Welcome to another edition of the MLB injury report as you make roster moves on your fantasy baseball lineups! We are now more than halfway through August with the finish line and your fantasy baseball playoffs in sight! Now more than ever, you need to make the roster moves to get you in position to bring home that title! The end of the season is where MLB lineups really get funky. Teams definitely out of contention are just going through the motions and might shut down injured players. Meanwhile, other teams are doing everything they can to stay in the hunt, which includes MLB top prospects rising up the fantasy baseball rankings. To help you stay competitive, we have the top fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups if the injury bug has bitten your lineups. Also, check out the recent fantasy baseball stock watch for players trending up and down the MLB projections. It is one of the last few weekends of summer, so before you go out and do whatever it is you do, take care of your fantasy baseball lineups and check out the latest MLB injury news.

 

Fantasy Baseball MLB Injury Report August 19

Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels OF

I know that you all remain skeptical of his health, but Mike Trout should be returning on Friday for the Los Angeles Angels. Well, at least manager Phil Nevin and Trout himself have said that. When you heard he was out with costovertebral dysfunction, that certainly sounded season-ending for a guy with an injury history like Trout. It appears, though, that he is going to be back in the lineup. How long? Well, that remains to be seen. Those of you with Trout on your roster will certainly hold your breath for the last six weeks of the year. 

Giancarlo Stanton – New York Yankees OF

The Yankees slugger is set to go on a rehab assignment this weekend and if he has no setbacks, he should rejoin the team in time for the series the following weekend at the latest. Giancarlo Stanton has been out since late July with an Achilles injury and, boy, do the Yankees need his big bat. Hopefully, he can stay healthy for the rest of the season and help your fantasy teams with some moonshot home runs. 

Luis Robert – Chicago White Sox OF

The White Sox star was not in the lineup on Thursday as he is trying to come back from a wrist injury sustained last Friday. Luis Robert did play the field on Wednesday and received a cortisone injection, but he has now been out a week so it looks like they should have just put him on the Injured List. Given the fact that they put him in Wednesday's game and now can’t make an IL trip retroactive, Robert may be able to return at some point this weekend – perhaps as early as Friday. 

Clay Holmes – New York Yankees RP

The Yankees' closer finally started to look mortal a week or so ago and now he is going to take a seat for a couple of weeks. Clay Holmes landed on the 15-day Injured List with a back problem. He tried to pitch through it and had some side sessions, but the Yanks decided it was better to give him the rest considering the lead in the division they have. Reports are that Holmes is likely to just need these two weeks, although back problems can be tricky. Keep an eye here for news as it is updated and he gets closer to a return. 

Taijuan Walker – New York Mets SP

Taijuan Walker left his start on Tuesday because of back spasms, but his MRI came back clean. That is huge news for the Mets, who are in a pennant race and just got their two aces back. I wouldn’t be surprised if he misses his next start, but he could avoid a trip to the Injured List – or at least won’t miss much time. 

Carlos Carrasco – New York Mets SP

While the news for Walker was not bad, it was worse for Carlos Carrasco. He has already been put on the Injured List after suffering an oblique strain on Monday. The Mets have stated that Carrasco is going to miss the next 3-4 weeks, which is a total buzzkill for your fantasy season as he won't be available until the last couple of weeks at best. Still, he has been pretty solid all season long and is someone you should try to stash if at all possible. 

 

Wander Franco – Tampa Bay Rays 3B/SS

The Rays' stud was pulled from his first rehab start with soreness in his hand and then still wasn’t able to get back on the horse on Thursday. The Rays are certainly going to be careful with their franchise cornerstone, and now you have to worry about them shutting him down again. Watch for the news to see if Wander Franco is able to get back on the field in the minors this weekend in hopes that maybe he can rejoin the Rays in the next week. 

Jack Flaherty – St. Louis Cardinals SP

News improved for the Cardinals' hurler in his second rehab start. Jack Flaherty threw three scoreless innings on Tuesday at Double-A, striking out four and allowing two hits. You have to be very cautious in hoping that Flaherty can come back and be fantasy-relevant this year, considering how injury-riddled he has been in recent seasons. However, it appears he is likely two more rehab starts away from potentially joining the Cardinals – especially considering he threw 52 pitches this last time out. Flaherty's next rehab appearance will come Sunday. 

Tyler Mahle – Minnesota Twins SP

Tyler Mahle left his start on Wednesday with shoulder fatigue, but the good news for the Twins (and fantasy players) is that the MRI came back clean. The bad news is that Mahle has been battling shoulder discomfort for much of the season. The lack of structural damage is a great sign, but you wonder how long the Twins will keep him out. He was not placed on the Injured List, so I would say there’s a 50/50 chance he makes his next start. 

Brandon Marsh – Philadelphia Phillies OF

The Phillies outfielder came away with a bone bruise from trying to rob a home run earlier in the week, an MRI confirmed. It certainly looked ugly as Brandon Marsh's leg buckled underneath him when he came down, so this is good news. Marsh was still placed on the Injured List and will probably miss two to three weeks, but at least his season isn’t over.  

Tarik Skubal – Detroit Tigers SP

Tarik Skubal's season is over as he underwent successful surgery to repair a tendon in his elbow this week. The kid does still have a world of talent and, at some point, I think he is going to be quite the fantasy asset – but it won’t be for the rest of 2022. Keep an eye on the offseason news to see how the Tigers pitcher will be ready to start next year. 

Eduardo Rodriguez – Detroit Tigers SP

While the news is bad on Skubal, the Tigers will welcome Eduardo Rodriguez back on Sunday for the first time since late May. He has completed his minor league rehab assignment and did so in emphatic fashion with 11 strikeouts in six innings. Considering how long he has been out, Rodriguez could possibly be available in your league. While he is far from a star pitcher, E-Rod is likely better than anything else you’ll find on the waiver wire at this time of the year. 

 

Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds 1B

The year is over for Joey Votto as he is having season-ending surgery on his rotator cuff on Friday. This probably really isn’t hurting too many people’s fantasy teams as he was hitting just .205 this season. Regardless, if he is your corner infielder or bench insurance, it is time to let him go. 

Aledmys Díaz – Houston Astros 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF

The Astros suffered another injury and Aledmys Díaz will be on the 10-day Injured List with a groin strain after making a running catch. He is far from lighting the fantasy world on fire either, but still was hitting for a decent average and some power with ten home runs in 254 at-bats. Houston has not given a timetable for his return, but Diaz isn’t the type of guy I would clog up an IR spot with at this time of year. That is, unless you have unlimited spots or your team is really healthy right now. 

Eduardo Escobar – New York Mets 3B

The Mets' third baseman was placed on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain after attempting to play through the malady. Oblique injuries are always tricky, but this might not be the worst outcome anyway. Eduardo Escobar was wildly underproducing with just a .216 batting average and the Mets called up Brett Baty, who paid dividends in his first game in the bigs. 

Mike Soroka – Atlanta Braves SP

Mike Soroka hasn't seen a big-league mound since 2020, but he is getting closer to rejoining the Braves. He came out firing in his first rehab start with four innings and eight strikeouts without allowing a run. Soroka would be a risky fantasy play considering how long since he was in the majors, but the talent is unmistakable. Plus, you have to love the results from this first rehab outing. Keep watching his next starts to see if these results are consistent. 

Jorge Polanco – Minnesota Twins 2B/SS

Jorge Polanco hasn’t played since Monday when he hurt his knee sliding, but he also hasn’t been put on the Injured List. The Twins are in a dogfight for their division or a AL Wild Card berth, so you’d think if this was something serious that they would free up the roster spot and put Polanco on the shelf for the ten days. I would expect him to return either Friday or at some point over the weekend. 

 

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