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When will Jared Jones, Ryan Weathers, Ranger Suarez return and play? Will they be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return dates.
We're onto Week 3 of the 2025 MLB season, with injuries already piling up across the league. With so many fantasy baseball players dealing with injuries to key pitchers, it's a good time to check in on the progress of Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ryan Weathers of the Miami Marlins, and Ranger Suarez of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The biggest impact player here is Jones, who turned in a promising rookie season that featured a 26.2 percent strikeout rate. But don't underestimate Weathers, especially after he showed gains in velocity during spring training. Suarez is a dependable innings-eater who should be able to return to the lineup earliest of this group.
In this piece, you'll find an update on each of Jones, Weathers, and Suarez, including their potential return date and results of rehab assignments if they've started yet. After reading, you'll have a better idea of when these pitchers will be able to return to the lineup. So, without further ado, let's take a closer look at when Jones, Weathers, and Suarez will return in this fantasy baseball injury update.
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Jared Jones Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Jones is dealing with a UCL sprain in his right elbow. Initially, many believed the elbow issue would result in Tommy John surgery, which would have ended Jones' season. But there is hope that the second-year righty can return later in the year. The good news is that the ligament is stable, so there's no need for season-ending surgery at this time.
According to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jones was shut down from throwing for six weeks as of March 26, so with this timetable, he would begin the next step in his recovery around mid-May. If all goes well there, it would take a few rehab assignments for Jones to be ramped up. From there, positive results would allow Jones to be recalled to the big leagues.
On March 31, Jones was transferred to the 60-day injured list, meaning he would be ineligible to return before June. With elbow injuries to pitchers, we always want to take a conservative approach to this timeline. There's a reasonable chance that Jones won't be back until the All-Star Break.
Good injury news for some #Pirates pitchers
Jared Jones pain free, Oviedo could throw soon https://t.co/DwgUhDNaDh via @937thefan— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) April 9, 2025
However, according to a report from 93.7 The Fan, it's good to hear that Jones has been pain-free so far. Although there are several hurdles to climb, any positive news like this is welcome. At the same time, the prudent move here would be to stay pessimistic.
Even when Jones is back, there's a risk that it will take time for him to get back to form. The downside here is that Jones won't look the same at all this year. The worst-case scenario is that the Pirates are just prolonging the inevitable, and Jones will eventually need to have Tommy John surgery.
The best bet for fantasy baseball players is to roster Jones only if your league has IL spots, where he can be stashed without taking up space on your roster. If you don't have IL, there's no point in stashing Jones. It's going to take a while for him to make an impact on your fantasy baseball team, and there's no guarantee that he'll even be effective when he returns. You don't want to waste roster spots for three or more months.
Ryan Weathers Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Weathers is nursing a left flexor strain, with the initial prognosis at a four to six-week timetable as of March 20. This would put his return date between approximately April 18 and May 1. There's reason to believe that Weathers is trending in the right direction for a prompt return.
According to a March 31 report from Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com (Marlins blog), Weathers started a throwing program that week. There haven't been any updates since then, which makes us feel hopeful since no news is likely good news in this scenario.
At the same time, it's better to always assume the player takes longer to return, especially if it's a pitcher. With that in mind, a mid-to-late May return sounds like a reasonable projection.
Ryan Weathers was up to 99 mph this spring with a 0.79 ERA…now he’s out for 6 weeks. pic.twitter.com/vYkHwnG0jb
— Sam Fosberg (@discussbaseball) March 20, 2025
It's worth noting that Weathers was a popular sleeper coming into the season, so it makes sense to stash him if you have an IL spot in your league. This is a lefty who was hitting 99 mph in spring training, which was a significant increase in velocity compared to last season (95.9 mph). The uptick in velocity produced strong results, as Weathers had a 0.79 ERA in 11 1/3 innings during Grapefruit League play.
While the team context isn't great, as the Marlins aren't going to win many games this year, you have to like that Weathers is in a pitcher-friendly environment, which could be helpful for your ratios. This is an intriguing pitcher to stash on IL, but if you don't have a spot, I'd wait a bit until we're closer to the date, since you don't want to be wasting space on your roster.
Ranger Suarez Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Instead of a sim game, Ranger Suárez will now make a rehab start on Thursday in Clearwater. Probably about three innings, Rob Thomson said.
— Lochlahn March (@lochlahn) April 8, 2025
Suarez hasn't pitched yet for the Phillies, as he's been on the injured list with low-back stiffness since the beginning of the season. However, the veteran lefty is on track to return soon, set to start a rehab assignment with a start on April 10. It will likely take Suarez at least two rehab starts before he's ramped up, which will have him ready to return by the end of next week.
It's a good idea to monitor Suarez's rehab starts because the better he looks, the closer he'll be to returning to the Phillies. It's worth noting that Taijuan Walker has performed well in Suarez's absence, pitching 10 2/3 scoreless innings so far. With that said, Suarez has enough of a track record to immediately retake a spot in the rotation.
Let's remember that when Suarez is on his game, he can make a significant impact on your fantasy baseball team. In the first half of last season, Suarez registered a 2.76 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 114 innings. He can go deep into games and provide strong ratios when he's in a rhythm. This gives him some upside for wins while playing for a contender like the Phillies.
Whether you're in a league with IL spots or not, Suarez is worth a stash on your bench because he's so close to returning to the lineup. It's likely that the Phillies only kept him on the IL to avoid a lingering back issue. In other words, perhaps this was a precautionary move that the team felt they could afford to make with it being so early in the season.
Unlike Jones and Weathers, Suarez isn't dealing with an arm or elbow injury, so we can expect him to be in regular form once he's back. Hopefully, we can see the first-half version of Suarez instead of the post-All-Star break, where he put up a 5.65 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in 36 2/3 innings.
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