While much of the world has put everything on hold for the NFL Draft (check out live pick-by-pick coverage from Dom Murtha), the fantasy baseball community marches on. And so does the Daily Bender. There was plenty in the news today, so let’s skip the witty pleasantries and get right to it.

The Un-Mighty Thor

When I said that I had some concerns regarding Noah Syndergaard this season, I honestly didn’t expect it to be this bad this early. I had commented on the blister and expressed some concerns about it, but I also noted that his romantic tryst courtside at the Knicks game and his stealing of the Phillie Phanatic’s ATV might be pushing him into the socialite spotlight a little too much. Being a media darling in New York City can be a taxing thing and I’ve seen it affect a player’s performance on the field numerous times. The ego is a tricky thing and when someone garners too much attention from the public, they start to believe that they’re bigger than the game.

But that’s not exactly what’s happening right now. Well, it might be, but Syndergaard’s issues right now are all medical. He went from dealing with a blister to a nail issue which was contributing to the blister to now a case of biceps tendinitis. Word has it he was having trouble lifting his arm above his shoulder and will now undergo a barrage of tests, including an MRI. The Mets are being a little tight-lipped as you can imagine, but his test results should be revealed at some point over the weekend as the team was hoping his start would just be pushed back.

The worst part for the Mets right now is that between Syndergaard’s issues and Jacob deGrom’s stiff neck, they’ve been forced to push up Matt Harvey twice and the right-hander’s entire throwing schedule has been pushed out of whack. His start against Miami seemed relatively unaffected, but in this past start, he gave up another pair of home runs and his strikeout rate has now dropped in consecutive appearances. The starts haven’t been bad, but the peripherals are starting to give a little and that should be worrisome to his owners.

Stay tuned throughout the weekend as I am sure this situation will need to be updated multiple times.

Yoenis Cespedes Letus Downus

Sorry for that. Just couldn’t come up with a better pun/play on words. Bottom line is Cespedes suffered a pulled hamstring (hamstring strain if you need something a little more delicate) and is now going to be lost for at least a couple of weeks. The Mets haven’t put that timetable on it just yet as they are sending him out for an MRI, but this is not some 10-day stint on the DL. Not at all. As soon as we know, you’ll know. In the meantime, get that FAAB ready and start looking for another outfielder.

From Shell-Me to Toast

After Shelby Miller left his last start early, the handwriting was on the wall. The Diamondbacks just called it an arm issue but were very vague and the next day, it was revealed that Miller was dealing with forearm tightness. Major red flag. We all know what that means and when the report came out that his test results were being sent to Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion, every owner in fantasy set up a waiver claim that dropped Miller from their team(s).

The diagnosis has been revealed and just as we suspected, Miller is suffering from a partially torn UCL in his right elbow. Now the only question that remains is “Tommy John or rest and rehab?” Miller hasn’t made any comments about which way he wants to go, but you can’t be too confident in the latter. The former puts him out for the year. The latter might give a glimmer of hope, especially when you see the likes of Masahiro Tanaka and Wei-Yin Chen both pitching through the partial tear. Garrett Richards is also attempting to come back from it via rest and rehab, but he doesn’t appear to be heading down a path that would push you towards wanting him on your roster either.

It’s another situation for you to monitor, but if you’re like me, you’ve already dropped Miller, mentally that is. He’s toast.

Julio Urias Makes 2017 Debut

A number of fantasy owners picked up Urias during waivers last week as word spread that the young southpaw would make his season debut this week. His strikeout upside is fantastic and he projects to be a solid starter in the majors eventually. The results today were somewhat mixed as he threw 90 pitches (55 strikes) before being pulled with two outs in the sixth inning and allowed just one run on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Credit the Giants for not fishing and forcing him to throw the ball over the plate, but you can’t really be disappointed with the overall performance. The team is now going to move to a six-man rotation and Urias should remain up for an extended period of time. If he’s available, look to pick him up as that K-rate is going to start climbing over the next few starts. If he can limit the free passes, he could prove to be a solid fantasy asset.

More Closer Concerns

Oh boy! Here we go again! Another bullpen with an issue? Go figure! Today’s episode of “As the Closer Carousel Turns” brings us north of the border to friendly Toronto where Roberto Osuna, late to the party this season due to neck spasms, has now blown his third save in just four chances. Today’s mishap came at the hands of a Randall Grichuk home run, but the Jays don’t seem too concerned at the moment as this was the first homer Osuna has allowed. He’s been the victim of some bad luck, as evidenced by the .412 BABIP and the ridiculously low 57.1-percent strand rate. Things should normalize soon enough, but it might be wise to keep tabs on both Jason Grilli and Joe Biagini. Given the way Grilli has pitched recently, Biagini might actually be the handcuff I grab as an Osuna owner.

Time to head back to the NFL Draft coverage, but will also be keeping a close watch on tonight’s MLB games. Got some GPP lineups for the night slate that really have some potential. If I hit, then drinks are on me, for sure!