When Will Alex Bregman, Michael King, Shota Imanaga Return? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

June 16, 2025

When will Alex Bregman, Michael King, and Shota Imanaga return and play? Will Bregman, King, and Imanaga be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 12 of the 2025 MLB season.

With injuries starting to pile up for fantasy managers, every injured list spot on your roster might be filled. We are at the point of the season where key injuries will pop up. Some superstars currently on the IL are Yordan Alvarez, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Kodai Senga, and Pablo Lopez.

Three more fantasy stars to add to that list are Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman, San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King, and Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga. All three players were off to fantastic starts this year, but injuries have really hurt their fantasy value in recent weeks.

So, when will Bregman, King, and Imanaga return? Should fantasy managers stash them in one of their IL spots? Let's dive in and find out.

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Alex Bregman Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

There's no doubt that Bregman was one of the best fantasy options to start the season. He was hitting .299 with 11 home runs, 17 doubles, and 35 RBI in his first 51 games before suffering a quad injury toward the end of May. The Red Sox third baseman experienced some quad tightness in a game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 23.

In that contest, Bregman hit a ball off the wall and rounded first base hard to potentially turn his single into a double. However, the 31-year-old awkwardly rounded first base before retreating back. He immediately left that game due to a quad injury and was placed on the 10-day IL one day later, on May 24.

Both the Red Sox and Bregman feared that this quad strain would turn into a multi-month absence. The two-time All-Star suffered a similar quad injury back in 2021, and he missed over two months due to that injury. So, the team expected its star third baseman to be out through the All-Star break. Nevertheless, that might not be the case anymore.

Bregman is making significant progress in his recovery, and an ultrasound showed improvement in that quad strain. Given that the veteran is already running, there's a chance that he returns sometime before the All-Star break. The Red Sox third baseman also said he might not need to go on a rehab assignment before returning.

Alex Bregman says his quad strain is healing much faster than his last one that caused him to miss 2+ months. He’s rehabbing 12 hours a day.

He wouldn’t give an ETA, but said he hopes to return before the All-Star Break. There’s a chance he doesn’t go on a rehab stint.

(via… pic.twitter.com/wjG8fwrXgQ

— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) June 13, 2025

Therefore, fantasy managers should expect him to return sometime in July. While he is still likely a few weeks away, it is an encouraging sign that his quad strain continues to improve. He is currently running at 50% and could be back sooner than we all thought. That means he should remain in one of your IL slots until he is activated.

Michael King Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

Everything was going right for King to start the season. He had a 2.59 ERA and 64 strikeouts in his first 10 starts and was set to take on the Atlanta Braves in his 11th outing on May 24. Unfortunately, the right-hander woke up with some shoulder stiffness that morning, forcing the Padres to scratch him from his start.

Then, San Diego placed the 30-year-old on the 15-day IL due to right shoulder inflammation one day later on May 25 (retroactive to May 22). After undergoing additional tests, King was eventually diagnosed with a pinched nerve in his right shoulder. If that injury designation does not sound great, that's because it isn't.

Since suffering that pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder, King has not done much. The right-hander has progressed to playing some light catch, but he hasn't been able to do much more. Padres manager Mike Shildt also said on Friday that the pitcher is in "a holding pattern."

That's certainly not great news for King. It appears that his shoulder isn't progressing as the team would like, which is delaying his potential return. Given that the 30-year-old has only played light catch since going on the IL back on May 25, it could be a while until we see him back on the mound. 

Mike Shildt provides latest on Yu Darvish & Michael King:

- Darvish will throw a simulated game tomorrow, likely at Peoria complex

- On next steps for King: “Until he can pick up a baseball and throw it consistently, there’s really no planning.”

pic.twitter.com/D0Td2r7kR6

— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) June 14, 2025

The Padres are currently exploring ways to help King's treatment and get him back on the mound as soon as possible. However, all signs indicate that the 30-year-old will not return until the middle of July at the earliest. He continues to be in a holding pattern and has to build back up once his shoulder is fully healthy.

As a result, fantasy managers should continue to keep him in one of their IL slots for the time being. He will pitch again this season, and once he is activated, he will remain a strong fantasy option for managers. That makes him someone to keep on your roster. 

Now would also not be a bad time to see what it would take to acquire the right-hander. Even though King is still weeks away from a return, he has been one of the best fantasy options since converting to a full-time starter last season. He has a 2.86 ERA and 265 strikeouts across 41 games (40 starts) over the past two years.

Shota Imanaga Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

It's not surprising that Imanaga picked up right where he left off in his rookie campaign. The left-hander had a 2.82 ERA and 34 strikeouts in his first eight starts in 2025 before suffering a hamstring injury on May 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

With runners on first and second, Imanaga got the groundball he wanted to force a potential double play. But when the southpaw ran to cover first base, he grabbed the back of his leg and immediately left the contest. This injury was definitely a tough break for the Japanese native, and he was placed on the 15-day IL one day later, on May 5.

Imanaga has now been out for over five weeks, which means he should be getting close to a return. That definitely appears to be the case, as the Cubs pitcher has already appeared in two rehab games over the past two weeks. In his most recent outing on June 14, the left-hander tossed four scoreless innings with four strikeouts with the Cubs' rookie ball team.

Shota Imanaga complex league strikeouts in 100 plus degrees 🔥 pic.twitter.com/z7nedKEOQ4

— The Welsh (@IsItTheWelsh) June 14, 2025

Following that outing, the plan is for Imanaga to make his third rehab start with the Triple-A club in the next few days. The Cubs anticipate him making his final rehab outing on Friday. That would set him up to be activated the following week to start either June 25 or June 26 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Therefore, fantasy managers only have to wait one more week until Imanaga is back with the team. Once he is officially activated next week, he will remain a solid pitching option for fantasy managers. The southpaw will likely have a low ERA, solid WHIP, and has the potential to win double-digit games for the second straight year.

Those three categories should help Imanaga finish as a top-25 fantasy pitcher this season. So, see what it would take to acquire him because he could be a major boost for your fantasy team.

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