Weekend Injury Update: Pitchers

Feb 20, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher

Jose Fernandez

(16) throws during a workout at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Owning a starting pitcher who just went down with an injury could break your season. A pitcher you spent a high draft pick on is now out for weeks, possibly even months. You can try to replace him with someone from the waiver wire, but it’s not the same. Luckily, they aren’t out forever. Here are the injury updates to five big-time starting pitchers.

Jose Fernandez

One of the best young pitchers in the game, Fernandez missed all but eight games after undergoing Tommy John surgery last May. One year later, he began a rehab assignment and pitching in extended Spring Training games. On June 1, he threw three no-hit innings while striking out seven batters. He made his first official rehab start on Saturday, allowing five runs in three innings. Don’t worry about the box score, though. It’s his first start since surgery. He will make four more starts as he builds up his workload. There is no scheduled date for Fernandez’s return. When he does come back, he will be the star he was when he left.

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Hisashi Iwakuma

Iwakuma made three starts this season, 0-1 with a 6.61 ERA, before going down with a shoulder injury. During rehab, he suffered a setback. This means that Iwakuma is now six weeks away from returning, likely around the All-Star Break. Since then, he is throwing bullpen sessions to build up the strength in his arm. Iwakuma, even with a clean bill of health, is not a reliable fantasy option for the rest of the season. There are other pitchers on the waiver wire to pick up in Iwakuma’s place. We’ll revisit his value in the offseason as we prep for the 2016 season.

Jake Peavy

Peavy has been out since April with a back injury. And, playing a position that uses a lot of your back, he needs to make sure he’s 100 percent before returning to the mound. He was rehabbing throughout the month of May, but experienced back tightness two weeks ago. He was able to finish his most recent rehab start, though. San Francisco Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said Peavy will not be rushed back. The plan is to increase his pitch count to 85 to 90 pitches. However, the current Giants rotation looks pretty good, so Peavy may have to get used to Sacramento.

Justin Verlander

Verlander will be back soon. After more than a month throwing in bullpen sessions and rehab starts, Verlander is set to come back this weekend. In two starts with Triple-A Toledo, Verlander posted a 3.24 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 12:2 K:BB ratio. Detroit Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus said that barring a setback of some kind, this would be Verlander’s last rehab outing. He is likely to start either Friday or Saturday against the Cleveland Indians. I wouldn’t rush to pick up Verlander. However, if he has a good start (six innings, two runs and five hits), he is a nice mid-season roster addition.