Stars on the Shelf: TheFantasyFix.com’s Week 14 DL Report
Here is TheFantasyFix.com’s week fourteen update on all notable injured players, right here in one spot. Here you will find an update on a player’s progress as well as my spin on their expected return dates and fantasy impact upon return. The players are listed by expected return date.
The big addition this week is Reds’ ace Johnny Cueto. No this isn’t Groundhog Day, Cueto is back on the shelf before his seat got cold. This is the third time for him this year with the same injury.
NEW ON THE SHELF: Johnny Cueto, Josh Willingham, Trevor Cahill, Dexter Fowler
BACK IN ACTION: David Price, Everth Cabrera (Thursday), Anibal Sanchez (Saturday)
OUT FOR SEASON: Josh Beckett
| PLAYER | EXPECTED RETURN DATE | LATEST UPDATE |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Crawford | 7/5/2013 | I was wrong on Crawford, I thought due to the clutter in LA’s outfield his DL time would sail beyond the All Star break, but it appears as though he could be activated as early as Friday. His playing time is another questions though. Puig and Kemp are going nowhere, which leaves one spot between Crawford and Ethier. There is still a chance the Dodgers can move Ethier before the trade deadline, but if not, they will likely split time which limits their fantasy value. The fact that both bat lefty rules out a platoon situation. I’m interested to see how this plays out. I am also not ruling out another visit to the DL by Crawford, he has been a mess since he left Tampa. |
| Michael Morse | 7/7/2013 | Morse may be able to get in a rehab game this weekend. My guess would be after proving he can play in back to back games he will be recalled for Sunday or Tuesday at the latest. Due to back dating the DL stint, he could come off the DL on the 7th of July. |
| Dan Haren | 7/8/2013 | Haren could be back earlier than I anticipated. If he feels ready to go he will be activated on Monday from shoulder soreness/inflammation. He hasn’t been an injury prone guy over his career, so we have to believe he will be back then. |
| AJ Burnett | 7/8/2013 | Burnett seems eager to return to the Pirates rotation, and who wouldn’t want to return to the best team in baseball? AJ could rejoin them early next week if he skips his rehab start. Owners should keep an eye on this because I doubt Hurdle will let him go a full length start his first time back if he doesn’t pitch in a rehab game, so think pitch count, innings limit the first time back. |
| Jedd Gyorko | 7/9/2013 | after tweaking his groin in a rehab game, Gyorko has started doing light running again in hopes he can restart his rehab game process this weekend. There is optimism he can return in a week. |
| Brett Lawrie | 7/9/2013 | Lawrie could literally be recalled today if the Blue Jays wanted him back so badly. He is playing rehab games at full speed, recently going 3-5. They are taking their time simply because he stunk and the team stunk when he was with them. This is very interesting to me. He will be back soon I am sure, I just have to keep ticking back the date on the chart here because there is no reason he can’t be back now. If he was dropped in your league he is worth a flyer I guess, especially if you are hurting at 3B, but this guy is definitely on my 2013 TEAM BUST. |
| Michael Pineda | 7/10/2013 | Pineda got knocked around a bit in his most recent Double-A start. Rumors are swirling that the Yankees are having internal discussions to make him a bullpen pitcher in the second half which doesn’t make sense to me considering the inconsistencies of Phil Hughes, Pettitte, and Phelps. If that is the case his fantasy baseball value has vanished for 2013. Stashers might as well keep stashing since you have held on this long, there is still as good a chance as any that he can pitch in the rotation this year. |
| Dexter Fowler | 7/12/2013 | Fowler is out with what has been a lingering wrist injury. The DL stint has been back-dated to the 26th so he could return as early as the 11th if rest takes care of the pain. |
| Melky Cabrera | 7/12/2013 | Melky is on the shelf with knee tendonitis. He has been a huge diasppointment this year with an OPS in the 600s. I called him a post-roid bust out of the gate and so far that is accurate. He had an MRI on his knee, but I don’t know about the results or if the injury is worse than initially expected. I would personally drop Melky if you are sitting on him without an open DL spot, and frankly, I’d drop him if I had a DL spot. He is back to the pre-roid bench outfielder his natural abilities afford him to be. |
| Clay Buchholz | 7/17/2013 | Buchholz threw from somewhere around 80 feet on flat ground, and the next step is over 100-120 this weekend. If all goes well he can get back on the bump. I would think he needs a rehab start to make sure he is ready to go and his pitches are where he needs them to be. He could be back before the All-Star break but the Sox may play it consevatively considering his injury history. |
| Trevor Cahill | 7/17/2013 | Cahill is on the DL with an “injury”. He has a bruise on his hip from a come-backer, but all rumors are stating that he was sent down because he has been awful over the past month. It’s an easy way to have him in the minors without worry about a designation. He could come back after the All Star break if he figures out why he has been pitching so poorly. I’m sure the bruise isn’t the issue here. |
| Ryan Braun | 7/19/2013 | Braun has been taking dry swings, in other words no baseball contact, in an effort to test out his injured thumb/hand. The Brewers’ manager has stated he personally doesn’t see a scenario in which he’d be able to get back before the All Star break, so the earliest we are looking at is mid-late July. Braun has been a disappointment this year, mainly because of the injury, and of course that looming cloud of PED speculation and potential suspension that is awaiting him in the undetermined future. |
| Brandon Beachy | 7/19/2013 | Beachy successfully threw back to back bullpen sessions last weekend and is gearing up to give another rehab assignment a try. I have heard that he may only need one or two rehab starts before joining the Braves. If he is given back his rotation spot it will be extremely interesting to see whose spot he takes, considering how well they have been pitching. |
| Adam Eaton | 7/19/2013 | Eaton will finally get in the OF this weekend, and that will be the real test. Until then it is hard to determine a return date, but mid to late July is what we have to assume/expect. He will pay off if you stashed him, the guy is talented. |
| Jake Peavy | 7/19/2013 | Peavy succesfully threw a bullpen, and is set for another one which should be more full speed than the first. If that goes well he’ll probably be cleared to pitch in a rehab game before joining the White Sox after the All Star break. |
| Derek Jeter | 7/19/2013 | Jeter ran the bases, which is usually the final step before a rehab assignment. If that is the case then I was wrong on an August 1st return. He could be back the weekend after the All Star Game if all goes well. |
| Alex Rodriguez | 7/19/2013 | ARod played in his first rehab game, going 0-2, hitting into a DP and striking out looking. He is a couple of weeks away and could rejoin the Yankees around the same time as Jeter after the All Star Game. |
| Troy Tulowitzki | 7/20/2013 | Tulo has progressed in the last week to be able to swing off of a tee and do light running and fielding grounders. The next step would be BP, then base running, which should be next week (July 9th), then a rehab assignment for some live pitching at bats. The timetable for after the All Star break still seems realistic here. |
| Ryan Vogelsong | 7/26/2013 | Vogelsong has started to throw already, but only on flat ground at a very low intensity. He will need to build on that and throw from a long toss distance of 100-120 feet before he can think about getting on a mound. He is still probably a month away from returning, but it could be less if he shows rapid signs of improvement/progress. |
| Alexi Ogando | 7/26/2013 | Alexi threw a 50 pitch bullpen last weekend that appears to have gone ok. Before he can go on a rehab assignment he needs to throw to some live hitters. He should be back after the All Star break, and I believe the Rangers will take their time with him this time, so I’m guessing more towards the end of the month. |
| Curtis Granderson | 7/30/2013 | Granderson still has yet to swing a bat due to the strength in his hand not being at 100%. This is beyond the expected timetable for him and pushes him back a bit. We could be looking at an early August return at this point. Until he swings a bat its impossible to determine so I am just pushing his date to the end of July, when Brian Cashman initially said he anticipated him to return. |
| Colby Lewis | 7/31/2013 | Lewis still hasn’t faced live hitters, and until that happens there is no way to guess when his rehab assignment will begin. You can guarantee this, he is probably still a month away. Being that he has been out so long, and it being an elbow injury, he will require an extensive rehab assignment, at least 4 starts. I am leaning towards August at this point, but I’ll keep my end of July date in here for now. |
| Johnny Cueto | 8/2/2013 | Cueto is on the DL for the third time this season for the same injury, right lat muscle. The first time on the shelf saw him miss a month, the second time seemed less severe and it wasn’t a long stint. Now it appears he will be out at the very least a month, currently shut down for two weeks from throwing at all. A major fantasy disappointment for 2013. As we get into July he has thrown less than 50 innings. Tony CIngrani will take his place in the rotation, if for some reason he is still available in your league go snag him up. |
| Brandon Morrow | 8/2/2013 | Morrow threw pain free which is a huge positive sign. However, he is a long way away from returning. He needs the full rehab regimen and he isn’t believed to be able to return until into August. |
| Josh Willingham | 8/9/2013 | Wllingham has apparently been playing with a tear in his knee. He is going to need sugery and will be out from 4-6 weeks. Playing the middle of that return date would have him back around August 9th. WIllingham has had a disappointing season so far with a low average, diminished power, and his lowest OPS since he broke into the bigs for 12 games in 2004. Owners who have hung on are certainly going to DL him hoping this knee issue was the problem, and that they get back the WIllingham that blasted over 30 homers last year, to help them in their fantasy playoff hunt. |
| Angel Pagan | 9/17/2013 | Pagan had surgery to repair a torn hamstring. He MIGHT be back mid-September, but probably not. Hamstring strains take a long time, and this is a complete tear that needs surgery, rest, and rehab. We will see Pagan on a field again this year, that is if the Giants get their act together and make the playoffs. You can stash him on your DL if you have the spot, but his season is pretty much toast for fantasy purposes. |
| Josh Beckett | OUT FOR SEASON | Beckett is having season ending surgery due to the ongoing pain in his shoulder/neck (nerve). He is officially entering the twilight of his career. |
| Jon Niese | UNKNOWN | Niese is having an MRI to make sure he can be cleared to resume throwing. He is out with a partially torn rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder. Until he gets back on the bump for a bullpen, there is no way to guess when he will be back. |
| Alex Cobb | UNKNOWN | Cobb has been playing long toss and appears to be bouncing back nicely from that frightening line drive hit to the head. There is no way to tell when he will be back, but at least he appears to have recovered from this. |
| Chris Carpenter | UNKNOWN | After Carpenter’s setback three weeks ago, there can be no promise he will pitch this year. he was cleared to throw a bullpen again. However, the injury could flare up again at any moment. Those that are stashing him shouldn’t expect anything at this point, but Carpenter has silenced doubters before. With that said, consider me one of the doubters. |
| Cory Luebke | UNKNOWN – OUT INDEFINITELY | Sorry stashers, but Bud Black said that after a series of setbacks since Spring Training,Luebke may not pitch at all this season. They are still saying possibly mid-August, but its doubtful. If you need the spot for another player you can definitely can Luebke to the waiver wire. |
| Ryan Madson | UNKNOWN – OUT INDEFINITELY | Madson was moved to the 60-Day DL. I think his season is toast. 12 teams or less mixed leagues can drop him without thinking twice. His prognosis has not improved once all season. All setbacks. Plus Frieri owns that closer spot right now. If you’re counting on Madson to help your team in the second half, you probably have bigger concerns. |
| Roy Halladay | UNKNOWN – OUT INDEFINITELY | Halladay’s on the 60-day DL. He could be back for the last month of the season, but thats impossible to determine until he starts some form of throwing after he rehabs post-surgery. Based on how he has pitched this year, his age, and the surgery, his fantasy value for this season is very low. |
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