"You'll notice that the subject matter on our player news page is slowly transitioning from rumors, trades and player signings to injury updates and a handul of players proclaiming that they are in the "best shape of their life." It's a welcome sign that pitchers and catchers are mere days away from reporting to their respective spring training sites in Arizona and Florida.
On a related note, below you'll find a list of prominent players who are making their way back from injury and/or surgery. I didn't tackle all of the big names here, so be sure to track our player news page for the all the latest updates.
If you want to be completely prepared leading up to draft day, be sure to get the Rotoworld Online Draft Guide. It's available right now, by the way. You'll get close to 1,000 player profiles and projections, customizable and printable cheat sheets, positional tiers, ADP (Average Draft Position) reports, keeper rankings, prospect rankings, depth charts and a whole lot more. Why not get a head start on dominating the competition?
Tim Hudson (SP, Braves)
Braves general manager Frank Wren and pitching coach Roger McDowell have both indicated in recent weeks that Tim Hudson could begin the season on the disabled list following surgery in November to repair a herniated disk in his back. In fact, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution suspects that the 36-year-old right-hander might not be ready until mid-April or the first week of May. While this will almost certainly have an impact on his ADP (Average Draft Position) in the coming weeks, this situation shouldn't necessarily scare fantasy owners away from investing a mid-to-late round pick in mixed formats, as Hudson can be stashed on the disabled list in the great majority of leagues. It never hurts to give yourself some roster flexibility coming out of a draft.
Carl Crawford (OF, Red Sox)
Crawford's hope for a rebound in his second season in Boston isn't exactly off to a promising start. The 30-year-old underwent surgery on his left wrist in January after encountering some discomfort during early offseason workouts and is now in danger of missing Opening Day. The good news is that it wasn't considered a major procedure and he should be back pretty early on in the year, but one wonders whether the surgery will have an impact on his ability to drive the ball with authority in the short-term. Of course, Crawford generates a lot of his fantasy value with his legs, so this is less of a concern with him than it would be with a traditional power hitter. Be sure to track his progress during spring training, but with his ADP sinking following his disappointing 2011 campaign and January's surgery, he could be a nice value if he falls far enough. "
