The Volts had nine players unavailable through injury last week but there has been some relief with three players removing their name from the injury column this week.
Promising all-rounder Josh Finnie missed Otago's opening match against Central Districts in Napier due to illness.
He spent a couple of days in bed but was well enough to play club cricket in the weekend, helping Kaikorai to 71-run win against defending champion Albion.
All-rounder Roald Badenhorst was ruled out with a small fracture in his hand but trained yesterday.
Batsman Brad Rodden was ruled out with a back complaint but he played club cricket in the weekend and is also available for selection.
But that is where the good news ends. Pace bowler Warren Barnes is still out with an ankle complaint.
He transferred south from Auckland this summer after an injury-plagued season. He is expected to be back bowling this week.
Medium pacer Sam Blakely also has an ankle injury. It stiffened up following a day's play in Otago's warm-up match against Canterbury in Rangiora earlier this month and it is unclear how long he will be sidelined.
''There is no plan around him returning yet. We are still waiting for a scan,'' Otago coach Nathan King said.
Seamer Tipene Friday has not been contracted this season but is still part of the Otago squad. He is based in Wellington but is still nursing a stress reaction he picked up last summer.
''He is welcome to return but it has been left quite open,'' King said.
Top-order batsman Anaru Kitchen, like Barnes, transferred south from Auckland this summer but he broke a bone in his hand while batting during a practice session earlier this month and hopes to be fit for the start of the twenty20 campaign on November 5.
Left-armer Bradley Scott's hand is in a plaster cast.
He broke a bone in it during the warm-up game and is at least four weeks away from a return.
Fellow lefty Craig Smith is out with a calf injury and hopes to return around mid November.
Test players Mark Craig, Jimmy Neesham and Hamish Rutherford have joined the Black Caps on their tour of Australia, and Derek de Boorder, Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy and Neil Wagner have New Zealand A commitments.
If you add in the two McCullum brothers - Brendon and Nathan - Otago is missing 15 players.
''It was a challenge naming the last team and it is just as big a challenge for this next one.''
