Welcome to lucky Week 13 where unsurprisingly we have a lengthy list of players who are dealing with injuries that will have a significant impact on your fantasy teams’ results this week.  The timing of injuries is never good, but we are at a critical juncture in this season because the All Star break is just a couple weeks away and the stretch run will be upon us soon thereafter.  So, without further ado, let’s delve into the next edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room.

 

Day to Day

Corey Seager (SS-LAD) – The young star shortstop has been out of action since June 23 with a hamstring injury.  The good news is that he did some running on Monday and indicates that he was feeling better, but he still is not going at 100%.  The Dodgers are likely going to give him a few more days of rest and see if they can avoid putting him on the disabled list.  Either way, fantasy GMs are equally as frustrated to be without their elite shortstop who had been red hot bringing his batting average up to .298 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI.  Be as patient as you can and hope the Dodgers make the right move to ensure he does not re-aggravate the injury if he tries coming back too soon.

Hanley Ramirez (1B-BOS) – Ramirez was held out of Monday’s game with a sore left knee after getting hit by a pitch on Sunday.  He could miss another day or two depending on the soreness and pain, but there doesn’t appear to be a risk of a DL stint for this.  Ramirez has been very disappointing from a fantasy perspective with his .241 batting average and ten home runs and 29 RBI.  These numbers are not acceptable for a fantasy first baseman so this is one area you should be looking to improve upon if he is on your roster.

Marwin Gonzalez (SS-HOU) – The league’s best Jack-of-all-Trades has missed the past few games with tightness in his right oblique.  We know from experience that these oblique injures usually take some time to heal and typically end up with a stint on the disabled list.  Hopefully that is not the case here for Gonzalez who is an invaluable fantasy baseball asset given his solid production with a .318 batting average along with 13 home runs and 41 RBI while qualifying at every position except catcher.  He manages to get at bats almost every day when healthy so keep him stashed if you can because players like this do not grow on trees.

Michael Conforto (OF-NYM) – Conforto was able to evade disaster after getting hit by a pitch on his wrist on Sunday.  He was forced to leave the game but x-rays came back negative and he is only dealing with a contusion.  It would have just been the Mets luck to lose one of their best hitters to an injury like this, but it seems that Conforto will probably just need a day or two off depending on any swelling or pain.  He has cooled down a bit lately but still has very solid overall numbers including a .285 batting average along with 14 home runs, 41 RBI and 47 runs scored.

Matt Holliday (1B/DH-NYY) – The Yankees are sending Holliday for tests due to fatigue which has kept him out of the lineup the past couple days.  The 37-year old has provided the Yankees with exactly what they were looking for when signing him during the offseason as he us currently batting .262 with 15 home runs and 47 RBI.  He has played in 68 games which is perhaps more than originally anticipated, so his old baseball age could be catching up to him now that summer is here.  We should know more about his status by the middle of the week but a DL stint might be avoidable if he only need a breather for just a couple days.

Brandon Finnegan (SP-CIN) – Finnegan made his return from the disabled list on Monday only to have to leave the game with a strain of his left triceps.  He had just returned from a trapezius muscle injury so now adding a biceps issue will likely send him right back onto the DL.  We should know more from the Reds within a day or so, but you should expect Finnegan to be right back on the shelf.

Austin Slater (OF-SF) – The young Giants outfielder was taken out of Sunday’s game against the Mets with tightness in his right hip flexor.  He had an MRI on Monday and the results came back negative which is good news.  Slater does not think he will need a trip to the disabled list but with the Giants season essentially over you can bet that they won’t take any unnecessary risks with their good young players.  Slater has been solid thus far through 20 games batting .324 with two home runs and 12 RBI.

 

On the DL

Carlos Gonzalez (OF-COL) – CarGo has been one of the biggest fantasy busts of the season with his paltry .221 batting average and only six home runs and 20 RBI.  It’s incredible how successful the Rockies have been while getting nothing out of their star player.  Gonzalez is now on the disabled list retroactive to June 23 with a strained right shoulder but there is no time frame for when he may return.  It appears that Raimel Tapia will get most of the at bats in Gonzalezs absence and while Gerardo Parra and David Dahl remain out as well.  Stash CarGo if you can because of his history and name value, but it will be very tempting to just set him free.

Dexter Fowler (OF-STL) – Fowler has been plagued by nagging injuries for most of the year and has now been placed on the disabled list with a right heel spur.  He was set to meet with a podiatrist on Monday so presumably we should know more about his condition within a day or so.  There is a good chance he will require more than the minimum ten days on the DL with this injury which could only get worse if not properly treated and healed.  Fowler’s 13 home runs have been a pleasant surprise but his.245 batting average and only three stolen bases have been a major disappointment for fantasy GMs.

Starlin Castro (2B-NYY) – It certainly appears likely that Castro will land on the disabled list after suffering a strained right hamstring while trying to beat out a ground ball against the White Sox on Monday.  He is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday but the Yankees have already called up Tyler Wade to join the roster and provide some depth on the infield.  This would be a significant loss if Castro is out for an extended amount of time because he has been one of the best offensive second basemen in all of baseball with a .313 batting average to go along with 12 home runs and 45 RBI.

Brandon McCarthy (SP-LAD) – The Dodgers placed McCarthy on the 10-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right knee.  He got roughed up in his last start against Colorado but had pitched brilliantly prior to that.  He does have a lengthy injury history so the disabled list is a familiar place for McCarthy.  He had become a solid fantasy option in 2017 but now is a strong candidate to be dropped as he does not provide enough production in any category to warrant stashing unless you have a plethora of DL slots available.

Bronson Arroyo (SP-CIN) – Arroyo has absolutely no fantasy relevance anymore as he was recently transferred to the 60-day disabled list with a shoulder injury and will likely be heading into retirement.  I am mentioning him here as a tribute to his career because he once helped me win a league championship back in 2006 in his heyday with the Reds.  I was also disappointed when the Mets opted to sign Bartolo Colon instead of Arroyo a few years ago, and I turned out to be wrong about that.  So, here’s to you Bronson Arroyo and thank you for your fantasy baseball contributions over the years.

 

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).