Salutations, Razzball familia!
First-time writer (here), long-time reader. Me llamo Kev Mahserejian aka at RotoSurgeon on Twitter/X/Elon’s hellsite. Some of you may know me for my rants and (occasionally) right or very wrong taeks online but some of you may not and that is for the best.
I have been an avid admirer of this site and Rudy’s projections for a long while. Hell, most of my fantasy baseball league wins would not have come without them! My goal is for this recurring series to be a part of that journey for you and anyone who you hopefully share it with online (please like and retweet I am desperate for the interactions and dopamine rush of post notifications). Without further ado, let us dive into post numero uno…
Notable Injured Players I Am FADING This Offseason
Tyler Glasnow (SP, LAD), elbow: Tyler Glasnow is one of the most talented pitchers in the MLB but that does not matter if he cannot stay on the field. In 2024, Glasnow threw a career-high 134 innings and ended the season hurt…again…go figure! Glasnow suffered a back injury in July, then an elbow injury in August.
A sprained elbow for any player, especially a PITCHER, is alarming yet the Dodgers tried to downplay it with reports of a playoff return. One month later, they shut down that possibility along with Glasnow. On the Foul Territory podcast in November, shortly after the Dodgers World Series win, Glasnow asserted his elbow was “fully healed” or rather he claimed it LOOKS like it’s “fully healed”. I call bullshit.
“It’s really difficult sitting and watching.”
Tyler Glasnow shared the latest on his recovery timeline and convos he’s had with doctors. pic.twitter.com/Ue4sfHWGrE
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 23, 2024
Could Glasnow pitch in 2025? Absolutely. Could he pitch as well as he has in the past for even half of a season before another setback? Absolutely…NOT! Take him and his ridiculous top-100 ADP off your boards entirely unless he somehow falls to the last few rounds of your drafts.
Max Fried (SP, NYY), forearm: Your forearm’s connected to your…elbow! To follow along with the trend Glasnow started, Max Fried is another volatile SP heading into 2025. Fried has now suffered a “forearm” injury in back-to-back seasons. In 2023, Fried’s forearm issue in May resulted in a three-month absence but he returned in August and performed well. In 2024, Fried’s forearm issue resulted in just a one-month absence and he returned as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately, something has happened and it’s his elbow getting stretched out like my Hanes’ waistbands I still wear from college (a decade ago).
While signing a mega-contract with the Yankees this offseason could pause any concerns, this is a team that was likely to move out of desperation after missing out on Juan Soto and shooting for the next biggest name they could find on Google. The Yankees are familiar with signing SPs to big deals despite their UCLs hanging like a wet noodle (see: Tanaka, Masahiro).
Max Fried is basically Cristopher Sanchez with a history of forearm issues pic.twitter.com/p524CCZk0h
— ?? Torres ?? (@TorresTakes) December 10, 2024
Fried remains one of the riskier picks in 2025 drafts even with a palatable ADP around SP30 in most formats. He is not someone to remove entirely like Glasnow but pass if better, healthier options are available at literally any position.
Bryan Woo (SP, SEA), elbow: One last elbow issue and promise I’m done, I swear!
In March of 2024, Bryan Woo was placed on IL with elbow inflammation. In May, he exited a start due to “tightness” in his pitching arm. In June, he was scratched from a game and underwent an MRI which revealed everything in his arm was peachy. How? Beats me. This all comes after Woo was placed on IL in August of 2023 with elbow inflammation. He cannot keep getting away with it, Scoob!
Every day, Bryan Woo sprints off a cliff and runs on air for a while, only falling when he looks straight down. After he falls, he holds up a big sign that says “OUCH!”
It would kill most people, but the Mariners simply give him an MRI, and he pitches 6 scoreless that evening.
— Foolish Baseball (@FoolishBB) June 14, 2024
Bryan Woo has incredible potential as a starter and the Mariners are one of the few organizations who are capable of maximizing pitching output. Nevertheless, you need a functioning arm to pitch and Woo may not have that luxury soon as it seems we are just delaying the inevitable.
Christian Yelich (OF, MIL), back: Fun fact time! Christian Yelich has been listed on IL with a “back” issue 11(!) times since 2019. If you scroll through his injury history online, it reads like Chris Berman calling a Giancarlo Stanton home run.
One might believe Yelich is still young given his looks (handsome fella, no doubt) and has time to get past this now chronic issue. However, his clock is closer to midnight than you would expect. The now 33-year-old outfielder is still hitting at an elite level when on the field but may be on borrowed time despite playing at least 144 games in two of the past three seasons. His 73 games played in 2024 could be projecting a median outcome more than a worst-case scenario given that he just had back surgery.
Christian Yelich talks about what he had done to his back, and how he’s feeling: pic.twitter.com/riFrnaERlZ
— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) August 27, 2024
The former MVP is still a top-100 pick in all formats despite everything. Yelich could be a buy-low and eventual dump if he was cheap enough but he has not hit 20 home runs or stolen 30 bases since 2019. Outside of points leagues where his insane OBP is king, look elsewhere for answers at OF.
Evan Carter (OF, TEX), back: Elbows first, now backs. What’s next…knees?? Just kidding, it’s more sad than anything to discuss Mike Trout at this point.
Evan Carter was a highly touted prospect who burst on the scene as a pivotal piece during the Rangers’ World Series run then POOF…he vanished into thin, fantasy baseball air without a whimper. That was likely for the best after slashing .188/.272/.361 in 45 games last season. Carter’s pessimists forewarned the demise utilizing his lopsided split data showing his inability to hit left-handed pitching. What those soothsayers could not project though was a stress reaction in his back. Nevertheless, he struggled vs. LHP and was even benched during those games at times in 2024.
Evan Carter – an update on where he was and where he’s at right now.
– per Kennedi Landry pic.twitter.com/9MERnPJvna
— Dave L Funnell (@sportz_nutt51) January 23, 2025
While Carter could be considered if he falls in drafts, it is best to view him from afar this season and let someone else take that ride. If he can stay healthy and perform well while displaying competence versus his fellow lefties, we can go all-in come 2026.
Xander Bogaerts (SS, SDP), wrist: Shortly after signing an 11-year, $280-million-dollar deal with the Padres, it was revealed that Xander Bogaerts had been dealing with a lingering wrist issue which some (actual, non-fantasy) doctors presume is tendinitis. Bogaerts has received cortisone injections in his wrist regularly to manage the pain which is so bad that he has been informed to limit how many injections he receives to not hamper any cartilage.
Bogaerts can still field at a high level but his offensive production in 2024 was his worst since 2017. Moving from one of the best hitting parks in baseball (Fenway) to arguably the worst (Petco) did not help his cause. Who knew!? Unless San Diego finds a way to move Bogaerts’ albatross contract to a much more friendly home park, I have no interest in the veteran infielder. His best days are likely behind him.
The Padres have said they’d trade a top prospect with Xander Bogaerts if another team is willing to take on his contract, per @JimBowdenGM on @FoulTerritoryTV https://t.co/IzZMRLjtfn pic.twitter.com/O7F2zHF6mf
— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) January 30, 2025
Voila! Our journey through my first (and potentially last if Grey has anything to say about it) post on RazzBall dot com. Hopefully, you all enjoyed or at least stomached the material as my trepidations for injuries in fantasy run deep. I am an absolute coward when it comes to lingering and/or re-occurring issues if not evidenced by the names above. This is a trend you may come to love or hate if I stick around long enough. Until next time…bye!
