Previously Injured Pitchers to Watch For…

I said in my previous post that I’d have a few posts before the beginning of the season about certain players to watch for. Well, today, I’m looking at pitchers who were injured for most or all of the 2011 season who are coming back this year.

First of all, Johan Santana, the former ace for the Minnesota Twins, is back from a shoulder injury that kept him out for the entire 2011 season. Now 33 years of age, Santana’s trying to get back to the way he was pitching a few years ago, when he was mowing down batters while with the Twins and the early stages of his Mets career. Mets fans have their fingers crossed that he’ll be healthy this year, and early indications are saying he is fully back. He will start the season opener for the Mets, and looked fairly good in Spring Training, so I think he’s poised for a good season, and probably about a 14-8 record and a 3.50 ERA.

Johan Santana is ready and rearing to go. (Photo Credit: Associated Press)

From a fantasy baseball owner’s perspective, I’d be weary to pick him up given the risks, but he does have a huge upside, and winning 15 games this season is a possibility. So I’d take him on my team if given the opportunity, but in the later rounds of a draft.

Next, I’m looking at Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals ace was out the entire 2011 season with an elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery. He’s back for the 2012 campaign but many people are still weary about how well he’ll perform. He was a top 5 pitcher before the injury, even finishing second for the Cy Young award, but at 30, he needs to get back to his previous form before it’s too late in the season for the Cardinals to have a chance to repeat.

Hopefully that injury won’t affect his play much and that famous curveball of his. As a fantasy baseball owner, I’d draft him for sure, but not too early. If I can get him in the middle rounds, I think that’s a great deal. I wouldn’t be too worried about Wainwright as he’s only 30, not 33 like Santana.

Thirdly, another previously injured pitcher who’s back this year is the great Stephen Strasburg. The right handed fireballer is back from Tommy John surgery just like Adam Wainwright. The Washington phenom is still only 23 years of age, so that’s on his side. He looked good in five starts in late 2011 after coming back from the surgery. I fully expect him to be back to his 2010 dominance level. As a fantasy owner, I’d pick him up in any way possible, but temper your expectations for the first 1-2 months of the season.