We are coming down to the final couple of weeks in MLB and fantasy seasons. The good news for fantasy owners is that there are still many playoff races going on, so the likelihood that their stars will still be playing on a regular basis is quite high. Still, there are some injuries and plenty of other MLB news that fantasy owners should pay attention to.
MLB News, Week of September 17
Betts leaves Sunday game
Mookie Betts departed the sixth inning of Sunday’s series finale against the Mets with another bout of left side soreness. After the game, Betts and Boston manager Alex Cora insist that Betts is fine and will play when Boston takes on the Yankees when they start their series on Tuesday. In June, Betts hit the disabled list with left side soreness and missed 12 games. Cora has said the latest injury was not related to that. Regardless, fantasy owners will want to monitor this situation to see if Betts will truly play this week.
A handful of pitchers to be shut down for the season
Heading into the final weeks of the season, a handful of fantasy relevant pitchers will not make any more starts for the rest of the year. Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer may not return to the rotation this year after sustaining a knee injury during Saturday’s game against the Indians. Fulmer had some velocity issues which also revealed some problems with his knee, and he was quickly pulled from the game and later diagnosed with a case of right knee inflammation. The Tigers will reserve a final judgment until they receive the results of his MRI on Monday.
Nationals pitcher Jeremy Hellickson may miss the rest of the season after reinjuring his right wrist while batting in the fourth inning of Saturday’s game against the Braves. Finally, Diamondbacks right-hander Clay Buchholz is done for the year, according to postgame comments made by club manager Torey Lovullo. Buchholz experienced a bout of right elbow stiffness prior to a scheduled start on Thursday and was officially diagnosed with a flexor strain after undergoing an MRI the next day.
Ohtani tweaks ankle
Shohei Ohtani tweaked his left ankle while sliding into second base Sunday against the Mariners. Early reports state that Ohtani should be able to play when the Angels start their next series on Tuesday, but it is still a situation worth monitoring for your fantasy finale.
Skaggs slated to return on Wednesday
Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs is scheduled to start on Wednesday against the A’s. Skaggs has a 3.78 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 123 K’s in 116 2/3 innings over 21 starts this year. He will probably be somewhat limited in his first start but fantasy owners who need pitching help might want to grab him, especially if returns healthy as he could be valuable down the stretch.
Polanco likely to miss up to nine months
Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco underwent shoulder surgery to stabilize his dislocated left shoulder when it was discovered that he had a torn labrum as well. Given that spring training begins in five months, this will put a serious dent in Polanco’s 2019 season. Polanco hit .254/.340/.499 with 23 home runs, 81 RBI, 75 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases. Missing this much time puts a damper on his fantasy value for 2019. But keep an eye on his health status as a healthy Polanco would be a nice mid-season addition, worthy of a stash if you have roster space.
Judge activated from the DL, not cleared to hit
The Yankees activated Aaron Judge from the DL last Friday night, but he will not be used as a hitter. He is being activated in order to get him at least some in-game action in preparation for his full return. Manager Aaron Boone has stated that Judge will hit in simulated games first and implied that he could be a week away from being a full-time player again. However, recent reports have stated that Judge may say see at-bats during this week’s upcoming series against the Red Sox. Monitor this, as a healthy Judge could be a big benefit to playoff playing fantasy owners.
.@Yankees Aaron Judge may hit against the Red Sox https://t.co/2rSF640U09 pic.twitter.com/kwySnDAuuy
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) September 16, 2018
Yankees promote pitching prospect Sheffield
Yankees pitching prospect Justus Sheffield has been promoted to the big leagues and will report to the team in time for Tuesday’s matchup against the Red Sox. It is expected that Sheffield will pitch out of the bullpen for the rest of the season. While that may not help you for the rest of this year, keeper league owners who have a chance to roster him for next year should grab him quick. He was acquired in a deadline deal for reliever Andrew Miller back in 2016 and has been working his way through the lower levels of the Yankees’ farm system ever since. In 2018, he made the jump from Double-A Trenton to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a cumulative 7-6 record in 20 starts and a 2.87 ERA, 3.9 BB/9 and 9.5 SO/9 through 116 innings.
Yankees reportedly calling up top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield for wild card push, and here's what you need to know https://t.co/UIm0Zcp8BI pic.twitter.com/6o6w0CN6gm
— SportsRadio 740 (@SportsRadio_740) September 16, 2018
Cubs closer injures his hamstring, likely done for the season
Cubs reliever Pedro Strop injured his left hamstring while running the bases in the 10th inning of last Thursday’s victory over the Nationals. That was the infamous make-up game in which Anthony Rizzo wore his uniform on the flight to Washington, not bringing any other clothing. The Cubs are likely going to a committee for ninth-inning duties, turning to Steve Cishek, Jesse Chavez, Carl Edwards Jr, and Justin Wilson. On Saturday, Joe Maddon went to Chavez and Randy Rosario for matchups in the ninth inning before calling on Cishek for the one-out save. Keep an eye on who gets the opportunities to help you garner some saves during the final weeks of your fantasy season.
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