We are merely a couple weeks away from fantasy baseball playoff season.  Trade deadlines have likely come and gone so the waiver wire will have to be your best friend if you are dealing with injuries.  Much like every other week, this week was not short on injuries that will have an impact on your league’s pennant race.  So without further adieu, here is the next installment of the walking wounded.

Michael Brantley (OF-CLE)

Fantasy darling Michael Brantley suffered a shoulder injury this past week and underwent an MRI which came back clean.  Fortunately for fantasy owners he will only miss a few days and should avoid a trip to the disabled list.  Brantley is batting .312 with 63 RBI and 12 stolen bases, but the power just has not been there.  He does have 35 doubles, but it does not appear likely he will replicate the power production he displayed in 2014.

Cole Hamels (SP-TEX)

The Rangers acquired Cole Hamels at the trade deadline to help bolster their chances at making the playoffs this year.  Unfortunately, he got rocked in his first two starts for Texas and then was scratched last Thursday with a groin issue.  It is expected that he will make his next start on Monday against the suddenly explosive Seattle Mariners.  Hamels should be in your lineup but expectations for him have diminished severely since being traded.

David Wright (3B-NYM)

Mets’ captain David Wright has been out since early April with a hamstring injury and then was diagnosed with spinal stenosis.  He has been playing in rehab games and could possibly return next week when the Mets play in Colorado.  This is one we will have to see to believe so do not rush to put Wright back in your fantasy lineup just yet.  It would be wise to temper expectations for the production he will provide and do not expect him to play every day when he does return.

Lucas Duda (1B-NYM)

Duda missed practically all of last week with a stiff back but made a pinch hit appearance on Saturday drawing a walk.  He is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday against Baltimore.  Duda has been extremely streaky this year and was exceptionally hot following the All Star break.  Now that the Mets have added depth to their roster he may have a shorter leash if he falls into another cold spell.

Maikel Franco (3B-PHI)

Phillies’ rookie third baseman Maikel Franco was hit by a pitch on his wrist last week and has been sidelined ever since.  It appears that he will return to the lineup on Tuesday against Toronto which is good news.  Franco has been one of the few bright spots for Philadelphia as he has hit 13 home runs and driven in 48 runs in 77 games.  Proceed with caution seeing how the rookie adjusts from the injury and whether it effects his ability to generate power.

Matt Wieters (C-BAL)

It was a long time coming but fantasy owners who were patient with Wieters finally started seeing some results two weeks ago.  However, he suffered a hamstring injury which has kept him sidelines since early last week.  The Orioles will make a decision on whether to put him on the DL by Monday, so be sure to check in for updates before having to set your lineups.  The power hadn’t returned yet after he came back from Tommy John surgery, but he managed to pull his batting average back up to .276.  Stash him if you have roster flexibility because the other catching options are not too palatable.

Pablo Sandoval (3B-BOS)

The fantasy train wreck that is Pablo Sandoval is day-to-day after suffering an elbow bruise.  The x-rays were negative so he should not require a trip to the disabled list.  That being said, Kung Fu Panda has been a major disappointment if you were expecting a significant jump in his offense after signing with Boston.  His .259 batting average with ten home runs and 39 RBI does not qualify him as a viable starter at third base in standard 12-team leagues.

Christian Yelich (OF-MIA)

Yelich was placed on this disabled list this week with a knee contusion.  This is his second stint on the DL so the Marlins have recalled Marcell Ozuna to take his place.  Yelich has a lot of fantasy appeal because of his speed and ability to hit for average, but he will need to prove he can stay healthy before completely buying into him.

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),