It has been an active few days since the last injury report as we have several players who have landed on the disabled list or missed time dealing with various ailments.  There is no escaping the walking wounded because it afflicts everyone.  The only way to combat the epidemic is to maintain depth on your roster and either utilize them in your starting lineup or leverage as trade bait.  So, without further ado, let’s delve into the next edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room.

Day to Day

Manny Machado (3B-BAL) – Machado is dealing with a strained wrist and an amount of soreness he claims he has never dealt with before.  It is questionable whether he will be able to play this weekend against the Yankees so fantasy GMs need to be prepared for an alternative if he cannot go.  Machado, an elite fantasy player with extra value due to his eligibility at shortstop, has been a big disappointment this season batting a putrid .213 with only 27 RBI.  He does have 12 home runs so the power is still there, but he has failed to deliver statistics commensurate with where he was likely drafted.

Edwin Encarnacion (1B-CLE) – He is dealing with soreness in his right hip and was held out of the lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday.  That was very unfortunate for fantasy GMs as Encarnacion missed the two games in Coors Field.  He has been one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy baseball thus far batting just .230 with ten home runs and 22 RBI.  There is still plenty of time for him to heat up and he remains a must-start in all leagues. 

Zack Greinke (SP-ARZ) – Greinke joins the list of pitchers who have been placed on paternity leave this week as he heads home to welcome his new baby to the world just before Father’s Day.  He is expected back within a few days and remains a must-start in his impressive rebound season with the Diamondbacks.

Adrian Beltre (3B-TEX) – The future Hall of Famer missed the first couple months of the season and came back to play in seven games before injuring himself again.  Beltre sprained his ankle on Tuesday and was in a walking boot later that night.  He was held out of the lineup on Wednesday and the Rangers have provided conflicting information since then regarding whether he will head back to the disabled list.  Given Beltre’s age and his importance to the team, it seems likely that Texas will be cautious and place him on the DL to give him sufficient rest.  From a fantasy perspective, you survived the first two months without Beltre so what is another couple weeks?  Jurickson Profar has been recalled to give the Rangers some depth, but he has yet to demonstrate any type of fantasy value in his disappointing career thus far.

Ivan Nova (SP-PIT) – Nova has been a fantasy Casanova thus far with a 5-4 record along with an impressive 3.04 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.  However, he was taken out of his last start against the Orioles with inflammation in his left knee.  The status for his next start is unknown so check back in over the weekend for further updates.  Nova has emerged as a consistent fantasy starter this season, and while he won’t provide dominant statistics he certainly won’t hurt you in any Roto category.

Neil Walker (2B-NYM) – The Mets gave Walker a day off on Wednesday preceding a natural off day which should give him time to rest his ailing knee.  The injury does not appear to be serious as the Mets expect him back in the lineup on Friday against the Braves.  Walker has been a solid but unspectacular fantasy option at a weak second base position and is on pace to put up his usual statistical output by the end of the year.  He should get a boost in value once Yoenis Cespedes returns to the lineup in the near future.

Salvador Perez (C-KC) – Perez sat out of Thursday’s game against Houston with a sprained thumb.  The good news is that he is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday against the Padres so fantasy GMs have no need to be concerned.  Perez is one of the most consistent fantasy catchers in the league and has provided solid value again in 2017 with his .268 batting average to go along with 11 home runs and 32 RBI.

On the DL

Dallas Keuchel (SP-HOU) – Keuchel is the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young Award compiling a 9-0 record to go along with a sparkling 1.67 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 75.2 innings.  He missed a start in May due to a neck injury and now finds himself on the disabled list after he was scratched from his last start on Wednesday with the same injury.  It isn’t known yet whether he will return once eligible but if he is out for an extended absence this will be a big loss for fantasy GMs.

Kyle Hendricks (SP-CHC) – Hendricks has not been able to replicate the success he had in 2016 as he owns a pedestrian 4-3 record with a lofty 4.09 ERA.  He was placed on the disabled list with inflammation of his right middle finger.  While he likely didn’t sustain the injury flipping someone off, he has given the proverbial middle finger to fantasy GMs who were banking on him being an ace this year.  He will likely be able to return when he is eligible to be activated, but Mike Montgomery will take his place in the Cubs rotation this weekend.

Justin Bour (1B-MIA) – Not surprisingly the Marlins placed Bour on the disabled list with his ankle injury and are hopeful he can return once eligible next week.  However, Bour’s ankle injury has been an issue for a while so it is possible he could need more than ten days before returning.  Bour had been on fire before the injury and became a solid first base and corner infield option in standard leagues.  He raised his batting average close to .300 to coincide with his power and run production, so stash him on your bench or DL and hope he can pick up right where he left off.

Yasmany Tomas (OF-ARZ) – Tomas was placed on the disabled list retroactive to June 3 with a right groin injury.  He has been dealing with the injury for a week now and there is no time frame for his return at this point.  Tomas has eight home runs and 32 RBI so the power and run production is there to make him valuable enough to stash, but he still has yet to really establish himself as a consistent offensive force. 

Brad Miller (2B-TB) – Miller had only recently returned from the disabled list and now he finds himself right back there with a strained right groin.  He has been a pain in the groin for fantasy GMs who drafted him coming off a 30-home run season and gotten nothing remotely close to that production.  Miller is batting a paltry .194 with only two home runs and 14 RBI thus far which makes him unworthy to stash on your DL.  Daniel Robertson filled in for Miller in May and should now continue seeing regular playing time once again.

Danny Salazar (SP-CLE) – Salazar has been a disaster this year and was demoted to the bullpen recently to try and work out some of his issues.  He experienced some shoulder pain after his last appearance and was placed on the disabled list.  Once he is healthy enough to return, he will likely head to the minor leagues to work out the kinks.  If you don’t have roster flexibility then feel free to drop him because he does not have much value right now.  If you do have available roster slots that won’t infringe on other needs then hold onto him because he does possess upside if he can turn things around.

Gerardo Parra (OF-COL) – Parra had been taking advantage of his playing time lately and possesses an impressive .318 batting average to go along with six home runs and 28 RBI.  However, he suffered a right quadriceps strain while trying to steal a base earlier this week and has been placed on the disabled list.  He will likely miss a few weeks with the injury and at some point David Dahl is going to come back, so his playing time could be limited when and if that happens.  You should feel free to drop Parra if you need to pick someone up on the waiver wire as he should still be available to re-acquire by the time he is ready to return.

Bartolo Colon (SP-ATL) – The Braves placed Colon on the disabled list with an oblique injury.  The most surprising aspect of this development is the fact that Colon actually has an oblique muscle somewhere.  He has been lit up like a Christmas tree this year and could finally be heading towards the end of his lengthy career.  There is nothing sexy about Big Sexy’s 2-7 record with an astounding 7.78 ERA and 1.71 WHIP.  He should not be on anyone’s roster at this point.

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).