Hitters Who Missed Significant Time in 2025

Injuries are a part of the game of baseball. Within the realm of the fantasy baseball world, they can do some serious damage to the teams that roster those ailing players, simply because of the large investment that each injured player requires. If a fantasy player spends a very high draft pick on someone who won’t play, then their team likely suffered as a result.

However, a year after these disasters, fantasy managers should look to capitalize. Oftentimes in drafts, a player’s average draft position or draft cost will be lowered due to many reasons, such as injury concern, performance upon return, and not knowing what to expect. Here are some hitters who missed significant time in 2025, and what to expect in 2026.

Hitters Who Missed Significant Time in 2025

Yordan Alvarez – Houston Astros

Yordan Alvarez disappointed many fantasy players in 2025 because of his injuries. First, he suffered a misdiagnosed fracture in his right hand in May, missing around 100 games while it healed. Upon his return, he then suffered a major left ankle sprain, causing him to miss the September stretch run for the Astros, and resulting in even more frustration. Given that he was an early-round draft pick in 2025, fantasy players were left in limbo, stashing away an injured player without knowing when he would return. This offseason, the team offered this update, albeit with a caveat.

This is great news for the Astros in 2026, as Alvarez on the field is definitely an asset worth having. However, the news comes with fine print. For one, a few weeks earlier, Alvarez was only jogging at 70% health and not showing many signs of things getting better. Second, the team also announced that the 28-year-old slugger would spend most of his time as the team’s designated hitter in an effort to keep him healthy. This shows the team has its own concerns about long-term health here. His injury history suggests that this worry is warranted.

What does that mean for 2026? In all likelihood, Alvarez will begin the season on time. He is trending in the right direction, and no signs are pointing to a delay. He will more than likely begin as the team’s designated hitter, but, with both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker in the mix, there may not be enough at-bats to go around. As such, we could see Alvarez transition back into the outfield at some point. That could lead to another injury, though playing the speculative game can be dangerous. His draft price signals that not many people are worried, though he is going in the third round, giving a slight discount. Buy the dip and invest.

Dylan Crews – Washington Nationals

It’s amazing how quickly the fantasy baseball community tends to dismiss a player’s abilities based on one season of struggles. Heading into the 2025 season, Dylan Crews was drafted with the promise of something big. Unfortunately for him, he suffered an oblique injury in May and missed three months’ worth of action. Oblique injuries tend to linger, and anytime a player tries to come back from one too early, the pain can resurface or even worsen. Fortunately for him, the team believes that he can recapture what made him such an intriguing prospect.

Think back to the hype surrounding Crews before last year. It was believed that he could provide power and speed, and possibly be a five-category player. After missing time with an internal injury that requires extensive rest, he looks to return with a vengeance for a team that is willing to do whatever it takes to make that success happen. Over his final 40 games played, he finished with a .286 batting average and three home runs. He was just getting started before the season concluded. He is currently being drafted just outside the Top 150 picks. Buy the dip and invest.

Anthony Santander – Toronto Blue Jays

Last offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays made a free agent splash by signing Anthony Santander to a long-term contract. Coming off a season where he hit 44 home runs in 2024, the hope was that he could take that power up north and give the Blue Jays a much-needed boost of power in 2025. Unfortunately for him and Toronto, a left shoulder subluxation caused him to miss significant time, and he never got his season on track. It looks like this offseason has finally had him trending in the right direction.

Anthony Santander’s back and shoulder “finally feel normal” Schneider said.

“Tony is going to be huge for us.”#BlueJays

— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) December 9, 2025

Santander struggled when he was on the field last year. Even when he was healthy, he didn’t quite produce the way that the Jays had wanted. Some of that could be because he was getting used to his new team and home stadium. A lot of players take a while to get adjusted to their new confides. However, in that small sample, he still did hit the ball hard, as his exit velocity remained somewhat similar from his final year in Baltimore to his first year in Toronto. Package that with a recurring injury, and you have a season where nothing went right. He will be in a loaded lineup with plenty of opportunities to hit. With a draft price just over 225, this is a perfect place to get a bounce-back and get 30 or more home runs for almost no cost at all. Buy the massive dip and invest.

Quick Hits

Triston Casas has had a complicated career, filled with freakishly rare yet major injuries, subsequently costing him significant time. The offseason acquisition of Willson Contreras could impact his return timeline, as there are rumblings of him beginning the year in the minor leagues. However, he is worth remembering late in drafts because of his upside (when healthy), and because the Red Sox do need more consistency at the catcher position, which might lead to additional playing time for Contreras… Daulton Varsho had offseason surgery on his shoulder last offseason and then missed two months of the season with a hamstring injury. He still managed to finish with 20 home runs hit, while barreling the ball more than he has at any other point in his career. The Blue Jays unlocked something in him last year. He is only 29 years old, and there is a chance that he puts up career highs this season, as he is in a contract year… Ha-Seong Kim appeared in only 48 games last season because of a lingering back issue that wouldn’t go away. He signed a one-year deal with the Braves, the same team where he finished his 2025 season. It’s a promising sign that Atlanta re-signed him, showing confidence that he is feeling healthy heading into next season. When he is healthy, he’s been a player who can give fantasy teams speed, and at that point in the draft, every steal matters.