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Dave Funnell's fantasy baseball injury report for Week 4 (2025). Injury updates on Grayson Rodriguez, Jackson Merrill, Justin Steele, and more
Welcome, RotoBallers, to my fantasy baseball injury report for April 20. Every week, we look back at the major injury developments in the world of baseball and look ahead at what might transpire as a result. Today, we examine recent injuries and updates for Grayson Rodriguez, Jackson Merrill, Masyn Winn, Mark Vientos, and many others.
Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, but how you handle them can mean the difference between a last-place finish and somewhere near the top of your league's standings.
The hope is that whatever comes your way, you can understand what the injury is, what it means for your fantasy team, and what actions you should take. Let's get right to this week's injury-related news.
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Grayson Rodriguez - SP Baltimore Orioles
Orioles’ Grayson Rodriguez is going to get a second opinion on his shoulder after getting yesterday’s MRI back, Brandon Hyde says.
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) April 18, 2025
The biggest news from this past week was that Orioles' phenom pitcher Grayson Rodriguez suffered a significant setback in his recovery because of an ailing shoulder injury that has required a second opinion. He was already trying to return from both an injured elbow and triceps that cost him time at the start of the 2025 season. This new injury appeared while he was conducting side sessions this past week, as his post-throwing recovery time from each session did not proceed as smoothly as it should have. This is grim and ominous on many levels.
First, second opinions are rarely a good sign of things to come. Just recently, Justin Steele (who will be discussed below) sought a second opinion for his ailing elbow, and it was revealed that he would require season-ending reconstructive surgery. While each injury, body part, and athlete is a unique situation, it was the latest of many second opinions that brought attention to a serious issue.
Secondly, Grayson Rodriguez's injury history is concerning. He has had multiple issues with his shoulder and lat, both in the minor and major leagues. When an injury occurs repeatedly, it is usually more severe each time, possibly indicating that a permanent correction, such as surgery, is needed. Third, he also altered his delivery this spring in an attempt to limit his injuries and throw for more innings this season.
That's a very dangerous thing to do when he was changing the motion of something unnatural (throwing a ball this hard) that he had done for his career, likely causing strain on other parts of his body to compensate.
Where do we go from here? Until we get an official word from the team, we unfortunately have to wait. There is a significant chance that he doesn't throw a pitch in 2025, making him unusable in redraft leagues. If fantasy owners can acquire any player who is better than someone on their waiver wire, it would be a good idea to do so. Advertising that you are selling him for 25 cents on the dollar might be the best way to salvage this situation. Otherwise, waiting for the hope of a midseason or late-season return is a possibility, but he may not be the same pitcher if and when he does return this season.
MLB Injury News Quick Hits
Padres' Jackson Merrill may end up missing at least one more week with his ailing hamstring injury. The team has stressed all season that they are playing the long game with their injuries, meaning that they want their players to be healthy for the postseason. Merrill has yet to jog consistently, and as such, they feel that his returning this week would be too aggressive an expectation.
Jake Cronenworth is also a ways away from returning, though he did show a significant improvement from where he was last week at this time. His busy week included change-of-direction movements, taking ground balls, playing a light game of catch, and dry swings. The team has indicated that his progression depends on his tolerance for pain, since they're dealing with a fractured rib. Getting himself reinjured is the likeliest of scenarios if the area gets hit, so for now, while it continues to heal, it's logical that they take things slowly.
Cardinals' Masyn Winn began a rehab assignment on Friday night, finishing without a hit in three at-bats. The hope and belief are that he will return when first eligible to do so on Tuesday, barring any setbacks.
Royals' Reliever Lucas Erceg was removed from the game on Friday after taking a comebacker off his foot. He received X-rays, which were negative, meaning that no structural damage took place. Still, that doesn't mean that he is in the clear just yet, as he will require some time to regain his footing and to pitch without pain.
Blue Jays' Max Scherzer received a second cortisone shot for his injured thumb, this time targeting a different area. He will give it some time to work its way through the ailing area and then throw early in the week. It is worrisome that it has taken this long to get any sort of significant progress, indicating either the severity of the situation or the fact that at his age, the human body heals slowly. Either way, this is a situation to monitor.
The Rockies placed Ezequiel Tovar on the Injured List with a hip contusion yesterday. He had been in and out of the Colorado lineup for quite a while because of lingering issues with that hip. He just couldn't seem to clear the hurdle getting back to 100% health, and as such, the hope is that having ten days off will give him what one or two days off could not. That being said, manager Bud Black did say that this could be an ongoing issue for him.
White Sox starter Martin Perez was placed on the Injured List with elbow inflammation yesterday. Any pitcher who misses time because of an elbow injury is scary, but fantasy owners shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. Chances are that the cost to acquire him this season was quite low, and moving on from him is the best option at this point.
Steele had season-ending surgery on his elbow on Friday, but it wasn't Tommy John Surgery. Instead, he had a UCL revision repair to his elbow, which should limit his time away to about twelve months of action. The team compared it to that of Spencer Strider, who returned this past week for the Braves. Both he and Steele had Tommy John surgery earlier in their careers, and then this sort of surgery later on. It remains to be seen if Steele can respond similarly to how Strider did, but it does allow for some hope that he can return somewhat strong. That being said, all pitchers are different, and expectations for Steele in 2026 should be tempered.
Mark Vientos left Saturday's game with groin discomfort. He should be considered day-to-day with this injury until further notice. It has already been announced that he will miss today's game, but everything after that is still uncertain.
The Diamondbacks placed A.J. Puk on the Injured List with elbow inflammation after he said that he felt discomfort during his last outing on Wednesday. He has a history of elbow and shoulder injuries that make this a concerning issue, though we don't know the severity of the situation just yet. He's been sent for imaging, and the team awaits the results.
The expectation is that the Rangers will activate Wyatt Langford prior to their game, though fantasy owners are reminded and encouraged to double-check to ensure that he is, in fact, back.
The Yankees sent Ben Rice for X-rays and a CT scan yesterday after the slugger got hit twice in the elbow on two separate at-bats. The official diagnosis is a left elbow contusion, but the team will be double-checking to ensure that there's nothing else wrong.
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