The MLB season only has a couple weeks remaining which means your fantasy league is close to crowing this year’s champion. If you are still alive in your league’s playoffs then congratulations and job well done in surviving the craziness that was 2017 fantasy baseball. Injuries have ravaged and decimated many rosters this season so the championship contenders are either the lucky ones who avoided it or the ones who aggressively crafted their rosters with depth and flexibility. So, without further ado, let’s delve into the next edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room.
Daniel Murphy (2B-WAS) – Murphy has followed up his MVP-caliber 2016 season with another stellar year in Washington. He is currently batting .321 with 22 home runs, 88 RBI and 86 runs scored. Those numbers are slightly down from last year but he has been bothered by nagging injuries for most of the season. Murphy missed the past few games this week with stiffness in his neck and is considered day-to-day. The Nationals have the NL East well in hand, so they won’t rush Murphy back out there and risk any aggravation of the injury. He should be back relatively soon though and is a must-start in any fantasy league given his offensive prowess in four of the five main Roto categories. Wilmer Difo has played in Murphy’s place but he is not a viable replacement candidate even for just a couple days.
Lance McCullers (SP-HOU) – The Astros are still going to coast into the playoffs thanks to their incredible first half in which they built up an insurmountable lead in the AL West. However, injuries have ravaged their roster over the past couple months including young starter Lance McCullers who has been limited to 20 starts this season. He recently came back from an injury which cost him over a month and was recently scratched from his last start this week due to arm fatigue. He will throw a bullpen session this weekend and could be back as early as next week. McCullers is 7-3 with a 3.97 ERA and 1.27 WHIP thanks in large part to a disastrous month of July in which he gave up 22 runs over the course of four starts.
Salvador Perez (C-KC) – The Royals star catcher has had a great season batting .264 with 25 home runs and 73 RBI making him one of the top fantasy catchers in the league. He has battled nagging injuries throughout the season and is dealing with another one right now. Perez was taken out of Thursday’s game after he tweaked his intercostal area while swinging. He will likely be out on Friday and could even miss an extra day to ensure that he is healed. The Royals cannot afford to be without Perez, and neither can fantasy GMs so you will have to find a streaming replacement in the short term.
Amed Rosario (SS-NYM) – The Mets prized prospect has played well in his brief tenure in the major leagues batting .274 with four home runs, eight RBI, 15 runs scored and six stolen bases in his first 36 games. He was taken out of Thursday’s ambush by the Cubs with a hip flexor injury. The injury looked far worse than it was so that is good news for Mets fans and Rosario owners who are getting a flavor for what he can do. He is considered day-to-day and should be able to return within the next couple days.
Dexter Fowler (OF-STL) – It has been a disappointing season for Fowler who signed a big free agent contract with the Cardinals this past offseason. He has been banged up with various injuries and has spent a couple stints on the disabled list for his troubles. Fowler has demonstrated power in short bursts but he has been a letdown overall batting .255 with 15 home runs, 52 RBI, 60 runs scored and only five stolen bases. Fantasy GMs expected a better average along with more runs and stolen bases than he has produced, so at this point he is a marginal fantasy option in deeper leagues. Fowler has missed the past week with a knee injury and the Cardinals hope he can return some time this coming weekend.
Greg Bird (1B-NYY) – Yankees first baseman Greg Bird has been a medical nightmare for the past two seasons as he just cannot get onto the field or stay on it once he is there. He is suffering from discomfort in his lower back which has cost him the past several games, but an MRI recently taken did not reveal any structural damage. He is hoping to be back in the lineup on Friday but that shouldn’t excite too many fantasy GMs who are not enamored with his .146 batting average along with three home and 13 RBI in 34 games. He did get hot at the end of last month but that is a distant memory since he has struggled so mightily in September thus far. Stash him on your bench if you haven’t lost faith in him and wait until he proves he can be a productive hitter down the stretch.
Mike Foltynewicz (SP-ATL) – The Braves have shown a lot of improvement and have things to be hopeful for in the future including Foltynewicz. His 10-13 record and 4.79 ERA don’t look overly impressive, but there are certain things to like despite those ugly statistics. He has 143 strikeouts in 154 innings and has lasted most of the year without an injury until now. He was taken out of Thursday’s game against Washington due to a cut on his right middle finger. The injury does not appear to be too serious so he should be in line to make his next start early next week.
Eduardo Nunez (3B-BOS) – Nunez has been a life saver for Boston since they acquired him from the Giants this summer. Since joining Boston, Nunez is batting .319 with eight home runs, 27 RBI and 22 runs scored. He has accumulated 24 stolen bases as well and qualifies at second base, third base, shortstop and the outfield making him a very valuable and versatile fantasy player. He has been dealing with a sprain and a bruise in his knee and Boston indicated that he will miss at least another week of action before he may return. This is problematic for fantasy GMs who need his speed and batting average over the final couple weeks of the season. Keep him benched and hope he comes back with a barrage over the final weeks of the year.
Scooter Gennett (2B-CIN) – Gennett has proven that his four-home run/ten RBI game from earlier this season was not a fluke. He has put up a great offensive season batting .297 with 24 home runs, 85 RBI and 75 runs scored which is tremendous, especially for a second baseman. He has missed the past couple games due to some inflammation in his left hand. Jose Peraza has played in his place and continues to let down fantasy GMs who drafted him banking on a high average and a significant number of stolen bases.
Lonnie Chisenhall (OF-CLE) – The Indians historic winning streak continues as of this writing but some of it was soured with the departure of Lonnie Chisenhall from Thursday’s game. He was taken out due to experiencing tightness in his right calf which is something that has afflicted him over the past several weeks. Consider him day-to-day and an option to start in deep fantasy leagues with four or five outfield spots.
Trevor Story (SS-COL) – It has been a frustrating season for the young Rockies’ shortstop who has provided solid power numbers with 21 home runs and 68 RBI. However, he has dealt with various injuries and is batting only .233 with an exorbitant strikeout rate. Story was taken out of Thursday’s game with cramps in his right hamstring although he does not consider this to be a serious injury. He is considered day-to-day but Story seems to think he will not miss any games as the Rockies continue their push towards the second NL wild card.
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).