Fantasy Baseball 2018: Noah Syndergaard and others injured

Another week of fantasy baseball in the books and another round of injuries to talk about. Noah Syndergaard is at the top of the list.

The fantasy baseball season is in its ninth week of the season. There have been more injuries in just over two months than I can remember and a lot of impactful players missing significant time. Coming out of the holiday weekend, there are of course players landing on the DL and you owners need to know how long they’ll be out for.

Knowing if a player is worth keeping while he recovers not only depends on the significance of the injury but your league’s roster construction. If you only have one DL spot and an elite player is already occupying it, you have a tough decision ahead of you. If you have multiple DL spots or a deep bench, then you may not think twice about keeping that player on your roster.

While there could be another player or two injured by the time this piece posts, here are the top three injuries as of May 29.

Noah Syndergaard, NYM

The New York Mets have been the National League equivalent to the Seattle Mariners. Noah Syndergaard is their latest injury. He was placed on the 10-day DL with a strained ligament in his right index finger.

He will, obviously, miss his next start. Jason Vargas will fill in on short rest. James Wagner, Mets beat writer for the New York Times, tweeted that Syndergaard is expected to miss only minimum 10 days.

Unless he aggravates the finger during a bullpen session before his return date, you should have Syndergaard back in your lineup by the end of next week. This is one of those situations where regardless of injury, Syndergaard is worth stashing on your bench or DL. He’s posted a 3.06 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9.

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If you need to reach a starts limit, some pitchers to target are Andrew Heaney who faces Detroit on May 31, Vince Velasquez pitching against San Francisco on June 2 and Joe Musgrove facing the Chicago Cubs on May 30.

Brian McCann, HOU

The catcher position has been void of talent this season outside of the top two names. If you don’t own Gary Sanchez or JT Realmuto, you are likely struggling to find good performance at the position. Yadier Molina is hurt, Welington Castillo is suspended and Francisco Cervelli is day-to-day.

Now it’s time to add Brian McCann to that list. The Houston Astros veteran, part-time catcher landed on the DL with knee soreness. According to MLB Trade Rumors, though, the injury is more about preserving his rest-of-season health than addressing any major concerns.

The Astros have been using Max Stassi behind the plate as well, so if you need a catcher, he’ll have more playing time for a couple of weeks.

Matt Shoemaker, LAA

Matt Shoemaker made just one start this season. He lasted 5.2 innings and gave up three runs on four hits and four walks while striking out four. Shoemaker underwent surgery for his forearm. The specific surgery is a nerve decompression and a pronator teres tendon repair. Yeah, science.

This is the second-straight season-shortened injury for Shoemaker. He made 14 starts last season. While he is a good pitcher, career 3.88 ERA, he is hard to rely on, which is why his ESPN ownership is down to 2.5 percent.

The Los Angeles Angels have Shohei Ohtani, Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Heaney, Jaime Barria and Parker Bridwell to round out the rotation.

Even if he is healthy by August or September, I wouldn’t rush out to add him off the waiver wire. Look to add one of the pitchers I mentioned earlier.

Next: Ronald Acuna lands on DL

Injuries have decimated the player pool and we’re not even in the second month of the season. It’s important to get a jump on the up-and-comers so you have a deep roster should someone get hurt. Syndergaard should be back when eligible while McCann is more of a question mark.

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