Jeff Samardzija

Recent Injuries Elvis Andrus – Elbow Injury (Fracture) No fracture is ideal, but this particular spot is troublesome (see image below).Return to the field takes a little longer due to the challenge of regaining full flexibility of the elbow. Early reports suggest 6-8 weeks, but I'd err closer to eight weeks than six in most cases. Estimated Return: Early to Mid-June Josh Donaldson – "Dead Arm" As I mentioned two weeks ago, a trip to the DL wasn't out of the question for Donaldson if his velocity didn't return. He…

Dr. Mike Tanner has treated patients with orthopedic injuries for over 10 years as a board-certified specialist and physical therapist. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D., educating physical therapy students and conducting research.My projected return dates are based on medical protocols, established rehabilitation guidelines, and evidence-based data. Most of the time, I will not agree with the timelines given by teams, beat writers, or others on social media. Madison Bumgarner – 5th Metacarpal Fracture We know the…

This edition could have easily had a Star Wars-inspired titled called Spring Training III: Revenge of the Injury Bug. It seems that a great deal of news this week concerns injuries. This has some wondering if Spring Training is too long. Some feel that, even in a year like this one when it is somewhat shorter than usual because of an early start to the regular season, everyone who was going to get their timing down well enough to make a big league roster has already done so. Therefore, we would be able to bypass the…

This gets said most seasons, but starting pitching is incredibly deep. Between safe veteran options and up-and-coming young flamethrowers, there's a little bit of everything in this part of the rankings.I've always preached the depth of pitching while filling out your roster. It's certainly important to grab some top-tier arms, but filling out your pitching staff with strong late-round options can pay big dividends. And this year, the late-round options you'll find below are quite intriguing. Included are several…

I'm a big fan of deep leagues, but one of the less attractive aspects of drafting a large player pool is finding players you can be enthused about in the later rounds. Usually, it's not a problem we need to sweat. Even in deep formats, savvy owners can usually fill the gaps they left with bad late picks through trades or FAAB bidding.So imagine being in a 15-team league with 50-player rosters that doesn't allow trading or add/drops. That is a reality for me and the 14 owners who paid a $150 entry fee for the chance at a…