Happy Cinco de Mayo and welcome to Week 6 of the fantasy baseball season.  It has been an eventful few days since the last edition of the walking wounded.  Many familiar names are on this list including several updates from previously reported conditions.

Ryan Braun (OF-MIL) 

After not making enough progress in his recovery from an oblique strain, Ryan Braun has been placed on the disabled list retroactive to April 27.  It is expected he will be able to return when he is eligible, so it does not appear this will be an extended absence.  The timing is unfortunate because Braun was hitting quite well prior to suffering the injury.  Somewhere out there, urine specimen collectors everywhere are smiling at this development.  Fantasy GM’s are not.

Jay Bruce (OF-CIN)

Seemingly out of nowhere, Reds outfielder Jay Bruce was placed on the disabled list and will need surgery on his partially torn meniscus in his left knee.  He is only expected to miss 3-4 weeks which is good news for fantasy GM’s.  Despite a slow start to the season, Bruce is essentially a lock for 30 home runs and over 90 RBI.  You should seek an alternative source of power in the interim because it is entirely possible that he misses more than a month.

Joe Mauer (C/1B-MIN)

The idea of moving Joe Mauer to first base permanently was to preserve his health and keep his bat in the lineup.  Despite that, Mauer was taken out of Sunday’s game with back spasms which allegedly had flared up during batting practice.  The injury does not appear serious and there is a good chance he will be back on the field right away.  Just keep a close eye on this before setting your daily lineups.

Wilin Rosario (C-COL)

You better make sure you wash your hands after placing Wilin Rosario on your disabled list because he has been sidelines with a viral infection.  Rosario is one of the best offensive catchers in fantasy baseball so this will be a big loss for GM’s over the next two weeks.  And someone please tell Walt Weiss to use Lysol in the Rockies’ clubhouse.

Matt Cain (SP-SF)

The Giants have been screwing around with fantasy GM’s all week in the way they have handled Matt Cain’s finger injury.  He was scratched from his last start because he lacerated his finger before the game.  Then it was reported he would make his next start on May 5.  Now he has landed on the disabled list retroactive to April 25 and the belief is that he will make his next start when he is eligible to come back at the end of Week 6.  I have Cain on two fantasy teams in weekly leagues and I am not taking any chances with him in my lineup.  I’ll believe he is back when I see him on the mound.

Michael Pineda (SP-NYY)

As if being humiliated and suspended wasn’t bad enough, Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda will not be coming back any time soon after his 10-game suspension ends.  Pineda suffered a Grade 1 strain to the teres major muscle near his shoulder while throwing a side session during his suspension.  He will be shut down for a couple weeks and then will needs several weeks after that to rebuild him arm strength.  This is a similar injury that Clayton Kershaw had which cost him almost six weeks of action.  Despite his pine tar usage, Pineda had been very effective so keep him on your DL if possible and hope he picks up where he left off without painting himself with foreign substances.

Brandon Morrow (SP-TOR)

He doesn’t get injured quite as often as Josh Johnson, but it is pretty close.  Brandon Morrow has been placed on the 60-day disabled list with a torn tendon in his finger.  It hasn’t been determined yet whether he needs surgery, but he will be out at least a few months regardless of what course of action is taken.  Feel free to drop Morrow because he has been awful anyway and your WHIP and ERA will thank you.

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