Nine Bo Jacksons

Injury: Eddie Guardado

The Injury: Guardado has a "sore shoulder", and was placed on the DL retroactive to April 5.

Timetable for Return: This doesn't seem that significant.  Everyday Eddie probably just needs some rest.  I'd imagine he'll be back within the 2-3 week timeframe.

Fantasy Impact: He's probably only owned in AL Only leagues, so the impact here isn't that significant.  If you own him in AL leagues, you might as well stash him on the DL, as he might possibly be in the conversation for saves at some point during the season in Arlington (unless C.J. Wilson continues his dominance).

Affected Players: Luis Mendoza got the call, and started Saturday night.  He gave up 8 hits and 3 walks, striking out 1 in 5 IP.  Given BP's projections, I'd put him at -$19.43 in Mixed leagues and -$11.79 in AL Only leagues.

Injury: Dave Roberts

The Injury: Updating previous reports, Roberts had surgery to clean out cartilage on his left knee.

Timetable for Return: Roberts should begin a minor league rehab assignment in 8-10 weeks [Mid June-Early July], with a probable return to the bigs after the All Star Break.

Fantasy Impact: Roberts was pretty much drafted as a one category guy for his ability to swipe bases.  He's gone for the foreseeable future, and anytime a speed player has an injury to their legs, it's cause for concern.  He's a definite cut in Mixed leagues, though you might want to stash him on the DL in NL only leagues if your league is shallow as mine.

Affected Players: John Bowker, listed as the #9 prospect in the San Fran organization, got the call up to take Roberts' spot.  He's put up some decent numbers in the minors: a career .296/.350/.472 hitter.  Bowker jacked 22 last year in AA, and could be a cheap power source in NL Only leagues.  Don't expect much in AVG or SB, though.  With his PT up in the air, the best case scenario puts him at -$9.45 in Mixed leagues and at $3.07 in NL Only leagues.

Injury: Dontrelle Willis

The Injury: Willis hyperextended his right knee delivering a pitch on Friday night against the White Sox.

Timetable For Return: GM Dave Dombrowski said that he'll miss at least one start, and that Willis' return is impossible to state right now given the nature of the injury.  The most likely scenario is that Willis misses three starts.

Fantasy Impact: Willis wasn't someone who figured to be that significant in the fantasy world.  He's far removed from his stellar 2005 season.

Affected Players: Ryan Raburn gets the roster spot for now.  RHP Armando Galarraga will take Willis' rotation spot, though.  He doesn't figure to be relevant in any fantasy league.  Looking at his MiLB numbers, he has a career 4.11 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with a 7.67 K/9.  Not exactly someone you'll want to use a top waiver claim on.

Injuries

I missed a bunch of important injuries over the past few days because of schoolwork.  Namely, my German history paper pretty much killed my week...yet another reason to dislike Hitler.

Here's a brief synopsis of the injuries and their effects in the fantasy world.  I'm sorry I don't have the time to do a better breakdown for all of them - hopefully I'll get back on the ball this week.

• Justin Duchscherer, OAK - Inflamed biceps.  Should miss a start or two; the transition from RP to SP is likely to hit a few bumps in the road like this.  Greg Smith got the roster spot and a start, and did quite well, but don't buy too much into that.
• Michael Barrett, SDP - Strained elbow ligament.  Sounds pretty painful, but he was already a backup to Bard.  Colt Morton got the call up, but shouldn't factor into any fantasy situations.
• Dave Roberts, SFG - Left knee injury.  Knee injuries are bad for "speed" players, obviously.  Clay Timpner got the call up, and is a speculative NL Only add for steals.
• Doug Davis, ARI - Thyroid surgery.  We knew this one was happening.  Get well, Doug.  Jailen Peguero got the call up, and while he put up some impressive MiLB numbers, don't buy too much into them.
• Cliff Floyd, TBR - Meniscus tear.  He'll be out 4 to 6 weeks, and Justin Ruggiano got the call from AAA. 
• Rafael Soriano, ATL - Right elbow tendonitis.  This seems like a temporary thing.  Peter Moylan picked up the save tonight, though Manny Acosta could be a candidate too.
• Rich Harden, OAK - Strained muscle below shoulder blade.  Not a great thing for him, as he was pitching really well.  It's not the end of the world; let's see what he does when he's back.  Joey Devine and his career 13.01 MiLB K/9 got Harden's roster spot.
• Mike Lowell, BOS - Sprained left thumb.  It's a 2-4 week injury.  Youk will get the hot corner, and Sean Casey looks like the 1B.  Jed Lowrie also got a call up, but he figures to be more of a utility guy.

Injury: Jack Wilson

The Injury: Wilson strained his left calf on Thursday after singling in the 7th inning.

Timetable for Return: He was placed on the 15 day DL, retroactive to Friday.  It seems like he might have been able to get over the injury without a DL stay, but given that 2B Freddy Sanchez was dinged up too, Manager John Russell didn't want two active roster spots used on injured guys.  Wilson should be back on April 19.

Fantasy Impact: Using PECOTA, I had Wilson at -$3.73 in Mixed and $6.79 in NL Only formats.  Wilson should miss a total of 13 games because of this.  That should put him at -$6.09 in Mixed and $5.42 in NL Only formats.  You can definitely drop him in Mixed leagues, but hang onto him in NL Only leagues, as he's guaranteed the PT once he's back.

Affected Players: Brian Bixler got the call from AAA to take Wilson's roster spot, and should get the gig at SS.  He won't hit for average or great power, but could swipe a few bases until Wilson gets back.  If he was a full time player, he'd be worth -$7.03 in Mixed and $4.97 in NL Only leagues, so keep that in mind.  I certainly recommend him in NL Only leagues, but Yahoo doesn't have him in their system yet.  Bastards.

Source: Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Injury: Russ Springer

The Injury: Springer has "nerve irritation" in his right elbow.

Timetable for Return: Both ice and heat were having bad effects on the nerve, so Springer is supposed to do nothing for a week, then get back at it.  He thinks it isn't anything serious.

Fantasy Impact: Springer was ridiculous in 66 IP last year, logging a 2.18 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, and a 3.47 K/BB.  Even factoring in modest regression, PECOTA's numbers put him at $5.84 in Mixed and $11.29 in NL Only leagues.  This injury should knock him back to $4.52 in Mixed and $9.85 in NL Only leagues, assuming he misses the minimum.

Affected Players: Kelvin Jimenez will get Springer's spot in the bullpen.  He narrowly missed out on making the team, but was sent to AAA when the Cards decided to try Anthony Reyes in long relief.  I'd imagine he'll log a few IP, but not enough to be significant in any format.

Injury: Dioner Navarro

The Injury: Navarro missed a step trying to go from the field to the dugout at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.  He tried using the netting in the dugout to help prevent his fall, but the netting sliced open his hand, requiring 12 stitches.

Timetable for Return: Navarro went on the 15 day DL, and manager Joe Maddon thinks it'll only be two weeks.

Fantasy Impact: Navarro was a somewhat popular sleeper pick after his .285/.340/.475 post ASB line, so I'd imagine this affects a few teams, especially AL Only ones.  Using PECOTA's numbers, I had Navarro at -$0.90 in Mixed and $8.07 in AL Only leagues.  Let's say he misses the minimum 15 days - that'd put him back on April 20.  This would put him at -$2.37 in Mixed and $7.21 in AL Only leagues.

Affected Players: Shawn Riggans got the start on Saturday, and Mike DiFelice was called up to take Navarro's roster spot.  Both should get time behind the dish:

• Shawn Riggans: Riggans won't be much at the plate.  He seems like a Quad-A player, but could be an option if you're desperate in your AL Only league - only because he'll get the majority of PT.
• Mike DiFelice: The well-traveled DiFelice should get a few starts in Navarro's absence, but avoid him like the plague.

Injury: Chad Cordero

The Injury: Cordero has been suffering from shoulder tendinitis since the season began, and was placed on the DL on Friday night.

Timetable for Return: The move to the DL was made retroactive to March 27, meaning he's eligible to come off the DL on Friday, April 11.  Cordero threw a session today and reported no pain afterwards, and seems optimistic that he'll return to the team this Friday.

Fantasy Impact: Cordero was a late 11th round pick in most drafts, so this affects everyone.  With the move being made retroactive, he should only miss a total of 10 games. This still affects his value, obviously.  I have him going from $10.25 to $8.85 in Mixed leagues, and from $17.22 to $15.61 in NL Only leagues.

Affected Players: As discussed a few days ago, Jon Rauch is the guy for saves.  Additionally, John Lannan is getting the call  to take Cordero's roster spot.  Let's discuss:

• Jon Rauch: It's a short term gig (for now), but he should at least pick up a few saves because of this.  He should go from $3.70 to $4.20 in Mixed leagues, and from $9.50 to $10.12 in NL Only leagues.  If he's available, pick him for at least this week.
• John Lannan: He'll get the start on Sunday.  Given that Cordero will probably be back on Friday, he'll get one or two starts at best.  Lannan will never be a K guy, and had shaky control in '07 [0.58 K/BB in 34.7 MLB IP; 1.76 K/BB in 124.2 MiLB IP].  He's #10 on the Nats' prospect list, for what its worth.  I don't have dollar values on him, but I wouldn't recommend him to anyone.  He'll face a suspect STL offense tomorrow, but I'm a skeptic on him doing much fantasy wise.

Injury: Mike Hampton

The Injury: Hampton strained his left pectoral muscle in pre-game warmups.

Timetable for Return: Hampton was placed on the 15 day DL, retroactive to March 30.  Hampton and the team doctors think the injury is minor, so barring any setbacks (jinx!), he'll be back in a jiffy.  Here's a more permanent solution to the Hampton injury problem, courtesy of Spot & Stripe:

Fantasy Impact: This is another one that should only knock down clumsy card houses.

Affected Players: Chuck James will get Hampton's rotation spot after coming back from a shoulder injury.  James is pretty much a low to mid 6 K/9 guy, who won't kill you or save you in any particular category.  At -$1.21, he's a speculative add in Mixed leagues; at $3.87 in NL Only leagues, he's a pretty good add if he's available.

Recommendation: If you actually drafted Hampton, wait this injury out - it won't decrease his value that much.  Also, pick up James in NL Only leagues, or in Mixed leagues if you're a Braves homer.

Injury: Pedro Martinez

The Injury: Martinez strained his left hamstring during his first start of the season on Tuesday night.

Timetable for Return: He was placed on the 15 day DL, and will likely be out 4-6 weeks.

Fantasy Impact: Martinez was a gamble to begin with, so his injury will only knock down clumsy card houses.  If you drafted him, you almost had to assume he'd miss a minimum of 5-7 starts.  Most projections only had him figured for 125-150 IP, so assuming this injury doesn't linger and his owners drafted upon sound projections, it shouldn't affect the grand scheme of things all that much.

Affected Players: Nelson Figueroa was called up to take his roster spot, but it's unlikely he'll be anything more than an occasional bullpen arm.  The rotation will stand at Johan, John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Mike Pelfrey for the time being.  With El Duque on the DL too, Jorge Sosa could get a spot start.  It's relatively unknown who will be their 5 starter for the time being.

Source: Associated Press