We’ve made it folks, the All-Star break is officially here! What a great time to take a break, get away from fantasy sports and spend some time with your loved ones… NOT! We’re firing away with content here at Fantasy Alarm to get you ready for the second half so you can come out swinging while the rest of your league mates are still in break mode. Here in this article we’re going to take a look at the flurry of injury news that has been announced since Saturday and decide if we should be optimistic of a quick return or if its something more serious. In fact, enough with the small talk, its time to get down to business!
Wilson Ramos (C-TB)
The catcher selected to start for the American League in the All-Star game has had an untimely injury come his way as he has been diagnosed with hamstring tightness. Nothing further has been added in regards to his injury so it’s unknown exactly what the injury is but it seems as though the team wants to let him rest and reassess him after the break before deciding on if a trip to the DL is necessary. Based on what Kevin Cash told Rays reporter Marc Topkin when he said that Ramos is “going to miss some time”, this doesn’t have the feel of a minor injury.
Ramos’ injury comes at a terrible time as he’s having an amazing year for the Rays so it obviously is a huge blow to the lineup and even the pitching staff. Also, the team was in talks to trade their catcher so all talks will obviously be stalled until Ramos is free of injury. Ramos is batting .297 with 14 home runs and 53 runs batted in this season. The injury, if significant, is a huge blow to all parties involved.
Eric Thames (1B/OF-MIL)
Another hamstring injury to report here as Brewers slugger Eric Thames had his tighten up on him in Friday’s game. On Saturday the Brewers did in fact place him on the 10-day disabled list and he wont be eligible to play until July 24th when they host the Washington Nationals. That is also dependent on whether or not Thames responds well to treatment and rest and is all set to go. A previous extended visit to the DL earlier this season with a torn UCL in his thumb has really derailed Thames’ season when coupled with this one. Despite these injuries, Thames has found a way to pop off 13 homers and a surprising five steals in only 50 games thus far making him a dangerous piece in this Brewers lineup.
The Brew Crew limped into the break with a ton of recent injuries to their roster and hope to rebound in the second half with some much-needed rest. Since July 7th, the Brewers have gone 2-8 and just lost FIVE in a row to the Pittsburgh Pirates with a makeup game being played as part of a double header on Saturday to make it a five-game series.
Josh Harrison (2B/3B-PIT)
Holy hamstrings Batman! Harrison was running out a ground ball in Sunday’s first half finale and immediately came out of the game. Currently listed as day-to-day, Harrison will likely receive treatment over the break and see if he can avoid a DL stint. With everything still up in the air, it is unknown if the Pirates infielder will be able to return to the team right away when they take on the Cincinnati Reds.
Harrison hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire with his three steals and four home runs. His .291 OBP, 0.27 BB/K ratio and .091 ISO leave much to be desired. In deep leagues he’s still important to owners who had hoped for a cheap repeat of his 16 homer, 12 steal performance in the 2017 season. Even those decent, at best, numbers seem unreachable at this point.
Kevin Pillar (OF-TOR)
The outfielder in Toronto, mostly known for his elite defense, suffered a sternoclavicular joint sprain of his collarbone making a spectacular play in Saturday’s game versus Boston. After being placed on the disabled list Sunday the team announced the injury would force him to miss 4-6 weeks. The team is aiming for a reassessment around August 5th to see how he is progressing.
A player very similar to Josh Harrison offensively, Pillar had an outside shot at reaching the 20/20 mark for the first time in his career after going 16/15 in 2017. Sitting at eight home runs and 11 steals at the break and likely to miss at least a month, Pillar would be lucky to reach his numbers of last season. At 44% owned before the injury in ESPN leagues, many teams were hoping for a healthy Pillar down the stretch for their playoff run.
Yoenis Céspedes (OF-NYM)
Shifting to a player that didn’t recently get hurt we have the Mets big bopper. Cespedes has been dealing with a strained right hip flexor and is making his way back into action. Yesterday Cespedes played in a simulated game at the Mets spring training facility and will see how he feels this morning before progressing into minor league rehab games this week. With the Mets playing at the Yankees starting Friday they could use him as a designated hitter and not force him to play in the field. Today is an important day for his fantasy owners as we await word of how his morning cup of joe tasted, oh and how his hip feels of course.
The almost 33-year-old outfielder has dealt with many injuries in his career and has still been deadly with the bat. This season, in only 37 games, he has eight home runs and a .219 ISO. Cespedes also has 28 runs batted in in that short period of time so you can see just how dangerous he is even with these injuries. A healthy Cespedes in the second half for your fantasy team could be a game changer. This could even be a little buy low opportunity for him if you can deal with the injury sweat every single at bat.
Stephen Strasburg (SP-WAS)
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, we have some real good news here. Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is expected to come off of the DL and start the second half opener versus the Atlanta Braves. The Nationals took it slow with his shoulder injury and eased him back into action with pitch count limits in his rehab starts. Throwing 57 in his first start and 82 in his second, Strasburg should be able to go a full 90-100 in his return to the show although the team will likely exercise caution in his first start back.
Let me start his season review by saying how ridiculous it is to think that Stephen Strasburg is about to turn 30 years old. Okay back to his season, Strasburg has been excellent as his 2.98 xFIP shows. His 5.00 K/BB ratio and 1.09 WHIP are also excellent numbers for him as he looks to regain form heading into the second half on a team desperate for some more pitching. Washington ranks 26th in baseball in xFIP since July 1st at 4.52 and has allowed the 9th highest wOBA in that span at .335.
Eduardo Rodríguez (SP-BOS)
This poor guy just has to be made of glass. Constantly facing injuries, Rodriguez had the look of a top end starter for much of this season but has yet again been forced out of the rotation. This one is nasty too as Rodriguez has been diagnosed with ligament damage in his right ankle. Luckily the injury won’t require surgery but he will be forced into a walking boot for a couple weeks and reassessed after that. There’s no date or timetable for his return as this is a pure wait and see approach so you’ll have to check back with us when more news becomes available.
Rodriguez has been excellent this season going 11-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 24.8% strikeout rate. His somewhat high 7.2% walk rate and 12 home runs allowed in 104.2 innings bring the most concern with E-Rod but he’s been working around those issues quite well up to this point. If you’re a Rodriguez owner cross your fingers and hope his ligaments heal up real quick!
Arodys Vizcaíno (RP-ATL)
In a bit of a concerning move, the Atlanta Braves have placed their closer on the DL for the same right shoulder inflammation injury they put him on the DL for in late June. After three appearances since retuning, the team or Vizcaino, had second thoughts and here we are again. Eligible to come back in ten days, Vizcaino will have to be sure that he’s ready to return this time around as the Braves will want him to be healthy for their playoff run in September. In the meantime, reliever A.J. Minter will likely take over the closing duties.
Vizcaino has been solid this season for the Braves going 15/17 in save opportunities with a 1.65 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 33 appearances. His 9% walk rate and 91.2% strand rate suggest some ERA regression moving forward. In fact, his 4.00 xFIP compared to that 1.65 ERA expresses just that. Tread carefully my friends.
Zach Eflin (SP-PHI)
Zach Eflin has been a revelation for the Phillies thus far and has been a huge reason why the team is battling the Braves for the division lead. Here’s the problem, Mr. Eflin has a blister issue and those can be nightmares for pitchers. Hopefully, Eflin can rest over the break and the issue can take care of itself and he’ll be back on the mound as soon as he’s eligible on July 24th versus the Dodgers. In that case Eflin will have missed just one start and will provide his fantasy owners with excellent ratios in the second half of the season.
Eflin is 7-2 with a 3.15 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 2018. His velocity has been up this season making all of his other pitches even more effective and his K-BB% at 19%, up from 8.2% in 2017, shows that change in effectiveness perfectly. If he can control this blister issue in the second half, Eflin should continue his great season as his 3.77 xFIP and .284 BABIP don’t suggest a ton of regression. Eflin and team ace Aaron Nola have combined to form a nice one-two punch for a young Phillies team hoping to make a splash in the playoff race this season. Rub some dirt on it son!