MLB Injury Update 2025 Ahead of Weekend Games: Justin Steele, Wyatt Langford
Throughout the entire 2025 Major League Baseball season, I’ll have you covered here at Fantasy Alarm with the fantasy baseball injury report. Each Friday, we’ll do a look around the league for notable names with this MLB injury update piece, and how they impact your fantasy baseball teams.
The fantasy baseball injury update this week features some notable names, including Pablo Lopez and Jackson Merrill, and up-and-coming fantasy baseball breakouts like Ivan Herrera and Spencer Arrighetti. With fantasy baseball waivers right around the corner, be sure to read on to learn more about some notable MLB injuries.
MLB Injury Report Update Ahead of This Weekend's Games: Fantasy Baseball Injuries
The MLB injury update report ahead of this weekend’s games features a lot of news regarding players on rehab stints with nearing returns, headlined by Atlanta Braves righty Spencer Strider and New York Yankees’ starter Clarke Schmidt.
The San Diego Padres were fortunate to avoid major injury to one of its star outfielders (Fernando Tatis), but they did have to place early round fantasy baseball selection Jackson Merrill on the IL. Other notable names you’ll find in this week’s MLB injury update include Justin Steele, Wyatt Langford, Matt McLain, and more.
As you prepare to finalize your fantasy baseball lineups for the upcoming week, don’t forget to take a look at James Grande’s best waiver wire pickups, and check out the Caught Stealing Podcast with Howard Bender and yours truly for important fantasy baseball news and notes!
MLB Week 3 Injury Report Update: Pitchers
Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves - Elbow
Strider dominated in his most recent rehab start, and his next start should come with the Atlanta Braves sometime next week (somewhere between April 16th-19th). Reports are that his fastball was sitting in the 95-97 range, which is near his averages from 2023 (97.2 mph) and 2022 (98.2 mph).
Clarke Schmidt, New York Yankees - Shoulder
Like Strider, Clarke Schmidt’s next start very well could be with the big-league club. Schmidt was sharp again, and his return seems imminent. There’s an opening on 4/15, but that’s a bit tight for Schmidt to make that start, but perhaps they move Marcus Stroman up a day, and Schmidt makes his season debut on April 16.
Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins - Hamstring
A Grade 1 hamstring strain will send Lopez to the injured list, and it doesn’t sound as if he should miss too much time. It likely extends beyond the minimum stay, but I think we are looking more at weeks than months.
Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros - Thumb
Arrighetti took a ball of the thumb in BP, resulting in a fractured thumb on his pitching hand. In about a week and a half, more imaging and testing will be done, providing a clearer picture on his return.
Justin Steele, Chicago Cubs - Elbow
After pitching in a very cold game, Steele was placed on the IL with tendinitis in his pitching elbow. The left-hander missed about two weeks near the end of the year last year with the same issue, and his fastball velocity was down the last two starts.
Lucas Giolito, Boston Red Sox - Hamstring
Yet another starter working their way back! Giolito worked up to 64 pitches over his last rehab appearance. He’s likely another rehab appearance or two away before joining the big-league rotation.
Zach Eflin, Baltimore Orioles - Lat
Eflin will be shut down from throwing for seven days and head to the IL with a low-grade lat strain.
Nestor Cortes, Milwaukee Brewers - Elbow
Cortes received a PRP injection and his timeline for return is undetermined. In most leagues, outside of deeper mixed or NL-only formats, I’m dropping Cortes, as I think we are talking months, not weeks here.
MLB Week 3 Injury Report Update: Hitters
Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers - Oblique
Langford suffered an oblique strain on April 8 and was placed on the injured list the next day. He reportedly lobbied to avoid the injured list, but better to be safe than sorry with the fickleness of oblique issues.
Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds - Hamstring
What started as a precautionary ended up being serious enough to put McLain on the IL with tightness in his left hamstring. Gavin Lux and Santiago Espinal will hold down the fort at 2B until McLain’s return.
Jackson Merrill (Hamstring) & Fernando Tatis (Shoulder), San Diego Padres
Merrill was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain, but the Padres seemed to have avoided significant injury with Tatis. The expectation is that Tatis can avoid an IL stint, despite the injury to his surgically repaired shoulder.
Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers - Ankle
The expectation is that Freeman will be activated from the IL today (April 11).
Ivan Herrera, St. Louis Cardinals - Knee
Herrera was off to a hot start to the season, but a bone bruise will put him on the IL and keep him out of the lineup for about a month.
Victor Robles (Shoulder) & Ryan Bliss (Biceps), Seattle Mariners
Robles’ insane catch didn’t come without consequence, as testing revealed a small fracture in his shoulder, and he was placed on the IL. The expectation is that he’ll be able to return around the All-Star break. On the other hand, Bliss will miss 4+ months with a right biceps tear.
Yoan Moncada, Los Angeles Angels - Thumb
Moncada was placed on the IL with thumb soreness. This injury should open the door for regular ABs for young standout Kyren Paris in the LA lineup.
Connor Wong, Boston Red Sox - Finger
Wong will head to the injured list with a fractured pinkie on his catching hand.
Player News
Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch told reporters on Sunday that Matt Vierling (shoulder) is unlikely to rejoin the team during their upcoming series against the Cardinals.
Vierling has been playing on a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo. While he has seen significant action in the outfield, he hasn’t had enough work at third base just yet to test his throwing arm sufficiently. He’ll face fellow rehabbing teammate Casey Mize (hamstring) in a live bullpen session at Comerica Park on Monday before rejoining the Mud Hens on Tuesday to continue his rehab assignment. If all goes well, he could potentially return at some point over the weekend.
Casey Mize (hamstring) will throw a live bullpen session against a pair of rehabbing teammates at Comerica Park on Monday.
Both Matt Vierling (shoulder) and Parker Meadows (arm) are scheduled to take swings off of Mize on Monday. If everything goes well with Mize’s session on Monday, the plan would be for him to return to the Tigers’ rotation as soon as he’s first eligible to return from the injured list on May 24.
Cody Bellinger went 3-for-3 with a two-run double and a grand slam on Sunday night, powering the Yankees in an 8-2 victory over the visiting Mets.
The Yankees got a couple of runners on base with one out in the first inning and Bellinger made Mets’ left-hander David Peterson pay, shooting a two-run double just over the bag at first base to give the Bombers an early 2-0 advantage. Bellinger then put the game away as he jumped on the first pitch he saw from Genesis Cabrera in the eighth inning and belted a 356-foot (102.3 mph EV) grand slam that transformed a 4-2 lead into an 8-2 advantage. He also singled and drew a pair of walks in the contest, reaching base safely in all five of his plate appearances. On the season, the 29-year-old slugger is now hitting .258/.331/.448 with seven homers, 28 RBI and six stolen bases through his first 178 plate appearances in pinstripes.
Jorbit Vivas drove in the go-ahead run with a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning on Sunday as the Yankees bested the Mets at Yankee Stadium.
With the score knotted up at two runs apiece and two men in scoring position with one out in the eighth inning, Vivas battled Ryne Stanek for 11 pitches before ultimately grounding to first base to plate the go ahead run. It was scored as a fielder’s choice, but Pete Alonso could have had a play at the plate had he not airmailed the throw to his catcher. Vivas came around to score later in the inning on Cody Bellinger’s grand slam. On the season, the 24-year-old is hitting .167/.265/.200 with zero homers and three RBI in his first 35 plate appearances.
Paul Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI as the Yankees triumphed over the Mets on Sunday evening.
Goldschmidt reached on an error to start the ballgame and scored on a two-run double off the bat of Cody Bellinger. He then delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning that extended the Yankees’ lead to 4-2 before riding home on Bellinger’s grand slam. He continues to shine at the plate in his first season with the Yankees, slashing .339/.389/.489 with five homers, 25 RBI and three stolen bases.
Max Fried pitched well in a no-decision against the Mets on Sunday night, piling up eight strikeouts over six innings of two-run baseball.
The 31-year-old southpaw allowed just three hits and a pair of walks on the evening. The Mets scratched out a run against him in the second inning on a two-out RBI single by Jeff McNeil. They added another in the fifth as McNeil scampered home on a wild pitch with two outs and Juan Soto at the dish. Fried generated 11 swings and misses on 102 pitches on the night, registering a CSW of 23 percent. Still 6-0 on the season, Fried sports a brilliant 1.29 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a 60/15 K/BB ratio over 62 2/3 innings through his first 10 starts with the Yankees. He’ll look to get back in the win column when he squares off against the Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday.