Baseball is back as players report to their spring training facilities in Florida and Arizona.  There is now a light at the end of the tunnel for the doldrums of winter because fantasy baseball draft season is officially underway.  One key aspect of draft preparation is being aware of injuries and players who tend to spend more time on the disabled list than they do on the field.  This topic is covered in grave detail in the incredible Fantasy Alarm GM-inspired draft guide from Jim Bowden, Howard Bender and the rest of our crew.  However, for the purposes of getting back into rhythm, we are going to profile impact players who enter spring training with some health concerns that will likely affect your draft strategy.  So without further ado, here is the first edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room for 2018.

Daniel Murphy (2B-WAS)

Injury – Murphy sustained a knee injury during the 2017 playoffs and underwent debridement and microfracture surgery on his right knee.  The injury did not appear to be sustained by an acute trauma, so it is likely that the wear and tear of the season caught up with him.

2017 Season – Murphy produced his second consecutive elite season with the Nationals batting .322 with 23 home runs, 93 RBI and 94 runs scored in 144 games.  He also added 43 doubles and three triples to go along with a terrific .928 OPS.

Reason for Optimism

  • Nationals’ manager Dave Martinez indicated that Murphy is on track with his rehab and is still targeting Opening Day to be in the starting lineup.
  • Former teammate Justin Turner underwent similar microfracture surgery a few years ago at the same time of year and returned for Opening Day the next season en route to a monster season.
  • Murphy will be a free agent at the end of 2018 so he will be motivated to produce and stay healthy in the hopes of securing a lucrative contract.
  • He will once again be hitting in the middle of a loaded lineup with ample opportunities to both score runs and drive them in as well.

Reason for Concern

  • Besides Justin Turner, most players who have microfracture surgery require much longer periods of rehab and recovery.  Recent examples include Carlos Beltran (2010), Carlos Guillen (2011) and Derek Holland (2014).
  • Washington is likely going to get better defensive production from Wilmer Difo if Murphy is not ready for Opening Day.  Given how potent the Nationals’ lineup is, they likely won’t need to rush him back if he is not 100-percent.

2018 Outlook

Ever since the 2015 playoffs, Murphy has transformed himself into an elite second baseman finding his power stroke and becoming one of the most consistent hitters in the league.  His valuable production in four of the five major Roto categories puts him in the upper echelon of fantasy second basemen.  His knee injury will undoubtedly cause some concern for GMs who may be hesitant to draft him in the first couple rounds because it is not known yet whether he will be ready for Opening Day.  Even if he has to start the season on the disabled list, he will still have plenty of time to amass elite statistics with a batting average well over .300, along with 20-plus home runs, and close to 100 RBI and runs scored.  Murphy is also going to be extra motivated to cash in on a very lucrative free agent contract which eluded him the last time he was a free agent following the 2015 season.  He will turn 33-years old just after Opening Day so he still has some good years left in him.  He is one key player to monitor throughout spring training because if he can avoid any setbacks then it’s very possible he is in the lineup on Opening Day and on his way to another tremendous fantasy season.