The baseball season is a month old already and the injuries continue to pile up.  No one is safe from the injury bug so it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to build depth and manage the waiver wire.  The problem is that some of these injuries are not severe enough to warrant stints on the disabled list, so you may have to withstand a short bench for a period of time.  So without further adieu, here is the next installment of the walking wounded.

Stephen Strasburg (SP-WAS)

Fantasy GM’s thought the worst case scenario when Strasburg left his last start after just three innings with shoulder pain.  However, it was reported that he went to a chiropractor who adjusted him and that the injury was merely a cramp.  Strasburg did play catch on Wednesday which is a good sign, but his status for his next start is up in the air.  You can expect the Nationals to be overly cautious and conservative with Strasburg, so be prepared for him to miss his start this weekend.


Hanley Ramirez (OF-BOS)

Ramirez sustained a shoulder injury when he crashed into the left field wall earlier this week.  It doesn’t appear as though he will require a stint on the disabled list, but he will likely be out of action until next week.  This is a costly loss for weekly leagues since GM’s will essentially get nothing from him.  But the good news is that he should be ready to go for Week 6.

Josh Hamilton (OF-TEX)

It has been a rocky road for Josh Hamilton but it looks like there is some light at the end of the tunnel.  Hamilton could begin a Triple-A rehab assignment soon which means he is getting close to returning from his shoulder injury.  He is worth adding if he is still on your league’s waiver wire because a return to Texas should bode well for him from a fantasy perspective.  There is no doubt his tenure with the Angels was a disaster, but he could be a sleeper now that he is back in his comfort zone/

George Springer (OF-HOU)

It’s been a rough start for George Springer in his sophomore season and now he will be sidelined for at least a week with a concussion.  Springer ran into the outfield wall earlier this week and was placed on the 7-day disabled list as per MLB’s protocol.  The problem is that concussions and head injuries in general are unpredictable, so we don’t know if he will be able to come back immediately when eligible.  The time off may do Springer well because he has pressed all season compiling a sub-.200 batting average with 35 strikeouts through his first 99 at bats.

Justin Verlander (SP-DET)

Verlander threw fifty times on Thursday without any pain and an MRI did not reveal any structural damage in his arm.  He has missed the entire season with a triceps injury along with a few setbacks in his recovery attempts.  If things progress this way then Verlander could be back at some point in June as a potential sleeper option at the back end of your fantasy rotation.

Brandon Morrow (SP-SD)

Morrow has always had the potential to be a solid fantasy pitcher, but injuries and inconsistency have plagued him throughout his career.  He was off to a great start this season with a 2.73 ERA and a much improved 23/7 strikeout/walk ratio, but he was placed on the disabled list earlier this week with a shoulder injury.  Morrow seems to be downplaying the severity of the injury, but it would be surprising if he returned when eligible later this month.  He is too inconsistent to stash if you are limited with roster spots, but consider holding onto him if you do have the flexibility.

Adam Ottavino (RP-COL)

It looked like Ottavino was going to be one of the better waiver wire pickups in the early part of the season as he took over as Colorado’s closer in April.  But he injured his arm and underwent Tommy John surgery ending his season.  John Axford will now handle ninth inning duties for the Rockies which makes him a viable free agent acquisition.  However, he has been supplanted as closer several times in his career so do not be surprised if he loses this job sooner than later.

Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and is also the co-host of the Fantasy Alarm podcast. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment),