Dave Funnell continues his series looking at the injury history and risk position by position. This week, he digs into the injury concerns at third base. For more injury analysis make sure to follow Dave on Twitter @sportz_nutt51.
When assessing the future stats of a player, it’s imperative to consider player health and injury risk when speculating on playing time. After all, getting onto the field and being given a chance to succeed only happens if the player is healthy enough. That’s why looking at a player’s track record of health gives credence to whether someone is worth drafting. A fantasy team could have all the talent in the world, but if they’re on your Injured List or bench, they lose a ton of value.
We are moving toward draft season, and all eyes will be on the top players at each position. Knowing of any inherent risk to drafting someone can help teams in the long run. That’s why going through the examinations of injury risk is important for roster construction. The following will be the Injury History of the top players at every position with special notes on their healthy or troubled pasts. Seeing trends in their health could help determine any future problems.
The players listed below will be separated into one of three categories: red light, yellow light, green light. The timeframe that will be examined will primarily be from 2021 to 2023, though looking into the distant past might also take place.
Red Light: any players listed here have an extensive and/or concerning injury history that seems likely to come into play in the future. The potential for injury outweighs their production on the field and their selection could lead to roster problems down the line. The reoccurrence of a particular injury or multiple injuries also creates the need for a red light. Fantasy owners should be wary of drafting these players because the risk of injury is high.
Yellow Light: any players listed here have had their injury problems before, but they’re not necessarily prone to injury. These players here have situations to monitor, especially during the off-season and Spring Training, but it’s not necessarily as bleak as it could be. The types of injuries could also be freakish or due to bad luck with events leading to it being out of the ordinary. Fantasy owners should be aware of the injury history, but know the possibility for health is there too.
Green Light: any players listed here have had minimal problems and their future doesn’t appear to be in any jeopardy. There is nothing from their past that would indicate an injury-prone future. While injuries could happen at any time, there are no red flags in this player’s history to suggest it will lead to another one. Fantasy owners can feel safe in drafting these players.
Things to remember:
- The players listed are in the general order from which they are being drafted.
- The level of confidence has to do with their health and nothing to do with their abilities on the field.
- A player’s injured past is not a direct indication that they will get injured in the future.
- Pitchers tend to be more prone to getting injured as opposed to hitters, especially with long-term injuries.
- The minimum time away on the Injured List is ten days for hitters and fifteen days for pitchers.
Final 2024 Outfield Values
2025 MLB Injury Risk at Third Base
1. Jose Ramirez – Cleveland Guardians
2024 – 158 games played, 620 at-bats, 682 plate appearances
Jose Ramirez has evolved past the injury-prone label and into one of the most reliable players in all of baseball. Since missing time on the Injured List in 2019, he has been an everyday staple in the Cleveland lineup, barely missing a beat for the past five years. Draft with confidence.
2. Jazz Chisholm Jr. – New York Yankees
2024 – 147 games played, 562 at-bats, 621 plate appearances
We finally saw what peak-season Jazz looks like, both from a health perspective and a performance standpoint. He posted career-highs in both regards and has subsequently sky-rocketed up the draft board, making him a second-round pick in some leagues. Herein lies the issue, as his injury history suggests that 2024 was an anomaly. Sure, he missed time last year on the Injured List, but he rushed back to help the Yankees advance in the playoffs, something he’d never had to do before with Miami. Still, with your second pick in any draft, don’t you want question-free and worry-free players? Additionally, there’s the issue of the elbow sprain that was miraculously healed within a matter of days. Will the issue resurface in 2025? With that being a major unknown, he remains a huge injury risk, and thus a tough recommendation with your second pick. Draft with caution.
3. Austin Riley – Atlanta Braves
2024 – 110 games played, 425 at-bats, 469 plate appearances
Austin Riley’s first trip to the Injured List since 2019 was a big one, as he found himself missing almost half the season with a fractured hand. It’s those types of injuries that are not worrisome since broken bones can heal and they don’t necessarily lead to future ailments. He is being drafted far too late for the power potential he offers. Draft with confidence.
4. Rafael Devers – Boston Red Sox
2024 – 138 games played, 525 at-bats, 601 plate appearances
Up until this past season, Rafael Devers was considered a very reliable fantasy contributor. A season-long shoulder issue hindered that statement, as he battled through a wonky shoulder since a bat-weight shift in the spring. He was able to manage it with rest throughout the season, but his reduced in-season bat speed became a big indication that something wasn’t right. He was ultimately shut down in September, and the team determined that rest would be needed instead of surgery. Time will tell if this was the right diagnosis, but his spring update will be one of the highlights to watch. Draft with caution.
5. Manny Machado – San Diego Padres
2024 – 152 games played, 593 at-bats, 643 plate appearances
After early-career knee problems, Manny Machado has remained a relatively healthy player for the middle part of his career. His 2023 elbow surgery did impact last year’s output, as he wasn’t quite the same person early in the season. However, as the weather improved, so did he, and by seasons-end, he looked like the player he once was and could be when 100% healthy. Heading into 2025, he is worth drafting as early as he’s going. Draft with confidence.
6. Jordan Westburg – Baltimore Orioles
7. Mark Vientos – New York Mets
2024 – 111 games played, 413 at-bats, 454 plate appearances
Mark Vientos has had a relatively healthy start to his career, though he did miss some time with wrist inflammation in 2023. Still, he was an everyday player for the Mets in 2024, and will likely be the same in 2025. It remains to be seen where on the field he plays, but if he shifts over to first base at any point, his risk for injury decreases. Draft with confidence.
8. Junior Caminero – Tampa Bay Rays
2024 – 43 games played, 165 at-bats, 177 plate appearances
Junior Caminero is a Top 100 pick in this year’s draft, but fantasy baseball owners need to remember his Minor League Injury History. In 2024, he twice suffered a quad ailment, the second of which was of the Grade 2 variety. Both he and the team don’t seem overly concerned with this heading into 2025, as he should be receiving everyday at-bats all season long. The hope is that this quad injury isn’t a sign of things to come. Draft with attention.
9. Jake Burger – Texas Rangers
10. Royce Lewis – Minnesota Twins
2024 – 82 games played, 292 at-bats, 325 plate appearances
Royce Lewis finally had a long stretch of health in 2024, as he stayed in the lineup for two consecutive months to end the season. Unfortunately for him, that was preceded by two trips on the Injured List for two separate body parts. In total, he has been on the Injured List six times over his short career, and that doesn’t include his issues in the Minor Leagues. He is the very definition of injury-prone, and his status is written in the deepest shade of read possible. Draft with caution.
11. Matt Chapman – San Francisco Giants
2024 – 154 games played, 575 at-bats, 647 plate appearances
Matt Chapman had some significant injury problems earlier in his career, missing time due to knee and hip issues. Since the start of the 2021 season, he has played in 600 games, which is good for 18th in all of baseball among qualified hitters. He’s a very reliable player on the field in terms of durability and reliability. It remains to be seen if last season’s speed is something that is a constant, but as for his health, he feels like a safe player to roster. Draft with confidence.
12. Alex Bregman – Boston Red Sox
2024 – 145 games played, 581 at-bats, 634 plate appearances
Alex Bregman has not been on the Injured List since the 2021 season, making him a reliable source for fantasy goodness from the left side of the infield. Draft with confidence.
13. Luis Rengifo – Los Angeles Angels
14. Eugenio Suarez – Arizona Diamondbacks
2024 – 158 games played, 571 at-bats, 640 plate appearances
Eugenio Suarez has played in 470 games since the start of the 2022 season. This puts him in the eighth spot among all players in baseball and among one of the more reliable third basemen in the league. Draft with confidence.
15. Alec Bohm – Philadelphia Phillies
2024 – 143 games played, 554 at-bats, 606 plate appearances
Alec Bohm has accumulated over 600 plate appearances for the last three seasons and has been an everyday player for the Phillies. He has been on the Injured List twice in that time, however, once for a strained hamstring and another for a strained hand which he injured with a swing of the bat. He healed quickly both times and neither injury led to an extended absence. Both are nothing to worry about long-term. Draft with confidence.
16. Isaac Paredes – Houston Astros
2024 – 153 games played, 542 at-bats, 641 plate appearances
Isaac Paredes has done well to remain healthy after some early career struggles. Over the past two seasons, he has missed just 28 games for minor bumps and bruises and for rest. Otherwise, he was and should remain an everyday player in 2025. Draft with confidence.
17. Matt Shaw – Chicago Cubs
2024 – Did not play.
Matt Shaw will make his Major League debut in 2025 after a healthy Minor League career. It remains to be seen how he will be used in the lineup. From a health perspective, however, there are no concerns. Draft with confidence.
18. Maikel Garcia – Kansas City Royals
19. Josh Jung – Texas Rangers
2024 – 46 games played, 178 at-bats, 188 plate appearances
Josh Jung’s 2024 season was one riddled with a lingering wrist injury. By season’s end, he had suffered through multiple setbacks and two surgeries. He is expected to be ready for Opening Day, but his history warrants serious consideration. He has missed a lot of time in both the Minor and Major Leagues for injuries all over his body, including his shoulder, thumb, and foot. It’s almost to the point where his 2023 season is considered an anomaly. Draft with caution.
20. Nolan Arenado – St. Louis Cardinals
2024 – 152 games played, 578 at-bats, 635 plate appearances
Nolan Arenado has been placed on the Injured List just once since the pandemic-shortened season. He has been a stable source of playing time, and will likely continue to be so in 2025. Draft with confidence.
21. Willi Castro – Minnesota Twins
22. Max Muncy – Los Angeles Dodgers
2024 – 73 games played, 237 at-bats, 293 plate appearances
Prior to 2024, Max Muncy had played in at least 135 games in three straight seasons. Despite all of that, he always felt like someone who was playing through his bumps and bruises and was on the verge of missing significant time. In those three years, he was placed on the Injured List in each season, but also missed games here and there for smaller ailments. It’s fair to wonder if his performance on the field has suffered because of this, though as it stands there is no proof of this. Still, at the end of the day, he will be 35 years old next season and as such, his body doesn’t heal like it once did. Consider it a hunch, but there is not much confidence in this profile. Luckily, he is cheap enough in drafts where it won’t hurt you. Draft with attention.
23. Connor Norby – Miami Marlins
2024 – 45 games played, 178 at-bats, 194 plate appearances
Connor Norby has had a short Major League career, and other than foot soreness to end the season, at no time with either Major League team was he injured. Looking through his Minor League career, however, there were some bumps and bruises along the way that are worth mentioning. In 2024, he missed short amounts of time due to a side injury and a left wrist ailment, both of which cost him some time in his development. While they’re both nothing to be alarmed about, it’s something to consider moving forward. Regardless of this, he’s a safe bet for everyday at-bats in 2025. Draft with confidence.
24. Christopher Morel – Tampa Bay Rays
25. Ryan McMahon – Colorado Rockies
2024 – 253 games played, 567 at-bats, 645 plate appearances
Ryan McMahon is one of the steadiest and most reliable fantasy options when it comes to playing time. His last (and only) trip to the Injured List happened in 2019 when he missed time with a sprained elbow. Since then, his playing time and statistics have been consistent. Draft with confidence.
26. Joey Ortiz – Milwaukee Brewers
2024 – 142 games played, 440 at-bats, 511 plate appearances
Joey Ortiz was a steady force in the Brewers’ lineup last season, playing consistently. While his on-field production wasn’t inspiring, his reliability was, putting in 134 appearances at third base. One has to wonder if that will continue despite his lackluster output. Looking through his Minor League Injury History, he did have a labrum tear in 2021 that needed surgical repair. He also suffered from an oblique injury just before being dealt. His status for 2025 seems safe, but fantasy baseball owners should be aware of his checkered past. Draft with attetnion.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
