The baseball season is flying by as we reach the midway point of Week 6.  By now you should be working on accumulating depth on your roster and attempting to negotiate trades after having a month and a half’s worth of statistics to evaluate.  Of course, injuries always play a major role in the fluidity of roster evaluation so that is just further proof that depth and roster flexibility should be priorities.  Without any further ado, here is the next edition of the walking wounded.

Garrett Richards (SP-LAA)

Richards is the latest victim to the Tommy John epidemic as he underwent the infamous surgery and will miss the rest of 2016.  He was already the ace of the Angels staff and a solid middle of the rotation option in fantasy leagues, but now he can be dropped in any league format.  The timing of the surgery is doubly problematic because it will be very difficult for Richards to come back early enough in 2017, if at all, to provide any fantasy value.

Jacoby Ellsbury (OF-NYY)

As sure as the sun sets in the west, Jacoby Ellsbury is injured.  He has missed several games with a hip injury and is expected to be out at least a couple more days.  The Yankees don’t seem to think a stint on the disabled list is necessary, but that could just be wishful thinking.  Ellsbury has been a major disappointment since signing his ridiculous contract a few years ago and cannot be relied upon for any type of consistent production or health.  Plan on benching him the rest of the week because it’s not like he was producing much even when he’s been on the field.

Neil Walker (2B-NYM)

Walker has been dealing with a bruised shin after fouling a couple pitches off his leg over the weekend.  He missed a couple games which could be a blessing in disguise since he has been slumping mightily after getting off to a scorching start with nine home runs early in the year.  Walker is a classic example of how the law of averages always even things out because his statistics have come back down to earth.  He should be back in the lineup by the end of the week assuming he feels comfortable enough.

Mike Moustakas (3B-KC)

The Royals placed Moustakas on the disabled list with a fractured left thumb which will cost him at least a few weeks.  Moustakas is a vastly improved player compared to where he was a year ago, but he is still just an average third base option in standard leagues.  The Royals don’t have any viable replacement options worth adding except in deep AL-only leagues.

Mark Teixeira (1B-NYY)

Teixeira is considered day-to-day dealing with neck spasms and was held out of Tuesday’s game by the Yankees.  He had a huge comeback season in 2015 before suffering a season-ending shin injury, so he was aiming for a similar comeback in his free agent year this season.  Things have not worked out so well yet as Teixeira is batting just .202 with only three home runs through his first 30 games.  He shouldn’t miss much time but is only a corner infield or utility option in very deep leagues.

Josh Hamilton (OF-TEX)

Hamilton suffered a setback in his rehab attempt for a knee injury and has been shut down indefinitely once again.  The Rangers transferred him to the 60-day disabled list and have no clear timetable on when he might return.  Texas already has several other options in the outfield and at DH, and they have Shin-Soo Choo returning from the disabled list soon as well.  Hamilton would only have a part-time role when and if he makes it back, so he does not have much fantasy value and is not worth stashing at this point.

Andrelton Simmons (SS-LAA)

Simmons will need to undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb which will cost him at least a few months.  He has never been known for his offense, but he produced enough in Atlanta to warrant a spot on rosters given the lack of depth.  In his first year with the Angels, he has hit just .219 with one home run through 31 games so he was droppable even before the injury.  Now he has no business being on anyone’s roster.

Nick Hundley (C-COL)

The Rockies placed Hundley on the disabled list with a strained oblique which means he could be out for more than the allotted two weeks.  Hundley is only fantasy relevant because he plays his home games in Colorado.  He is a part-time player with some power, so it is understandable why he might be in some GMs’ lineups.  For now set him free and find another pedestrian option on the waiver wire.

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