Fantasy Baseball

Injury Report: May 7

The following is an update on injuries, both minor and significant, to fantasy-relevant players.

The boss-man, Muntradamus wanted me to include the pun “Werthless” somewhere in this week’s injury report. So there you go, it’s included. I hope you enjoyed it.

In Triage:

Coco Crisp – Athletics – OF
Injury: Inner ear infection.
Return: Mid-may.
Beneficiaries: Jonny Gomes and Kila Ka’aihue should platoon at the DH spot vacated by Smith taking Crisp’s spot in LF.

Scott Downs – Angels – RP
Injury: Left knee contusion.
Return: Day-to day.
Beneficiaries: Ernesto Frieri and Jason Isringhausen (seriously) might get save chances while Downs is out. If Downs has to miss more time than expected, Jordan Walden could also get his job back.

Mat Gamel – Brewers – 1B
Injury: Torn ACL in right knee.
Return: Out for the season.
Beneficiaries: Taylor Green, Travis Ishikawa, and Brooks Conrad will split time at 1B for now. Green is the only one with any potential fantasy value if he can run away with the job.

Alex Gonzalez – Brewers – SS
Injury: Torn ACL in right knee. (Not a typo. He has the exact same injury as his teammate.)
Return: Out for the season.
Beneficiary: Cesar Izturis becomes the new starting SS for Milwaukee. All his value is with his glove.

Desmond Jennings – Rays – OF
Injury: Sprained left knee.
Return: Day-to-day.
Beneficiary: No one. The Rays have an off-day Monday, and Jennings has a good chance of being back in the lineup on Tuesday.

Adam LaRoche – Nationals – 1B
Injury: Bruised right oblique.
Return: Day-to-day.
Beneficiary: No one. The injury is much less serious than initially thought, and Laroche should be fine for the Nationals’ next game on Tuesday.

Evan Longoria – Rays – 3B
Injury: Partially torn left hamstring.
Return: Mid-late June.
Beneficiaries: Jeff Keppinger and Elliot Johnson will split time at 3B for the time being. You can ignore both of them.

Justin Morneau – Twins – 1B
Injury: Sore right wrist.
Return: TBD. Could be as little as three weeks, but could be much longer. his is the same wrist Morneau had surgery on last season.
Beneficiary: Ryan Doumit will see the bulk of the DH at-bats, as well as some at catcher when Mauer DH’s.

Nolan Reimold – Orioles – OF
Prognosis: Herniated disc.
Return: Late May.
Beneficiary: Endy Chavez will be starting in LF until Reimold’s return.

Mariano Rivera – Yankees – RP
Injury: Torn right ACL.
Return: Out for the season, possibly career.
Beneficiaries: David Robertson will most likely handle closing duties, with Rafael Soriano in the mix as well.

Huston Street – Padres – RP
Injury: Strained right shoulder.
Return: TBD. Late May at the earliest, longer if surgery is needed.
Beneficiaries: Andrew Cashner will step into the closer’s role, with Luke Gregerson next in line if Cashner can’t fix his control issues.

Jayson Werth – Nationals – OF
Injury: Broken left wrist.
Return: At least August. This is really really bad. It’s the same wrist that almost ended his career when he broke it in 2005.
Beneficiaries: Bryce Harper is virtually guaranteed to stay in the majors now, and move over to RF. Roger Bernadina and Xavier Nady will get the lion’s share of Werth’s playing time unless the Nats make a trade.

On the Mend:

Josh Beckett – Red Sox – SP
Injury: Lat tightness.
Status: Will make his scheduled start on Thursday against the Indians.
Casualty: Aaron Cook, who is now injured himself and was only expected to make the one start anyway.

Mike Carp – Mariners – OF
Injury: Sprained right shoulder.
Status: Back in the everyday lineup.
Casualties: Alex Liddi and Chone Figgins will both be relegated to bench duty for the forseeable future.

Bret Gardner – Yankees – OF
Injury: Bruised bone in right elbow.
Status: Beginning rehab assignment on Tuesday. Will return later this week.
Casualty: Andruw Jones will go back to making occasional starts against lefties.

Aubrey Huff – Giants – 1B,OF
Injury: Anxiety disorder.
Status: Activated from the DL today. Will move to LF full time.
Casualty: Nate Schierholtz will become a the Giants’ fourth outfielder.

Cliff Lee – Phillies – SP
Injury: Strained left oblique.
Status: Will return from the DL to start Wednesday against the Mets.
Casualty: Kyle Kendrick will return to the bullpen.

Carlos Quentin – Padres – OF
Injury: Knee surgery.
Status: Currently on a rehab assignment. Expected to return later this week.
Casualty: Chris Denorfia will lose significant playing time.

Tim Stauffer – Padres – SP
Injury: Strained right elbow.
Status: Will make his final rehab start on Wednesday and will make his first start of the season for the Padres next week.
Casualty: Jeff Suppan will probably lose both his rotation and roster spots.

Ryan Zimmerman – Nationals – 3B
Injury: Right shoulder inflammation.
Status: Expects to be activated from the DL on Tuesday.
Casualty: Despite hitting very well, Steve Lombardozzi will go back to a utility role.

 
For more on add/drops, check out THIS ARTICLE by Muntradamus.