Several of the players in this edition of the injury report are well past their primes and on serious declines in their careers.  Others are dealing with injuries serious enough to miss a few games but not serious enough to warrant a trip to the disabled list.  As I have said before, that is even worse than a trip the DL because of the uncertainty that goes along with day-to-day status.  Be sure to check for updates every day before lineups lock because many of these situations are fluid.  So without further adieu, here is the next installment of the walking wounded.

Bryce Harper (OF-WAS)

MVP candidate Bryce Harper has had an incredible season thus far as a legitimate Triple Crown contender.  However, he has dealt with several nagging injuries lately which have cost him games sporadically.  Harper was held out of Thursday’s game against the Braves with a cramp in his right leg.  He should be back in the lineup on Friday after receiving treatment.

Anthony Rendon (2B/3B-WAS)

Rendon has already missed significant time this season already recovering from both a knee and oblique injury.  He was held out of the Nationals’ lineup on Thursday with soreness in his oblique and left quadriceps.  This has fantasy GM’s concerned because of how long it took for Rendon to make his season debut.  Right now he is expected back on Friday so be sure to check in for an update before lineups lock.

Freddie Freeman (1B-ATL)

Freeman’s injured wrist cost him the entire weekend and is now the subject of a serious concern.  He will have an MRI on Monday so we should know more after those results come in.  It is looking more and more like he could be headed to the disabled list because he was still experiencing pain when taking swings on Sunday.  Check back in early this week for further updates but be prepared to go with an alternative during Week 12.

Hanley Ramirez (OF-BOS)

It was a case of bad luck when Ramirez was hit on his wrist by a line drive struck by teammate Xander Bogaerts on Wednesday.  He was not surprisingly held out of the lineup on Thursday and is day-to-day for now.  It does not appear that a trip to the DL will be necessary, but you can expect him to miss a day or two to let the injury heal.  Ramirez has displayed solid power in what will likely be his final year qualifying in the infield.  Check back for further updates on Friday but be prepared to replace him in your lineup for at least a day.

Dustin Pedroia (2B-BOS)

Pedroia was placed on the disabled list with a strain of his right hamstring.  He has been productive with a .306 batting average and nine home runs, so stash him on your DL and hope he is back within three to four weeks.  Brock Holt will likely see a lot of at bats in Pedroia’s absence which makes his a passable substitute thanks to his positional flexibility.

Justin Verlander (SP-DET)

It doesn’t matter how many times Verlander bangs Kate Upton because it does not look like he will ever be fantasy relevant again.  Verlander missed the first couple months of the season with a triceps injury only to return with a 6.17 ERA over two starts.  He was scratched from his most recent start with stiffness in his back but should be able to return within the next week.  As of now he is not blaming Kate Upton for the injury, but either way he should not be in your starting lineup any time soon.

Chase Utley (2B-PHI)

It has been an unmitigated disaster for fantasy owners who were hoping for some type of production out of Chase Utley.  The former All Star is batting a putrid .179 and now finds himself on the disabled list with inflammation in his right ankle.  Utley should not be owned in standard 12-team leagues and certainly is not worthy of a DL slot unless they are unlimited.  The only hope for him is if he comes back healthy and is traded to a contending team.

Lorenzo Cain (OF-KC)

Cain has missed a couple games this week with a hamstring injury.  He is a solid fantasy contributor in several Roto categories, especially stolen bases.  The Royals expect him back over the weekend so hope that he doesn’t scale back his base-stealing attempts to protect the injury.

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),