Ambulance Chasers: Call This Week Kirby, It Sucks And Blows

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Ok, now that my internal monologue is out of the way, let us move on to discussing this week’s injury notes and updates.

Preseason Injuries to Monitor

George Kirby (SP, SEA) Shoulder Inflammation

One of the “safest” picks in the draft will officially be starting the season on IL. Kirby’s shoulder acting up three weeks before the season and ruling him out already is massive a concern. Kirby experienced “shoulder fatigue” in 2021 but did not miss time. This was his only other reported instance of the issue which is somewhat positive. The Mariners’ MRI revealed no structural damage to the shoulder but inflammation can be tricky.

Ideally, Kirby rests as long as necessary and returns 100%. This injury is closer to a yellow flag than a red one yet still a flag. Kirby should be knocked outside of the top 100 in drafts and closer to those who are returning from TJ like Spencer Strider and Sandy Alcantara than healthy teammate Logan Gilbert.

Gerrit Cole (SP, NYY) elbow

Gerrit Cole will be meeting with doctors soon to assess the damage to his elbow. This is pretty much nearing the end of the line as Cole was reported to have “Avoid Tommy John Surgery” last March but that it was avoided “At least for now”. Take him off your boards completely and expect the worst. Sell for what you can get if already drafted.

Gunnar Henderson (SS, BAL) Intercostal Strain

Gunnar Henderson is once again dealing with a soft tissue injury to his midsection in Spring Training. He was shut down last season due to an oblique injury and now, an intercostal strain. The strain sounds mild according to reports but Opening Day is in danger. The all-star slugger recovered from last Spring’s injury in time for the season and did not miss a beat. Henderson played 159 games last season and had his full-fledged breakout with 37 homers and 21 stolen bases.

Whether Henderson repeats his 2024 performance post-injury is to be determined. The best course of action would be to drop him below the tier of players considered “elite” in fantasy. Henderson’s risk is not minimized by the fact that he came back 100% last season. I would move him from mid-first round consideration to late second/early third around Bryce Harper and Ketel Marte.

Grayson Rodriguez (SP, BAL) Elbow/Triceps/???

If you want to REALLY worry about an Orioles’ star, Grayson Rodriguez is the man for that job! Rodriguez suffered a lat injury in 2024 and did not return. His final outing was on July 31 and he was shut down completely in late September with no chance of a playoff return.

The former top pitching prospect reportedly adjusted his delivery to limit strain on his lat. This news should have been more significant to us in hindsight. Rodriguez is likely starting the season on IL now after his triceps acted up during a recent Spring Training outing. His velocity fell below 90MPH on his fastball but as is tradition, the athlete showed no concern over an injury and believed this was merely a process of tuning up. Updates on Rodriguez indicate this triceps soreness is an issue in the back of his elbow but also, somehow, not elbow ligament related?!

ANYWHO…take Rodriguez off your boards until further notice. If you want to snatch him as a late-round IL stash, go ahead.

Christian Walker (1B, HOU) Oblique (Not a Strain, Allegedly)

The Astros’ new first baseman is already hurt. This is Walker’s third oblique injury since 2021 with the most recent occuring in July of 2024. That strain kept Walker out for a month and drained his fantasy value. Walker hit just three HR in the 91 plate appearances after his return with a .231 average.

While the Astros are not categorizing this injury as a “strain”, there is cause for concern given his history and age (how the hell is Christian Walker almost 34??). I have moved Walker down to the range of Paul Goldschmidt and his new teammate, Isaac Paredes among 1B rather than his replacement in Arizona, Josh Naylor.

Jordan Walker (OF, STL) Ankle (Stepped on a Sprinkler)

Sometimes, we all just need a good laugh, even at the expense of a young athlete. Jordan Walker’s potential breakout was pushed even further along after he reported knee soreness after a Spring Training game. Walker allegedly stepped on a sprinkler in the outfield and irritated his knee.

The severity does not appear too harsh which makes this more comic relief than concern. If you liked Walker before, I wouldn’t change that tune too much. He burned me so badly last season that I may never forgive him. DAMN YOU JORDAN WALKER. Sorry, had to get that off my chest.

Adolis Garcia (OF, TEX) Oblique

YOU get a midsection injury!

and YOU get a midsection injury!

and and YOU get a midsection injury!

Adolis Garcia’s injured yet again. This time, his oblique is acting up rather than his knee. The Rangers expect him for Opening Day but I would still bump the jacked veteran OF down a few spots. Garcia’s upside is tantalizing along with the Rangers’ revamped offense but he may be reaching the Giancarlo Stanton point of being too big to stay healthy. I have dropped Garcia down to the injury-prone-but-elite-if-prorated range of OF with Tyler O’Neill and Michael Conforto.

Sean Murphy (C, ATL) Cracked Ribs

Babe, wake up! Sean Murphy is dealing with ANOTHER midsection injury! He suffered one in the first game of the regular season last year so, at least he did us the favor of getting it out of the way before we drafted him. The former star catcher was finally set free from the shackles of Travis d’Arnaud but the injury bug struck again. Cracked ribs do not sound fun unless you are at Applebee’s and we are certainly not at Applebee’s. Speaking of, I tried the baby back ribs at BJ’s Restaurant and they were probably the worst I’ve ever endured. Trust me, I’ve had a lot of ribs.

Just like those ribs, I would recommend staying away from Murphy in drafts. He should be back in April but dealing with his ramp-up in fantasy lineups is arguably worse than having him on IL.