It has been an active yet painful few days since the last injury report as we have several maladies to address. Fantasy baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Injuries are to be expected and you must have the roster depth and flexibility I always preach about in order to withstand the inevitable barrage of missed playing time. So, without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room.
Anthony Rizzo (1B-CHC)
Fantasy GMs were salivating at the idea of playing Rizzo at second base since he is eligible there, but those dividends have yet to pay off as he has started the season just 3-for-28 with one home run and three RBI through his first six games. Now Rizzo has landed on the disabled list with a lower back injury he sustained last week. The move is retroactive to April 6 so he is eligible to be activated for the beginning of Week 3 which would be good news.
Gary Sánchez (C-NYY)
The Yankees have gotten off to a sluggish start to the season including their elite catcher Gary Sánchez . He is just 2-for-32 with one home run, three RBI and two runs scored thus far and also missed a couple games this past weekend with cramps in his calf. He is not expected to miss more time than that so he should be back in the lineup any day at this point. Remember the miserable start he got off to last year before you start losing patience with him this season.
Xander Bogaerts (SS-BOS)
Bogaerts has started the season on fire hitting .368 with two home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored through his first nine games. Unfortunately, he sustained a small fracture in his left ankle which will keep him sidelined a couple weeks. The damage could have been worse so it is a small victory for GMs to only be without him for that short amount of time. Brock Holt should see some playing time at shortstop while Bogaerts recovers.
Yuli Gurriel (1B-HOU)
Gurriel is recovering from surgery a couple months ago to repair the fracture of the hamate bone in his left hand which he suffered early in spring training. The earliest he can be activated is this Friday so the Astros are about to improve upon their already potent lineup once he comes back. Gurriel proved he can hit big league pitching last year with a .299 batting average along with 18 home runs and 75 RBI.
Lorenzo Cain (OF-MIL)
Cain had a collision at first base with Jose Martinez on Monday and injured his foot in the process. The injury does not appear to be serious so in a worst case scenario he may sit out one game to recuperate. The injury could have been worse so fantasy GMs lucked out on this one as Cain already has three stolen bases in the first two weeks.
Jose Martinez (1B-STL)
Martinez likely received the worst end of the collision with Lorenzo Cain as he suffered a contusion on his right Achilles heel. The Cardinals do not believe the injury is serious enough to warrant a trip to the disabled list, but they will re-evaluate him and monitor his progress over the next couple days. Martinez has gotten off to a solid start thus far batting .278 with two home runs, eight RBI and three runs scored making him a viable utility or corner infield option in deep leagues.
Rougned Odor (2B-TEX)
The albatross of batting average is not disappointing thus far as Odor is hitting a paltry .206 with no home runs, four RBI and three runs scored. He suffered a hamstring injury on Monday and all signs are pointing towards a stint on the disabled list. This is especially likely since he had initially injured the hamstring earlier on. Jurickson Profar could be in line for another chance to play regularly but temper expectations before jumping on board his hype train again.
Kendrys Morales (DH-TOR)
Morales left Monday’s game with a strain of his right hamstring. He can barely run with two healthy legs, so a hamstring injury basically makes him immovable at this point. Toronto indicated the injury is a Grade 1 strain so it is possible he could avoid the disabled list. Morales is only a utility option in deep leagues as he is hitting .227 with one home run and six RBI through his first eight games.
Mark Trumbo (OF-BAL)
If you are looking for some power on the waiver wire than Trumbo may be an option since he is beginning a rehab assigning this week. Trumbo has been out since spring training with a quadriceps injury but may make his season debut later this week barring any setbacks. He had a monster season a couple years ago but came back to earth last year. He is still quite capable of hitting 25 home runs as long as you don’t mind sacrificing batting average for his power.
Lonnie Chisenhall (OF-CLE)
The Indians offense has not gotten off to a great start due to injuries and lack of production. They can add another injury to the list as Lonnie Chisenhall has landed on the disabled list due to a strained right calf. He dealt with this injury during spring training and now it has reared its ugly head again. Cleveland has indicated that Chisenhall could miss over a month so look for a combination of Rajah Davis, Brandon Guyer and Tyler Naquin to fill in for him.
Ryon Healy (1B-SEA)
Working out can be dangerous at times, and now Ryon Healy has found out the hard way. He injured his right ankle in the weight room over the weekend and will see a specialist to help determine the severity of the injury. Healy had a lot of fantasy appeal after being traded to Seattle, but he has gotten off to a terrible start batting .091 with no home runs and four RBI in his first 22 at bats. He is not worth stashing on your roster unless you have unlimited DL or bench slot.
CC Sabathia (SP-NYY)
The ageless wonder CC Sabathia re-signed with the Yankees for one more season and has already found himself on the disabled list due to a strain of his right hip. He had to be taken out of his last start against Baltimore with the injury which does not appear serious according to the MRI. The Yankees may get by with Sabathia only missing one start so this does not appear to be an extended absence.
Brandon Drury (2B-NYY)
Fellow Yankee Brandon Drury will join Sabathia on the disabled list due to migraine headaches he was suffering from. He had to be taken out of last Friday’s game against Baltimore due to the headaches and blurred vision, and now he will be shut down for an undetermined amount of time. The Yankees have a lot of options to fill in for him while he out such as Ronald Torreyes , Neil Walker and Tyler Wade .