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Ambulance Chasers: Tanner H-OUCH

June 24, 2023 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Injury Report | 2 Comments

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Howdy, Razzballers!

Thank you for another edition of Razzball’s Ambulance Chasers, your fantasy baseball injury report or analysis, or something along those lines depending on my mood.

THIS WEEK, I am going to share some updates with you about some hurt guys.

First, I want to share how much I have enjoyed seeing the Reds go hot. In 2022, the Reds early season injury report and performance was what I most academically thought of as a “dumpster fire”. And there are stats to back this up.

Though their injuries were surpassed by Tampa Bay, it seemed impossible that they could get things turned around like this and relatively quickly. However, they are doing…something! The emergence of Elly De La Cruz combined with the return of Joey Votto from the 60-day IL is becoming a lore that I am here for, and I am interested to see the former dumpster get its wheels oiled to roll away.

The first entry of this week will focus on the Reds’ Hunter Greene and the rest of the pitching rotation, which threatens to reignite the dumpster fire.

Notable Injuries: Week of June 17-23

Hunter Greene (SP, CIN)

Just when Cincinnati starts cooking, Greene goes out on the IL with hip discomfort. Coincidence? Yes, it is a coincidence. I just wanted to make it sound ominous. However, fear not! Initial reports are that the injury isn’t serious and Greene is expected to return.

The Reds have quite a few of their pitchers on the IL right now including Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft. While I am not a Reds fan, I do love to see some sleeper teams go for it (except the teams I don’t wish any success upon, which I will not be sharing). So, hopefully, the pitching won’t slow them down.

If you need a replacement for Greene, it is still Bryan Woo szn, and he could potentially be unrostered in your league. Woo has a 1.64 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. He has a 3.67 FIP, which is pretty high considering his other stats, but I would not be scared off by that yet.

 

Tanner Houck (SP, BOS)

Another week. Another facial fracture. Tanner Houck got hit in the face by a liner from Yankee Kyle Higashioka. Houck will likely be out for a while as the injury was serious enough that he needed to have a plate put in his face. However, Houck is expected to be back this season.

The Red Sox currently have James Paxton, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Brayan Bello in their starting line-up. Houck joins Chris Sale and Corey Kluber on the IL. No replacement for Houck has been named.

I mentioned Taijuan Walker last week’s Razzball Amubulance Chasers, and I am going to mention him again as he has continued his hot streak. Walker’s FIP is only 1.40 over the past week. So, it seems like he has figured out something, and it is really working. I feel high as a kite on him right now.

Alejandro Kirk (C, TOR)

Kirk is out with a hand laceration sustained from a Jon Gray fastball. Danny Jansen will replace Kirk for the majority of games. Kirk should be out for about a week-and-a-half, and hopefully, this will be some time for him to reset. He hasn’t had a terrible season, but he has not been the Alejandro Kirk of the past. He is currently batting .253/.337/.331.

Perhaps it is time to take a look at Astros catcher, Yanier Díaz. Díaz , but he is not yet an everyday player. However, he is making a case for that to change. He has a 7 homers and .277 batting average in 37 games.

Corey Kluber (RP, BOS)

Houck joined Corey Kluber on the IL. Kluber has been suffering from shoulder inflammation. Kluber had another rough performance before it was announced he was going on the IL.

Kluber has struggled this season. He was demoted to the bullpen last month and continued to flail there. Perhaps some rest will help.

I doubt you have Kluber, but if you do, I will suggest taking a gander at Milwaukee’s Julio Teherán (1.64 ERA, 0.73 WHIP in 11 IP) or the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks (2.38 ERA, 0.89 WHIP in 11.3 IP). Both pitchers have pretty high FIPs (4.57 and 3.56, respectively), which suggests their performance may not be sustainable. However, the same was true of the White Sox Dylan Cease last year, and he made it work throughout the year.

Jorge López (RP, MIN)

Here’s an entry that made audibly say “Aw damn,” aloud: The Twins’ Jorge López is out on the IL for mental health. Do-Hyoung Park wrote an incredible piece about this that I recommend everyone read.

López was struggling before his trip to the IL, and that struggle continued off the field.

If you need some coverage here, you can always check out the fantastic Razzball stats and projections tools.

Vinnie Pasquantino (1B, KCR)

I just turned on “Taps” to share that Pasquantino hit the 60-day IL with a torn labrum that required surgery.

Nick Pratto is currently playing 1B for the Royals. Pratto has hit .275/.364/.415 with 4 HR this season. He has been hitting .250/.375/.350 over the last 7 days.

For your roster, Boston’s Triston Casas could be a potential replacement for Pasquantino. Casas has been hitting .320/.370/.560 over the last 7 days. He had 6 RBIs across his last 6 games.

Anthony Rendon (3B, LAA)

Rendon sustained a wrist contusion after being HBP on June 15.  Luis Rengifo has been playing at 3B in the interim, but he has been struggling lately.

San Diego’s Ha-Seong Kim could be a replacement for Rendon on your roster. Kim has 11 hits in 28 PA and is slashing .423/.464/.577 over the last seven days.

Bryan Reynolds (OF, PIT)

After a hot start to the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are experiencing a collapse due to injuries. Outfielder and hitting leader Bryan Reynolds is out with lower back inflammation. He will likely be out until at least early July if all goes well.

Ji-Man Choi should be returning soonish (“late June”). So, keep your eyes peeled for that. Choi began rehab in the minors on Thursday.

If you are looking for something a little different, the Royals rookie Maikel Garcia has been on fire his last 28 PA, spurring dark horse Rookie of The Year considerations.

Patrick Wisdom (INF/OF, CHC)

Patrick Wisdom went on the 10-day IL with a sprained wrist. The wrist had been nagging Wisdom for a few weeks before he injured it making a diving catch. Pitcher Justin Steele returned from the IL to replace Wisdom’s spot on the roster.

The Cubs have had Nick Madrigal, Christopher Morel, and Trey Mancini in the infield while Wisdom is out. Morel has had ups and downs this season, but in his last 36 PA, he has been batting .364 with a 213 wRC+.

Other Injuries

Unfortunately, that wasn’t all for the injuries! There are a few other members that recently joined the IL:

Like death and taxes, I will return with more injuries next week. Have a fantastic weekend!

Let me know if you are looking for specific injury or line-up updates. You can always write here in the comments section or find me on Twitter: @keelin_12ft. 

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