Spring training games are underway which means we can expect to be inundated with injury news on a daily basis. Many of the injuries reported should be taken with a grain of salt because teams are going to be overly cautious with their players here in early March.  However, there are some injuries which are more serious and will potentially affect your draft strategies.  Some of the players highlighted here have made frequent appearances on the injury report over the years, so there should already be red flags on many of the walking wounded.

Jhonny Peralta (SS-STL)

The news does not look promising for Peralta who injured his thumb earlier this week and went back to St. Louis for additional tests.  The belief is that he tore a ligament in his left thumb and may be out two to three months.  While Peralta is far from an elite player, there is no disputing his fantasy value at a scarce position due to his power and RBI totals.  He has averaged 19 home runs and 73 RBI over the past two years which is extremely valuable as a later round draft pick. 

Josh Hamilton (OF-TEX)

Hamilton’s rollercoaster career has been in a freefall since he left the Rangers to sign with the Angels as a free agent before the 2013 season.  Poor performance, injuries and personal demons all led to a return to Texas last year but it did not net positive results.  Now Hamilton will begin the 2016 season on the disabled list with a left knee injury and won’t make his debut until May at the earliest.  His best days are behind him and he would be nothing more than a late round flyer to stash in a DL slot to go along with a pipe dream.

Brett Anderson (SP-LAD)

Anderson has been perpetually injured for most of his career but bounced back nicely with a solid 2015 season in which he made 31 starts.  He was going to be in the middle of the Dodgers’ rotation behind Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir, however he had to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a bulging disc in his back.  Anderson will miss between three to five months assuming his rehab and recovery go smoothly. 

Matt Cain (SP-SF)

The wheels on Matt Cain’s bus have come flying off since 2013.  He was once regarded as one of the most dependable and durable fantasy pitchers, but a slew of injuries has destroyed Cain’s production and value.  He had a cyst surgically removed from his right arm earlier this spring and just had the stitches taken out at the end of last week.  Cain has started throwing again but it is not known yet whether he will be ready for the regular season.  There is a ton of risk associated with Cain and we have seen little to ease any of those concerns.

Cameron Maybin (OF-DET)

There are some players who elicit a venomous reaction from me when discussing, and Maybin is one of them.  He has widely been regarded as a five-tool player since he arrived in the big leagues in 2007, but all he has done is wildly disappoint everyone who put any stock in his value.  Maybin has been.  Maybin was hit by a pitch last week and suffered a hairline fracture to his wrist which will cost him four to six weeks.  Granted, this is a freak injury and can happen to anyone.  However, when a player has such a lengthy injury history as Maybin it is impossible not to assign blame.  He was slated to share centerfield duties with Anthony Gose, but now he will likely have to wait until mid to late April to begin his second tour of duty with the Tigers.  Maybin is one player that I will never irrespective of what potential upside he still retains.