The theme for this edition of the Injury Report is purgatory because there are several players dealing with injuries where their MLB team is trying to let them ride it out without placing them on the injured list. This can be very frustrating for fantasy GMs who end up being stuck with players putting up zeroes since they cannot make corresponding transactions. GMs need to evaluate the value of a player and whether a couple days’ worth of their statistics are better than more days of pedestrian statistics from replacements. Oh, and there are also more Yankees that got hurt. So without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room.
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Christian Yelich (OF-MIL)
The potential back-to-back National League MVP has gotten off to a scorching start to the season batting .353 with 14 home runs, 34 RBI, 26 runs scored and six stolen bases. He gave fantasy GMs a big scare this past weekend when he was taken out of Sunday’s game with a back injury he sustained while running the bases. He did not play on Monday either and is considered day-to-day at this point. Right now it does not appear he will need a stint on the injured list, but if he does not show any improvement in the next couple days then expect Milwaukee to make a move and not take any chances with their superstar outfielder. Yelich’s production cannot be replaced so GMs will have to tread water if he does miss an extended period of time.
Anthony Rendon (3B-WAS)
The Nationals have resisted putting Rendon on the injured list thus far as he continues dealing with a left elbow injury. He hasn’t played since April 26 but Washington is expected to re-evaluate him and reach a conclusion regarding whether to place him on the IL. The good news is that an MRI confirmed there is no structural damage and that he is just dealing with a bruise. However, it seems likely that Rendon will in fact end up on the injured list so GMs should continue finding ways to compensate for his absence. Rendon got off to a hot start to the season and is batting .356 with six home runs, 18 RBI and 21 runs scored.
Robinson Canó (2B-NYM)
Cano has dealt with two separate hand injuries within the past week, but the good news is that he seems to have avoided any serious injuries. X-rays came back negative after the latest incident when he was hit by a pitch on Sunday. Cano is expected to miss a couple games to allow the swelling to subside, so Jeff McNeil will play second base in his absence. Cano has been a disappointment thus far for the Mets batting a pedestrian .270 with three home runs, 11 RBI and nine runs scored.
A.J. Pollock (OF-LAD)
It did not take long for the oft-injured A.J. Pollock to find his way onto the Injury Report. Pollock signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Dodgers and was expected to be a key part to the middle of their lineup. However, he is batting only .223 with two home runs, 14 RBI and 15 runs scored. Now he has landed on the 10-day injury list with an infection in his right elbow. This does not appear to be something that will keep him out longer than the requisite ten days, but it is still frustrating for fantasy GMs who were hopeful Pollock would turn over a new leaf in Los Angeles.
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Chris Archer (SP-PIT)
The Pirates placed Archer on the 10-day injured list with right thumb inflammation after he was lit up by the Dodgers last week. He was coming back off his suspension and did not fare well in his start, so the thumb issue is likely the culprit. Archer is expected to be back once eligible and is 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 27 innings over five starts thus far.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS-SD)
We all now know how flexible Fernando Tatis, Jr. is, but his impressive split at second base could land him on the injured list. Tatis was able to leave the field on his own after the play, but he was clearly in some pain and was held out of the lineup on Monday. It is possible that San Diego shuts him down for a week and puts him on the IL just to be cautious with their budding superstar who is batting .300 with six home runs, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored and six stolen bases. Greg Garcia replaced Tatis in the lineup on Monday and will likely continue to play in his place if he misses any additional time.
DJ LeMahieu (2B-NYY)
The Yankees just cannot seem to catch a break in terms of keeping anyone healthy. D.J. LeMahieu was signed in the offseason to be a super-utility player but he has turned out to be a key cog in their lineup thanks to all of the crippling injuries. Now he finds himself on the shelf temporarily after he fouled a ball off of his knee last Friday. He underwent an MRI which revealed he is dealing with right knee inflammation and he should be considered day-to-day. The Yankees had a much-needed off day on Monday so there is some hope LeMahieu could return to the lineup on Tuesday.
Eloy Jiménez (OF-CHW)
The White Sox have placed rookie outfielder Eloy Jiménez on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained right ankle. The transaction is retroactive to April 26 but the fact remains that he will likely miss at least a few weeks. Chicago has indicated that Jimenez will be re-evaluated in a couple weeks so they clearly see this as an extended absence. Jimenez has struggled a bit over the first month of the season batting .241 with three home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored thus far. Stash him in an IL slot or your bench if you can because he is too valuable to simply release at this point.
Willians Astudillo (C-MIN)
Astudillo has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. He suffered the injury over the weekend against Baltimore when he was trying to score on a sacrifice fly. This is unfortunate for fantasy GMs who have benefited from Astudillo’s production and positional flexibility thus far. He is batting .327 with two home runs, seven RBI and 11 runs scored while qualifying at third base and catcher. He could be out for an extended period of time because hamstring injuries are slow to heal. Don’t waste a roster spot on him now unless you have a spare IL slot to place him in.
Ender Inciarte (OF-ATL)
Speaking of hamstring injuries, the Braves removed Ender Inciarte from Monday’s game due to tightness in his right hamstring. He underwent some tests and the Braves seemed optimistic about the results, but it is still possible that he lands on the injured list. Inciarte’s game is premised on his speed, so if he has a balky hamstring then it would make sense to shut him down and let him rest. He has gotten off to a slow start to the season thus far batting .236 with two home runs, six RBI, eight runs scored and three stolen bases. Follow up for updates on his status as the Braves are expected to make a decision as early as today.
Gio Urshela (3B-NYY)
Another replacement Yankee suffered an injury over the weekend as Gio Urshela was lifted from Sunday’s game against the Giants after being hit in the hand by a pitch. The good news is that x-rays came back negative so he appears to have avoided a serious injury. Right now Urshela should be considered day-to-day as we will have to see whether he misses any additional time to let the pain and swelling subside. Urshela has been impressive thus far batting .351 with one home run, six RBI, eight runs scored and one stolen base.
Jordan Zimmermann (SP-DET)
Early on in April it looked like we could be seeing the renaissance of Jordan Zimmermann , but that now seems like a lifetime ago. After two great starts, Zimmermann has fallen off the deep end and now is on the 10-day injured list with a sprained UCL in his right elbow. We all know what this means, especially since Zimmermann already underwent Tommy John surgery a decade ago. Either way, he should not be on any fantasy rosters in any league formats as he is 0-4 with a 5.93 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in six games.