Howdy, Razzfolks!
We’ve made it September. Playoffs are either within arm’s reach or already happening for you, so any injury news is extra walking-on-eggshells-y. Apologies in advance if my report this week brings ill omens for your team(s) and makes you want to headbutt your screen.
I’m on vacation, sort of (in a wedding later today!), so this is a somewhat abbreviated list.
Infielders
Adalberto Mondesi: IL (oblique) – ACTIVATED. ALREADY RAKING AND SWIPING BAGS.
Gleyber Torres: IL (thumb) – Torres is back. I don’t know how much fantasy impact that really has cuz he’s been a turd in pinstripes this year, but there you have it!
Tim Anderson: IL (hammy) – So many White Sox injuries this year, but somehow they’re still in 1st place in the Central. Sure, the AL Central really sucks again, but it’s still quite the achievement! Anywho, TA7 is in the IL with a hamstring strain. It sounds like a pretty minor one, but we’ll see.
Wander Franco: DTD (head) – No concussion for Wander. He should be back today or tomorrow at the latest. Been some learning curve, but dude is having himself a second half. It’s almost as if he’ll live up to the hype after all! How good has his second half been, you ask? Fiiiine, I’ll tell you. He’s 20 years old, mind you, and slashing .304/.369/.503 since the break, with 35 R, 19 XBH (5 HR), 28 RBI, and, most impressively, a 19:15 K:BB in 41 games. That’s seriously impressive shiz, y’all. He struck out 20 times in July (21 games). He struck out only eight times in August (25 games). More walks (9) than Ks in August, in fact. Oh yeah, sporting a 33-game on-base streak, too. He’s just getting better and better. And better.
Outfielders
Connor Joe: DTD (hammy) – Joe left Friday’s game with a hamstring injury. He’s been a boon for anyone ballsy enough to have picked him up. Stay tuned for any updates on severity.
Jarren Duran: IL (COVID) – Another Boston COVID casualty. Oof. Mentioning this more to show how nasty this Boston outbreak is rather than the fantasy impact this has, cuz dude isn’t exciting me at all in redrafts. Obvs there’s dynasty appeal here, but that’s it.
Jesse Winker: IL (intercostal) – Winker started swinging a bat this week. Progressing decently well by all accounts, but he’s still a week-ish away from rehab. He’s running out of time to be of much use ROS…
Mike Trout: IL (calf) – Still nothing worthwhile to report. Still some lingering soreness. I don’t have any optimism anymore with him. Gut tells me 2021 is done.
Starling Marte: DTD (head) – Marte is one of my biggest fantasy misses of the year. I shied away due to injury history and being on the Marlins. Now he’s on the A’s and leads the majors as the only guy with 40+ stolen bases. Anywho, he took a pitch off the noggin Friday, stayed in the game, but then was subbed out for a defensive replacement soon after. He’s probably fine? But as of this writing, it’s not 100% certain.
Starters
Clayton Kershaw: IL (forearm) – Kersh threw a sim game yesterday. Maybe he gets back in there in time to help you win a championship, I dunno.
Kenta Maeda: IL (Tommy John) – Officially official: Maeda’s 2022 is pretty much done. He had Tommy John Wednesday. Now, apparently he had some kind of fancy brace put in that could shorten the recovery time a little bit, so that’s why I say “pretty much done.” The front-end estimate is a 9-month recovery, so if things go exceedingly well, he could be back around June/July of 2022.
Lucas Giolito: IL (hammy) – Ooooof another White Sox man down. Gio’s hamstring is bad enough to shelve him on the Irritating List. Pretty disappointing season of course, but his second-half has been pretty ding dang solid (wins have been few and far between but a sub-3.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP is what you wanna see). This is a big fat bummer for his fantasy owners.
Luis Severino: IL (groin) – Severino could be ready for some mound action soon. I don’t have him on my ROS radar anymore, but dynasty folks will be paying close attention to how 2021 ends.
Max Scherzer: DTD (hammy) – Scherzer has done Scherzer things since joining the Dodgers. He was doing Scherzer things in his last start, but he had to leave early due to a tight hamstring. But good news! He’s scheduled to make his next start.
Noah Syndergaard: IL (TJS recovery) – Lol of course: Thor, on the cusp of a return (albeit a slider-less return), tested positive for COVID-19.
Shane Bieber: IL (shoulder) – I really don’t think we see Biebs again this year. He threw a 36-pitch pen session a few days ago but still needs to ramp up considerably before being able to pitch for real. Cleveland has nothing going for it this year, so why rush it with your ace? And even if he does find his way back, will the innings even be worth it? Will it be in time to even help most of you anyway? Unlikely.
Relievers
Chris Martin: IL (elbow) – Martin is only viable in NL-only SVHD formats really, but he’s on the IL with an elbow injury.
Lou Trivino: DTD (back) – Back spasms have been bothering Trivino, but I think his closer days are over anyway. He’s been doo doo butter. Still decently viable in SVHD leagues, though.
Zack Britton: IL (elbow) – Britton is set to have surgery, so his season is 100% over.
Find me on Twitter: @jkj0787. DMs are always open for questions, comments, concerns, complaints, etc. Odds are good I’m drinking black coffee, dark beer, or some form of bourbon at any given time.
