Fantasy Baseball Injuries - Week 12: Gerritt Cole, Juan Soto & More
UPDATED 6/14 @ 8:40am ET
The injured list in Major League Baseball never sleeps, and we have some notable names on the fantasy baseball injury report for this scoring period. The New York Yankees received good news on multiple fronts, as Gerrit Cole’s second rehab start was a success, and Juan Soto’s forearm injury isn’t expected to be serious.
Fantasy baseball managers should consider stashing Robbie Ray if he’s available, as a return around the All-Star break is still the most likely outcome for the veteran southpaw. Additionally, some injuries have paved the way for some fantasy baseball prospects, as Adael Amador and Tyler Locklear will receive promotions to the big leagues following injuries to Kris Bryant and Ty France respectively.
As you get ready to set your fantasy baseball lineups for the week ahead, be sure to check out the fantasy baseball injuries and MLB injury report below, as well as Howard Bender’s article on the top fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups. Later this week, Matt Selz and I will break down some more waiver wire pickups and weekend streamers on Caught Stealing, so tune in there, too!
Without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s fantasy baseball injury report!
MLB Injury Report: Starting Pitchers
Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees - Elbow
UPDATED 6/14: Cole's third and potential final rehab start is happening today (Friday). Cole could be back with the Yankees at some point in the middle of next week.
It was another successful rehab outing for the New York ace over the weekend, as he allowed just one earned run on two hits with four strikeouts across 4.2 IP. Cole worked up to 57 pitches in that outing, and if he were to make another rehab start in five days, he’d slated for his third rehab start on Saturday, June 15.
Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants - Elbow
Ray continues to progress through his rehab and the plan is still for him to return around the All-Star Break.
Alek Manoah, Toronto Blue Jays - Elbow
Manoah is undergoing surgery on his UCL and will miss the rest of the 2024 season. After a delayed start to the season, Manoah posted a 3.70 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across five starts (24.1 IP).
Bobby Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers - Shoulder
UPDATED 6/14: Miller was roughed up a bit in his last rehab start, but he came away healthy, and that's all that matters. He also worked up to 93 pitches, so his next start should be with the Dodgers at some point next week.
The results haven’t been overly impressive for Miller during his rehab stint, but he worked up to 85 pitches and four innings of work in his most recent rehab outing, and he could rejoin the Los Angeles rotation this week. If that were to happen, expect L.A. to operate with a six-man rotation.
Ryan Weathers, Miami Marlins - Finger
Weathers was placed on the injured list due to a strain in his left index finger. Weathers posted a 1.91 ERA in the month of May, and he had a 14:0 K/BB ratio through his first two starts in June.
Steven Matz, St. Louis Cardinals - Back
Matz is expected to make his next rehab start on Tuesday. His last start for the Cardinals was on April 30th, and his first rehab start saw him log two scoreless innings.
Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners - Forearm
UPDATED 6/14: Matt Selz and I talked about this one on the podcast. If the MRI came back perfectly clean, how are we unsure of a timetable or what's going on? He was scratched from his start on Tuesday, but again, the MRI didn't reveal anything serious.
Ben Brown, Chicago Cubs - Neck
UPDATED 6/14: Brown was placed on the injured list with a neck strain. He's posted a 3.23 ERA and 0.97 WHIP as a starter this year, compared to a 4.41 ERA and 1.35 WHIP as a reliever.
MLB Injury Report: Relief Pitchers
Edwin Diaz, New York Mets - Shoulder
UPDATED 6/14: Diaz returned to the mound for the Mets on 6/13, firing a clean inning with one strikeout against the Marlins.
Diaz began a rehab assignment last week, and in his lone appearance thus far, he allowed one hit and struck out two batters. He could return to the team, and perhaps the closer role, as early as Tuesday.
Andres Munoz, Seattle Mariners - Back
UPDATED 6/14: Munoz ended up getting an injection earlier this week to try to alleviate some of the lingering pain. He should be available this weekend for the team.
Munoz injured his back in a collision at the plate, but the team believes he will avoid an IL stint. He returned to the mound on Sunday, so there shouldn’t be any questions with his status moving forward.
MLB Injury Report: Hitters
Juan Soto, New York Yankees - Forearm
UPDATED 6/11: Soto returned to the lineup as the DH on Monday.
Soto is expected to miss the team’s next couple of games, but additional testing only showed inflammation. So, all in all, this is a positive, as things could have been far worse for the Yankees and their superstar outfielder. The team expects him to return to the lineup at some point during this series against Kansas City.
Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies - Hamstring
UPDATED 6/14: Turner's return seems to be nearing, as he ran the bases in the middle of the week. It seems like fantasy managers should have Turner at some point in the early parts of next week.
J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies - Knee
UPDATED 6/14: Realmuto was placed on the 10-day injured list due to some right knee pain. The expectation is that Realmuto will be out for about a month after undergoing a procedure on his knee.
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers - Hamstring
UPDATED 6/14: Seager returned to the lineup on Wednesday, but then had some tenderness in his hamstring prior to Thursday's game. The team will likely be cautious with him, in an attempt to not further injure it, and ideally avoid the IL.
The team is optimistic that Seager can avoid the injured list, but he has not played since injuring his hamstring back on June 5. Much like Soto, it seems like the middle-to-latter part of this week is when fantasy managers (and the Texas Rangers) can hope to have Seager back in the lineup.
Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros - Shin
UPDATED 6/14: Tucker still needs a bit more time to return from his shin injury. An expected return is unknown at this point, but it shouldn't carry too far into next week.
Tucker was placed on the injured list last week with his shin contusion, and he’s eligible to return on June 14. I’m hard-pressed to believe he returns on the 14th, but I don’t expect his absence to extend too far into next week. However, time will tell.
Alex Bregman, Houston Astros - Hand
UPDATED 6/11: Bregman was in the lineup on Monday.
While the X-rays came back negative and Bregman is listed as day-to-day, don’t be surprised if he misses a couple of games. He took a fastball to the hand, and soreness/discomfort from incidents like this don’t go away overnight. It doesn’t seem like he’ll need an IL stint, and he may not even need to miss a game.
Ty France, Seattle Mariners - Heel
France was placed on the injured list with a right heel fracture. His timetable to return is unknown, and prospect Tyler Locklear is getting the call to the show.
Nico Hoerner (Hand) & Seiya Suzuki (Side), Chicago Cubs
Hoerner has a small fracture in his hand, but it’s not guaranteed he gets placed on the injured list. Meanwhile, despite leaving last Friday’s game early due to side soreness, Suzuki was in the lineup on Sunday after not playing the day before.
Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants - Hamstring
Chapman didn’t play on Sunday due to a sore hamstring. Consider him day-to-day at this juncture.
Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox - Thumb
Yoshida took the next step in his recovery from his thumb issue that has kept him out of the lineup since the end of April. His rehab assignment began on June 8, and he went 1-for-4 in his first game since injuring his thumb.
Willson Contreras, St. Louis Cardinals - Arm
UPDATED 6/14: Contreras wants to be back by July 2, which would be WAY ahead of schedule. I like his optimism, but I expect the Cardinals to pump the brakes a bit and ensure he's 100% before returning to action.
Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers - Hamstring
UPDATED 6/14: Ortiz hasn't played since June 10 due to some hamstring tightness he experienced. He called his absence “precautionary” but he hasn't played the team's last few games.
Hunter Renfroe, Kansas City Royals - Toe
UPDATED 6/14: Renfroe will miss the next two to three weeks with a fracture in his big toe.