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Dr. Reuven Guy's fantasy baseball injury report for Week 4 (2025). Read the latest injury updates for Ronald Acuna Jr., Clayton Kershaw, Masyn Winn, Ben Joyce, and much more.
As the weather warms up, so does baseball season. We are starting to see who will be the breakthrough players this year and who will slump. This is also the time of year when fantasy owners start to lose patience with their mid-round draft picks from draft season and want to bench or drop players.
Just like Juan Soto said recently, having the best player in baseball hitting behind him makes pitchers attack him differently. We can relate this to our fantasy teams. If we drop or bench a slumping player, who must we lengthen our fantasy lineup to take their place, and hit behind them? Which pitcher will take the pitcher's place off to a poor start to the season? In most cases, there is no one great on our current roster. This is where the waiver wire and trades come in. The waiver wire and trade market are where we could bolster our lineup and pitching staff, replacing poor performers with players with upside. This would make us make tough decisions on who to drop/trade and who to hold on to. Knowing injured players' timelines could help with this lineup balance. I will continue to highlight the relevant fantasy baseball players, their return timeline, and the next man up.
Here's a little about myself for both new and returning readers. My name is Reuven Guy, and I am a practicing orthopedic/pain management physician assistant. I have been dealing with sports injuries for the past 19+ years. Therefore, I have knowledge of orthopedic injuries and their recovery times based on my medical experience. I also played fantasy baseball during that time. This has helped me get an advantage in this aspect of fantasy baseball, which I hope to share with you. I am also the co-host of the 2025 FSWA award-winning podcast "Beat the Shift." Stay updated on the latest MLB breaking news with our award-winning news desk and our free fantasy baseball mobile app with 24/7 push notification alerts!
Injured Hitters for Fantasy Baseball
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF, ATL)- Knee
Acuna is on the IL as he continues to rehab his ACL, which was surgically repaired last year. Acuna was cleared to ramp up activity and begin progressing to a rehab assignment. He will begin to ramp up his running and defensive drills. He is on target to return to the Braves within a month.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was cleared to ramp up activity and begin progressing toward a rehab assignment. No timetable, but seems like he’s on schedule to return at some point in the next month, as we’d originally thought.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 15, 2025
Wyatt Langford (OF, TEX)- Oblique
Langford was placed on the IL this week with a right oblique strain. He has begun swinging a bat and feels “pretty much fine.” He is eligible to return on April 22, and it remains to be seen if he can make that timeline. Until then, Kevin Pillar, Josh Smith, Dustin Harris, and Ezequiel Duran remain in the mix to see more playing time.
Wyatt Langford just ran the bases before Rangers BP. If all goes well, he will play this weekend #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/GSnrCuS5o7
— Kane McCutchen (@Kane_McCutchen6) April 15, 2025
Royce Lewis (3B, MIN)- Hamstring
Lewis was placed on the IL with a moderate left hamstring strain. Lewis has taken on field batting practice and has been doing some defensive drills, but there remains no timeline for his rehab assignment. Brooks Lee and Willi Castro will continue to see playing time for the Twins.
Colton Cowser (OF, BAL)- Thumb
Cowser is on the IL with a fractured left thumb. Orioles general manager Mike Elias said this week that the target return date for Cowser is late May/early June. Heston Kjerstad has been filling in for the Orioles.
Ketel Marte (2B, ARI)- Hamstring
Marte was placed on the IL with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. Marte has begun taking batting practice, but the true test will be when he tries to run, which he has not yet. There is no timeline for his return. Tim Tawa and Garrett Hampson will continue getting playing time with Marte out.
Francisco Alvarez (C, NYM)- Wrist
Alvarez is on the IL status post-surgery for a fractured hamate bone in his wrist. He has begun a rehab assignment; however, because of his limited playing time in spring training, his rehab assignment may be for another week or so.
Something that bears watching:
Francisco Alvarez was hit in the same hand he had surgery in the 6th inning tonight. He stayed in to catch the bottom of the 6th but was replaced for the 7th inning
pic.twitter.com/t6e4SCFcRO— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) April 16, 2025
Jeff McNeil (2B, NYM)- Oblique
McNeil was placed on the IL with a low-grade right oblique strain. He is on a rehab assignment and could be activated from the IL as early as April 21.
Connor Wong (C, BOS)- Finger
Wong was placed on the IL with a fractured finger when his hand was hit by a bat on a catcher's interference. Severity is not yet known. He has already begun baseball activities and some catching drills, but may still miss another three weeks. Carlos Narvaez is the Red Sox's primary catcher, with Blake Sabol backing him up.
Daulton Varsho (OF, TOR)- Shoulder
Varsho was placed on the IL as he continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. He will begin a rehab assignment soon and could return to the Blue Jays by the end of April.
Ivan Herrera (C, STL)- Knee
Herrera was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his left knee and is out for at least four weeks. He has already begun playing catch but is still expected to be out for another four weeks. Pedro Pages is the primary catcher for the Cardinals while Herrera is out and Yohel Pozo will back him up.
Jose Miranda (3B, MIN)- Hand
Miranda was placed on the IL with a left-hand strain. This was done instead of sending him back to the minors. He injured his hand while he was shopping and grabbing for a case of water. There is no timeline for his return.
Masyn Winn (SS, STL)- Back
Winn is on the IL due to lower back spasms. He has begun baseball activities and has played catch already. There is no definitive timeline for his return yet. Brendan Donovan and Thomas Saggese have been handling shortstop for the Cardinals with Winn out.
#STLCards manager Oli Marmol said Masyn Winn back spasms) and Iván Herrera (left knee) are progressing to hitting in the cages and playing catch. Neither will travel to New York this weekend, but Winn could join the team in Atlanta. He is eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) April 16, 2025
Jake Cronenworth (1B, SD)- Rib
Cronenworth was placed on the IL with a non-displaced fracture in his ribs. Manager Mike Shildt would not put a timeline on Cronenworth's return when asked about the injury.
Shildt said, "It's a matter of getting some of the fluids and the healing to take place, and then it's a matter of his functionality. And then hopefully it doesn't take too long. And then it's unlike a pitcher where he has to get ramped up as much as we can. Get him some at bats and get him back on the field."
The usual timeline for return from this injury is about six to eight weeks.
Jake Cronenworth sent to 10-day IL with a non-displaced right rib fracture (retroactive to 4/9) suffered when he was hit by a pitch on Sunday.
Tyler Wade is back.
RHP Matt Waldron to the 60-day IL.— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) April 11, 2025
Giancarlo Stanton (DH, NYY)- Elbows
Stanton is on the IL with torn tendons in both elbows. He has received three rounds of PRP injections. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Stanton continues to hit against a high-velocity Trajekt machine and is "getting close" to facing live pitching. There is no timeline for his return yet.
Endy Rodriguez (1B/C, PIT)- Finger
Rodriguez was placed on the IL with a right index finger laceration. He needed stitches after taking a pitch off his finger. Joey Bart is the next man up for the Pirates, and Rodriguez may spend the minimum time on the IL as he heals.
Connor Norby (3B, MIA)- Oblique
Norby is currently on the IL with a left oblique strain. He will begin a rehab assignment this weekend and should be back with the Marlins by the end of April.
Matt Wallner (OF, MIN)- Hamstring
Wallner injured his hamstring running to first and is now on the IL. MRI showed a strain, but the severity is not known to us. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. could get more playing time.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Blake Snell (SP, LAD)- Shoulder
Snell is on the IL with left shoulder inflammation. He said he has had this issue for the past few weeks. Snell has recently resumed throwing but remains a few weeks away from returning to the Dodgers rotation. Landon Knack or Bobby Miller will fill in for the Dodgers.
Justin Steele (SP, CHC)- Elbow
Steele has UCL damage in his elbow and has opted for season-ending surgery. Steele is done for the year. Ben Brown should fill in until Javier Assad can come off the IL for the Cubs.
Jack Leiter (SP, TEX)- Finger
Leiter was placed on the IL with a blister issue. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that Leiter was trending toward a rehab assignment start this week. If this is true, Leiter could return to the Rangers rotation sometime next week.
Zach Eflin (SP, BAL)- Lat
Eflin was placed on the IL with a low-grade lat strain, based on an MRI. Orioles general manager Mike Elias said this week that the strain is “very mild” and that Eflin’s absence will be measured in weeks and not months.
Brayan Bello (SP, BOS)- Shoulder
Bello is on the IL with shoulder soreness. Bello was scheduled for his final rehab start on April 16 and should make his season debut early next week for the Red Sox.
Lucas Giolito (SP, BOS)- Hamstring
Giolito was placed on the IL with a low-grade left hamstring strain. He is now likely to make two more rehab starts before making his season debut with the Red Sox.
Brandon Woodruff (SP, MIL)- Shoulder
Woodruff continues to rehab from shoulder surgery last year and is on the IL. He threw 66 pitches in his last rehab start. Woodruff is likely to need two more rehab starts before being activated from the IL around May 1.
Tobias Myers (SP, MIL)- Oblique
Myers is on the IL with a left oblique strain. He is scheduled to make one more rehab assignment start this weekend and be activated from the IL next week.
Tony Gonsolin (SP, LAD)- Back
Gonsolin is on the IL with a back injury suffered while lifting weights in early March. He threw four innings in his last rehab start and may need one more rehab outing before the Dodgers activate him.
Yu Darvish (SP, SD)- Elbow
Darvish is on the IL with right elbow inflammation. He has been playing long toss but is likely still at least three weeks away from being activated off the IL. This could put his return date around early to mid-May.
Sean Manaea (SP, NYM)- Oblique
Manaea is on the IL with a right oblique strain. He has resumed playing catch from 60 feet recently. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he will be limited to that for now as he ramps up for a return from the IL.
Sean Manaea received an MRI today that showed improvement, and he resumed playing catch off flat ground. He will not, however, progress beyond that over the next 10 days. The Mets want to make extra sure he's fine before pushing him.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 14, 2025
Ryan Weathers (SP, MIA)- Forearm
Weathers is on the IL with a left flexor strain. He threw a bullpen session this past week and will throw a few more before being cleared to go a a rehab assignment. Weathers hopes to rejoin the Matlins rotation by the first week of May.
Ranger Suarez (SP, PHI)- Back
Suarez was placed on the IL to start the season due to a low back strain. Suarez has made one rehab start and should make one more start before the Phillies put him back into their rotation.
Ranger Suarez felt good today after pitching three innings last night with Class A Clearwater. Plan is to pitch four innings in his next start, then five.
"Then we'll see where we're at," Rob Thomson said.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) April 11, 2025
Lance McCullers Jr. (SP, HOU)- Forearm
McCullers continues to make progress in his rehab, which has now stretched for more than two years. Astros general manager Dana Brown said that it is possible that McCullers could potentially make his season debut next weekend for the Astros.
Clayton Kershaw (SP, LAD)- Toe/Knee
Kershaw continues to recover from offseason surgeries and is on the IL. He will begin a rehab assignment this week and is not eligible to return to the Dodgers until May 17.
Max Scherzer (SP, TOR)- Thumb/Lat
Scherzer left his last start with a lat issue and was placed on the IL after his thumb issue flared up as well. His right thumb has no structural damage, but he continues to have soreness after throwing recently. Scherzer is scheduled to see more specialists soon to be re-evaluated. There is no timeline for his return.
Kutter Crawford (SP, BOS)- Knee
Crawford was placed on the IL with patellar tendon soreness. He threw a bullpen this past weekend, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Crawford is "not close to being back with us."
DJ Herz (SP, WAS)- Elbow
Herz has been on the IL since the start of the season with a partial UCL sprain in his elbow. He has opted for Tommy John surgery and is done for the year.
Richard Fitts (SP, BOS)- Pectoral
Fitts was placed on the IL with a mild right pectoral strain. There is no timetable for his return. Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito will be returning soon to fill out the Red Sox rotation.
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Liam Hendriks (RP, BOS)- Arm
Hendriks was diagnosed with a compressed nerve in his right elbow. He is on a rehab assignment and may need only one more outing before being activated from the IL sometime this weekend.
Kevin Ginkel (RP, ARI)- Shoulder
Ginkel was placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. He threw a bullpen session and was cleared to face live hitters. Ginkel will probably still need a rehab assignment before being activated from the IL, as he had a bullpen session already, but there remains no timeline for his return.
Hunter Harvey (RP, KC)- Shoulder
Harvey is on the IL with a Grade 1 right teres major strain, which is one of the shoulder girdle muscles. He will be re-evaluated next week, and there is no timeline for his return.
It’s a Grade 1 right teres major strain for Hunter Harvey, manager Matt Quatraro says. Harvey felt it when warming up yesterday. It’s considered mild but he stayed back in KC for rehab/recovery and will be re-evaluated next week. #Royals
— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) April 11, 2025
Ben Joyce (RP, LAA)- Shoulder
Joyce is on the IL with shoulder inflammation. This has affected his velocity. There is no timeline for his return yet.
The Angels have placed Ben Joyce on the IL with right shoulder inflammation.
Joyce said he was OK the day after the game with the decreased velocity.
They recalled RHP Michael Darrell-Hicks.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) April 11, 2025
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