**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 JUNE 28
NORI AOKI, OF, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Injury: Aoki is on the 15-day DL with a broken leg.
What It Means: This injury is a major blow for both Aoki and the Giants. There is no timetable for his return but it looks like he could be out for several weeks.
ADRIAN BELTRE, 3B, TEXAS RANGERS
The Injury: Beltre is on the 15-day DL with a left thumb laceration and could be back in July.
What It Means: Progress on returning for Beltre has gone slower than expected. One issue that has come up is finding a way to hold a baseball bat without it being painful.
BYRON BUXTON, OF, MINNESTOA TWINS
The Injury: Buxton is on the 15-day DL with a left thumb sprain.
What It Means: The news regarding Buxton is that this injury will cost him at least one month. To replace him on their roster, the Twins called up Danny Santana from Triple-A.
LORENZO CAIN, OF, KANSAS CITY ROYALS
The Injury: Cain is day-to-day with a hamstring issue.
What It Means: Currently, this appears to be a day-to-day issue for Cain. If he does need to miss a few games, this would give a temporary boost in playing time to Jarrod Dyson.
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: At the very least, there is one more rehab start for Cain. Afterwards, it will be determined whether or not Cain will be ready to return to action.
ROBINSON CANO, 2B, SEATTLE MARINERS
The Injury: Suffering from dizziness, he is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Cano was hit in the head by a wild throw during warm-ups in last night’s game. He has been cleared and does not have a concussion. Reports indicate he will be in the line-up today against the Angels.
PATRICK CORBIN, SP, ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
The Injury: Corbin is recovering from Tommy John surgery and could be back soon.
What It Means: Corbin continues to work through his rehab assignment. He has progressed to the point of throwing 80 pitches per start and is at least a couple of rehab starts away from returning. He is scheduled to return in early-July.
TRAVIS D’ARNAUD, C, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: d’Arnaud is on the 15-day DL with a sprained left elbow and could possibly return sometime in July.
What It Means: This is the second trip to the DL for d’Arnaud this season. To take his spot on the roster the Mets called up Johnny Monell.
DELINO DESHIELDS, OF, TEXAS RANGERS
The Injury: DeShields was placed on the 15-day DL with a left hamstring sprain.
What It Means: DeShields is the latest Rangers outfielder to find himself on the DL. This opens up additional playing time for Joey Gallo and the Rangers also called up Rougned Odor to replace DeShields on the active roster.
COREY DICKERSON, OF, COLORADO ROCKIES
The Injury: Dickerson is on the DL with Planter fasciitis in his left foot.
What It Means: Dickerson attempted to play through this injury. However, the pain in his foot was too much for him to play at 100%. Currently, there is no timetable for his return.
SEAN DOOLITTLE, RP, OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The Injury: Doolittle is currently out with a left shoulder strain and has been transferred to the 60-Day DL.
What It Means: This change on Doolittle’s status was done with the purpose of giving his spot on the 40-man roster to A.J. Griffin. It also indicates that the Athletics indicate that the recovery process for Doolittle is nowhere close to being complete. If you have not already dropped Doolittle from your roster, now would be the time to do so.
JACOBY ELLSBURY, OF, NEW YORK YANKEES
The Injury: Ellsbury is on the 15-day DL with a right knee sprain.
What It Means: Ellsbury appears to be making progress towards his return. He recently was able to take some batting practice without having any issues.
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: Fernandez is coming off yet another dominant rehab start. Currently, he is scheduled to return to action on July 2 when the Marlins will be playing the Giants.
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: Feliz has been in Triple-A for his rehab assignment. However, there are no direct indications on when he will return to the Rangers. Since Feliz would not have the closer role upon his return, the only way he would have value going forward is if he gets traded to a team that has an opening in the closer role.
DEXTER FOWLER, OF, CHICAGO CUBS
The Injury: Fowler is day-to-day with a left ankle sprain.
What It Means: This injury has kept Fowler out of the lineup for the last few games. During this time, he has been limited to pinch hitting duty. Currently, there is no indication that this injury will cause him to go on the DL.
FREDDIE FREEMAN, 1B, ATLANTA BRAVES
The Injury: Freeman is on the 15-day DL with a right wrist sprain
What It Means: This move for Freeman is retroactive to June 18. While there is no explicit timetable for his return, this would make him eligible to return during the first week of July.
JAIME GARCIA, SP, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The Injury: Suffered a cramp in his groin, he currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Garcia suffered the cramp last Wednesday against the Marlins. He may or may not miss his next start depending on skipper Mike Matheny and staff. Monitor this situation closely.
CARLOS GONZALEZ, OF, COLORADO ROCKIES
The Injury: Gonzalez is day-to-day with a mild left hand sprain.
What It Means: While Gonzalez has been out of action for the last few games, he appears to be on track to return to action soon.
JOSH HAMILTON, OF TEXAS RANGERS
The Injury: Hamilton was placed on the DL with a strained right hamstring and could possibly be back in July.
What It Means: Hamilton has made some progress in his recovery. It appears that he is very close to beginning his rehab assignment.
BRYCE HARPER, OF, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffering from leg cramps, he is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Harper has sat out the last three games and his status for today’s game is still up in the air. The results on his MRI are very encouraging according to skipper Matt Williams so this doesn’t appear to be a serious issue.
MATT HOLLIDAY, OF, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The Injury: Holliday is on the 15-day DL with a right quad strain.
What It Means: Currently, there is not much of an indication of how much time this injury will cost Holliday. For the time being, we would recommend stashing him on your roster until there is more clarification on the extent of this injury.
ENDER INCIARTE, OF, ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
The Injury: Inciarte is on the 15-day DL with a right hamstring sprain.
What It Means: While the Diamondbacks were originally hoping that this would only be a day-to-day issue, they decided to play it safe and place Inciarte on the DL. To replace his spot on the roster, they called up Danny Dorn who earned his call-up by hitting .426 in Triple-A.
HISASHI IWAKUMA, SP, SEATTLE MARINERS
The Injury: Iwakuma is out with a right lat strain.
What It Means: Iwakuma got through his last rehab start without any issues. Currently, it appears that he is at least a couple more rehab starts away from returning to action.
ADAM JONES, OF, BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Injury: Jones is day-to-day with right shoulder soreness.
What It Means: This injury has been lingering for Jones for about a week. While there are yet to be indications that he is almost ready to return, this is still a situation that needs to be watched very closely.
TIM LINCECUM, SP, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Injury: Suffering from a contusion on his right arm, he is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Lincecum was struck in the arm by a line drive in yesterday’s contest against the Rockies. X-rays came back negative but since it hit his pitching arm he may still miss some time. No talk of a DL stint but it could be possible.
ANDREW MCCUTCHEN, OF, PITTSBURGH PIRATES
The Injury: Suffered a contusion in his left elbow, he is currently day-to-day
What It Means: McCutchen was pulled from the game immediately after being hit by the pitch in last night’s game against the Braves. X-rays came back negative but he could sit out today’s game for precautionary reasons. However, it doesn’t look like he will need a DL stint.
ANDREW MILLER, RP, NEW YORK YANKEES
The Injury: Miller is on the 15-day DL with a strained left forearm.
What It Means: Miller has made progress towards his return as he has started to play catch. However, there is no current timetable for his return.
MATT MOORE, SP, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Moore is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
What It Means: Moore is getting very close to being ready to return. He looked very sharp in his last rehab start and may only need to make one more start before returning to action.
JUSTIN MORNEAU, 1B, COLORADO ROCKIES
The Injury: Morneau is on the 15-day DL with concussion symptoms.
What It Means: While Morneau appears to be making some progress in his recovery, he is still a long way from returning. Currently, there is no timetable for his return to action.
DANIEL MURPHY, 2B, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: Murphy is on the 15-day DL with a left quad strain.
What It Means: Even though Murphy was previously scheduled to return this week, he ended up being sent on a rehab assignment.
WIL MYERS, OF, SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Injury: Myers is on the 15-day DL with left wrist tendinitis.
What It Means: This injury will require Myers to get surgery. He is likely to miss the next two months.
JAKE ODORIZZI, SP, TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Injury: Suffering from a strained left oblique, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Odorizzi will throw around 35 pitches during a batting practice session and if he feels good, he will look to start a rehab assignment. With good luck and fortune we could see Odorizzi back on the mound within two weeks. Oblique stains can be tricky so keep an eye on any discomfort he may feel after the session. Matt Andriese has been maintaining a rotation spot in his absence.
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 played catch for the first time since hitting the DL on Friday. Even with the good news, Paxton is more than likely not going to return to Seattle’s rotation until August. Mike Montgomery was called up to take the vacant rotation spot. Montgomery will continue to start in Paxton’s place and if he continues to pitch well when Paxton is activated, he may very well find himself on the Mariners 25-man roster permanently.
DUSTIN PEDROIA, 2B, BOSTON RED SOX
The Injury: Suffering from a hamstring strain, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Pedroia is expected to be back when he is eligible, as the hamstring strain is not considered serious. Pedroia has been a top 3 fantasy 2B this year so let’s hope the prognosis is correct. Brock Holt will take over at 2B.
HUNTER PENCE, OF, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The Injury: Suffering from left wrist tendinitis, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Pence is still not swinging a bat but he did get his splint off on Wednesday. There is no timetable until he can swing a bat with no pain as he will more than likely need another rehab stint before joining the team. Gregor Blanco will man RF until Pence returns. He could be a good fill in for you as he is slashing .297/.369/.420 on the year.
MARTIN PRADO, 3B, MIAMI MARLINS
The Injury: Suffering from a sprained right shoulder, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Prado attempted to take grounders on Wednesday but felt some discomfort so he was shut down for a few days to rest. The expected return date was June 30th but that is not going to happen. Derek Dietrich has been starting at 3B but may sit against lefties.
YASIEL PUIG, OF, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Injury: Suffering from a callous on his hand, he is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: The wound opened up on Wednesday and Puig sat out that day and Thursday. He did pinch hit on Friday and last night thought which would indicate that his hand is near 100%. Confirm tomorrow, but he should be back in the starting line-up.
HANLEY RAMIREZ, OF (WE THINK), BOSTON RED SOX
The Injury: Suffering from a left hand contusion, he is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Ramirez was struck in the hand during an at-bat during Wednesday’s game against Baltimore. He has been held out of the last 3 games and his status for today is up in the air so monitor closely. Alejandro De Aza has been starting in Ramirez’s place and will more then likely continue starting as long as Ramirez is on the bench.
JORGE SOLER, OF, CHICAGO CUBS
The Injury: Suffering from a sprained left ankle, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Soler is expected to start a rehab assignment on Monday or Tuesday and could be back in the Cubs line-up in a week. He has been out for a month with the ankle sprain. Junior Lake was optioned to Triple-A so Chris Denorfia has been starting he majority of time in RF. Denorfia has a nice looking 124 wRC+ but is riding a .414 BABIP so regression is sure to come.
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: Smyly threw a bullpen session on Saturday, the first since tearing his labrum. If all goes well he will presumably throw more to continue building up arm strength. A rehab stint in mid-late July with a return in August is still a possibility. 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.
GIANCARLO STANTON, OF, MIAMI MARLINS
The Injury: Suffering from a broken hamate bone in his left hand. He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Tough news for Marlins fans fantasy owners, as Stanton was leading all of MLB with 27 homers before the injury occurred. Joe Frisaro reports that Stanton will be out approximately 4-6 weeks so a return in mid-late August would be reasonable and just in time for the playoffs in the majority of fantasy leagues. The most frustrating part is the hamate bone really has no function and is removed during surgery.
YORDANO VENTURA, SP, KANSAS CITY ROYALS
The Injury: Suffering from right ulnar nerve inflammation, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Ventura is in the middle of a rehab stint as you read this and his last start wasn’t the best as he gave up 3 earned runs in 4 innings throwing 70 pitches (not very economical). He is going to get another rehab start before joining the Royals rotation.
JUSTIN VERLANDER, P, DETROIT TIGERS
The Injury: Suffering from back stiffness, he is currently day-to-day.
What It Means: Verlander missed his last Wednesday start with back stiffness but he thinks he will be too able to avoid another DL stint. He plans to start Tuesday against the Pirates. Whether you want to start him or not is a different story, as he has given up 8 earned runs in 11.2 innings and only 4 strikeouts in his first two starts. Verlander’s fantasy stock is quickly becoming irrelevant.
JAYSON WERTH, OF, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffering from a broken wrist, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Werth has begun some light activities as he begins to test the wrist out. He still isn’t swinging a bat and until he can with no pain, there is not a definite return date. Werth stated he is aiming for August 1st. Michael Taylor and Clint Robinson will share duties in LF until Werth returns. Taylor is worth a look in deep leagues, as he has decent power and good speed.
DAVID WRIGHT, 3B, NEW YORK METS
The Injury: Suffering from spinal stenosis, He is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Wright still does not have a clear timetable on his return back to the field and remains in L.A. to get treatment on his back. This is a serious injury so the Mets and the doctors are going to want to make sure he is fully healthy before letting him play. Eric Campbell and Ruben Tejada have been sharing duties at 3B.
RYAN ZIMMERMAN, 1B, WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Injury: Suffering from plantar fasciitis, he is currently on the 15-day DL.
What It Means: Zimmerman did some baseball activities on Wednesday and he will gradually continue his workload in the coming weeks, barring any setbacks. Corey Dickerson went down on the DL with the same injury for a month and his currently on the DL for the second time. A return for Zimmerman in August would seem like a good estimate. Those in re-draft leagues might want to look for talent elsewhere.
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