Happy Independence Day to those who celebrate. For those who aren’t from the United States or don’t celebrate the day as a holiday…well…happy Tuesday! Michael Stein is taking the day off today, so I’ll be pinch-hitting on the Fantasy Baseball Injury Report. Here’s a look at some of the latest bumps and bruises around MLB and how they are expected to affect the fantasy baseball community:

Day to Day

Brian Dozier, 2B MIN – After missing Monday’s game with a sore back, Dozier is expected to miss Tuesday’s contest as well. The team does not consider the injury to be serious nor do they expect him to need a stint on the DL. Adjust your lineups accordingly this week and be sure to check with the lineups Wednesday to see if he’s ready to return. With the All Star break looming, an extra day off here wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Better to have him healthy for the second half.

Curtis Granderson, OF NYM – He was originally in Tuesday’s lineup, but was a late scratch due to the recurring hip issue that has plagued him recently. The fact that he was in the lineup indicates that he is just day-to-day and may just need a couple days off to get some much-needed rest. Check back with Wednesday’s lineup, but you probably shouldn’t expect him to return until the weekend. The Mets will use T.J. Rivera in left field for Tuesday, but he might not be the regular replacement for the rest of the week.

Yoenis Cespedes, OF NYM – What a shocker! Cespedes suffered from hamstring cramps late in Monday’s loss and is now out of the lineup for Tuesday’s contest. The team may be erring on the side of caution considering Tuesday’s early start, but it’s more of the same with this guy. Check back with Wednesday’s lineup to see if he returns, but you can never be surprised by an extra day-off when it comes to Cespedes.

Nelson Cruz, OF SEA – He missed games Sunday and Monday with knee soreness, an injury he apparently incurred while sliding into second base during Saturday’s game against the Angels. The Mariners haven’t updated his condition at all which usually means he’s just day-to-day. If you hear reports of him going for an MRI, it could be deemed more serious, but until then, just keep checking back with the daily lineups to look for his return.

Avisail Garcia, OF CHW – He missed his fifth-straight game with a knee issue Monday, the day he was actually expected to return to the lineup, so keep an eye out for Tuesday’s lineup card. The club still doesn’t believe he needs to go on the 10-day DL, but they might think otherwise if he is unable to play again. They can obviously make the move retroactive if they need to DL him, but he would still remain out for the rest of this week and then the club would decide if it’s best to leave him there for the rest of the first half.

On the DL

Luke Maile, C TOR – He was added to the disabled list with knee inflammation, but given the Jays’ acquisition of Miguel Montero, it would seem that Maile’s days in the majors were coming to an end anyway. Expect him to be optioned to Triple-A once he is eligible to come off the DL.

Eduardo Nunez, 3B SF – He was supposed to be activated last Friday, but there were concerns over how his hamstring was doing so the team sent him to Double-A Richmond for a rehab game instead. Considering he hasn’t played in a minor league game since, it would appear that he has not fully recovered from his injury. He was told not to run the bases for three days and will be re-evaluated afterwards to check in on the progress. Nunez said he hopes to be activated in time for this weekend’s series against the Marlins, but the team is taking a wait-and-see approach.

Ian Desmond, OF COL – Desmond left Sunday’s game with what the team described as calf cramps, but the outfielder landed on the disabled list Monday after an MRI revealed a right calf strain. There has been no timetable given for his return, but we’ve seen how long calf strains take to heal. He could be out for two weeks or he could be out for a month, depending on the severity of the strain. He obviously won’t be back until after the All Star break and you’ll probably have to wait until right about then for a legitimate timetable. The Rockies activated Carlos Gonzalez from the DL in a corresponding move, but Desmond’s injury now keeps the door open for Raimel Tapia, so if you were thinking the rookie would go to the bench or minors with CarGo’s return, you catch a break here….unless you’re a Desmond owner.

Dexter Fowler, OF STL – He was scheduled to come off the disabled list Wednesday, but recent reports indicate that he actually won’t return until after the All Star break. He’s dealing with a heel issue and is still unable to put his cleats on. He’s been doing some baseball activities in tennis shoes lately, but the team won’t consider activating him until he is back in the proper footwear and pain free. Tommy Pham and Randal Grichuk will maintain their positions in the Cardinals outfield.

Keone Kela, RP TEX – What a bummer for those who spent their FAAB bucks on Kela, expecting him to slot into the closer’s role for the Rangers. He is on the DL with a biceps injury but the team believes the minimum 10 days is all he will require. That puts him on pace to return for the first game following the All Star break. A combination of Jose Leclerc, Alex Claudio and Matt Bush will continue to serve as the closing committee for now. It’s worthwhile to stash Kela as he seems to be the guy who could step out ahead of the rest and wrangle this job for himself at some point.

On the Mend

Chris Davis, 1B BAL – He took batting practice Monday and there were no reports of pain or setbacks, so that’s a nice positive. The Orioles will continue to remain cautious with him, but they are going to start ramping up his baseball activities now with the hope of squeezing him in to a couple of games prior to the All Star break.

Kolten Wong, 2B STL – He’s been slowly recovering from a triceps injury and is finally ramping up baseball activities this week. It would appear that last week’s setback is behind, thanks to a cortisone shot, and once the team is comfortable with his level of activity, a rehab assignment is next. There’s still no set timetable, but Paul DeJong’s days of starting at second base are definitely numbered.

Howie Kendrick, 2B/OF PHI – He’s working his way back from a hamstring injury and was able to take batting practice and field some grounders Monday. He was then sent for an MRI to check the progress, but the team has yet to update his condition. Until he runs the bases at full speed, you can expect him to remain on the sidelines. It would seem unlikely that he would be activated prior to the All Star break.

Mike Trout, OF LAA – It was officially announced that he would not take part in the All Star game, though no one really thought he would anyway. He is progressing quicker than expected from his thumb ligament injury and should head out on a rehab assignment soon, but don’t expect to see him activated before the break.

Aaron Sanchez, SP TOR – Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins says that Sanchez will return to the team and start one of the games during the upcoming series against the Astros. He threw 4.1 innings during his second rehab start and reported no problems with his finger. It’s a tough match-up to return to and we still have to be cautious with him regarding the blisters and what not, but it does appear to be time to get him back on that horse. You can look at it two ways – start him and take a shot because he has a strong skill set or you’ve waited this long, what’s one more start? If you like risk, go with the former.

Zach Britton, RP BAL – The Orioles believe him to be fully recovered from his forearm injury and they expect him to rejoin the team in time for Tuesday’s game. He allowed just one run on four hits over seven innings during his rehab assignment and is expected to return to the closer’s role immediately upon re-activation. Sorry, Brad Brach. We do thank you for your service.