Stars on the Shelf: TheFantasyFix.com’s Week 19 DL Report
photo by: mrzeising
Here is TheFantasyFix.com’s week nineteen 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 David Wright. Wright is out with a hamstring strain that seems pretty significant. There are rumblings of him missing a chunk of time and possibly being shut down. I think he’ll come back mid-September though. This injury however, is pure damage to a fantasy owner being that third base is such a premium and shallow position.
NEW ON THE SHELF: David Wright, Dan Uggla, Howie Kendrick
BACK IN ACTION: Aramis Ramirez, Yadier Molina, Alex Cobb, Salvador Perez, Rafael Betancourt, Yovani Gallardo, Desmond Jennings (Monday), Miguel Montero (Tuesday)
KEEP YOUR EYE ON: Carlos Gomez (knee)
OUT FOR THE SEASON: Rickie Weeks (hamstring surgery – 4 to 6 months)
| PLAYER | EXPECTED RETURN DATE | LATEST UPDATE |
|---|---|---|
| Howie Kendrick | 8/21/2013 | Kendrick is doing cage work and taking the necessary steps to return from a knee sprain. He will have to prove he can sprint and run the bases before he is activated. Running the bases is always the final test for players on the DL, especially regarding leg injuries. If there are no problems, he should return Wednesday. |
| Matt Moore | 8/24/2013 | Moore has been setback at least a week, just when he was about to return to the Rays after soreness felt throwing off the mound recently. This has to be considered a concern being that it is elbow related. The Rays insist he should be fine and is just setback a little. If he does bounce back over the weekend/week, he could return next weekend, without needing a rehab game. |
| Derek Jeter | 8/24/2013 | Jeter will not return Sunday when he is eligible to come off of the DL. Although Jeter is running and doing all baseball related activities before games, he has yet to take on the final task, running the bases. If he has no setbacks I can see him getting through that this week for a return next weekend, perhaps next Saturday in Tampa. |
| Roy Halladay | 8/27/2013 | Halladay threw 87 pitches in a rehab game (albiet in rookie ball), but he felt good and scouts claim he looked good. He will get one more rehab start according to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., which could set him up for a return to the Phillies around 8/27. He is absolutely worth a grab and stash now in mixed leagues, because I know you are all scowering your free agent list, which is likely looking like the island of misfit toys at this point in the season. |
| Matt Kemp | 8/27/2013 | Kemp is running at around 60%, but still walking with a limp. He is taking BP and could be back as early as a week from now. The Dodgers have house money because they are playing out of this world without the slugger, so there is no need to rush him back. So although he could return in a week, I wouldn’t be shocked if they stretched it out a bit to make sure he’s 100%, considering this is his third vacation on the DL this season. |
| Dan Uggla | 8/28/2013 | Uggla is on the DL because he is having LASIK surgery. He should return when he is first able to on the 28th. Imagine he stops striking out now? Not a chance. |
| Jason Grilli | 9/1/2013 | Grilli is playing catch and building up his arm strength. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, who is a no-nonsense kind of manager, said he sees Grilli coming back September 1st. Hurdle is a loyal guy, and I think Grilli will get his closer spot back upon return, regardless of how good Melancon has been filling in for him. Melancon owners should trade to a desperate owner in need of saves now, before news starts popping up on his page about losing the job when Grilli is back. SELL SELL SELL! |
| Angel Pagan | 9/1/2013 | Pagan is playing in rehab games already and both he and Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy believe after two weeks of rehab games, he should be ready to return to the Giants right around the end of August, early September. |
| Carlos Gonzalez | 9/6/2013 | Gonzalez owners, don’t hold your breath. CarGo wont be even swinging a bat until next Friday or so (23rd) which means he is not close to coming back. My best guess is Labor Day, because it seems as though the Rockies are going to take the slow route this time with Gonzalez, so they don’t rush him back and risk a full re-injury. |
| Clay Buchholz | 9/6/2013 | Buchholz made his best progress yet with a successful bullpen session that was thrown at (the arbitrary percentage) around 80-85% intensity. He did throw all of his pitches and claims to feel great. He will need to get up to 100% and then pitch in rehab games to build his pitch count up. You figure if he has a successful bullpen Sunday, he should hit the rehab trail in a week. He will likely need 2 or 3 starts so that should set him up for a return around Labor Day weekend. |
| Ben Revere | 9/6/2013 | Revere is on crutches and about 3 weeks away from returning. Once again, not to be harsh, but if you are relying on Revere to come back at that point in the season, it might be time to start researching your Fantasy Football drafts. |
| Johnny Cueto | 9/10/2013 | Cueto is going through strength tests this weekend, and depending on the results of that, he could start throwing again early in the week. Even if this does happen, he is ways away from returning. He would need to build up his arm to long toss, then to a mound for bullpens, and get into some rehab games. Cueto wont be back until around September 10th or so, that’s my best target when I look at the calendar and go through all of the rehab elements ahead of him. Tony Cingrani has been outstanding in his place so the Reds aren’t exactly hurting. Cingrani has the best strikeout ratio in baseball next to Yu Darvish, crazy. |
| Rickie Weeks | OUT FOR SEASON | As i suspected, Weeks’ season is officially over. He requires surgery on his torn hamstring. The injury/surgery is significant enough that the timetable for return is 4-6 months. So worst case scenario Rickie will be ready just as he is supposed to report to Spring Training. Unless there is a major setback, he should be ready to go for 2014. |
| Albert Pujols | OUT INDEFINITELY – LIKELY OUT FOR SEASON | Pujols as of now is not having surgery on his foot, so there is a dim crack in the window for him returning this year but don’t count on it. Unless Christopher Lloyd shows up flapping his arms, the Angels are toast for 2013, which gives the Angels, who owe Pujols 8 more years of absurd amounts of money, no reason to rush him back. They are better served to let him rest and recover and hope for a more Pujols-ish season in 2014. |
| Ryan Howard | OUT INDEFINITELY – POSSIBLY OUT FOR SEASON | The Phillies GM has openly stated he doubts Ryan Howard will return this season. He has been stuck in a purgatory of “conditioning” and hasn’t started any baseball related activity at all. He is probably right. Consiering all of the factors involved: where we are in the season, where he is in his rehab, and where the Phillies are in the standings, its probably the best move for them to shut him down and hope for a comeback season next year. There is no purpose for him to rush himself back for a team going nowhere. |
| David Wright | UNKNOWN | David Wright’s initial prognosis was 3-5 weeks which at worst had him back around Labor Day, but now there are rumblings that it could possibly be a “shut down” situation, considering how valuable he is long term and where the Mets are in the standings. My guess is Wright will return though, he is the kind of player that wants to be on the field as much as possible. I think he could be back mid-September. |
| Bobby Parnell | UNKOWN-OUT INDEFINITELY | Parnell was eligible to return Thursday from the DL, but I still I think Bobby Parnell is likely done for the year. He is a herniated disk in his neck that is causing nerve issues through his arm. The Mets are going nowhere so to rush him back makes no sense. My guess is he will have surgery sooner than later so that he can be certain to be ready for the start of spring training next season. The fact that LaTroy Hawkins is fantasy relevant in 2013 is astonishing to me, but he is, getting saves when he can for the Mets. |
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