When Will Spencer Strider, Jackson Chourio, Hunter Brown Return? Fantasy Baseball Injury Updates

April 7, 2026

When will Spencer Strider, Jackson Chourio, Hunter Brown return and play? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return dates for Week 2 of 2026.

With the 2026 regular season in full swing, it's time to look at the latest injury updates for some of the top fantasy assets. Even though it is early in the season, managers have already seen several players hit the IL, including many high-end selections.

In this piece, we will analyze the latest injury updates regarding Spencer Strider, Jackson Chourio, and Hunter Brown.

When should fantasy managers expect these players back in the major leagues? Should they remain stashed on our rosters? Let's dive in!

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Spencer Strider Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

Spencer Strider had a late start to the 2025 season as he worked his way back from an internal brace procedure. He endured some growing pains as he finished his regular season with a modest 4.45 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP across 125 1/3 innings of work. During this stretch, Strider would strike out just 131 hitters while allowing walks at a high 9.5% rate.

Compared to his production before his surgery, this was a dramatic decline. As a result, Strider carried a much lower price in 2026 drafts, often going just outside the top-100 in standard leagues. While he still showed some signs of concern in spring training, Strider's raw talent made him an intriguing target, especially at a lower price.

However, his 2026 season would get off to a rocky start as he was placed on the 15-day injured list due to an oblique strain just days before Opening Day. At the time of the injury, the team expressed cautious optimism, but given his current trajectory, Strider may still need to progress through several steps before being in contention to make his season debut.

Later in March, Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com reports that Strider "may not miss much more" than the minimum amount of time on the injured list. Atlanta's president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, described the injury as "mild." However, even though the earliest date for his return (April 6) has recently passed, Strider has not made much progress as initially anticipated.

Last week, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported that Strider would travel with the team on their next road trip but still did not have a firm date for his first rehab outing.

Strider will go on the road trip with the Braves. Still no timetable for when he might make his first rehab start. He’ll likely throw a live BP on the road. That will give the team a better feel for a potential return date

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 30, 2026

Fortunately, earlier this week, the Braves announced some positive news regarding Strider. On April 2, the team noted that the right-hander will throw a bullpen session on Friday. This is a prominent step in his recovery. If he can exit this session without any setbacks, he could be cleared to embark on a rehab assignment within the coming weeks.

While Strider appears to be on track to return before the end of the month, managers should closely monitor his velocity before viewing him as a lineup lock. In 2025, Strider saw his four-seamer have a drop in velocity (compared to 2024), and his slider generated far fewer whiffs. He remains a must-stash player but will face an uphill battle to return to his dominant pre-injury level of production, given the significant injuries he has endured over the last calendar year.

Jackson Chourio Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

One of the top hitters on the injured list is Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio. Chourio was a consensus top-15 pick across all formats as he enters his third MLB campaign. Through his first two seasons (at age 20 and 21), Chouriohas posted back-to-back 20/20 seasons while holding an average line of .272/.317/.463.

However, Chourio hit the 15-day injured list on March 26 due to a hairline fracture in his left hand. The budding superstar was hit by a pitch during the World Baseball Classic but played through it. A further screening revealed the extent of the injury, and the Brewers opted to proceed with caution with their franchise cornerstone.

While he has yet to be cleared to embark on a rehab assignment, Chourio has recently begun participating in more intense baseball workouts and could be closing in on a potential return. According to Todd Rosiak of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Chourio has been running and throwing. Manager Pat Murphy noted that he is set to undergo another round of scanning on Friday, which could determine the next steps of his recovery.

Fantasy managers should continue to pay close attention to his status, as he appears to be nearing the final stages of his recovery.

When active, Chourio will carry must-start upside in all formats. In the second half of the 2025 season, he took an even higher step further, posting a .284/.335/.466 line with an .801 OPS compared to the .264/.297/.461 line (.758 OPS) he held in the first half.

When Chourio returns to the lineup, he will likely push Jake Bauers to a bench role. Given this recent update, he remains on track to return before the end of the month.

Jackson Chourio hits this one WAY outta here 🤯 pic.twitter.com/IaHvhqjbvM

— MLB (@MLB) April 13, 2025

Hunter Brown Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

The final star player whose status we will check is Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown. Brown began the season operating as the top man in the Astros' rotation and did not disappoint. On Opening Day, Brown was tasked to face the Angels and was quite sharp, striking out nine hitters over 4 2/3 shutout innings. In his second outing against the Boston Red Sox, Brown looked just as dominant, tossing six innings of one-run ball with one hit, two walks, and eight punchouts.

Hunter Brown struck out Roman Anthony three times tonight on nine pitches pic.twitter.com/2FLLBSWBcv

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 1, 2026

However, shortly after this outing, Brown was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain, which will keep him on the shelf for at least the next two weeks but likely longer, given the typical recovery timeline for such injuries. Brown reportedly felt some shoulder pain during his throwing program on Friday and underwent further imaging, which revealed the injury.

Shortly after the transaction, Dana Brown, the general manager of the Houston Astros, did not sound overly concerned when asked about the long-term health of their top pitcher.

Dana Brown on the team’s pregame radio show on @SportsTalk790 on Hunter Brown: “Not too concerned right now because he felt it was not that big of a deal.”

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 5, 2026

While fantasy managers will likely be without their SP1 for at least the next month, given that the team does not seem overly concerned about his long-term health, managers should not hit the panic button. On Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic confirmed that Brown sustained a Grade 2 shoulder strain, which will prevent him from throwing for "a few weeks" and will likely keep him on the shelf for at least the next month, possibly longer.

With Brown on the shelf, fantasy managers should expect the Astros to turn to their system to fill his spot in the rotation. A name to keep an eye on is his former big-league starter Spencer Arrighetti. Arighetti has battled several injuries but has begun to find his footing at Triple-A and could emerge as a sneaky waiver-wire target in deeper formats. In his most recent outing at Triple-A Sugar Land (on April 3), Arrighetti struck out nine hitters over 4 1/3 hitless frames.

If he returns to Houston, he could carry a viable streaming "plug-and-play" upside.

Like Chourio and Strider, Brown remains a high-priority stash option in all leagues while he remains on the shelf. In 2025, Brown was a league-winner as he emerged as one of the top pitchers in fantasy baseball, logging a career-high 185 1/3 innings to the tune of a 2.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 28.3% K%.

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