Welcome back to the latest edition of the fantasy baseball injury report where we take a look at players who suffered significant injuries in 2016 and have red flags all over them heading into the 2017 season.  These are impact fantasy players who may see their draft value slip so they can provide great value if you are patient enough to grab them when the time is right in a draft.  So without further ado, here is the next installment of the MLB pre-season walking wounded.

Albert Pujols (1B-LAA)

Injury He was shut down towards the end of the 2016 season due to lingering plantar fasciitis in his right foot which is an injury that he has dealt with for several years.  Pujols underwent surgery in December 2016 and has begun physical therapy.

2016 Season – Pujols served as the Angels primary DH and played in 152 games batting .268 with 31 home runs and 119 RBI.

Reason For Optimism

  • Even in his age-37 season, Pujols still managed to top 30 home runs and drove in 119 runs which is the most RBI he has had in a season since 2009.
  • The Angels were already transitioning him to be their full-time DH so when he does return he will have the benefit of not having to play the field much, if at all.
  • While he is no longer the same player he was in his prime, Pujols has proven he can produce solid statistics even when he is not 100% healthy.

Reason For Concern

  • It is unlikely that Pujols will be ready for Opening Day since he just had the surgery in early December and is only now doing physical therapy just a couple weeks before players report for spring training.
  • The future Hall of Famer has a lot of mileage on his feet and at the age of 37 it will be even more difficult for him to recover from a painful injury such as this.
  • The Angels brought in free agent Luis Valbuena who can play first base and provide power in Pujols’ absence, so they will likely be cautious and conservative with their expensive investment who still has five years remaining on his contract.

2017 OUTLOOK Pujols is unquestionably one of the greatest hitters of this generation and has been a fantasy stalwart for more than 15 years.  However, the fact remains that he is entering the twilight of his career and is trying to come back from a very painful injury and serious surgery.  It will be a tall order to expect him to be ready for Opening Day given the fact he just had surgery in December.  There will be significant risk associated with Pujols in terms of his fantasy value which means he should not be relied upon to be your starting first baseman in standard 12-team leagues.  This season could be his last with first base eligibility as he only played 28 games in the field last year and will most likely see even less time there this year.  That being said, barring any setbacks he should be ready to play early in the season and will still provide sufficient power and run production to warrant a mid-to-late round pick as a corner infielder or utility player on fantasy rosters. 

 

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).