When Will Xavier Edwards, Aaron Nola, Jordan Westburg Return? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

When will Edwards, Nola, Westburg return and play? Will Edwards, Nola, and Wesstburg be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 8 of the 2025 MLB season.

Fantasy baseball in-season management is almost all about navigating around injuries. Injured players have different timelines for returning, and their absence impacts their real and fantasy teams in multiple ways. Keeping track of who is out and for how long can help you accurately figure out the value of all players involved.

In this post, we'll look at the latest updates on the status of Xavier Edwards of the Miami Marlins, Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Jordan Westburg of the Baltimore Orioles. All three players were expected to be meaningful contributors to their fantasy teams this season, but they are currently on the injured list.

Let's examine each player's season before their injury and when they expect to return. We'll also examine the other roster players who will be impacted by their returns.

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Xavier Edwards Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

Edwards played 42 games for the Marlins this year before landing on the injured list in mid-May with a back strain. The 25-year-old switch-hitter hit .263 at the time with a .279 wOBA and 11 stolen bases.

He was starting to heat up before landing on the IL  and had an eight-game hitting streak while going 10-for-32 (.313) with three stolen bases during that stretch. He was locked in as the team's everyday leadoff hitter and primarily a fantasy asset for his speed and run-scoring potential.

First Xavier Edwards stolen base since April 13 pic.twitter.com/dqwbVZyX32

— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) May 3, 2025

Edwards was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 15, so he'll be eligible to come off the injured list soon. The team hasn't offered any updates, so it isn't clear if he'll be back when he's eligible or needs extended time off.

He also missed time last year with a back issue, ultimately missing just the minimum time before returning in September. This time, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told reporters that precautionary imaging didn’t reveal any structural issues and that he was "day-to-day" before landing on the IL.

From what we know at this point, it doesn't seem to be a serious issue, although back issues can sometimes be challenging to figure out. He could be back as soon as early next week, and when he does return, he'll be back at the top of the Marlins' improved lineup with good stolen base potential.

If you have Edwards on your roster, he's there for stolen bases, not power, and he has lived up to that profile despite his disappointing batting average. Hold him if you can, unless the issue is revealed to be more serious.

While he is out, rookie Javier Sanoja has been getting most of the playing time at shortstop for the Marlins. In his five games at the position, Sanoja is 4-for-16 (.250) with a double and a stolen base. Sanoja could move to 2B and platoon with Otto Lopez, serve as a utility player, or head back to the minors when Edwards is ready to get back into action.

Aaron Nola Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

Nola got off to a slow start to the season before landing on the injured list, and the Phillies and his fantasy managers hope he can return in better form once he's healthy.

In his nine starts, Nola posted an ugly 6.16 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. He gave up 11 homers and 35 runs in his 49 2/3 innings, and his walk rate spiked to 2.9 BB/9, its highest mark in five years. He gave up nine runs on 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Cardinals in his last start, and the team opted to shut him down with a right ankle sprain.

The injury reportedly happened before his start in Cleveland, where he gave up four runs. Then, he was even worse against the Cardinals.

Aaron Nola has been placed on the 15-day IL with a right ankle sprain. He suffered the injury during an agility workout prior to his start in Cleveland.

Mick Abel will start on Sunday and Taijuan Walker will return to the rotation in Colorado.

— Lochlahn March (@lochlahn) May 16, 2025

Nola will be eligible to return at the very end of May, but since he has not been able to throw since landing on the injured list, he may need more time. He is scheduled for a bullpen in Sacramento this weekend, but the veteran still struggles to wear a shoe because of the injury.

The Phillies replaced him in the rotation with rookie Mick Abel for one extremely impressive start last Sunday. Abel looked outstanding but was still sent back to Triple-A while Taijuan Walker was moved into Nola's spot in the rotation. Even after a mediocre outing on Wednesday, Walker is tentatively slated to make the next start when that spot in the rotation comes around next Thursday in Atlanta.

In his two starts before sustaining the injury, Nola looked strong, holding the Cubs and Diamondbacks to a combined one run on seven hits in 13 innings while racking up 14 strikeouts. His regression against the Guardians and Cardinals could have been due to the ankle issue, so there's still hope he's past his early-season struggles.

If you have Nola on your roster still, you can hold him until we get a clearer timeline, but with Abel knocking on the door and top prospect Andrew Painter also nearing his much-anticipated arrival, there may not be a ton of leash for Nola if he continues to struggle. In shallow leagues, you can move on if there are other young arms that bring more upside available.

Jordan Westburg Update For Fantasy Baseball

Of the three players in this post, Westburg has been sidelined the longest, but he is also the only one of the three to have suffered a setback in his rehab.

Before landing on the IL, Westburg played 23 games for the Orioles, hitting only .217 but with four homers and a .330 xwOBA. It was a slow start for Westburg after his impressive first season and a half in the majors.

Last year, he hit .264 with 18 homers and a .340 wOBA, and he was starting to find his groove with a 9-for-29 stretch before landing on the IL with a left hamstring strain at the end of April. He was expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment in early May, but suffered a setback before heading to Norfolk.

Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring strain. He has stopped running, manager Brandon Hyde said, and is resting his hamstring before beginning running progressions again

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) May 14, 2025

The Orioles haven't given much of an update since he was shut down, although GM Mike Elias said he has "hope that it’s going to be very early next month."

In most standard-sized mixed leagues, you can probably do better than holding on to Westburg at this point. Even when he's cleared, he will need to ramp up, have a rehab assignment, and find his rhythm again at the plate, which he struggled to find even before the injury.

While Westburg has been out, the Orioles tried top prospect Coby Mayo at the hot corner, but he struggled badly and was sent back to the minors. Veteran Ramon Urias has been getting most of the playing time there since he returned from injury, but hasn't made many meaningful fantasy contributions.

Westburg is the team's best option at 3B when he's healthy, but for fantasy, he's not worth waiting for if better options are on the waiver wire.

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