2014 Fantasy Baseball: The Fix DL Report – Week Nine
Welcome to the ninth week of the Fix DL Report. Each week I (@Rich_Migs) will cover significant fantasy baseball injuries. As the season continues, the report will address some of the most recent injuries and their fantasy implications.
OUT FOR THE SEASON: Patrick Corbin, Brandon Beachy, Kris Medlen, Jarrod Parker, Cory Luebke, Bruce Rondon, Bobby Parnell, Jameson Taillon, Avisail Garcia, Matt Moore, Maicer Izturis, Ivan Nova, A.J. Griffin, Jose Fernandez, Martin Perez, Prince Fielder
PLAYERS TO WATCH (Not on DL/DL Updates):
Yordano Ventura (elbow), Hanley Ramirez (calf), Mark Teixeira (wrist), Yovani Gallardo (ankle), Josh Hamilton (bone bruise), Nick Swisher (knee), Carlos Santana (concussion/illness), Danny Valencia (hand)
- Simply put: Ventura has been awesome so far this season. I thought there would be more growing pains, but the control improved and he threw the changeup more and effectively. Unfortunately, it appears Ventura may be the next Tommy John victim. He left last night’s game with an elbow injury. He hit 91 on the gun. He normally averages 96. Ventura will be going for an MRI on the elbow today, but it already doesn’t sound good.
- Ramirez was held out again with a calf injury. MRI results may be coming and there’s a chance he will land on the disabled list.
- Teixeira has been dealing with stiffness in his wrist again. It has been reiterated through his healing process that the wrist would stiffen up on occasion, so odds are, Tex will be fine. But this isn’t something owners want to hear.
- Gallardo missed his last start, but is expected to get the nod on Wednesday.
- Hamilton is making his way back from a thumb injury and hurt his thumb during an at-bat on a rehab assignment. It appears to be only a bone bruise, but those can linger. It is considered a small setback and Hamilton should return at some point in June.
- Swisher has been dealing with knee troubles this season, but as of now, he should be fine after a day or two. It is something to monitor, however. His teammate Santana may have a concussion or an illness. The team isn’t sure after Santana felt under-the-weather shortly after getting hit by a foul tip. If it is a concussion, he will likely require a trip to the DL.
How much more can we take this season? The bright young arm of Ventura goes down and so does a long-time ace favorite. On the hitting side, two top first baseman make their way to the disabled list, expect one is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Here is week eight’s DL report. I will be doing my best to avoid too much repetition each week, so be sure to refer back to the past DL reports to keep track of all the injuries. Let’s take a look at some of the key fantasy players on the disabled list entering the week.
Week Nine:
|
Pitchers |
Injury |
Expected Return |
Fantasy Implications |
|
Cliff Lee (SP) |
Elbow |
Unknown |
Lee will be on the disabled list for about a week now, but still hasn’t been cleared to resume throwing. It looks like this elbow strain will cost him at least a month of the season. |
|
Felix Doubront (SP) |
Shoulder |
Unknown |
We know very little about Doubront’s injury. It may be a contusion, since he said he bumped his left shoulder on a car door. Or it could be a strain. Either way, putting a time table on all these injury can be difficult, but he is likely to miss at least a few weeks. |
|
Robbie Erlin (SP) |
Elbow |
End of June |
Erlin has left elbow soreness, but it isn’t considered serious. At least not yet. |
|
Zach McAllister (SP) |
Back |
Unknown |
Things weren’t going well for McAllister and perhaps the back was part of the reason why. There is no timetable as of yet, but NL owners (if any) shouldn’t hold their breath for his return. |
Others on the DL: Santiago Castilla (hamstring)
|
Hitters |
Injury |
Expected Return |
Fantasy Implications |
|
Prince Fielder (1B) |
Neck |
Out for the Season |
Fielder is expected to get surgery to repair the herniated disc in his neck and it will sideline him for the season. On the bright side, at least owners know why Fielder hasn’t performed up to what was expected. I guess that’s the optimistic approach to all this? |
|
Joey Votto (1B) |
Quad/Knee |
Early June/Mid June |
Currently, the quad is the issue and that should be fine. The bigger concern is what Reds manager Bryan Price said about Votto’s knee. It sounds like the knee, which Votto once had surgery on, is having issues and may not be 100% the rest of the way. So owners may get that version of Votto who doesn’t hit many home runs. He should still be a great overall hitter, but if you can sell him and get a nice haul back, it may be a wise move. |
|
Mike Napoli (1B) |
Finger |
Early June |
Napoli is a little beat up, so when he suffered a sprained index finger, the Sox thought it was best to give him a couple of weeks off. Makes sense. He should be back when first eligible. |
|
Shane Victorino (OF) |
Hamstring |
June |
Victorino has been dealing with leg issues all season long, so to expect him to bounce right back from a strained hamstring after two weeks isn’t realistic. His season has been pretty uninspiring thus far, so maybe the time off can help heal the rest of his bumps and bruises. |
|
Nolan Arenado (3B) |
Finger |
Late June/Early July |
A shame really, as Arenado was having a solid coming out party in his second big league season. A fractured finger will keep him out for some time. |
|
A.J. Ellis (C) |
Ankle |
June |
Ellis sprained his ankle during the Josh Beckett no-no celebration. A frustrating moment for him, the Dodgers, and deep leaguers. |
|
Juan Uribe (3B) |
Hamstring |
Late June |
Uribe has a strained hamstring and it sounds like he will be out for a while. |
|
Eric Young Jr. (OF) |
Hamstring |
June |
The speedster will be sidelined for a while as he recovers from a hamstring strain. Juan Lagares will have ample opportunity to prove that he is the solution in centerfield for the Mets. |
|
Cody Asche (3B) |
Hamstring |
June |
Maikel Franco may be coming, but he isn’t exactly banging down the door this season. Still, if he comes up and hold his own, Asche may find himself out of a starting third base job. |
Others on the DL: Brandon Guyer (fractured thumb)
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