Fantasy Baseball 2019: Waiver-Wire Advice for Injured MLB Players for Week 23

With little margin for error at this juncture of the fantasy baseball season, even the smallest injuries can affect your squad.

George Springer and Javier Baez have not hit the 10-day injured list but have missed time lately.

Plugging in the right waiver-wire replacements could make a difference in certain matchups, which is why you should spend extra time scouring for the best available players.

The added research might land you a player on a struggling team, but it could be well worth it if the individual is in a rich vein of form.

Waiver-Wire Injury Replacements

Anthony Santander, OF, Baltimore

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Anthony Santander has been a bright spot in the Baltimore lineup, with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs paired with a .291 batting average and .845 OPS.

The outfielder has a 10-game hitting streak and has mashed five home runs since August 30.

Despite the recent uptick at the dish, Santander is owned by 37 percent of Yahoo teams and just over one-fifth of ESPN sides, per Fantasy Pros.

The 24-year-old is a perfect replacement for Springer, who is day-to-day with a concussion, per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch told McTaggart that his star outfielder was progressing during a conversation Thursday.

"Until he's cleared medically, he's not going to play," Hinch said. "He's going to do a lot of pregame activity and stuff behind the scenes. He's been on the bike. He's going to play catch and stretch. He's out there joking around so I know he's feeling really good. That's a good sign. He said he slept the best he's slept in the last couple of days, which is a good sign. Just go day to day with him until he gets cleared by the doctors."

If you count the .297 hitter out for the weekend, Santander is a quality fill-in with a similar batting average.

Baltimore plays 12 of its next 16 games at Camden Yards, where Santander has a .327 average and .904 OPS.

The majority of those games come against teams under .500, starting with the Texas Rangers' three-game visit.

If Santander takes advantage of his September matchups, he could be a viable option next to Springer when he returns.

Starlin Castro, 2B, Miami 

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

In four September games, Starlin Castro has two home runs, three RBIs and 17 total bases for the Miami Marlins.

In his past eight contests, the 29-year-old 15 base knocks, including a quartet in Wednesday's clash with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The second baseman has a 35 percent and 28 percent ownership rate on Yahoo and ESPN, respectively, and he could be worth the pickup with Baez sidelined by a wrist injury.

Baez was scratched from Thursday's game with soreness in his left wrist, but Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon insisted he could have played, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

"It still bothers him a bit," Maddon said. "He's a pretty tough kid. He'll manage that."

If you have any concern that Baez's knock may linger into the weekend, Castro is one of the best middle infield options to choose from.

The Marlins infielder is not a direct positional replacement for Baez, but he has one of the hottest bats at the second base or shortstop, and he is worth picking up, especially if you can jiggle around parts of your lineup to fit him in.

With the Kansas City Royals set to head to Marlins Park for a three-game set, the former Cub should be able to make up for some of Baez's production in the short term.

If Baez does not miss much time, you could have middle infield insurance—at the bare minimum—by choosing Castro off the waiver wire.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from MLB.com.