Another ace pitcher is down this week following the losses of Clayton Kershaw , Jacob deGrom and Johnny Cueto . You can never have too much pitching in real baseball or on fantasy rosters, so do not ever get complacent with your staff. So, without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room.
Carlos Martínez (SP-STL)
Cardinals ace pitcher Carlos Martínez has been placed on the disabled list with a strained right lat muscle. He struggled in his last start against Minnesota and was placed on the DL shortly after. We do not know yet how long Martinez might be out as these types of injuries can require extended absences depending on the severity of the strain. Martinez was 3-2 with a 1.62 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 47 strikeouts through his first eight starts and will be sorely missed by fantasy GMs. Stash him on your bench or a DL slot for as long as he may be out.
Dee Gordon (2B-SEA)
Gordon missed Thursday’s game with a bruised toe on his right foot after he had fouled a ball off of his toe. Fortunately, there is no need for concern as Gordon is expected to be back on the field Friday night against the Tigers. He has been his usual self in terms of fantasy production with a stellar .340 batting average to go along with 22 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. Put him back in your lineup and expect much of the same production throughout the season.
Adam Eaton (OF-WAS)
Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton had arthroscopic surgery on his ankle on Thursday and is out indefinitely. He suffered a tear in his chondral flap and has a cartilage issue which was discovered during the procedure. Right now we have no idea on how long he may be out, but it will likely be several months as Washington simply hopes he can return at some point before the end of the season. This is very disappointing for fantasy GMs who were banking on a bounce-back year after he missed almost all of 2017 with a serious injury as well. He can be dropped in redraft leagues unless you have extra DL spots to stash him in.
Justin Turner (3B-LAD)
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner has yet to play this season as he recovers from a broken wrist he sustained in spring training. He will likely start a rehab assignment this weekend meaning his 2018 debut should happen at some point next week. This will be a big boost for GMs who need his batting average and power at third base.
David Price (SP-BOS)
Perhaps David Price should concentrate less on video games and more on watching actual video of himself pitching because he has been atrocious over his last three starts. He didn’t make his last start due to carpal tunnel syndrome but is expected to take the mound this weekend against Toronto. Price is 2-4 with a 5.11 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in seven starts and is a questionable fantasy option at this point. Hopefully the treatment he received on his hand will help cure some of the issues he has had with numbness over the past couple weeks.
Nicholas Castellanos (OF-DET)
Castellanos was hit by a pitch on his knee a couple days ago and was held out of the Tigers lineup on Wednesday. The injury does not appear serious and he is expected back in the lineup on Friday. Castellanos has followed up his solid 2017 season with an impressive start to this year hitting .321 with three home runs, 23 RBI and 20 runs scored.
Todd Frazier (3B-NYM)
The Mets tailspin has been further exacerbated by the loss of Todd Frazier who has landed on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. This has bothered him for a while and reached a point where the Mets decided to shut him down for a couple weeks. Frazier has been getting on base frequently despite only hitting .237 with five home runs, 21 RBI, 18 runs scored and three stolen bases. Expect Wilmer Flores and José Reyes to see time at third base in Frazier’s absence.
Jason Heyward (OF-CHC)
The Cubs placed Jason Heyward on the 7-day concussion disabled list after he hit his head attempting to chase a walk-off home run last Sunday night. It is unknown how long he may be out as concussion symptoms are unpredictable. Heyward will not be missed in the Cubs lineup as he was only batting .227 with two home runs, 14 RBI and 16 runs scored. He continues to be one of the most disappointing players in both real and fantasy baseball, and he has no place on anyone’s fantasy roster.
Pedro Alvarez (DH-BAL)
Alvarez is doing a solid Rob Deer impression batting .200 with seven home runs, 14 RBI, 14 runs scored and striking out at an alarming rate. He was taken out of Thursday’s game with a cramp in his hamstring and should be considered day-to-day. Alvarez does supply power, but his peripheral numbers are too detrimental to warrant starting in many standard leagues.
Matt Wieters (C-WAS)
It looks like Wieters could end up on the disabled list with a left knee injury he sustained on Thursday against Arizona. He did something to his knee after he got on base and then had trouble getting down the steps into the dugout. We don’t know the severity of the injury yet, but it seems likely the Nationals will make a roster move as they cannot afford to be without a second catcher. Veteran Tuffy Gosewich is at Triple-A and would be the most likely candidate to get called up.