Well, the big one here today is Yankees DH Jason Giambi.  Told yesterday that he was going to miss atleast three weeks with his foot issues, reports out of the Big Apple this morning say that he could actually miss the rest of the season.  He was supposed to have a cortisone shot this morning, but apparently they found that he had a partially torn plantar fascia tendon and it could be a lot longer than anticipated.  Now before you go freaking out (c’mon…his numbers weren’t that good), keep in mind that others (Chipper Jones comes to mind) have suffered through similar issues and were not lost for the year. (more…)

Just to make sure you’re fully updated on who’s getting banged up and who could be filling in, if necessary, here’s a look at some of the latest injuries that could be affecting your team. If you’re in a league with daily lineup changes, you want to make sure you take notice…

John Smoltz, SP ATL — I think the most memorable part of this injury was watching his reaction when it happened. It looked like a simple tag, followed by what could only be assumed as the start of a T.J. Hooker roll, followed by the slamming down of his mitt in frustration. It all looked rather painful as Smoltz dislocated his pinkie the other day. The finger was popped back into place and it apears to be a lot better than it originally looked. There’s even a chance that he won’t miss his next start, but that’s really going to depend on the swelling. It doesn’t appear that he will go on the DL, but monitor this up to his next start and prepare to use a viable replacement.
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There have been quite a few moves in the past couple of days that are shaking up some of the owners in your league. Maybe they’re shaking you up a bit. Players are being sent down to the minors and sending fantasy owners running for the scrap heap. If you’ve been able to make daily pickups, then I’m sure (oh please tell me you did) you’ve found a quick fix. If weekly pickups are the way it is in your league, then you’ve got some looking to do before the end of the weekend. Here’s what’s going on… (more…)

It is my unfortunate duty to inform the masses of fantasy GMs out there that Chris Carpenterwill miss the next three months following surgery on his elbow.  This is a crushing blow to teams around the country.  Be kind to the GMs that just lost this premier player.  I actually know one owner who traded Vernon Wells for him just prior to the season starting.  Sorry, Mike. 

Well, here’s one for you Brett Myers owners…and a little distressing news for you Tom Gordon owners…

It seems that Gordon is back in Philly today after experiencing pain in his right shoulder again, and it looks like my earlier report of Myers taking over the closers’ role is coming to fruition. Let’s hope all of you Myers owners heeded my warnings and didn’t panic when he was shuttled into middle relief.

We’ll know more when Gordon’s test results are in, but for now, I think it’s safe to assume that Myers will be the frontrunner for saves in Gordon’s absence.

I’m not gonna lie to you…

This one could hurt a little.

Put Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan on the list….the disabled list that is. Toronto put their prized closer on the DL today with, what they’re calling an “elbow injury”. Hmmm. Pretty vague. What’s not vague is that Ryan is on his way to the famous Dr. James Andrews for tests, and that’s never good.

You waiver hounds need to get on the laptop right now and grab Jason Frasor.

There’s no telling how long Ryan could be out, so Frasor will make for a nice pickup in a very busy and somewhat shallow market. It gives a little credence to the theory that you don’t need to grab a top closer in the draft since saves have been popping up all over the place. But I’m still not subscibing to that. Those of us with 2 top closers, not named Ryan, aren’t sweating this at all. Not to mention how we’re also able to keep that free agent bid money and waiver priority for when the big one does arrive. In the meantime, thanks for the saves, ERA and WHIP help, and K’s that are definitely giving our pitching a boost.

Short slate of games today (Thursdays really bum me out), but there are some injuries and things to keep your eye on for fantasy purposes. Here’s a few…

Troy Glaus, 3B TOR — Sore left hell, missing time, will be examined on Friday. The Jays are hoping for the best, but the rumor mill is talking bone spur. If he needs surgery to remove it, he’s gone for about 4 to 6 weeks. Nothing replacing him in the lineup looks worthy of a pickup. There are just too many questionmarks between John McDonald and Jason Smith; although Smith has always had the dreaded “potential”.
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There’s nothing worse than watching your guys getting dinged up this eary into the season. A muscle pull here, a tweaked hammy there, it’s never fun. Now while haven’t seen the (knock wood) big ol’ nasty fantasy crippling injury just yet, there are still a few bumps and bruises out there that you should keep an eye on… (more…)

Let’s take a quick look at some of the key first week injuries and what you may need to do to prevent falling into an early season hole…

Hideki Matsui will be out for 4 or 5 games with a strained hamstring and Johnny Damon is just coming back from a calf problem. I hope you didn’t poker fun at the guy who took Melky Cabrera in the 24th round of your draft. The Yankees OF is not a young one, so Melky could be a nice reserve to have on your roster.

Looks like shopping at V-Mart isn’t panning out so good. (more…)

Getting closer to the start of the season, so some of these injuries and little dings and dents could carry over further into the season than we’d like. Make sure when you’re going over your personal draft depth charts that you take notice of your desired players’ health. You might have to make a few mid-draft switches. (more…)