Shoulder injuries have become common in baseball, and many players who suffered shoulder injuries during the 2002 season waited until the offseason to undergo surgery.

Here is a look at some of the more notable Fantasy Baseball players who are recovering from shoulder surgery.

Robert Fick, 1B, Atlanta

Fick had offseason shoulder surgery in October to repair a torn left labrum in his shoulder. Though he is only four months into a projected six-month rehabilitation program, Fick seems to be progressing just fine. He has even reported to workouts earlier in the day to get extra work fielding grounders. "He's the first one here every morning," Braves manager Bobby Cox told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "And not just to be here. He's here to work. He works hard, boy."

So far Fick's shoulder has held up to the rigors of hard work. He hasn't reported any pain or soreness. When asked by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution how his shoulder felt, Fick would only offer: "It'd have (to) be broken for me to not be out there."

Fick is a tough player and will likely play through any aches and pains that result from the operation. Looking at his performance might be the best way to gauge if Fick is healthy. He began to slow after the All-Star break last season, when his shoulder injury began to hinder him. He batted .245 with six home runs and 23 RBI. Fick hit .290 with 11 homers and 40 RBI before the break. Play it safe and don't bid more than $5 for Fick's services.

Jason Isringhausen, P, St. Louis

Trevor Hoffman isn't the only closer recovering from a shoulder operation. While Isringhausen's operation isn't as severe as Hoffman's, early evaluations of his recovery have produced mixed reports. He underwent arthroscopic surgery in October to "cleanup" the joint and repair a small labrum tear. Isringhausen threw for the first time in January and reported no pain.

Since then the reports have been a bit contradictory. After throwing a couple of weeks ago Isringhausen told Sports Weekly that he would be ready for opening day. Manager Tony La Russa agreed and told reporters that he expected Isringhausen to be ready for opening day. However, pitching coach Dave Duncan told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Isringhausen will probably begin the season on the disabled list.

More won't be known about Isringhausen's status until he begins throwing off a mound within the next few days and he is not expected to pitch in a game situation until after March 15. Avoid using Isringhausen as your closer and don’t offer more than $10 for him in an auction-style league.

Matt Lawton, OF, Cleveland

Lawton's recovery from shoulder surgery has gone smoothly thus far. "I'm pain free and doing what I love, playing baseball."

It was only five months ago that he was suffering from excruciating pain in his right shoulder and hitting a career-low .236. At that time Lawton finally decided to have an operation. A cyst, torn labrum and frayed rotator cuff was discovered and repaired. At first it was believed that Lawton would be out for most of the 2003 season, but he is back and expects to be ready for opening day, barring any setbacks.

His throwing will be limited during spring training to allow his arm to heal. However, his hitting seems to be just fine. Lawton hit a two-run double in Tuesday's intrasquad game. The Indians will monitor Lawton's progress closely. "I expect Matt to play in the early exhibition games, but he isn't ready just yet. It's better to take our time and have the real Matt Lawton," said manager Eric Wedge.

Although making good progress, Lawton still has his shoulder held intact by six screws and a metal plate. If healthy he should be a quality fourth or fifth outfielder in AL-only leagues, but don't spend more than $4 for him.

Robb Nen, P, San Francisco

Nen rounds out the holy triumvirate of closers that underwent offseason surgery. However, he might be the closest to making his return. Nen underwent arthroscopic surgery in November but was able to throw a second full bullpen session on Feb. 23.

Nen threw about 40 pitches with 80 to 85 percent of his velocity. Nen is also a week ahead of his recovery schedule. He is not supposed to appear in an exhibition game until March 15 but might make his spring training debut on March 8.

"We were not going to let him throw off the mound until the end of February," Conte told the Contra Costa Times. "This was his fourth time off a mound. He looks pretty good."

Barring any setbacks, Nen should be ready for opening day. Fantasy leaguers must strongly consider that Nen had a career-high 51 saves last season when compiling their roster. Don't hesitate to bid between $25 and $30 for his services, despite his injury status.