The final week of April is upon us which is indicative of how fast time goes by because the MLB season is already a month old. Now that we have a good chunk of time under our belts, it is a good time to evaluate where your rosters are in terms of productivity and depth. The waiver wire gets thinner every week so be sure to stay on top of updates and news because we have passed the point of where rookies can be called up without losing a year of service. So, without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy baseball emergency room.
Kris Bryant (3B-CHC)
Fantasy GMs received quite a scare on Sunday when Bryant was hit by a pitch in his head. The good news is that he passed the initial concussion tests after he left the game, but he will continue to be monitored and checked over the next few days. Bryant sustained a cut above his eye, but if that is the worst of what he received then we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The elite third baseman is batting .319 with two home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored. He will be sorely missed while he is out, but just be thankful it will probably only be a few more days as compared to an extended absence.
Anthony Rendón (3B-WAS)(1).jpg)
Speaking of third baseman, another solid fantasy option is also out with an injury in Anthony Rendón . He had fouled a pitch off his foot a while ago and the Nationals were trying to be patient in letting him rest a few days before returning. However, that never happened because Rendon was still experiencing a lot of soreness. As a result, Washington placed Rendon on the disabled list retroactive to April 19 which means he is eligible to return by the end of this weekend. Rendon was batting .286 with one home run, four RBI and five runs scored and is sorely missed in the Nationals lineup. Fantasy GMs need to ride this out and hope he is back in the lineup for Week 5.
Salvador Pérez (C-KC)
Perez has been out since the end of spring training when he tore his MCL carrying luggage but appears to be on the verge of returning at some point later this week. He has been in several rehab games and caught back-to-back days so he should be ready to go at any moment. Perez is one of the better hitting catchers in the league and is coming off a season in which he hit .268 with a career high 27 home runs along with 80 RBI. In fact, his home run totals have increased every year he has been in the big leagues since 2011. Snatch him up from the waiver wire if he is available for some reason.
Avisail García (OF-CHW)
Garcia had to be helped off the field on Monday after he sustained a strained right hamstring. He is expected to be re-evaluated but given how bad the injury looked it seems inevitable that he will be heading to the disabled list. Garcia has struggled mightily to begin the season as he is only batting .233 with one home run, four RBI and five runs scored. He is not worth stashing if he heads to the DL given how poorly he has played thus far.
Christian Villanueva (3B-SD).jpg)
Villanueva just came back from a hand injury and continued his hot hitting but was taken out of the lineup on Monday because he has a sore hamstring. This is unfortunate timing because the Padres are playing at Coors Field which would have been huge for Villanueva’s offensive output. That being said, he should be back in the lineup on Tuesday assuming he feels better and can build on his tremendous .355 batting average with seven home runs, 16 RBI, 13 runs scored and one stolen base.
Ben Zobrist (2B/OF-CHC)
Zobrist has been dealing with a back injury for over a week so the Cubs finally placed him on the disabled list retroactive to April 14. He is expected to return once he is eligible but could find his playing time reduced due to how well Javier Báez and Albert Almora are playing. That being said, Zobrist has gotten off to a great start this season batting .326 with one home run, seven RBI and six runs scored.
Carlos González (OF-COL)
No surprise here that CarGo ended up on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring. Colorado was cautiously optimistic that he could avoid a stint on the DL but he did not recover fast enough so they made a roster move. With CarGo out, David Dahl is now getting a chance to play and should be targeted on the waiver wire. At this point, Gonzalez is a marginal fantasy option only in very deep leagues so don’t hesitate to cut him loose if you don’t have a DL spot available on your roster.
Trey Mancini (1B-BAL)
The Orioles have been dreadful this season and things do not get any easier when one of their better hitters is out of the lineup. Mancini missed a few games this past weekend due to suffering a bruise in his right knee when he slid in the outfield wall late last week. He pinch hit on Monday night and struck out, but the fact he was able to hit is a good indication he should be back in the lineup on Tuesday. Mancini is batting .280 with two home runs, seven RBI and ten runs scored which does not warrant a starting spot on most fantasy rosters.
Todd Frazier (3B-NYM)
Frazier has played in every game this season until Sunday when he was given the day off due to soreness in his toe after he got spiked on Saturday in Atlanta. The inspirational leader of the Mets is batting .258 with three home runs, 14 RBI, 12 runs scored and two stolen bases thus far and has shown enormous patience at the plate. He is a viable corner infield option in deeper leagues and should be back on the field on Tuesday when the Mets play in St. Louis.
Adam Wainwright (SP-STL)
Veteran Adam Wainwright finds himself back on the disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow. He had surgery on his elbow last year but seems to think this will be a minimal absence. He looked good in his last two starts and has compiled a 1-2 record with a 3.45 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in his first three outings. Wainwright is not much of a fantasy contributor at this point in his career but could provide depth if you need it at the back end of your staff. Jack Flaherty will step into the Cardinals starting rotation in Wainwright’s absence.