Fantasy Baseball Injury Report: All-Scar Team

As the MLB takes a break to celebrate its stars, I break from my traditional format and examine a more dubious group of individuals. For eight years now I have selected the MLB "All-Scar" team comprised of players that have left fantasy owners short-handed or in some cases empty handed as the year has progressed.

CATCHER

AL - Gary Sanchez

A serious of minor calf issue limited Sanchez early, but it was a recent groin injury that warranted his inclusion on the team. He has not played since straining his groin on June 24, though he is progressing through his rehab. He's hoping to complete a rehab assignment while the Yankees are on break and has a realistic chance to be back when the team reconvenes for an interleague Subway Series against the Mets.

NL - Travis d'Arnaud

The Mets catcher insures the All-Scar backstop tandem has a Big Apple flare. D'Arnaud played four games before suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his elbow. He opted for Tommy John surgery and is targeting an early 2019 return.

FIRST BASE

AL - Miguel Cabrera

The former American League MVP has been lost for the season after rupturing his biceps tendon in mid-June. The 35-year-old also missed time with a hamstring strain and battled lower back pain as he continue to show signs that his age and career workload are catching up to him at last.

NL - Wil Myers

San Diego's first baseman has been productive when healthy but had two lengthy absences that have curtailed his numbers. He missed 16 games with a nerve irritation in his right arm before missing an additional 48 games with an oblique strain. He could easily redeem himself with a productive second half.

SECOND BASE

AL - Robinson Cano

Cano would have likely warranted a spot on the All-Scar team even without his 80-game suspension for violating MLB's joint drug agreement. The Mariners second baseman was diagnosed with a fractured fifth metacarpal fracture shortly before the suspension was announced and ultimately needed surgery to mend the bone. He's reportedly healthy and will be able to return when first available on Aug. 14.

NL - Daniel Murphy

Fantasy owners knew Murphy's season would be shortened as he recovered from offseason knee surgery but lingering soreness prolonged his recovery. He returned in June after missing 68 games and will now try to salvage the remainder of the season.

SHORTSTOP

AL- Elvis Andrus

The Rangers shortstop was placed on the DL for the first time in his career after taking a fastball off his elbow. The impact left Andrus with a fractured olecranon that required a trip to the operating room to fix. He missed nearly 60 games recovering and has a measly .218 since returning to action.

NL- Corey Seager

Seager is another position player sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a turn UCL in his elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery in early May and will finish the year with just 26 games played. The 24-year-old will aim to be back in time for the 2019 campaign.

THIRD BASE

AL- Josh Donaldson

The Blue Jays third baseman has been in-and-out of the lineup since the start of spring training. It started with a minor shoulder issue that was followed by an illness, a calf strain, dead arm and renewed pain in his calf. The current problem has kept him out since the end of May as he suffered a setback in rehab. He only recently resumed baseball activities and a definitive timeline remains unclear.

NL- Justin Turner

The Dodgers infielder suffered a broken wrist in Cactus League play in March and spent the next two months recovering. He's been given routine days off since returning and is now managing a strained left adductor muscle. He has missed three consecutive games, though the team is hoping the extra rest will allow him to avoid a trip to the DL.

OUTFIELD

AL - Byron Buxton, Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Kiermaier

The American League trio is headlined by Buxton, the Minnesota outfielder who many hoped would build on his stellar second half of the 2017 season. Migraines sent him to the DL. While on his rehab assignment he suffered a fractured toe and then his return was cut short after the break was slow to heal. Now he's languishing on the minor league DL with a left hand injury caused by a stray pitch.

Injuries have historically been a limiting factor for Kiermaier and 2018 has been no exception. Kiermaier missed a handful of games with a bone contusion in his foot before tearing ligaments in his thumb. He missed 57 games following surgery and has struggled since returning to the everyday lineup.

Some fantasy owners opted to take a gamble on Ellsbury despite the fact that he was penciled in as New York's fourth outfielder. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented from him even getting a chance after the veteran strained an oblique prior to Opening Day. He was nearing a return but suffered a hip injury while on assignment and was shifted to the 60-day DL. He is also being slowed by a case of plantar fasciitis that has prevented him from resuming baseball activities.

NL - Yoenis Cespedes, A.J. Pollock, David Dahl

If the trio representing the National League sounds familiar it's because all three comprised last year's NL All-Scar outfield. Each member continues to battle injuries limiting their fantasy contributions.

Cespedes remains bothered by the lower extremity problems that have plagued him throughout his career. He's currently nursing a hip flexor strain but hopes to being a rehab assignment during the All-Star break.

Pollock's bad luck injuries continued after he fractured his thumb while attempting to catch a flyball. The break was ruled an avulsion fracture and kept him out for 43 outings. He's been stellar when available but the time off was a setback for those invested in the Diamondbacks outfielder.

Dahl has been a lot of promise without much fulfillment. Injuries have been the primary limiting factor with a broken foot serving as his most recent problem. He was slated to miss six-to-eight weeks but has begun taking batting practice. Look for him to return shortly after the break.

STARTING PITCHER

AL - Shohei Ohtani, Chris Archer

Ohtani's elbow injury isn't preventing him from swinging bat but that doesn't mean much to those that wanted his help in pitching categories. To make things worse, he remains a strong possibility for Tommy John surgery. If surgery is needed, Ohtani could be limited in 2019 as well.

Archer was able to shake off a forearm contusion in spring training and make his first start of the season. However, an abdominal strain in early June sidelined the Tampa Bay right-hander for more than a month. He will enter the second half with a bloated ERA and concerns about his durability for the remainder of the season.

NL - Noah Syndergaard, Yu Darvish

Syndergaard's seven-week DL stint came to an end on Friday though it did give his fantasy owners a series case of déjà vu after he missed a majority of the 2017 season due to injury. His recent finger strain isn't as problematic as last year's lat strain but was a subtle reminder of his inherent injury risk. He remains a high risk, high reward player.

Darvish's first year in Chicago hasn't gone particularly smoothly. He missed time with a parainfluenza virus then reported pain in his elbow. The injury was initially referred to as elbow tendinitis and has since been changed to elbow impingement. He's received a cortisone injection but isn't expected back soon.

RELIEF PITCHER

AL - Andrew Miller

Cleveland's reliever has been limited by leg issues for a majority of the season. He missed time in April with hamstring problems and has not pitched since late May due to inflammation in his right knee. He is slated to make a rehab appearance Tuesday and should be back shortly following the break.

NL- Corey Knebel

The Brewers were without Knebel's services for over a month after he strained his hamstring. He then needed additional time to resume closer duties taking additional time away from potential saves opportunities.