MLB Injury Report: Woodruff, Acuna Jr. and Helsley Headline Fantasy Concerns

It's time to go over some MLB injuries, and what it means to fantasy baseball leagues and player outlooks.

We have several players to get to, so let's jump right into things.

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

Brandon Woodruff - Milwaukee Brewers

Woodruff was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. He hit the IL on April 29.

Woodruff struggled with velocity on his pitches in his last start, and only lasted 1 1/3 innings. Thankfully, it's not a season-ending injury, but it could be an ailment that hampers him the rest of the season.

It's a bummer, as he's a very good fantasy asset when he's on the mound. In six starts, he was 2-1 with a 3.60 earned run average over 30 innings. Woodruff has allowed 13 runs (12 earned) on 24 hits and seven walks, while striking out 25 batters.

Woodruff and his status are something to watch. He's droppable in leagues where you don't have unlimited IR spots and need space for others. Woodruff might be worth stashing for others, especially if he only misses 15 days.

The longer Woody is out though, the more leagues he will be dropped in. Consider utilizing him when he's healthy, and hopefully he stays injury-free after this IL stint.

Jacob Misiorowski also left a start for Milwaukee, actually a day after Woodruff, so Milwaukee's rotation is battered right now. Check the probable pitchers to see who gets the start in the place of Woodruff and Misiorowski (if needed). 

Ronald Acuna Jr. - Atlanta Braves

Acuna is on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. He's expected to miss a bit more time than that, as the team is going to be cautious with him because of his injury history.

In 34 games and 152 plate appearances this season. Acuna has a .252 average and .362 OBP. He has 32 total knocks, including eight doubles, two homers and a triple. Acuna has nine RBIs, 17 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 20 walks and 31 strikeouts.

His injury history is concerning, but he's still a very good fantasy asset when healthy. Acuna is one to keep in all fantasy leagues, so hopefully you can stash him for a few weeks.

Keep rostering him through the IL stint, as his value is down right now. That also makes now a perfect time to buy low on Acuna, so look into that.

Hopefully he can stay healthy the rest of the season after a short IL stint.

As for who is filling in right now, Mike Yastrzemski and Eli White are projected to be in a platoon to fill Acuna's spot. Others could factor in if those two don't deliver, or if another batter gets hot at the plate. A short-term absence for Acuna won't leave much time for any other Braves to be more than deep-league assets probably though.

Ryan Helsley - Baltimore Orioles

Helsley landed on the 15-day injured list because of right elbow inflammation. He was placed on the IL on April 29.

The Orioles aren't very concerned about Helsley. They hope he only misses 15 days, but he still needs to be tracked.

In 12 appearances, Helsley is 0-2 with seven saves and no blown saves. He has allowed just three runs, giving up seven hits and seven walks along the way. Helsley has struck out 15 batters too.

He's been a good fantasy asset this season, so him hitting the IL is a bummer. Helsley's fantasy value is down, but it should rise again after he returns. 

In the meantime, Rico Garcia is lined up to earn saves in Baltimore. Yennier Cano and Andrew Kittredge are other options the team could turn to. Helsley won't likely be out long enough to turn any of these relievers into more than deep-league assets, even if Baltimore is winning a bunch.

Keep tabs on Helsley, and stash him if you can through the IL stint. I like his outlook, and he could be a good fantasy asset if the Orioles start winning a bit more. 

Other Injuries to Monitor

New York Yankees' Ben Rice left the team's game on Sunday with a left hand contusion. His X-rays were negative, but this is a situation to monitor.

Minnesota's Joe Ryan left his start on Sunday with right elbow soreness. That's concerning, and is something to watch.

Boston's Ranger Suarez left his start on Sunday with right hamstring tightness. It's yet another starting pitcher to monitor, as an IL stint could be coming.

Seattle's Cal Raleigh was out of the lineup the past two days with right side discomfort. He is awaiting his MRI results to see if the injury is a bigger concern, so keep tabs on him.

Toronto's George Springer is dealing with pain in his left foot after being hit by a pitch on Saturday. That's where he had his fractured left big toe, that kept him on the IL already this season. So this is something to watch again with Springer.

Tampa Bay's Yandy Diaz left Friday's game with left side tightness, and has missed the two games since. It's something to watch in case he ends up on the 10-day IL soon.