With Michael Stein on the Fantasy Alarm 10-day DL with family vacationitis, I thought I’d take this opportunity to jump into the fray and share my thoughts on some of the latest injuries around MLB. We’ll look at who’s down for the count, who’s day-to-day and touch on a few players who are currently on the mend. With so many leagues allowing for daily waiver claims these days, staying on top of all the injury news is imperative to your success, so let’s get to it!

Day-to-Day

Buster Posey, C SF – We’ll list him here for now as Posey is currently under concussion protocol and will undergo further tests and examination Tuesday after getting hit in the helmet by a Taijuan Walker pitch during Monday’s action. Even if he doesn’t land on the 7-day concussion DL, there’s a strong chance the Giants hold him out for a few games to be sure. Concussion symptoms can take up to 24 hours to show and given that he is the face of the franchise, they’re not going to take any chances. We’ll update here as news comes in..

Hanley Ramirez, 1B BOS – The flu was running rampant through the Boston clubhouse all of last week and Hanley fell victim to it, missing the last four-straight games. He’s expected back on Tuesday, but keep in mind how having the flu can wipe you out and sap your strength. Mookie Betts dealt with it and has been 0-for-7 in his return, so don’t be surprised to see Hanley need a game or two to get his timing back.

Greg Bird, 1B NYY – We can cue the bird flu jokes here is we want as the Yankees first baseman gets hit with the double-whammy. He was out over the weekend with a bruised ankle and then came down with the flu while sitting on the sidelines. He missed another game Monday and the Yankees will simply re-evaluate him daily. He should be back soon enough, but you’ll have to check the lineups each day. Chris Carter will be filling in for the time being and obviously offers some nice pop for a bargain DFS play here and there.

Jean Segura, SS SEA – Fantasy owners got quite the scare when Segura left Monday’s game with a hamstring injury. After further tests and evaluation, the team is deeming this as a “very mild” issue. Bullet dodged…for now. Consider Segura day-to-day for now and expect the Mariners to give him a few days to rest. Taylor Motter will probably pick up the slack in his absence, so if you see Motter atop the lineup in the next couple of games, maybe give him some GPP consideration if the pitcher is weak. As for seasonal play, he’s not really worth picking up outside of deep AL-only leagues. Surely you’ve got a better back-up infielder on your bench

Zack Cozart, SS CIN – He was off to a fantastic start to the season which always seems to be par for the course for Coazart, but he’s currently dealing with a sore wrist. He’ll be re-evaluated on a daily basis and should be back in a few days. Not that you’re really relying on Cozart who will cool down at the plate soon enough anyway. Jose Peraza will move over to shortstop in the meantime with newly-added Scooter Gennett logging some time at the keystone.

Franklin Gutierrez, OF LAD – After a stolen base attempt on Monday, Gutierrez left with a hamstring injury and is being considered day-to-day for now. The club will re-evaluate him Tuesday just to be sure it’s not something more serious. He’s more of an NL-only option as the right-handed bat of the left field platoon and is probably a better bet as a random bargain DFS play, but if you’re using him in seasonal, you may need to replace him on a short-term basis. Look for Scott Van Slyke and Enrique Hernandez to start seeing more at-bats in his absence.

Justin Upton, OF DET – He was a late scratch Monday due to back tightness, so the team is going to have him rest up before sending him back out there. This is considered minor, though, given the nature of the injury, there’s a chance the team rests him a little more in the future to prevent additional flare-ups. Not enough to concern you, but just to keep a watchful eye in leagues with daily roster moves.

Matt Kemp, OF ATL – Be sure to check the lineups page to see if Kemp returns to action Monday. He was removed from Friday’s game after tweaking his hamstring and has now sat out the last two contests. The off-day Monday was likely a help, but if the club is concerned, he could be held out again. A combination of also-rans will continue to fill in. No one of any fantasy consequence though.

On the DL

Gary Sanchez, C NYY – We’ve now had a few days to digest the news that the Yankees backstop is on the disabled list with a biceps issue, but now Sanchez owners are going to need a full-on support group with news breaking that he is expected to miss at least four weeks. Even after that, there will likely be some time needed for him to regain both his timing and his power stroke, so fantasy owners should really prepare for a little while longer. Maybe as much as six weeks. Austin Romine will handle the primary catching duties moving forward, but if you’re looking to add even a glimmer of power to make up for the loss, you’ll have to hit the waiver wire and pray someone like Jason Castro or Mike Zunino is available.

Trea Turner, SS WAS – After a day or two to re-evaluate and make a decision, the Nationals did the smart thing and placed Turner on the 10-day DL with his hamstring injury. Leaving him as day-to-day would have run the risk that he would come back too early and cause the injury to linger further into the future and really screw the team and his fantasy owners on value. At least with the DL stint, trainers and coaches will have the final say as to when he is ready to return. If it makes you feel any better, the team doesn’t believe he will need more than his 10 days, so expect him back then. Stephen Drew, who killed it for the Nats in Monday’s game, will likely see the bulk of the starts in his absence, though we could see Wilmer Difo in there against left-handed pitching as well.

Adeiny Hechavarria, SS MIA – He landed on the 10-day DL with a left oblique strain, something the club thinks is connected to his late-spring back issues. He will be evaluated daily, but the club seems concerned that he could be out for longer than the minimum. Miguel Rojas will likely see the bulk of playing time, but the club also called up J.T. Riddle to serve as a back-up infielder.

Jackie Bradley Jr., OF BOS – Bradley suffered a hyperextended knee while running the bases over the weekend and after an MRI revealed a sprained ligament, the team put him on the 10-day DL. He is not expected to miss more than the 10 days, so just stash him away and find yourself a short-term replacement if you don’t already have one on your bench, Chris Young and Brock Holt should see the majority of playing time in Bradley’s absence as Andrew Benintendi shifts over to center field.

Joey Rickard, OF BAL – The Orioles placed him on the 10-day DL with a sprained middle finger but they expect him to return after the minimum time served. Craig Gentry will take over the platoon with Hyun-Soo Kim, but seems likely to hit at the bottom of the order. If he does land in the leadoff spot at all, he may be a cheap punt play in DFS.

Collin McHugh, SP HOU – The official diagnosis came through over the weekend and the Astros hurler has a posterior impingement in his elbow and will be shut down for a minimum of six weeks. There is no timetable for his return and we’d be hesitant to even use up a DL spot for him. Feel free to cut him in all formats.

On the Mend

Devin Mesoraco, C CIN – He is currently on his rehab assignment down in Double-A and actually caught a full game on Monday. His hip and shoulder will be re-evaluated Tuesday morning and the club will look to see how long before he can catch full games on back-to-back days. There is no change in his expected timetable so look for him around the end of April.

Martin Prado, 3B MIA – If he receives clearance from trainers this week, Prado and his hamstring woes could begin a rehab assignment as early as the beginning of next week. They say he is making steady progress, but still don’t have a set timetable for his return. If he does go on a rehab assignment next week, he could be back by the end of the month. That is, barring any setbacks, of course.

Adrian Beltre, 3B TEX – He was supposed to be activated from the DL on Sunday, but the club opted to hold him out for an extra two days (Monday was an off-day for the Rangers). He is expected to be activated Tuesday, but keep an eye out for it. Calf injuries can be a little worrisome at times, so if the club wanted those extra few days, obviously Beltre showed something that made them think he needed the additional time. Joey Gallo’s days with the big club remain numbered it seems.

David Wright, 3B NYM – He is only doing light throwing work right now but continues to make progress in his recovery from his shoulder ailment. Fantasy owners can probably give up on him though as, even if he does make it back, how long will you have him before he suffers yet another injury. I’m guessing his back will flare up on him next.

Dalton Pompey, OF TOR – If you were one of those Pompey-believers who hoped to eventually see him atop the Jays lineup, you can scrap that hope for now. When he is fully recovered from his concussion, he will be activated from the DL and sent to Triple-A. It’s unfortunate that he’s starting to look like a Quad-A player right now, but keep an eye on him in the minors. If he continues to tear it up down there, the Jays could offer him some sort of opportunity further down the road this season.

David Price, SP BOS – Price threw another side session Monday in which he threw 25-straight fastballs. He did not report any lingering discomfort afterwards and the Red Sox are looking towards another few sessions just like it before they incorporate his offspeed stuff. From there, if there are no setbacks with the elbow, he’ll head to the minors for a few rehab starts. He remains on-target for a mid-to-late May return.

Carlos Rodon, SP CHW – He remains at extended spring training for now and will continue along with his current throwing program as he recovers from his biceps injury. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated on April 21 when the White Sox will either decide to ramp up his throwing program or keep him limited. The team is still targeting a mid-to-late May return.

Sonny Gray, SP Oak – He threw a successful bullpen session Monday and the club will have him face live hitters in a session this Thursday. He did have teammate Mark Canha step in during Monday’s session but he wasn’t swinging the bat at all. If all goes well and Gray doesn’t suffer any setbacks with his lat muscle, he could go on a rehab assignment as early as this weekend.

Roberto Osuna, RP TOR – He is expected to be activated from the DL on Tuesday which means you can safely get him back into your active lineups. He is expected to take back the closer’s role immediately, though manager John Gibbons may give him a day to get his feet wet. Moving forward, though, he is definitely the guy to own and use for saves.