Fantasy Baseball Injury Update: Key Names Land on IL

There's been a multitude of notable MLB players to hit the injured list of late, so let's discuss them here in this article.

We will break down the real-world and fantasy baseball implications of each injury. Let's get right to it.

Fantasy baseball injury news can be found all season on FantasySP.

Juan Soto - New York Mets

Soto is one of the top fantasy hitters in the game, so losing him for any stretch is a blow. He has a calf strain that will sideline him 2-3 weeks.

He had a .355 average and .412 on-base percentage across his first eight games and 34 plate appearances, so Soto had started the year well too. His fantasy owners will be hurting until he's back in the lineup.

With Soto out, the Mets' lineup isn't nearly as formidable as it usually is. Luis Robert Jr. and Carson Benge look locked into starting outfield roles, while Brett Baty and Tyrone Taylor could split the looks in left field, where Soto usually played. Jared Young is another option.

None of Baty, Taylor or Young are very good fantasy assets, but they could be short-term options in deeper leagues and with regular playing time. It will all be determined by whether or not anyone excels in an extended role. It's something to track, but don't hold your breath on finding a fantasy stud, even for a couple weeks.

Stash Soto on your bench or on the IR and patiently await his return. We'll see if the Mets can tread water without their star for a bit.

Mookie Betts - Los Angeles Dodgers

Betts is another massive name that got placed on the 10-day injured list. He has an oblique strain, and there's no clear timetable for his return, but it will be multiple weeks as well.

Miguel Rojas is the only other Dodger who has played shortstop this season. Alex Freeland is an option, but he's been holding down second base. Hyeseong Kim and Santiago Espinal are a couple other infield options until Betts is back in the mix.

This is another big blow to fantasy owners, and for the actual team in real life. Betts regressed last year, and was off to a slow start this year, but he was a high-end draft pick expected to help carry fantasy squads. Not having him for several weeks is a blow.

The Dodgers have a ton of talent on their team, so it shouldn't affect the team's ability to win a bunch, but being down a veteran leader like Betts could definitely make things more challenging.

Betts was hitting just .179, while getting on base at a .281 clip over eight games and 32 plate appearances in the early going. Again, those aren't great marks, but a healthy Betts is much better than one who cannot do anything for your squad.

You won't find waiver wire help that can match the high potential of Betts, but if you play things right, you can get enough production so that it doesn't cripple your team. Do your best to stream the hottest hitters until Betts is back, and then hope he heats up and stays healthy the rest of the way.

Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton - Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are hurting after starting pitchers Boyd and Horton hit the injured list. Boyd has a left biceps strain, while Horton has a right forearm strain.

That opens two spots in the Chicago rotation. Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon are locked in rotation members, while Javier Assad and Colin Rea will replace Boyd and Horton.

Those two are serviceable starting pitchers, but several levels below Boyd and Horton. The Cubs will be hurting until they get their SPs back, and then they have to hope they stay healthy. Don't forget that Justin Steele is another SP on the IL.

You could look to stream Assad and Rea in some deeper leagues, or standard leagues if the matchups are stellar, but don't be expecting long-term success from either guy. They are stopgaps until the hurt pitchers are back.

I'd suggest streaming pitchers with that open roster spot instead of looking for one single pitcher to cover things until Horton and Boyd are back. 

On a positive note for Chicago, the team expects to get outfielder Seiya Suzuki back this week. Add him if he's available in your league, as he can be a good daily fantasy asset when healthy.

Hunter Brown - Houston Astros

Brown has a shoulder strain that forced him onto the 15-day injured list. There's no timetable for his return yet, so we are just hoping for the best for the young hurler now.

He was 2-0 with a 0.84 earned run average through two starts, so this is another massive blow for fantasy owners and the actual team. Brown allowed just one run over 10 2/3 innings so far, giving up five hits and six walks, but punching out 17 batters.

You won't find a waiver wire pitcher who can replicate what Brown can do, so this is another case where I'd just stream with his roster spot - if you can put him in an IR spot. Hopefully he isn't out too long, but we'll keep you posted.

For now, Mike Burrows, Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Lance McCullers Jr. and Cody Bolton are expected to fill out the rotation. That doesn't look nearly as good without Brown, so Houston could struggle to win a bit more than usual over the next couple weeks.

For now, it will only hurt the Astros for a couple weeks, but if this turns into a long-term injury, then this injury could derail the season for Houston. Keep tabs on Brown and his status.

Alejandro Kirk - Toronto Blue Jays

Kirk has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left thumb. There's no timetable for his return either, so this is another one to keep close tabs on.

Toronto has started the year slower than most people expected, and losing their top catcher isn't going to help matters. Throw in injured list stints for Anthony Santander, Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce and Trey Yesavage so far and the Blue Jays are without some massive pieces early on. A super promising season could be derailed if Toronto doesn't get several of these guys back here relatively soon.

Anyways, Kirk wasn't performing the best this season before the injury. He had a .150 average and .227 OBP over five games and 22 plate appearances.

Kirk had a .282 average and .348 OBP over 130 games last season, and that type of production, especially at the catcher spot, is hard to replace.

Tyler Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela are the catchers on the roster for now. If Kirk is out much longer than 10 days, Toronto might have to make a move to save that position. Neither Heineman or Valenzuela figure to be big fantasy assets, even in full-time roles.

That knocks another notable player from the Toronto lineup, and makes things that much more difficult. There's more than enough talent remaining to still win, but guys will have to pick up the slack in the meantime until these injured players return.

Kirk should still be stashed in deeper leagues, whether on the bench or on an IR spot. He could be dropped in standard leagues, especially if you don't have IR spots, or are out of them.

Watch Kirk's status though, as he could be a nice pickup when he returns to the field. I like what he provides, and he should pick things up when he's back for Toronto.