Without question, standing on the verge of a brand new baseball season is an exciting time. Opening Day in Major League Baseball arrives tomorrow! Fantasy baseball is in full swing. Everyone has finished drafting and looking over their rosters like it is Christmas morning. However, not all is roses and sunshine. Several prominent players are set to begin the season in the injured list. Open roster spots certainly exist. Never fear, as this fantasy baseball injury replacements will help managers decide who to pick up off waivers the first few days of the season. Let’s no waste another second and get right down to the list, shall we? Everyone have a great fantasy season!

Pitching Replacements

JT Brubaker, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates, 6.3% Owned

Ultimately, when looking for injury replacements, it is wise to add a player that has a clearly defined role. It doesn’t get any clearer than a pitcher given his team’s Opening Day start. Such is the case with JT Brubaker. He will take the mound Thursday when Pittsburgh begins its season against St. Louis. While this assignment is to set up the Pirate’s rotation rather than a reward for Brubaker, it is a golden opportunity for him and any manager that picks him up. Speaking of picking someone up, the key is that they are indeed available to do so.

Fortunately, Brubaker is currently only on 6.3 percent of ESPN rosters. He should be on the wire in almost any league, regardless of size. Anyone making this move has to hope that Brubaker is closer to the 4.47 ERA he had in the first half instead of the 7.57 ERA in the second. Brubaker has strikeout upside, as he fanned 129 in 124.1 innings in 2021. He has looked good this spring. Managers having injury issues already could stream him for this start and see how things go. Adding him is certainly better than having a hole on the roster.

Corey Kluber, SP, Tampa Bay Rays, 24.8% Owned

While not as available as Brubaker, Corey Kluber is definitely a pitcher managers should look into if roster reinforcements are already required. Not only has he made the Rays roster, but he will also make his first start before the opening weekend is over. As it stands now, Kluber will make Sunday’s start against Baltimore. Managers won’t have to wait long to see how Kluber looks before deciding if he should be on a roster full time in 2022.

Of course, that is a vital consideration due to the fact Kluber has had to fight the injury bug over the past several seasons. He did pitch 80 innings in 2021, winning five games with a respectable 3.83 ERA. He also showed that he can still strike hitters out, with 82 a year ago. If there is any chance he can come close to the pitcher he once was, managers will want to jump on the Kluber express early. If needed, Kluber goes to the top of the fantasy baseball injury replacements list if available.

Matt Brash, SP, Seattle Mariners, 9% Owned

If adding a first-year player doesn’t scare a manager away, Matt Brash is worth the add for anyone having injury problems. Most rookies don’t make a team’s Opening Day roster, but that is not the case here. Seattle announced Saturday Brash made the team. While it is unknown as of this writing where or how he will be used, Brash is an intriguing addition for a manager with players already on the injured list.

Pitching in the minors last season, Brash fashioned a 2.31 ERA, striking out an impressive 35.1 percent of hitters. His 11.9 percent walk rate gives managers something to think about. However, Seattle clearly has faith in right hander. Managers should feel the same until proven otherwise.

Carlos Hernandez, SP/RP, Kansas City Royals, 15.7% Owned

Another young pitcher making their team’s Opening Day roster is Carlos Hernandez. He is slated to take the mound Monday against the Guardians (everyone used to that name yet?). Hernandez pitched well in 2021, going 6-2 with a very respectable 3.68 ERA. To be a truly effective starter, he will have to get a grip on his base on balls. Demonstrating this, Hernandez walked an astronomical 41 hitters in 85.2 innings pitched in 2021.

Every other metric was under control for Hernandez, however. He struck out 74 in 24 appearances, including 11 starts. It doesn’t seem as if he will have a long leash on the starting role, so it is imperative to keep a close eye on him if he is added to the roster. Opportunity is available here now, though, and that is the name of the game. Until further notice, Hernandez belongs on this fantasy baseball injury replacements edition.

Other Possible Pitching Replacements:

Huascar Ynoa, SP, Atlanta Braves, 16.1% Owned, Carlos Carrasco, SP, NY Mets, 22.2% Owned

Hitting Replacements

Wil Myers, OF, San Diego Padres, 13.7% Owned

Any managers out there in need of outfield help already? If so, consider Wil Myers. This is a player that will start virtually every game for the Padres this season. San Diego should have a solid lineup in 2022, despite the obvious Tatis injury. Clearly, that will help Myers build up his overall stats this season. Myers is slated as the starting right fielder. In addition, he will slide over to center whenever Trent Grisham needs a breather. The bottom line is Myers will be on the field a lot.

That should be a good thing for his fantasy managers in 2022. Myers is projected to hit double figures in home runs and steals this coming season. How many players in today’s game can say that? Last season, Myers hit 17 in 441 at bats. For certain, Myers is well removed from his 30 homer days. However, he did hit 15 in just 55 games in 2020. If faced with an outfielder add decision this early, a manager could do a lot worse than Myers.

Wilmer Flores, 1B/2B/3B, San Fransisco Giants, 14.8% Owned

When a manger already needs a replacement before the season even begins, a guaranteed starter helps ease the pain. Wilmer Flores can be the fantasy medicine a fantasy owner can certainly use. Going into 2022, Flores will be the starting third baseman for the Giants as Evan Longoria will miss six weeks with a finger injury. The fact that Flores qualifies at every infield spot except shortstop adds tremendous value. It is clear that if Flores plays well out of the gate, that 14.8 percent owned figure won’t last long.

Fortunately, Flores wasn’t a scrub at the plate in 2021. He hit .262 while hitting 18 homers and driving in 53 runs in 389 plate appearances. He also ended his season with hits in four of the last five Giants games as San Fransisco held on to win the division last year. His playing time will undoubtedly reduce once Longoria returns, but that is quite a bit in the future. For the time being, adding Flores and enjoying his versatility makes sense in this fantasy baseball injury replacements edition.

Cesar Hernandez, 2B, Washington Nationals, 9.9% Owned

When looking over the wire for players that are less than 10 percent owned, Cesar Hernandez stands out. Hernandez served as the Nationals’ leadoff hitter all spring and enters the season in that position. Doing so will get plenty of opportunities to score runs for Hernandez with Juan Soto and hitter supreme Nelson Cruz swinging the bats behind him. Hernandez has shown he can excel at the top of a lineup, hitting .290 and scoring five runs in 10 games this spring.

Last season, he hit 21 homers and scored 84 runs split between the White Sox and Cleveland. The only issue with Hernandez is that he offers no speed upside. Even so, players that have the chance to make the fantasy impact he does this season just aren’t found on waivers. Except this year. If an infielder is needed, Hernandez can be the emergency relief a manager is looking for in 2022.

Eric Haase, C/OF, Detroit Tigers, 4.1% Owned

Even with the Tigers trade of Austin Meadows, Eric Haase should receive plenty of at bats this season. The biggest reason for this is that both Meadows and Akil Baddoo swing the bat from the left side. As a right-handed hitter, Haase will see plenty of plate appearances against southpaws in 2022. Further, he will get his at bats when he starts behind the plate and as the DH.

While Haase doesn’t hit for much average (.231), he did hit 22 homers while driving in 61. Those are certainly serviceable numbers for a player qualified as a catcher. Best of all, he is widely available, which helps tremendously when in a larger league. If there are better options available on the wire, that would be the option to look to first. However, if the waiver shelf is already bare, Haase is certainly worth kicking the tires when the season gets started.

Other Possible Hitter Replacements:

Ha-Seong Kim, 2B/SS/3B, San Diego Padres, 2.7% Owned, Josh Harrison, 2B/3B/OF, Chicago White Sox, 11% Owned

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball injury replacements edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Agree or disagree with any of the selections or the analysis of them? Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports & Picks for the latest MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and all the sports news!