What’s up sheeple! It’s ya boi, Zach “Attack” Plesac filling in for JKJ on the Ambulance Chasers this week. And you thought I just chased girls! Hah! [sips Red Bull latte] There’s nothing better than looking at the community I’ve made here on the IL — that’s the Interesting List for you nerds — of like-minded studs who just want to listen to some Uncle Kracker and down White Claws on the yacht. Speaking of which, I better get working on the list before I spill on the keyboard! Pleas-out!
All right friends, it’s your editor Everywhere “Zach “Attack” Plesac” Blair stepping in for JKJ. We’ve got quite the list of injuries because there are more players on the IL right now than, well, ever before.
Less then 2 months into the season, the 2019 and 2020 peak number of players on the IL has been eclipsed.
2019 peaked August 21st w/ 233 players on the IL
2020 peaked August 24th w/ 241 players on the IL
2021 peak (so far) May 24th w/ 242 players on the ILBuckle up folks pic.twitter.com/tLa5BpfCHu
— Derek Rhoads (@drhoa3) May 27, 2021
So, here are the notable injuries that I curated in my extra-exclusive “Codex of Bonked Noses,” and I’ll share what I know with you — yes you!
Noah Syndergaard: Thor is sore, and what is more, his elbow ain’t tore. Yet, at least. Dang, Grammarly did not like that first sentence. So, on Thor’s epic quest of recovering from Thomas John surgery, Loki laid a trap of elbow soreness. Damn you, Loki! Why do you have to be so devilishly handsome?! True story: the first time I watched Avengers, I thought Loki was played by Jared Leto, which I thought was really cool ‘cuz I’m kind of a Leto stan. Problem is, I’m not enough of a stan to not know what Jared Leto looks like in his many characters. ENYWHEY. Thor is shut down for another six weeks, which is about the time in-between each Marvel release at this point. We’ll see if he plays this year, but it’s reasonable to expect August at the earliest.
Corey Kluber: The price of a no-hitter? 6+ weeks on the shelf. So, if you’re an avid reader of my work, you’ll remember back into the wee mornings of this year when I wrote my Corey Kluber Fantasy Outlook, I forecasted Kluber to have a less-than-stellar year due to injuries. Kluber had missed nearly two years with injuries and is 35, and the list of pitchers who’ve “resumed” a successful career after that kind of situation included just Bartolo Colon and Rich Hill. So the Yankees took a pitcher who they knew had arm troubles, had been shut down in spring training, and then let him go for that no-hitter. And he got it. Yay! Now Kluber’s on the shelf until July with a strain in the muscle that supports the teres major, which is the muscle he tore last year. I know I’m just a keyboard jockey, but if I’m paying a guy $11 million to play for me and I know he’s going to be prone to injury and I’ve got a stellar bullpen, I let the bullpen take over the no-hitter situation. ENYWHEY the second. IL stash or let Kluber go.
Zach Plesac: Our boy Zach Attack was hulking out on his shirt and broke his thumb. And you thought clothing designers were harmless. Broken fingers can be wonky. Sometimes they’re a few weeks, sometimes they’re a few months. Sometimes they can be a whole season [stares at Framber Valdez]. It’s your call on Plesac, but he was already not K’ing anybody, so don’t have high expectations.
“What’s up nerds! Zack Attack here… looks like I’m going to be on the shelf for bit after a minor party foul. Last night’s party was so epic! Woke up in the hot tub dressed like Hulkamania with a torn shirt. I know, wild bro! Anyway, time to go ice my thumb… Plesac out!” https://t.co/rljVFFAmkr pic.twitter.com/bzlRBKk13s
— Ohtani Stan Account (@CoolwhipRB) May 25, 2021
Framber Valdez: Speaking of Framby-fastball, he’s baaaaaaack! [say that menacingly if you want]. Framber broke his finger while fielding a ball in spring training and was supposed to be out all year. Thanks to his Predator blood giving him healing powers, he’s ready to attack opponents’ offenses.
Adalberto Mondesi: He’s back! And he’s got a 50% K rate. Hmmm. Hopefully, he fixes that. He had a 30% K rate last year. He needs, like, a .350 BABIP to be productive, so fingers crossed that he puts the bat on the ball and then steals some bases. Expect some rust, but he could be a top 20 player ROS once the wheels are in motion.
Trey Mancini: Beaned by Dylan Cease on the el-bone. Ouch. Nothing funny about that. X-rays were negative, but you’ve been hit in the elbow before, right? Takes a bit to heal.
Chris Sale: Is throwing off a mound in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which is crucial. Now he just has to avoid the Thor Sore as he ramps up his endurance. He was always on track for a July-ish appearance, and you might want to grab him now if you’ve got an IL slot. He’s got the ability to be a top 20 SP on the ROS when he returns.
Aaron Hicks: Tried rehabbing his wrist and then opted for surgery, which will take him out of baseball for this year. He should be ready for next spring training, so he’s a hold in dynasty formats.
Michael Kopech: Fell off the mound in his last start and some people expected him to hit the IL, but instead he went to the bereavement list. As a teacher, I’ve heard the deceased relative excuse for missing time before, and hope the White Sox are being legit with their usage of that list for the proper reasons rather than using the IL.
Kohei Arihara: Here’s an injury that went a bit under the radar due to Arihara’s status as a new player in the league. He had an aneurysm in his shoulder that required surgery to repair. He’s out for a guaranteed 12 weeks and possibly the year. Arihara was already a floor play for fantasy, so you may want to move on from him even in dynasty leagues. Shoulder surgery on a pitcher who already struggled with Ks isn’t a prescription for success.
Bryce Harper: A lot of drama with this one. Manager Joe Girardi kept hiding Harper’s injury because he believed it gave him some sort of competitive advantage. Or, ya know, the opposing managers could just see Harper not practicing full speed. Harper’s wrist was originally injured at the end of April after a beanball ricocheted off his helmet and into his wrist. Since then, Harper has batted .211 with 1 homer and a .316 SLG. Girardi thought this was a competitive advantage? Sheesh. Hopefully, some time off will allow Harper to return to form.
Cody Bellinger: Should be starting today. He’s missed most of the season with a hairline fracture of his shin bone, which is connected to the foot bone. The foot bone is what I break when I kick the coffee table for drafting Cody Bellinger super early. Fingers crossed he’s ready to deal!
Trevor Story: Left Thursday’s game and everybody hoped he was traded. Nay, he was just playing hard. His elbow felt tight and Bud Black felt it was time for some rando player to get some playing time. Story hasn’t gotten an MRI at the time of writing, but he might get one next week if it’s convenient to the Rockies’ schedule. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting for $5000 to visit the doctor. Just rub it in, Trevor! Not like we’re sore about drafting you! Saturday Morning Edit: Story hit the IL. RIP Grey’s teams.
Cavan Biggio: He’s been dealing with a sprained neck all year. Welcome to being 40, Cavan! Biggio’s batting .205 on the year and K’ing 31% of the time, which is something a sore neck would definitely affect. He hit the IL and hopefully the massage therapist. A lot of his fantasy value comes from his ability to get on base and then steal, both of which are affected by a sore neck, so if you’re in the business of rostering Biggio, you might want to move on before we see a 35% K rate.
Byron Buxton: Hip strain is still bothering him and he doesn’t have a formal return date. In theory, he should be rehabbing next week. In theory, I’m working for Google as Chief Fun Officer. Buxton will be IL’d until we find evidence to disprove it.
Franmil Reyes: The Franimal is out ’til July with a strained oblique, which is pretty nightmarish for a guy whose fantasy value is dependent on dongs. I wish my fantasy value was dependent on dongs. ENYWHEY. RIP my teams because I had Franimal almost everywhere except RazzSlam, where I got Just Dongs. Hey, I guess my fantasy value is dependent on Dongs after all!
Elieser Hernandez: Up to 55 pitches in rehab, likely to come back in early June. Top 50 upside ROS if he stays healthy, so definitely a player to grab if he’s on the waiver wire.
Luis Severino: Like Sale, he’s pitching off a mound and getting ready for a rehab assignment. Top 30 potential for rest of season, and due back in July.
That’s it for this morning! Drop a line down in the comments with your choices for the Interesting List.
