Welcome back to the next edition of the fantasy baseball injury report where we take a look at some players who have suffered injuries in spring training and may miss some time to begin the season.  If you are drafting this weekend, then you will have some difficult decisions to make in terms of when to grab these players who are not going to provide immediate dividends.  But do not stress out because Opening Day is here and all is right with the world now that baseball that matters is back.  So without further ado, here is the next installment of the MLB walking wounded.

David Price (SP-BOS)

Arguably the most significant injury during spring training was David Price’s balky elbow which prompted a visit to Dr. James Andrews.  Fortunately, it looks like he has avoided catastrophe for now, but there are serious questions about what to expect from him this season.  He has been ramping up his throwing program lately but there is still no telling when he might be activated because he will have to prove he is healthy in game action over a sustained period of time.  Price’s draft value has slipped enormously all spring and he should not be relied upon as one of your top starting pitchers due to the inherent risk.

Adrian Beltre (3B-TEX)

Beltre suffered a calf injury earlier in the week and is going to be re-evaluated over the weekend to determine his readiness for Opening Day.  Most likely, he is DL-bound as he will be 38-years old next week and expecting him to recover quickly from muscle ailments is asking a lot.  Beltre is still an elite third base option in any league format so he will be tough to replace if he does begin the season on the DL which is a possibility.  It could be a last-minute decision come Sunday whether he will be ready for Opening Day so keep checking on his status over the weekend.

Anthony Rendon (3B-WAS)

Speaking of third base depth, Anthony Rendon may not be ready for Opening Day either after fouling a ball off his leg earlier in the week.  He has missed the past several days with the injury and may need some additional rest before returning to the field.  There is no reason to think he will hit the disabled list with this injury, but his availability for Opening Day is in jeopardy as he eases back into action once he is ready to take the field.  Rendon has had his share of injuries thus far in his young career, so this is especially frustrating for fantasy GMs who were banking on that being part of his past.  Be patient because Rendon is going to reward GMs with at least a 20/20 season.

Jason Kipnis (2B-CLE)

The Indians star second baseman will begin the season on the DL with a right shoulder injury which is expected to keep him out all of April.  He indicated late this week that his rehab and recovery has been going well in terms of throwing and hitting, but we still don’t have a firm grasp on when he might be back.  Kipnis will be a huge bargain in fantasy drafts this weekend because of the injury and could still be a 15/15 second baseman even if he does miss the first month of the year.

Steven Matz (SP-NYM)

At just 25-years old, Matz has already established a reputation for himself as an injury risk.  He has had a variety of ailments through the course of his young career including Tommy John surgery, so this recent issue with his elbow is concerning even though an MRI came back clean.  He will be shut down for 3 weeks so the earliest we can expect him back is by May.

Carlos Rodon (SP-CHW)

The White Sox young hurler is suffering from bursitis in his left biceps muscle and will begin the season on the DL.  An MRI did not reveal any structural damage which is good news and he is scheduled to begin throwing again in a couple weeks.  He should be stashed if you have available roster slots and could be back by May barring any setbacks.

Didi Gregorius (SS-NYY)

Gregorius will start the year on the DL with a shoulder injury he sustained during the World Baseball Classic.  He is not a great fantasy option except for AL-only or deep leagues with middle infield slots, but his absence thins out an already scarce position.  He should be back sometime in May and could be a waiver wire asset if he was bypassed in drafts.

Wilson Ramos (C-TB)

Ramos exploded in 2016 with a tremendous season batting .307 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI before suffering a serious ACL injury which required surgery.  He is in the process of recovering and likely won’t be ready to take the field until June at the earliest.  Ramos should not be expected to replicate those types of numbers when he returns but he could still be a valuable asset to stash if you have the roster flexibility. 

David Dahl (OF-COL)

Dahl suffered a rib injury early in spring training and has still not been cleared for baseball activities yet.  He will begin the season on the DL but should still be targeted as a great fantasy asset with his five-category production once he returns to the field.  He was pegged by many pundits as a breakout candidate in 2017 but he will have to wait several weeks before getting the opportunity to follow up on the 63-game sample he provided last year.

In an effort to help you with some of your waiver claims, the following is a list of players expected to be placed on the DL to open the season. Teams have until the first pitch of their first game to make the proper roster adjustments.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

C Wilson Ramos

2B Jason Kipnis

SS Didi Gregorius

3B Adrian Beltre

3B Matt Duffy

3B Josh Rutledge

3B Luis Valbuena

OF Lonnie Chisenhall

OF J.D. Martinez

OF Jake Smolinski

OF Jorge Soler

OF Charlie Tilson

SP Andrew Cashner

SP Sonny Gray

SP Collin McHugh

SP Daniel Mengden

SP Wade Miley

SP Drew Pomeranz

SP David Price

SP Carlos Rodon

SP Tyson Ross

SP Drew Smyly

SP Chris Tillman

RP Brad Boxberger

RP Roenis Elias

RP Glen Perkins

RP Huston Street

RP Tyler Thornburg

Out for season: SP Cody Anderson, RP Trevor May

NATIONAL LEAGUE

C Devin Mesoraco

C Tom Murphy

C Andrew Susac

3B Martin Prado

3B David Wright

OF Socrates Brito

OF David Dahl

OF Ian Desmond

OF Alex Dickerson

OF Andre Ethier

OF Juan Lagares

SP Homer Bailey

SP Chad Bettis

SP Anthony DeSclafani

SP Robbie Erlin

SP Scott Kazmir

SP Jeff Locke

SP Seth Lugo

SP Steven Matz

RP Jake Barrett

RP Mauricio Cabrera

RP Carter Capps

RP Zach Duke

Out for the season: SP Colin Rea, SP Alex Reyes, RP Will Smith

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Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and co-host of the Fantasy Alarm Podcast.  You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment),