2022 MLB Injury Report August 12: Kyle Schwarber Calf Strain & Chris Sale Fractured Wrist
Welcome to another edition of the MLB injury report as you continue to fine tune those fantasy baseball lineups with the playoffs nearing. We are getting towards the end of the fantasy baseball season, and you really don’t want to see your player’s name show up here anymore – unless they are on their way back from the Injured List. Kyle Schwarber, Max Muncy, and Matt Carpenter are a few of the names to appear on this week's MLB injury report. Meanwhile, we could see Julio Rodríguez and Dustin May return to the top of fantasy baseball rankings soon. However, as we have all season, check out the fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups report to help you plug those holes if you do have guys out. You can also look for fantasy baseball roster help with the MLB top prospects or players trending up in the latest fantasy baseball stock watch. Be sure to check out the rest-of-season MLB projections as well. So, before you go to enjoy another summer weekend, let’s get right to the fantasy baseball injury report.
Fantasy Baseball MLB Injury Report
Kyle Schwarber – Philadelphia Phillies OF/1B
The Phillies' slugger left Thursday's game with what was described as a mild calf strain. Calf injuries can be kind of tricky sometimes, but the good news is that the team didn’t immediately put him on the Injured List. I like that manager Rob Thomson called it “mild,” but this seems like it could cost Schwarber a handful of games. Don’t be surprised if he's held out of the Phillies lineup through this weekend.
Chris Sale – Boston Red Sox SP
The tumultuous season has come to an end. Sale took the mound just twice for the Red Sox this season for a total of 5.2 innings. He had been out with a fractured pinkie, but Sale was involved in a biking accident and has now fractured his wrist. Feel free to drop him in your redraft leagues. Although this is a freak thing, you have to figure he’s going to carry the injury-prone tag coming into the 2023 season.
Matt Carpenter – New York Yankees 1B/2B/OF
The mythical story of Matt Carpenter coming off the scrap heap and bashing home runs left and right for the Yankees has taken an abrupt stop on the merry-go-round. Carpenter fouled a ball off his foot earlier in the week and fractured it. There is no official timetable, but this seems like a 6-8 week type of injury, which pretty much takes us to the end of the regular season. If you somehow have injury spots on your roster, you can stash him. However, this is a pretty easy drop from where I am sitting.
Jonathan India – Cincinnati Reds 2B
This guy has lived in this article all year, but again it appears that the Reds' second baseman has avoided major injury. India was hit on the leg with a pitch in the first inning on Thursday but stayed in the game until the fourth – though he was unable to finish. According to reports, however, India will avoid the Injured List and should be back in the Cincinnati lineup at some point this weekend. Still, given his injury history this season, I would be surprised to see him out there on Friday.
Dustin May – Los Angeles Dodgers SP
He is almost back! May is going to make one last rehab start on Sunday before returning to the Dodgers' rotation. This is great news for Los Angeles, and fantasy baseball managers, considering the injuries the Dodgers have endured to their starting rotation. May threw five innings and gave up one run while striking out eight in his last rehab start, so he is already looking great. Check your waiver wire in case your league is sleeping, or get May activated if you have been smartly stashing him.
Max Muncy – Los Angeles Dodgers 1B/2B/3B
Muncy had a contusion on his right hand on Wednesday and was unable to finish the game. He did have X-rays, which came back negative and is always good news, and he hasn’t been put on the Injured List. So, don’t expect him to be out long. Muncy should return at some point this weekend.
Jack Flaherty – St. Louis Cardinals SP
Considering he has pitched all of eight innings so far this season, you have to temper expectations when I tell you that Flaherty started his rehab assignment on Thursday. We always say that health is more important than results, and I’m sure that’s what the Cardinals will say because the outcome was not good. Flaherty threw 35 pitches in the rehab start but only got into the second inning while allowing four hits and three runs. Hopefully, he gets sharper as he gets closer to a return to St. Louis.
Tim Anderson – Chicago White Sox SS
The White Sox shortstop tried to check his swing last Saturday night and then went on the Injured List during the week. Reports yesterday were that Anderson had surgery on Thursday to repair a torn band on a finger and will miss six weeks – and perhaps the rest of the season. Considering he is hitting .300 and has double-digit steals, Anderson is probably worth trying to stash. Still, he very well could be out until the fantasy baseball season is essentially over.
Julio Rodríguez – Seattle Mariners OF
The Mariners' young phenom is due to return from the Injured List on Friday after missing just about two weeks with a wrist injury. Rodriguez was taking the league by storm with his 18 home runs, 21 steals, and impressive Home Run Derby performance – so you will want to get him back in your lineups immediately!
Tanner Houck – Boston Red Sox RP
The Red Sox closer hit the 15-day Injured List with back inflammation, as things are getting worse for Boston. Matt Barnes likely takes over the save chances while Houck is out. The reliever is also likely is going to miss more than the minimum here.
Joey Bart – San Francisco Giants C
Bart missed Tuesday’s game with an ankle injury and didn’t play Wednesday either. However, he went for an MRI that came back clean and the team hasn't placed him on the Injured List. So this appears to be a short-term type of problem for Bart and fantasy managers. You have to worry about it a little more with a catcher, but now with the National League having a DH, the Giants can at least get him in the lineup that way. Bart could easily return Friday or, at worst, some time this weekend.
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Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.