefully, after rest and treatment, he can be back on the field sooner rather than later. Travis has been sensational as a rookie slashing .271/.336/.504 with 7 HR through 146 PA. Munenori Kawasaki was called up originally to take the vacant roster spot but Jose Reyes is back so Kawasaki was sent back down.
JUSTIN VERLANDER, P, DETROIT TIGERS
The Injury: Suffering from sore triceps. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Verlander threw a successful simulated game this past week and is now headed to AAA Indianapolis to begin his rehab assignment. With how much time he has missed, expect Verlander to need 3-5 starts before rejoining the Tigers rotation. Kyle Lobstein was starting in Verlander’s place but he has seen himself land on the DL with a shoulder ailment. Buck Farmer was called up and he got rocked in his first start on Thursday, giving up 7 ER on 9 H and only striking out 1 in 5 IP. He was fantastic in Triple-A this season (2.98 ERA, 2.72 FIP, 8.77 K/9), so hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come.
JAYSON WERTH, OF, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffering from a broken wrist, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: The injury has become more serious for Werth and his owners, as a recent CT scan showed two small fractures in his wrist. The arm will be immobilized for approximately four weeks and if all is healed, Werth will head out on a rehab assignment. A return by the All-Star break is not out of the question. Michael Taylor and Clint Robinson will share duties in LF until Werth returns. Taylor is worth a look in deep leagues, as he decent power and good speed.
MATT WIETERS, C, BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Injury: Recovering from Tommy John Surgery he received in June of 2014. He is currently on the 60-day DL.
What It Means: Wieters is currently in the middle of his rehab assignment now. If all goes well and he reports no discomfort, then the plan is for to be activated and placed in the O’s starting lineup on Friday. It has been a long 14 months for Wieters, but it looks like his stint on the DL is finally coming to an end. Caleb Joseph is starting behind the dish and is starting to come back down to earth after his great start but is still putting up a respectable .254/.343/.410 with 4 HR through 140 PA. No word on how playing time will be assigned between Wieters and Joseph.
DAVID WRIGHT, 3B, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: Suffered a pulled hamstring and lower back tightness. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Wright’s fantasy value is slowly coming to an end this season, as the injury to his back is pretty serious. Jeremy Tiermini at fantasypros.com feels that it’s perfectly acceptable to drop Wright in redraft leagues and I agree. Eric Campbell will man 3B while David Murphy heads back to 2B. Campbell has flashed some good power in the minors but it has yet to really blossom in the big leagues. He displayed good plate discipline number in his 101 PA this season though (13.9B% and 17.8%). which bodes well for a possible turnaround if it isn’t just small sample noise. Put him on your watch list and keep a close eye.
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