We're back from the All-Star break, and unfortunately, so are the injuries. We had a whole bunch of pretty serious ones just in the three days back from the break, and potentially none more important than the one that happened as I was writing this piece.
Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez jammed his foot into the centerfield wall and went down awkwardly, grabbing his right ankle as he laid on the ground for several minutes. He was able to walk off the field under his own power, but it was a pretty scary moment, and I wouldn't be surprised if Rodriguez had to miss some time as a result. The hope here is we're talking about just a few days if it was minor, but as of Sunday afternoon, we just don't know.
Here are the other injuries we're keeping track of this heading into Week 18 of the Fantasy Baseball season before we get to who you should be looking to add this week on waivers:
- Ozzie Albies suffered a fractured left wrist. He'll be placed on the IL this week and is expected to miss eight weeks, effectively ending his Fantasy season. The Braves are expected to call up Ignacio Alvarez, who has a pretty interesting skill set. I've got more thoughts on him coming!
- Bo Bichette was placed on the IL with a right calf strain. This has been a recurring issue for Bichette, and it sounds like he's going to need a few weeks to recover from this latest setback. It's really starting to feel like a totally lost season for Bichette, and if I needed the roster space, I would certainly be open to dropping him at this point.
- Max Fried went on the IL with left forearm neuritis. I'll note two things: One, he did have an MRI taken Friday that showed no structural damage; and two, this is still pretty scary, given how much time Fried missed with a forearm strain last season. Jeffrey Springs had an ulnar neuritis issue that precipitated his Tommy John surgery last season, but with Fried's MRI coming back clean, hopefully that isn't a concern here, and there are examples in recent history of pitchers coming back from this same injury quickly, including Jordan Romano in 2021, who missed the minimum. Hopefully that will be the case with Fried.
- Ryan Pepiot was placed on the IL with a right knee infection. Pepiot was hospitalized as a result of the infection in order to receive antibiotics to try to get the swelling down. It's not clear how long he'll have to miss, but I would try to keep Pepiot stashed where I have him.
- Reese Olson was placed on the IL with a right shoulder strain. Olson left Saturday's start after just two innings as a result of the injury, and shoulders are always pretty scary. At this point, we have no timetable, but the Tigers do have one very interesting minor-leaguer worth knowing about – read on for that.
- Chris Paddack went on the IL with a right forearm strain. Given that Paddack has had Tommy John surgery in the past couple of years, this is obviously a concern. He can probably be safely dropped outside of AL-only leagues.
- Jacob Wilson was placed on the IL with a hamstring strain. This one is just really unfortunately. I'm not convinced Wilson is going to be a difference maker for Fantasy, but I was excited to see what the A's top prospect could do after he absolutely dominated the minors. We saw exactly one at-bat from him, as he suffered the injury coming around to score after his first major-league hit. I'm trying to stash him where I picked him up last week.
Here's who else we're looking to add on waivers ahead of the All-Star break:
Catchers
Tyler Stephenson, Reds (54%) – Stephenson is red hot right now, with five homers and a .255/.321/.628 line since the start of July. He won't keep that kind of run up, obviously, but he also doesn't need to, given the edge he has in playing time on most of the catcher position. He isn't one of the true difference makers, but he's a solidifying presence in your lineup who is hot right now, so go add him if you don't like your C situation.
Deep-league target: Gary Sanchez, Brewers (5%) – Sanchez is working his way back from his calf injury, beginning his rehab assignment this weekend. We know he won't help your batting average, but Sanchez is a legitimate source of power and a solid No. 2 catcher if you can stomach the average hit.
First Base
Jake Burger, Marlins (48%) – Burger has failed to replicate last year's breakout, especially with his post-trade contact gains. But he's gotten hot over the past few weeks, hitting .294/.333/.559 over the past 17 games. Is that sustainable? Well, it comes with a .375 BABIP, so I'm inclined to be skeptical, obviously. But even before his improvement in the second half last year, he was a very useful Fantasy option for power when he was hot, and he can still be that, at least.
Deep-league target: Juan Yepez, Nationals (13%) – Yepez enters play Sunday having hit safely in each of his first 12 games with the Nationals, including a stretch of four straight games with multiple hits and his first homer Friday. He's a career. 270/.351/.496 hitter in Triple-A and has had flashes in the majors, so let's see if this hot streak might be for real.
Second base
Brandon Lowe, Rays (61%) – Did you realize Lowe has a .286/.357/.563 line since June 1? I'll admit, I didn't until I looked it up the other day. In large part, that's because the Rays give him enough days off, which suppresses his counting stats – he has started 28 of 39 games for the Rays in that time. However, that's become less of an issue in July, as he enters play Sunday having started 11 of the past 14 games, and if that trend continues (and he keeps homering like he has been), Lowe is going to be a must-start middle infielder the rest of the way.
Deep-league target: Eduard Julien, Twins (19%) – I'm less convinced than some Fantasy analysts that Julien is ever really going to matter for Fantasy – he's patient to the point of being passive, and he has a swing that just isn't very well suited to generate in-game power – but he remains an intriguing hitting talent who is back with the Twins while Carlos Correa is on the IL. It may not be a long stay, but we'll see if he can get hot.
Third base
Curtis Mead, Rays (9%) – Mead has done very little in his chances in the majors, but he's still just 23 and has put up very solid numbers in the minors, including a .289/.370/.512 line with 23 homers and 10 steals in 144 games at Triple-A. He's back in the majors with Yandy Diaz on the restricted list while dealing with a personal matter, and is worth a look to see if he can finally live up to his prospect billing.
Deep-league target: Abraham Toro, Athletics (21%) – The A's suddenly look like a kind of competent offense, but it shouldn't be tough to find playing time for Toro; his primary replacement at third base is Brett Harris, hitting .165 in 109 plate appearances. Whether Toro will return to the leadoff spot is a tougher question, but he should have an everyday role in a decent lineup, probably in the top half, and is a decent CI or MI option in those deeper leagues.
Shortstop
Ignacio Alvarez, Braves (2%) - The Braves haven't announced their intentions in light of Ozzie Albies' wrist injury, but with the veteran expected to go on the IL, let's look down at the farm and try to project. Alvarez has been a fast riser this season, forcing his way up to Triple-A, where he has suddenly started to tap into some power. He has seven homers in 27 games at Triple-A Gwinnett, and he's done that while cutting his strikeout rate to 15.7% and hitting .342/.425/.586. I don't expect power to be a big part of Alvarez's game, but his 87.4 mph average exit velocity in Triple-A is close enough to average to think he won't be a total zero. He's got a great approach at the plate and some speed on the bases (21 steals in 75 games while being caught just three times) and could matter in categories leagues if he does get the call. Note: He might be known as "Nacho Alvarez" on some sites.
Deep-league target: Xavier Edwards, Marlins (15%) - There hasn't been a huge game from Edwards just yet, hence the tepid reception from Fantasy players. But he's hit .346 with just nine strikeouts in 14 July games with three steals, and he should be a viable option for categories leagues with that speed, at the very least.
Outfield
Lawrence Butler, Athletics (39%) – The All-Star break came at a bad time for Butler, who homered three times in the final Sunday game before the break. No worries, though, as he went 5 for 8 with five RBI in his first two games back from the break. Butler has impressive physical tools, and with his strikeout rate down to 25% in July, he's starting to find ways to put them into play consistently. And he's doing it as a leadoff hitter, guaranteeing him four trips to the plate nearly every game, and occasionally five. Butler probably won't matter much in points leagues, but he looks like he should be rostered in all categories leagues, at least.
Heston Kjerstad, Orioles (51%) – Kjerstad was back in the lineup Saturday after missing about a week recovering from a concussion, and he should continue to see the bulk of the playing time against right-handed pitching. His lack of an everyday role limits Kjerstad's immediate impact, but he's also a recent top(-ish) prospect hitting .302/.413/.509 in the majors, so he's worth the stash just in case that role continues to grow.
Victor Robles, Mariners (2%) – Robles is hitting .378/.465/.568 since getting to the Mariners, and I think it goes without saying that I don't expect him to keep that up. But he has started six of the past nine games and has five steals in that span, so if you're looking for an injection of speed, he should be able to help there, at least. He should play even more if Rodriguez has to miss time moving forward.
Eddie Rosario, Braves (3%) – Rosario started and homered in both halves of the Braves' doubleheader Saturday, and he has started nine straight since making his debut with the team July 8. Saying Rosario has been "up and down" in recent years would probably be giving him too much credit, but he has been a pretty productive player with the Braves, including 21 homers in 516 plate appearances last season. In deeper, five-outfielder leagues, that's enough to matter if he can get back to that.
Weston Wilson, Phillies (1%) – Here's one for really deep leagues. Wilson got the call when the Phillies released Whit Merrifield, and he's a pretty interesting player, with a career .247/.337/.467 line at Triple-A, with some power and speed. Wilson went deep for the first time in the majors Friday when he started in left field, a few days after recording his first major-league steal. This might just be an NL-only name for now, but he's worth keeping an eye on in deeper five-outfielder leagues.
Starting pitcher
Jackson Jobe, Tigers (30%) – Nothing has been announced. I'm not sure anything is even imminent, really. But the Tigers are down a pitcher in their rotation and Jobe is arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball, so let's connect some dots. He just took part in a combined no-hitter at Double-A Erie Saturday, and might not have much left to prove in the minors. How good is Jobe? In their mid-season top-50 prospects update (where he is No. 3 overall), BaseballProspectus said Jobe has, "Jobe has one of the best overall stuff profiles in all of baseball—not just minor-league baseball." It's an elite triple-digits fastball with ideal shape, a terrific sweeper, and a changeup that could be his best pitch. Will the Tigers actually call Jobe up? I'm pretty skeptical of that, but if they do, he'd be right there with Paul Skenes as the most exciting young pitcher to debut this season.
Hayden Birdsong, Giants (12%) – Anytime you do something that hasn't been done since a two-time Cy Young winner did it, you're in rareified air. This is the case with Birdsong, whose 12 strikeouts Sunday against the Rockies made him the first Giants rookie to accomplish that feat since Tim Lincecum in 2007. Birdsong has 30 strikeouts in his first 25.1 MLB innings, with a 3.55 ERA and he did it Sunday by leaning heavily on his curveball and slider en route to a whopping 27 whiffs – matching the league-high for a start this season. This might go down as a fluke, but it's the kind of performance we can't ignore, given the upside on display.
Robbie Ray, Giants (62%) – Ray made his final rehab start at Triple-A Sacramento Friday and he sure looked ready, striking out seven in 5.1 innings of work while allowing one hit. On his rehab assignment from Tommy John surgery, Ray ended up with 45 strikeouts in 29.1 innings with a 3.38 ERA, and while I'm not ready to say he's going to be a difference maker at the MLB level again – something he hasn't really been since 2021 – I do think the upside here is worth betting on … though probably not for his first start, which is expected to come against the Dodgers this week.
Max Meyer, Marlins (50%) – The Marlins would never admit it, but we can all see what's happening: They gained an extra year of club control by keeping him down in Triple-A through this weekend, so we should expect his return to the big-league club to come any day now. Meyer worked up to 86 pitches in two of his past four outings, so it just doesn't make much sense to keep "preserving his innings" in Triple-A. Meyer wasn't dominant overall in Triple-A, but he got better after a rough start, posting a 3.05 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 41.3 innings over his past 10 starts. I'm not convinced he's going to be a difference maker at the big-league level, but he certainly has the upside to be one if it all comes together. I'm prioritizing the other three ahead of him, but Meyer should probably be rostered in all leagues with his return looming.
Ryne Nelson, Diamondbacks (16%) – I've been pretty uninterested in Nelson this season, but he's on a nice little run since the start of July, allowing just six runs over 24.1 innings with 22 strikeouts, including nine in his most recent outing. I'm not sure there's much strikeout upside here, so he's only interesting in deeper leagues, but he does great control and a good home park backing him up, so maybe he can keep this run up against the right matchups – the Royals aren't a great one, but he should get either the Pirates or Nationals the next time out, which is. He could be worth streaming over the next week or so.
RP
Relief pitcher
Daniel Hudson, Dodgers (30%) – I'm not sure if the Dodgers have just lost faith in Evan Phillips, but they have three saves dating back to July 5, and none of them have gone to Phillips entering Sunday's action. Daniel Hudson has the past two saves for them, and Phillips had to be bailed out from a loss Saturday after allowing both the inherited ghost runner and an additional runner to score in the 10th innings. This one could be wide open for a while – Alex Vesia also has multiple saves for the Dodgers this season and Blake Treinen could figure in as well – but if you're speculating for saves, Hudson would be my first target.
Brett Honeywell, Dodgers (1%) – Pitch mix changes are often the easiest to make when a player joins a new team, and the Dodgers have made an obvious one with Honeywell, who has thrown his screwball 18 times in two appearances, after he threw it just twice in his two appearances with the Pirates. The Dodgers pretty desperately need rotation help, so maybe they can unlock something here with Honeywell and his unique pitch. I wouldn't take a flier on Honeywell outside of the deepest leagues, but I'm definitely intrigued.