Fantasy Update: Highest Injury Risks

We’ve all drafted teams that would have won fantasy leagues if it weren’t for the injury bug. I know it, you know it. Avoid the madness! I have detailed the highest injury risks fantasy baseball has to offer. Rip off a friend, work a trade, do what you have to do. Just get rid of these players immediately – they will be on the DL by the All-Star break.

BARRY BONDS

Bonds recently passed Babe Ruth for 2nd place on the all-time HR list. His knees are shot, his back is stiff and he has publicly acknowledged that he does not foresee himself passing Hank Aaron. Does he really have anything else to play for? Bonds takes a verbal beating every time that he takes the field, it’s only a matter of time until some psycho throws a needle at him, and the Giants are 3 ½ games out of first place in the NL West. Bonds has been out of the starting lineup an average of once every fives games this season. The well-rounded lashing that Bonds takes on a daily basis will catch up to him…soon.

KERRY WOOD

Sorry Cubs fans, but the curse continues. Despite solid performances in his first two starts after returning from right shoulder surgery, Kerry Wood’s third start had to be pushed back to “give him more rest”. Ummm, shady. Cubs manager Dusty Baker refuses to pitch Wood on less than five days rest. Wood’s curveball embarrasses hitters, but it doesn’t help that he can only throw it 50-80 times before undergoing more shoulder surgery. As long as Wood continues to throw that curve – and he will…he’s a stubborn, swashbuckling Texan – expect DL stints to follow.

MARK PRIOR

The news keeps getting worse for you Cubbies. I know Prior is still injured, but I’m going out on a limb and calling another injury before the all-star break. You heard it here first. By the time Prior returns from the DL, he will have missed 2 ½ months because of a sore shoulder. Pause and let that sit in. A sore shoulder. Maybe his next trip to the DL will be caused by scalding shower water. Can anyone say pansy?

GARY SHEFFIELD

Gary Sheffield is a Herculean mass of a man that is known to play through pain. Over the last three full seasons, Sheffield has only missed 23 games – he has played 95.3% of the time. However, Sheffield returned to New York yesterday to have his left wrist examined by a specialist – the same wrist that caused Sheffield to miss 16 games earlier this season. Sheffield will miss time this week, leading one to believe that he is seriously hurt. Rumors have surfaced that Sheffield has a broken hamate bone in his left hand. Although the rumors are unconfirmed, it’s safe to say that Sheffield is feeling serious pain and could be headed back to the DL.

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA

Let’s play the odds, people. Nomar has missed atleast 80 games in each of the past two seasons. He has torn his groin and strained his oblique…and married Mia Hamm. For all I know, Nomar could be approaching a DL stint for every letter in his last name. Nomar fits right into the Dodgers team concept – sign a bunch of injury-plagued good players. Between JD Drew, Eric Gagne, Bill Mueller, Kenny Lofton, Jason Repko and Dioner Navarro, Nomar should feel right at home with his stricken brethren.

In my next article, I’ll give you even more players you can expect to see on the DL by the All-Star break.