The only real poor man here is anyone who drafted Adley Rutschman these past two seasons (me). He is consistently a top-10o pick yet incapable of tapping into any upside or even replicating his career-high 2022 season. That year was great (for a catcher) with 20 home runs, 84 runs, 80 RBI, and a .277 batting average. Funny enough, that is basically what waiver-wire pick up and Oriole teammate Ryan O’Hearn is pacing for a full season through 82 games.
The star catcher is one of many players who are better in real life than in fantasy. He is underperforming his expected stats this season (.350 xwOBA vs .308 wOBA), but that has been the case since 2022. Rutshcman is a fantasy fugazi until proven otherwise. Nevertheless, he should be rostered and started, given the lack of depth at the position. I say all this, yet I will end up buying in next season if the price deflates enough, because name value and misery are my friends.
Anyway, if there were any injuries missed, feel free to yell at me in the comments or on Twitter/X @RotoSurgeon.
Injuries to Monitor
Adley Rutschman (C, BAL) Oblique
The Orioles announced that Rutschman will return to action early next week with a rehab stint in Triple-A. Rutshcman has missed the past month while dealing with an oblique strain but is on track to return in late July. This season is one to be forgotten for the former first-overall pick and his team alike.
Rutschman is unlikely to return from an oblique strain and make up lost time, but the catcher position is so bad that he should continue providing some value in most formats even if his cold stretch continues.
Max Fried (SP, NYY) Blister
The Yankees’ ace is not going to pitch this weekend due to a blister he suffered in his most recent start. Fried’s outing against the Cubs was cut short to just three innings, but it was probably for the best. Fried’s pitching in his past three starts is uncharacteristic, and the last thing he needs is a blister.
The AL Cy Young candidate has a 2.43 ERA this season but has struggled in July. His 6.43 ERA is backed by a 5.15 FIP and 5.31 xFIP, which is far from the norm. Maybe the blister issue is ongoing, but more time to get it right is likely for the best.
Fried’s next start lines up in Toronto against a Blue Jays offense that ranks in the top 10 against left-handed pitchers. This is not to say you should bench Fried, but that another rough outing would not be surprising, especially with the blister.
Austin Riley (3B, ATL) Oblique
Another. Damn. Oblique. Injury.
Austin Riley was placed on the Injured List earlier this week after suffering an oblique strain just before the All-Star Break. The veteran 3B has been solid, yet unspectacular this season, but also not a bust. His 14 HR, 51 runs, 48 RBI, and .274 average are all commendable.
We hoped Riley and many of the Braves’ hitters would bounce back upon Ronald Acuna Jr.’s return to the lineup, but that is not the case. Acuna Jr. is back to his usual elite self, while mainstays in fantasy like Riley, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, and Marcell Ozuna are treading water or downright awful (Albies and Harris II). An oblique strain for Riley is the last thing he and the offense needed.
Max Muncy (3B, LAD) Knee
Dave Roberts announced that the Dodgers are optimistic about Max Muncy’s recovery from a bone bruise he suffered against the Chicago White Sox (right before Clayton Kershaw earned his 3000th career strikeout). Muncy is working on the field with a compression sleeve around his injured leg, and the hope is that he can return to action sooner than his six-week timeline.
Muncy broke out of his slump after adding corrective eyewear midseason and is dearly missed in the Dodgers’ lineup. Since Muncy’s injury, the Dodgers rank 29th in wRC+ and look lost despite their plethora of star offensive players. This could be a two-week aberration, but the fact remains that Muncy’s bat is needed.
Expect Muncy’s return around late July or early August if his rehab continues to trend positively.
Hunter Greene (SP, CIN) Groin
The Reds’ ace is finally returning to the mound next week. Hunter Greene is set for a rehab assignment and could return to the Cincinnati rotation by early August. He has not pitched since suffering a groin injury in early June and was supposed to return shortly after. Unfortunately, setbacks have occurred, delaying his rehab assignment. The hope is that his groin is 100% for the star SP to continue this breakout season.
Shane McClanahan (SP, TB) Triceps
Is Shane McClanahan close to appearing in an MLB game?? The Rays’ star lefty has not pitched in the bigs since August 2nd of 2023. He has now made two rehab appearances in Triple-A and looked promising in the first one on July 13th with three strikeouts and no walks through one and two-thirds innings.
Sadly, his most recent outing did not go as well, and his fastball velocity was sitting between 90 and 91 MPH with poor control. He did not make it out of the first and is far from being built up. If you are still holding him on IL for this season, you can let go.
Steven Kwan (OF, CLE) Wrist
The Guardians’ well-renowned OF Steven Kwan is likely out for their weekend series due to wrist soreness. Kwan is labeled as day-to-day and expected back early next week. His season to date is somewhat disappointing, yet he should be rostered in most formats, especially points leagues, due to his steady bat and all-category contribution.
Kwan is someone I will probably never draft if his price remains in the top-200 picks due to his low upside. The power is capped below 20 home runs yearly, and he does not steal enough bases with his above-average OBP.
Cam Schlitter (SP, NYY) Bicep
The Yankees’ young fireballer experienced bicep soreness recently but underwent imaging that revealed no issues. With a clean MRI, Schlitter is expected to make his next start early next week against the Blue Jays. Ideally, you should bench him outside of points leagues just in case.
On another note, it is unfortunate that Schlitter does not throw a splitter that he calls the “Schlitter”. That would be million million-dollar branding right there. Someone let Matt Blake know this offseason so we can get on it ASAP. “And on the mound tonight is Cam Schlitter with his 98MPH fastball that complements his patented Schlitter. Opposing batters can’t help but buckle their knees upon the break of his Schlitter”.
Grayson Rodriguez (SP, BAL) Elbow
Drop him if you’re holding for whatever reason. Rodriguez was just shut down from throwing due to elbow soreness and is unlikely to pitch in 2025 (or 2026 at this rate).
Just lost Bohm on my bench. Love having his 1B/3B eligibility just in case. I’ll stream him over Barger at 3d if he’s facing predominantly LHP that week. Ditto for Busch at 1B but he now seems to have the everyday gig for the most part now. With the broken rib, are you dropping him? Not sure when we can expect him back to full strength. The season is moving along, as Yogi once said, “it gets late early out there”. Is Bohm a drop for a speculative add at this point?
I’d drop Bohm. Out for a month in mid-July, when the season ends pretty much mid-September. You’re fine with barger/busch