It has been another eventful fantasy baseball week with several players landing on the disabled list. Fantasy GM’s should consider it a moral victory going one day without a player getting hurt. Hopefully you have been smart and economical with your FAAB and waiver wire acquisitions because you will need to replace several players this week. So without further adieu, here is the next installment of the walking wounded.
Jacoby Ellsbury (OF-NYY)
Ellsbury was placed on the disabled list after sustaining a right knee sprain earlier in the week. He has been tremendous in three of the five main Roto categories including a league-leading 14 stolen bases, so this will be a tough loss for fantasy owners. Look for Chris Young to get most of the at bats in Ellsbury’s place. .
Victor Martinez (DH-DET)
It has been painful watching Victor Martinez try and play with his injured knee. He was clearly suffering during last Monday’s game and Detroit finally shut him down and placed him on the disabled list. The injury has clearly limited his offense as he was only batting .216 with just one home run and 15 RBI. He will likely miss more than two weeks so plan on looking for some offense on the waiver wire.
Corey Dickerson (OF-COL)
The Rockies placed Dickerson on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. This has affected him for awhile and caused him to miss a couple of games earlier this season. Dickerson has become a fantasy stalwart since last year so he will be a big loss for GM’s. The hope is that a couple weeks off will be sufficient rest for him to stay in the lineup throughout the season. He is a solid source of power, run production and batting average so you will need to compensate for that loss during his absence.
Albert Pujols (1B-LAA)
Pujols was hit by a pitch on his left hand in Wednesday’s game which forced him out of the lineup on Thursday. He is hoping to return on Friday but it will depend on whether the swelling subsides and if he can hold a bat. Check back for an update on his status before setting your lineup on Friday.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (SP-LAD)
Ryu has been out since spring training and was hoping to return by now, but instead he underwent season-ending surgery on his labrum in his left shoulder. He can be dropped in all redraft leagues but is expected to be ready for the 2016 season.
Wil Myers (OF-SD)
Myers was finally placed on the disabled list due to tendinitis in his left wrist. He was hoping to return after missing a few games last week, but the injury turned out to be more serious than first expected. There is no time frame for when he will come back, but it will not be surprising if he misses more than just a couple weeks.
Jayson Werth (OF-WAS)
Werth was hit by a pitch on his left wrist last week and has finally been placed on the disabled retroactive to May 16. He suffered a contusion, but the good news is that there was no structural damage. Fantasy GM’s who patiently waited for Werth to return after shoulder surgery have been rewarded with substandard statistics and now another stint on the DL. He isn’t quite droppable, but if your league has limited DL slots then it is worth considering. Yes, that was a pun.
Devon Travis (2B-TOR)
Travis has missed five games due to soreness in his left shoulder. The Blue Jays rookie got off to a hot start to the season but has cooled off considerably now that opposing pitchers have a book on him. Right now it does not appear he will head to the DL, but if he is unable to return by Friday then it seems inevitable he will be backdated on the disabled list
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),