What’s the point of fantasy this season without Wyatt Langford? Damn you, baseball! We nearly lost Langford, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the same week. Luckily, Tatis Jr.’s injury was not long-term but we still took plenty of other hits.
This past week has been a bloodbath but on the bright side, we have Freddie Freeman and Gleyber Torres back with Spencer Strider on the way. Let’s dive into the news of the weekend.
Injuries to Monitor
Wyatt Langford (OF, TEX) Oblique
Wyatt Langford will be sidelined for the next few weeks with another oblique injury. After missing two weeks in Spring Training with a similarly mild issue, Langford returned to his normal self and mashed the ball up until this recent strain. While he does claim that this injury feels “less severe”, we have to be concerned about any re-injury.
Langford will likely return towards the end of April and should remain an elite hitter. However, the risk of an even more severe strain or even a setback is compounding. If Langford comes back healthy for a week or so, consider selling him despite the inherent upside.
Jackson Merrill (OF, SD) Hamstring
Jackson Merrill missed Monday night’s game this past week due to a hamstring issue that seemed mild at the time. He was on the Injured List come Tuesday indicating that things were not, in fact, fine. Luckily, this injury does appear mild and we should expect Merrill to return at full strength when first eligible.
Unlike Langford, this is Merrill’s first encounter with a soft tissue injury this season. We can be confident upon return but if a re-injury or setback occurs down the line, tread with caution.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (OF, SD) Shoulder
Tatis Jr. suffered a shoulder injury earlier this week on a swing that looked eerily familiar. The injury was to his surgically repaired left shoulder which was constantly popping out of the socket prior to surgery. Luckily, Tatis Jr. returned to the Padres’ lineup Friday and drowned out concerns with a home run (and stolen base).
We are familiar with Tatis Jr.’s ability to play following shoulder issues but should never be too confident given his history. Monitor him closely because an immediate return and stellar performance is not enough to consider ourselves home free from future problems.
Pablo Lopez (SP, MIN) Hamstring
Lopez suffered a hamstring injury on the mound earlier this week and will miss his next two starts at least. The strain did not appear too severe but hamstrings can be tricky. I am not too concerned about this injury based on his initial reaction and the fact that pitchers do not typically deal with hamstring reoccurrence.
Justin Steele (SP, CHC) Elbow
The veteran leftie will be sidelined for the next few weeks with elbow tendinitis. This is Steele’s third consecutive season with an IL designation mid-year due to a forearm/elbow issue. The red flags were waving coming into the season but they are bright and bloody red now. If you can move off of Steele upon his return, I would recommend doing so ASAP.
Zach Eflin (SP, BAL) Lat
Zach Eflin is on the IL, again. This lat strain was deemed mild but he is set to miss a few weeks regardless. Lat/oblique strains for pitchers are very concerning given the motion required to pitch. Hopefully, Eflin does not adjust his pitching mechanics post-injury to mitigate the pressure on his oblique and risk injury elsewhere. (like teammate Grayson Rodriguez). Eflin is fine to stash on fantasy IL’s but if room is limited, he should be one of the first cuts.
What are the chances Jared Jones opts for Tommy John this year? Man, I’ve got to think better than 50%. Thoughts?
Victor Robles. Cracked femoral head? Ish, any way he comes back from that this year?
Thinking both players are droppable. You?
TJ is inevitable for Jones and Robles is 100% a drop as well given 3 month timeline