It has been a busy couple days in terms of player news, injuries, trades and transactions.  Fantasy leagues have their trade deadlines approaching so negotiations are intensifying.  There are only a few weeks left in the regular season for many fantasy baseball leagues so this is officially crunch time.  The good news today is that there are no superstar elite players who went down with an injury since we last spoke.  However, that doesn’t minimize the impact that injuries to several other players will have on the outcome of fantasy contests these next couple weeks.  So, without further ado, let’s delve into the next edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room.

Day to Day

Willson Contreras (C-CHC) – The Cubs young catcher has emerged as a fantasy star batting .274 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI hitting in the middle of their potent lineup.  Unfortunately, GMs will have to make their playoff push without him for several weeks after he sustained a hamstring injury on Wednesday against the Giants.  The good news is that an MRI did not reveal anything severe, but he will still likely miss up to a month.  This is a significant injury with major fantasy implications because good hitting catchers do not grow on trees.  He had been red hot since the All-Star break so the timing of the injury makes it even worse.  Alex Avila will see most of the playing time in Contreras’ absence and could be a viable option on the waiver wire if you need a replacement.

Anthony Rendon (3B-WAS) – Rendon was held out of Thursday’s game due to an illness.  He should be back on the field soon assuming he is feeling better on Friday or over the weekend.  Either way, this will not be an extended absence so just check in for more updates on his status.  Clearly, he should be in your lineup if he is active as he has had a stellar season for the Nationals batting .301 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI.

Yasiel Puig (OF-LAD) – Puig has been dealing with soreness in both his hamstring and knee and was held out of the starting lineup on Friday.  However, he did enter the game late in right field and also had one at bat so the injuries do not appear to be anything to be concerned about.  Puig has been solid this season with a .258 batting average along with 21 home runs, 55 RBI, 53 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.  He will likely be given days off here and there for the rest of the season to try and keep him healthy for the playoffs.  GMs should just hope he can avoid any type of re-aggravation of his leg injuries which could cause a trip to the DL.

Jason Kipnis (2B-CLE) – It has been a frustrating and disappointing season for Kipnis (.227 batting average with eight home runs and 26 RBI) who appears to have re-aggravated his hamstring injury which caused him to hit the disabled list earlier this season.  He was taken out of Thursday’s game against the Rays in what Terry Francona called a precautionary move.  The Indians will give Kipnis a couple days to see how he responds before making any roster transactions.  They just acquired Jay Bruce to replace Michael Brantley who hit the DL, so it will be interesting to see if they swing another move if Kipnis is going to miss an extended period of time.

Mark Reynolds (1B-COL) – Reynolds has had a resurgent season in Colorado which is where many hitters go to revive their careers.  He has hit for a solid .278 batting average which is a pleasant surprise, especially given he has struck out 128 times in 385 at bats.  Reynolds was held out of Wednesday’s game with an injury to his left hand that he sustained on Tuesday.  He is day-to-day and should be back on the field in short order.  His 23 home runs and 74 RBI make him a viable everyday option at first base or corner infield in most leagues.

Jake Odorizzi (SP-TB) – Odorizzi was just activated from the disabled list to make his start on Wednesday against Boston but was taken out early after getting struck by a line drive on his foot.  He plans on testing out the foot on Friday and indicated that he does not anticipate any issues.  Odorizzi has had a very pedestrian season with a 6-5 record along with a 4.38 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 98.2 innings over the course of 19 starts.  He is not a lock to own depending on the composition of your roster, but he has put up respectable numbers for the past three years.  If he can stay healthy and regain the consistency he had in 2016 then he could be a valuable fantast asset at the backend of your rotation.

C.C. Sabathia (SP-NYY) – The veteran pitcher has been a feel-good story this season reinventing himself at this stage of his career.  Sabathia has compiled a 9-5 record with a 4.05 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 80 strikeouts in 102.1 innings over 19 starts.  Those numbers do not jump out and scream solid fantasy value.  However, these statistics are to be expected given that Sabathia no longer is a power pitcher and is pitching more to contact.  He sustained a right knee injury on Tuesday against Toronto and was taken out after only three innings.  An MRI did not reveal any structural damage which is good news.  However, given Sabathia’s age, weight and prior knee injuries it seems pretty likely that a stint on the disabled list could be in order.  The Yankees will likely make a decision on this shortly but fortunately for them they recently acquired Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia for depth in their starting rotation.

Vince Velasquez (SP-PHI) – Velasquez lasted just one inning on Thursday against the Mets before being removed from the game with numbness in his right middle finger.  He has fallen on hard times since a great start to the 2016 season including a stint on the disabled list earlier this year.  He does not have any fantasy value right now, especially not knowing the extent of his injury.  He should be considered day-to-day for now and will likely undergo tests to determine the cause of the numbness.

On the DL

Michael Brantley (OF-CLE) – Brantley suffered a right ankle sprain over the weekend and has been placed on the disabled list.  This injury caused a chain reaction because the Indians went out and acquired Jay Bruce from the Mets to fill Brantley’s spot in the outfield.  Brantley was a major injury concern heading into the season after undergoing multiple shoulder surgeries, but he held up fairly well thus far hitting .299 with nine home runs and 52 RBI along with 11 stolen bases.  The injury does not seem to be a severe one so it should not be a lengthy absence for him.  However, now that Bruce is in the fold the Indians are unlikely going to rush their fragile outfielder back until he is fully healed.

Clint Frazier (OF-NYY) – The Yankees stud prospect has been placed on the disabled list after suffering a left oblique strain.  An MRI confirmed the strain and he will likely miss over a month due to the injury.  Frazier has played 28 games since making his debut in the big leagues and is batting .243 with four home runs, 17 RBI and 12 runs scored.  The Yankees ironically activated Aaron Hicks in a corresponding roster move after Hicks had been out for quite some time with an oblique strain of his own.  Frazier has a lot of upside for next season but he will likely not produce much for the rest of 2017 depending on when in September he might be able to return.

Keone Kela (RP-TEX) – Kela has been placed back on the disabled list with a right shoulder injury.  He spent time on the DL earlier in the season with the shoulder injury and now appears to have re-aggravated it which means this stint will likely be much longer.  Kela has been lights out for Texas in relief with a 4-1 record with a 2.36 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 34.1 innings over the course of 34 games.  He could be a potential closer in the future so the Rangers will likely be more conservative with his rehab and recovery this time.

Troy Tulowitzki (SS-TOR) – To the surprise of no one, Tulowitzki has been officially ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering ligament damage to his right ankle back in July.  His 2017 season is over after playing just 66 games and producing statistics that are barely worth owning on any fantasy roster.  This is the third time since 2012 that he will play in less than 100 games and at 32 years old it will not get any easier for him in the future.  He was once one of the most prolific offensive players in the league but he simply cannot stay on the field seemingly getting injured every other week.  He will probably go undrafted next season in many fantasy leagues, and deservedly so. 

Johan Camargo (3B-ATL) – The Braves placed Camargo on the disabled list after he suffered a bruised right knee when taking the field before the game started on Tuesday.  This is one of the more bizarre circumstances for an injury to take place, but nonetheless it puts him on the sidelines for at least a couple weeks.  Camargo has been solid since getting an opportunity to play batting .292 with three home runs, 19 RBI and 26 runs scored while being eligible at both shortstop and third base. 

Trevor Cahill (SP-KC) – Cahill was recently acquired by the Royals before the trade deadline and Kansas City may be looking into returning to sender.  Cahill has been atrocious since joining the Royals and was especially awful on Wednesday against St. Louis.  Kansas City has now placed him on the disabled list with an impingement in his right shoulder so he will miss at least a couple starts.  Cahill isn’t much of a fantasy option unless you are in an AL-only league so leave him on the waiver wire where he belongs.

Yunel Escobar (3B-LAA) ­- Escobar suffered an oblique strain last Sunday but the Angels were trying to see how he progressed before making a roster move.  Now they have placed him on the disabled list and should be out for a few weeks.  Luis Valbuena will play third base in Escobar’s absence but he is not a viable fantasy option unless you don’t care about the batting average category.  Escobar is a better MLB player then fantasy player so leave him on the waiver wire even when he gets activated.

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)