Elvis Andrus SS, Rangers: right elbow fracture
Andrus was hit by a pitch on Wednesday night, causing a right elbow fracture. He currently has a 6-8 week timeline, in line with our algorithm’s 7 week Optimal Recovery Time (ORT). Now, he could need an additional week or two to really ramp up his activity level and go on a rehab assignment, but the elbow can heal within 2 months. He also will not require surgery, which would have lengthened his recovery time. He’s High Risk at the moment, but that will improve as he approaches that 7 week mark. His fantasy owners should do whatever they can to hold onto him- he should be back in All Star form by mid-season.
Xander Bogaerts SS, Red Sox: left ankle fracture
Bogaerts suffered a small fracture to the talus bone in his left ankle and has landed on the DL. The Red Sox hope to have him back in around two weeks, but that just isn’t realistic. Our analytics show that he needs 8 weeks to fully recover. If he plays before then, his Injury Risk will remain very High and his performance won’t be anywhere near 100%. It’s important to give him the time off now to heal fully so this isn’t a lingering issue for the rest of the season.
Anthony Rizzo 1B, Cubs: back tightness
After trying to take just a few days off to rest his troublesome back, Rizzo finally landed on the DL. It was the necessary move, especially considering his history of back problems. This one sounds relatively minor, so our analytics show a 1-2 week ORT. While it isn’t anything more than a grade 1 injury, he still needs to be very cautious. He had multiple spells on the bench last year when his back tightened up. For now he is an Elevated Injury Risk.
Adam Eaton OF, Nationals: left ankle bone bruise
Eaton suffered a bone bruise in his left ankle on a slide into home last week. He tried to play just a few days later, but the ankle continued to bother him so he landed on the DL. Last season he suffered a high ankle sprain on the same play where he tore his ACL and meniscus, making this a bit more concerning. But fortunately he appears to have avoided ligament damage this time. Bone bruises can be very painful to play through, but the Optimal Recovery Time is just 2-4 weeks for a mild to moderate bone bruise. Our algorithm is showing an Elevated Injury Risk (not High), which is a good sign. His fantasy owners should be patient- he’ll be back soon.
Charlie Blackmon OF, Rockies: back and quad tightness
A mild quad strain has sidelined Blackmon the last few days, and over the weekend it was back tightness that kept him out of the lineup. While he isn’t expected to land on the DL, it is concerning that he is now battling two injuries. And both are tricky ones for an outfielder like Blackmon. He is far too good to keep on the bench if he is in the Rockies lineup, but his Injury Risk is High. Be sure to have a backup ready to go if he’s on your fantasy roster. This could be a lingering problem over the next few weeks.
Rougned Odor 2B, Rangers: left hamstring strain
As we have seen quite a few times before with other players, Odor tried to play through a mild hamstring strain and aggravated the injury. He is now looking at a four week Optimal Recovery Time after making the injury much worse. We moved him to an Elevated Injury Risk when the initial injury occurred, and now he is High Risk. He needs to take things very slow throughout the rehab process to ensure he doesn’t return too soon. Odor is worth holding onto if you have room on your roster, but he comes with a lot of risk now and isn’t expected to be back for a month. That’s a long time to wait if you don’t have an open DL spot.
Kevin Kiermaier OF, Rays: right foot bone bruise
Kiermaier appears to have avoided a serious injury after fouling a ball off of his foot. Scans confirmed that there is no fracture, but he does have a bone bruise. If mild, he should be back to normal within two weeks. Until then, he will be a High Injury Risk. Foot injuries are especially tough for speed players like Kiermaier, so expect his performance to drop even if he is in the lineup over the next week, especially in the stolen base department.
Eugenio Suarez 3B, Reds: right thumb fracture
Suarez landed on the DL after taking a pitch to his right hand, causing a thumb fracture. While they hope to have him back within a month, our algorithm is showing a much longer recovery time. He needs eight weeks for the thumb to heal. Because it’s to his throwing hand, this is going to have a major impact on gripping the baseball as well as his hitting ability. Suarez’s Health Performance Factor (HPF) is Poor, indicating that he is far away from being healthy enough to play well and be a solid contributor. He’s High Risk and will be until mid June. If your DL spot if already filled, he could be worth dropping. This is the kind of injury that could impact him through the All Star break even if he is back in the lineup by June.
CC Sabathia SP, Yankees: hip soreness
After leaving his start last week due to hip soreness, Sabathia underwent an MRI. It came back clean, so he is dealing with a grade 1 injury. That comes with a 2 week Optimal Recovery Time. He already threw a bullpen session and should be back in the rotation sometime next week. For now Sabathia is a High Injury Risk.
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