Fantasy Baseball 2019: Streaming Options for Injured MLB Players for Week 14

The MLB All-Star break provides players an opportunity to heal their wounds. Given the upcoming respite, fantasy baseball gamers have a new influx of injuries to manage before they can exhale.

With all 30 teams out of action from Monday to Wednesday, and most not returning until Friday, players have little reason to grind through nagging ailments this weekend. If dealing with a day-to-day issue, why not just take a trip to the 10-day injured list? 

Summer is here. The grill is sizzling, and football is ready to steal the spotlight once more. Don't let these distractions cause complacency leading into All-Star Game. Here are some injuries to address and replacements to add before the Midsummer Classic. 

Injury Report

Brandon Lowe, 2B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

Right after making the All-Star team as an injury replacement, Brandon Lowe went on the injured list with a right shin bruise. The Tampa Bay Rays announced the move Thursday, retroactive to the previous day.

One of the first half's finest waiver-wire finds tallied 16 home runs, 49 RBI, five steals and an .862 OPS. While he's unlikely to sustain a .276 average with a 33.9 percent strikeout rate and MLB's second-lowest contact rate, the second baseman fended off regression by making thunderous contact.

Managers don't even need to look for a new name on another team. The Rays recalled Nate Lowe, who should spend some time in their starting lineup with Ji-Man Choi (ankle) also injured. 

While the 23-year-old first baseman didn't hit a homer in his prior 42 big league plate appearances, the highly regarded prospect batted .290/.419/.519 with a dozen long balls in Triple-A. He'll encounter two southpaws (CC Sabathia and James Paxton) this weekend, but the recent recall could feast in a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles next week.

Some seeking a second baseman may still have time to snag Keston Hiura, who rejoined the Milwaukee Brewers last week following a promising but brief trial period earlier this season.

After a bumpy start to his career, Cavan Biggio is hitting .301 with 14 walks, five homers and three steals in his last 21 games. He wields an elite batting eye and gets three bouts against Baltimore's feeble pitching staff before the break.

Matt Carpenter, 1B/2B/3B, St. Louis Cardinals

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Lower back spasms sent Matt Carpenter to the injured list Tuesday. He had previously sat out four consecutive games with an illness, so the timing fortified his decision to rest.

"We were in a situation where there were six games left before the All-Star break," Carpenter said, per MLB.com's Anne Rogers. "I thought I probably could be ready in a couple of days, but given the situation, I thought it would be better coming off the sickness and back to just be smart about it and be ready to go after the break."

If anything, spurned Carpenter investors now have an excuse to get his flailing bat out of the lineup. On the heels of a 36-homer breakout campaign, the St. Louis Cardinals infielder is batting just .216/.325/.381 with 10 long balls in 77 games.

Power also isn't too difficult to find. Managers who want it at all costs may still have the opportunity to add Miguel Sano, who is rostered in just 29 percent of Yahoo leagues. While still a batting-average sieve (.225), the Minnesota Twins masher has deposited 13 balls into the bleachers in 37 contests.

Renato Nunez went on a power spree in April, slowed down and then reignited the engine to close May. After going 15 consecutive games without a home run, he has found his rhythm once again. The streaky slugger counts three homers among his six hits in the last four games, upping his 2019 deep-fly tally to 19.

Despite controlling the strong side of a platoon and brandishing a .906 OPS, Eric Thames continues to fly under the radar. Before losing first-base duties to Jesus Aguilar, whom he has returned the favor to this season, Thames came back from Korea to belt 31 homers in 2017.

Cole Hamels, SP, Chicago Cubs

Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Targeted as durable veterans, J.A. Happ, Rick Porcello, Jake Arrieta and Jose Quintana have torpedoed everyone's ratios too much to appreciate the innings. Cole Hamels, on the other hand, has paid major dividends as a mid-tier target by recording a 2.98 ERA and 97 strikeouts.

The 35-year-old southpaw has made at least 30 starts in 11 of the 12 seasons. Father Time, however, doesn't skip many doors. Per the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales, an oblique strain will likely sideline Hamels through July.

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Hamels nevertheless avoided a worst-case diagnosis:

Finding competent pitching on the waiver wire has proved quite the challenge this season. It should be too late to claim Sonny Gray following Wednesday's 12-strikeout gem against the Milwaukee Brewers, but add him immediately wherever available. Also, check to make sure the returning Caleb Smith isn't up for grabs.

Dakota Hudson will struggle to maintain a 3.40 ERA with a 1.51 WHIP and just 62 strikeouts in 87.1 innings. He's not a viable long-term solution, but regression shouldn't strike until after the break, He'll take on the San Francisco Giants, who rank 28th in weighted runs created plus (wRC+), inside the spacious Oracle Park. 

Daring gamers can roll the dice on Dylan Bundy. Before ceding nine runs in his last two turns, the volatile hurler had registered a 2.77 ERA in eight starts dating back to May 4. He has stockpiled 90 strikeouts in 84.1 frames, and the opposing Toronto Blue Jays entered Independence Day with a subpar 86 wRC+ against righties. 

Note: All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless stated otherwise.