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When will Jackson Merrill, Jack Leiter, Zach Neto return? Will Merrill, Leiter, and Neto be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 2 of the 2025 MLB season.
Injuries will always be part of the fantasy landscape, and it's unfortunate, but as fantasy managers, we know it's just part of the gig. The best we can do is adjust and make the necessary moves when unexpected injuries come up. For example, it's important to understand the severity of a player's injury (how long that player is out and what happened), who is on the waiver wire that can be picked up as a backfill, or who will replace the injured player and benefit from the increase in opportunities.
In Week 2, we saw some injury news for key players, including Jackson Merrill, Jack Leiter, and Zach Neto. Each player is dealing with a different situation, but all of them have a realistic mid-to-late April return date. I will dive into each player's situation below and let you know what to expect from them over the next few days and weeks.
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Jackson Merrill Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (hamstring) is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the fantasy baseball world, especially after his phenomenal rookie season in 2024, where he was the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up. He has followed that up with a nine-year contract extension with the Padres on April 3.
Unfortunately for fantasy managers and Merrill, he was unexpectedly out of the lineup on Monday against the Athletics. Only to find out a day later that he had tweaked his hamstring, and the Padres proactively put him on the 10-day IL.
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee, Merrill officially landed on the IL on Monday and appears to be walking fine. The IL placement rules Merrill out for the upcoming six games, which makes him eligible to return on April 18, when the Padres open up a three-game series in Houston.
Padres CF Jackson Merrill is headed to the 10-day IL with his hamstring injury.
He appears to be walking fine, but his recovery is not progressing as quickly as hoped. Padres choosing caution for long season.
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) April 8, 2025
Merrill is off to a blistering hot start in 2025, slashing .378/.415/.676 with three home runs, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored. The injury news is unfortunate for fantasy managers and Padres fans, but from the Padres' perspective, they seem to be optimistic.
Early indications are that Merrill’s IL stint could last the minimum 10 days. Padres manager Mike Shildt mentioned, "At the moment, it doesn’t appear to be anything overly serious," and that they will reevaluate as they approach their next road trip through Houston and Detroit.
Brandon Lockridge made the start in center field for the Padres on Tuesday against the Athletics, with Jose Iglesias starting in left field. The Padres also have Gavin Sheets and Jason Heyward, who will likely fill in against right-handed pitchers.
I realize this is not a hot take, but stash Merrill on your IL if you can, and do not drop him by any means. Based on what we've heard about the injury and updates from the Padres manager, a return in mid-to-late April seems realistic, barring any setbacks.
Jack Leiter Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Texas Rangers youngster Jack Leiter (finger) landed on the 15-day injured list on April 2 following his start against the Cincinnati Reds due to a blister. We have seen pitchers deal with blisters in the past and see that they can vary in severity, but typically, pitchers can miss anywhere between a few days and a couple of weeks.
Leiter, the Rangers' former first-round pick in 2021, is off to an incredible start so far in 2025. In his first two starts, he pitched 10 innings with a 0.90 ERA, 1.37 FIP, and a 9.0 K/9. In those starts, he faced the Boston Red Sox at home and the Reds on the road.
When Leiter developed the blister after the start against the Reds, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said he was removed as a precaution, and they didn't want to push it and make things worse. According to The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant, Leiter threw a 35-pitch bullpen with no issues or setbacks on Tuesday.
Jack Leiter threw a 35 pitch bullpen today with no issues or adverse affects on his blister.
Meanwhile, I'm reminded that his dad, Al, started for the Marlins in the coldest recorded game at Wrigley. It was 29 in 1997.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) April 9, 2025
The bullpen he threw is an encouraging sign, as it suggests that he may return to the rotation in mid-to-late April, barring any setbacks. Leiter will likely throw another bullpen later this week or early next week and perhaps return to the rotation afterward. At this point, it's unclear if a rehab start is needed or not.
In the meantime, Patrick Corbin has stepped into the rotation in Leiter's spot. In 12-team leagues, Leiter should be held on your IL spot or bench, as his return to the mound sometime in April seems likely. The fantasy upside he carries, based on what we have seen in his first few starts, is just too good to pass up.
Zach Neto Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (shoulder) has been ramping up to join the team after his offseason shoulder injury. After missing all of spring training, he started his rehab last Tuesday, and over the six-game span, Neto has slashed .320/.425/.760 with three home runs, 10 runs scored, and six RBI.
This is exactly the type of production that fantasy managers hope to see from Neto. Last season, he broke out for the Angels and slashed .249/.318/.443 with 23 home runs, 70 runs scored, 77 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. From a fantasy perspective, the power surge was great to see, as before the 2024 season, he had never hit more than nine home runs in a season at the professional level.
If Neto can continue to hit for that kind of power and steal bases like last year, he could be a solid pickup for fantasy managers in 12-team leagues or deeper.
Neto is expected to take over shortstop responsibilities as soon as the Angels decide to bring him up. Tim Anderson and Kevin Newman have been filling in to start the 2025 season, and neither has produced good results. Anderson is hitting .174, and Newman is hitting .077.
Zach Neto rehab assignment update...
31 PA, .320/.452/.760, 3 HR, 5/8 BB/K
Has played SS in three of the last four games.#RepTheHalopic.twitter.com/3NolIlB72E
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) April 9, 2025
At this point, a return in mid-to-late April seems realistic, so fantasy managers who see him on the waiver wire and are looking for a middle infielder should consider picking him up before someone else does. For those holding onto him and have the available slot on their IL, continue to hold over the next few weeks, barring any setbacks to his shoulder.
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