Anthony’s Fantasy Baseball Week in Review – May 26th – June 1st

​

  • By Anthony Kates

    Every Tuesday I take a look at and review the previous week’s fantasy performances. We crown the top ten hitters and top ten pitchers, cover injury news and transactions that impact the fantasy landscape, review noteworthy performances from across the league and check in on the state of the relief corps.

    Top 10 Fantasy Hitters of the Week

    WordPress Data Table Plugin

    Top 10 Fantasy Pitchers of the Week

    WordPress Data Table Plugin

    Injury News

    1. The Athletics placed 1B Nick Kurtz on the 10-day injured list on May 27th, retroactive to May 25th, with a strained left hip flexor. He was removed from the Athletics 9-6 loss to the Phillies on the 25th with a left hip flexor injury before being placed on the IL two days later. The Athletics expect him to start running the bases on June 7, so he definitely will not be back after the minimum time on the IL. He’ll most likely need a rehab stint after he is back to 100%, so he probably won’t be back with the big league team until the middle-to-end of next week, at the earliest.
    2. C Joey Bart was placed on the 7-day concussion IL on May 28th by the Pirates. He was struck in the head by a backswing in a game on the 27th and will be out through at least Wednesday this week.
    3. The Braves placed SP AJ Smith-Shawver on the 60-day IL with a torn UCL in his right elbow. He suffered the injury on Thursday, while pitching in the first game of a doubleheader against the Phillies. Originally diagnosed as a strain, further evaluation determined it was indeed a tear. There is no timeline on AJSS’s return, as Braves manager Brian Snitker said that it hasn’t been determined what kind of surgery he would require, but any surgery of any kind will signal an end to AJSS’s season.
    4. The Guardians placed OF Lane Thomas on the 10-day IL on Friday with right foot plantar fasciitis. The move is retroactive to May 27th and will be the second time that Thomas has had an IL stint this season. The expectation is that he will be back after the minimum time, which would put him back in the lineup on June 6th.
    5. OF Cedric Mullins was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday, retroactive to May 29th, with a right hamstring strain. The Orioles had him assessed by the team doctor and it was determined to be just a mild strain, so he could return on June 8th, when he is first eligible to leave the IL.
    6. The Royals placed RP Lucas Erceg on the 15-day IL on Friday, retroactive to May 27th, with a lower-back strain. If he misses the minimum time, he could return to the team on June 12.
    7. Blue Jays OF Anthony Santander was placed on the 10-day IL on Friday with left shoulder inflammation. He had played through most of May with hip and shoulder issues before finally ending up on the IL. The earliest he could return is June 9th.
    8. After fouling a pitch off of his left foot on Wednesday, the Reds placed OF Austin Hays on the 10-day IL with a left foot contusion, retroactive to May 29th. It will be his third trip on the IL this year but should only be the minimum ten days. The stay seems to be more precautionary than concerning.
    9. The Tigers placed rookie SP Jackson Jobe on the 15-day IL Friday with a Grade 1 flexor strain. He was removed in the fifth innings of his start on Wednesday against the Giants, with his average fastball velocity down 1.5 MPH. Tigers Manager AJ Hinch stated that they took him to get evaluated immediately after exiting the game. He will be shut down for pitching for a few weeks, before building back up and then going through some rehab starts. He shouldn’t be expected back before the All Star break.
    10. Cardinals OF Jordan Walker was placed on the 10-day IL on Saturday with left wrist inflammation. He had some discomfort during the Cardinals most recent homestand and had pain that was kind of in and out, so the Cards and manager Oli Marmol determined the best course of action was spending time on the IL, resting and recovering. They don’t sound to concerned though and expect him back either after the minimum time or shortly after.
    11. OF Daulton Varsho was placed on the 10-day IL with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain on Sunday. The Blue Jays are considering Varsho week-to-week, so there is no guarantee he will return from the injured list when first eligible on June 11th.
    12. The Rangers placed SP Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day IL on Sunday with right posterior elbow inflammation. He exited his start on Tuesday with right triceps fatigue and the Rangers initially thought he would avoid an IL stint, but it seems that they would rather be a bit more cautious and give him some extra time off. There is no structural damage or problem, so the Rangers expect he’ll be back in the rotation as soon as he is eligible on June 13th.


    Want to get access to the rest of Anthony’s article? You’ll need to have an MLB FantasyPass membership. Click here to learn more and sign up!
    Premium Access Required

    Come join us at SportsEthos by filling out an application by clicking here
    Click here to join us on Discord!
    Follow us on X by clicking here
    Follow us on Bluesky by clicking here
    Follow Anthony on X at @akfantasybb
    Follow Anthony on Bluesky at @akfantasybb.bsky.social
    Follow Anthony on Bluesky at @akfantasybb.bsky.social
    Follow Anthony on Bluesky at @akfantasybb.bsky.social

    June 3, 2025, 8:30 am