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When will Ivan Herrera, Victor Robles, Josh Lowe return and play? Will they be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return dates.
The Major League Baseball season is just two weeks old, but multiple teams are already facing important absences due to player injuries. Players who are hurt leave gaps in their MLB teams and on their fantasy teams as well. Three important players who went down with injuries this season and are impacting their teams are catcher Ivan Herrera of the Cardinals, outfielder Victor Robles of the Mariners, and Josh Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Although injuries are a regular part of fantasy baseball, navigating them and keeping your team productive is a challenge to solve and overcome every year. One critical component is keeping on top of the latest news, so that you can accurately value players in your league, whether you play in redraft or dynasty formats.
Each one of these players can be a significant fantasy value contributor when they're in the lineup, and fantasy owners will be anxiously awaiting their return. While they are out, more playing time is also available for some other options on their teams. Let's take a look at how you should approach each situation.
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Ivan Herrera Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
The Cardinals moved Willson Contreras to first base full-time coming into the season, leaving Herrera and Pedro Pages to serve as the team's primary catchers. Herrera got off to a great start at the plate and looked to be ready to deliver a breakthrough season, but the 24-year-old's emergence was put on hold after suffering a knee injury.
Before the injury, Herrera went 8-for-21 (.381) with two doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI, and an impressive .617 wOBA. He was a key part of the offense during the team's 4-3 start over the first week and a half of the season. He had a three-home run game against the Angels.
Iván Herrera produced 3.37 offensive runs yesterday according to our hitting models.
HR1: 101.2 MPH at 31 degrees
HR2: 112.1 at 25 degrees
HR3: 110.7 MPH at 34 degreesHerrera has now hit the same amount of balls over 110 MPH that he did last year... in 242 fewer PA pic.twitter.com/EMX7Lyfufn
— Jack Lambert (@jacklambert__) April 3, 2025
On Sunday, April 6, the Cardinals played a doubleheader in Boston when Herrera was hurt running the bases. His knee "gave way" when he briefly broke from third base on a foul pop that ended the inning. He needed help from trainers and could not put weight on the leg as he was helped off the field.
An MRI taken that night showed no structural damage, but later testing revealed a bone bruise, which is expected to sideline the Cardinals' promising catcher for at least four weeks. The four-week timetable would mean that Herrera would return in approximately mid-to-late May, depending on how long a rehab stint he needs.
While he is out, Pages will likely handle most of the work behind the plate for St. Louis, and the team also recalled 27-year-old catcher Yohel Pozo from Triple-A Memphis. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak made it clear that the team does not want to move Contreras back behind the plate or rush younger prospects through the system to fill the short-term need.
Pages is hitting .286 with one home run and a .339 wOBA in his nine games so far this season. Pozo homered in his first game in the majors since 2021, going 1-for-4 on Monday in Pittsburgh. Pages and Pozo will patch together the position until Herrera returns. Before the injury, Herrera showed enough promise that he is worth holding if possible.
Victor Robles Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
The Mariners signed Robles midseason last year after he was waived by the Nationals. The 27-year-old got a jolt from the change of scenery, hitting .328 with 20 doubles, four home runs, 26 RBI, and 30 stolen bases in 77 games.
He came into this season as the team's primary leadoff hitter and went 12-for-44 (.273) with three doubles and three stolen bases while scoring three runs and picking up three RBI in 10 games. In his tenth game, he chased a fly ball into the corner against the Giants and made an acrobatic catch up against the netting.
Here’s the slow-mo angle of the Victor Robles catch. Absolutely insane.
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) April 6, 2025
While he made an incredible catch, his arm twisted awkwardly behind him, dislocating his shoulder. An MRI later revealed he also suffered a small fracture in the humeral head of the shoulder. If he can heal without surgery, the fracture will need about six weeks to heal, followed by a six-week rehab before he returns to action.
There's also still a chance that he will need surgery on the shoulder, which could keep him out even longer.
The best-case scenario for Robles is an early July return, but many hurdles still need to be overcome between now and then. In most mixed leagues, Robles can be dropped and replaced with other options, although his speed and premium lineup position give him upside when he can return. If you can hold him in an IL spot, he could still be worth it, but don't stretch your roster too far to hold him with so many good options on the waiver wire.
In Robles' leadoff spot, the Mariners used Julio Rodriguez in the first game without Robles and then moved Dylan Moore to the top spot in the order against a left-handed starting pitcher. Manager Dan Wilson said the team will mix and match in the leadoff spot without one player always hitting that spot.
In the outfield, Luke Raley has started all three games in RF since Robles' injury. The plan seems to be moving Raley into an everyday role rather than having him in the DH/1B mix with multiple other hitters, including Donovan Solano and Rowdy Tellez.
Josh Lowe Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Of the three players in this post, Lowe has been out the longest and is also likely the closest to returning to his normal role. Lowe was expected to be a big part of the Rays' outfield this season. In 2023, he hit 20 homers with a .354 wOBA before slowing down to 10 homers and a .299 wOBA in 106 games last year.
He was red hot in spring training, going 21-for-49 (.429) with two home runs and a .491 wOBA in 18 games. That momentum came to a halt on Opening Day, though, when Lowe was forced to leave the game early with an oblique injury.
Here’s video of Josh Lowe’s injury, who felt something right as he swung and headed to first base. https://t.co/QbPJAL55rH pic.twitter.com/Sbck14i9Gd
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 28, 2025
Lowe landed on the 10-day injured list the next day with a Grade 2 right oblique strain. He also had an oblique strain last March that kept him sidelined for over two months, and this one is more significant since it's Grade 2. He will likely miss at least all of April and possibly some of May.
Manager Kevin Cash provided an encouraging update that Lowe is moving relatively pain-free at this point, though a few weeks after the injury. Cash said, “It’s still a ways, but we've got to be happy with the way his body is feeling.”
With Lowe out, along with both Richie Palacios (finger) and Jonny DeLuca (shoulder), the Rays have gotten a chance to get extended playing time for a couple of young outfield prospects.
Both Kameron Misner and Jake Mangum have contributed solid production since joining the team, while Jose Caballero has also gotten some extra playing time in the outfield.
With Misner and Mangum putting up good numbers, the Rays can be patient with Lowe and the other injured outfielders. He will likely return in May, but he isn't a must-hold option except in shallow or AL-only leagues. When he does near a return, he'll be worth considering adding from waiver wires if you need some power potential.
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