When Will Ketel Marte, Freddie Freeman, Colton Cowser Return? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

April 8, 2025

When will Ketel Marte, Freddie Freeman, Colton Cowser return and play? Will Marte, Freeman, and Cowser be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 2 of the 2025 MLB season.

Injuries haven't been easy to navigate so far through the early portion of the MLB season. Players like Shane McClanahan, George Kirby, Grayson Rodriguez, Giancarlo Stanton, and Zach Neto all started the year on the injured list. Unfortunately, plenty more players have joined them on the IL since then.

Some of those players include Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, and Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser. All three players were healthy entering the season but have suffered injuries in recent games. They all now find themselves on the IL.

So, when will Marte, Freeman, and Cowser return? Will they be back in the next few weeks? Let's dive in and find out.

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Ketel Marte Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

Marte was off to another strong start in 2025, hitting .364 with three doubles, one RBI, and six walks in his first eight games. However, the switch-hitting second baseman injured his hamstring rounding first base trying to leg out a double in a game against the Washington Nationals on April 4. He was then placed on the injured list one day later with a strained left hamstring.

Losing Marte for an extended time is a tough loss for Arizona. The two-time All-Star is coming off a career year at the plate, where he hit .292 with 36 home runs, 23 doubles, 95 RBI, and seven stolen bases in 136 games. Now, the Diamondbacks second baseman is expected to miss multiple weeks.

April has become a big test for the Dbacks since Ketel Marte is on the IL for at least a month due to a hamstring injury

Since Marte's injury, the snakes are 0-2 without him. Need to find ways to win games while Ketel's on the shelf

Someone needs to step up in the lineup 👀

— Dalton Feely (@dfeely14) April 7, 2025

At this point, we don't exactly know when Marte will be back. According to Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, the slugger was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain and will miss a "series of weeks." Even though he can be activated from the IL early next week, that definitely will not be the case. It might be three to five weeks until we see the 31-year-old veteran back with the team. 

Marte has dealt with hamstring strains in the past and missed roughly five weeks in two similar cases. He missed over five weeks (April 8 to May 18) due to a right hamstring strain early in the 2021 season and then injured his left hamstring one month later in the same year. That second hamstring strain landed him back on the IL for another five weeks (June 27 to July 31).

Therefore, fantasy managers should expect Marte to miss the rest of April. The Diamondbacks aren't going to rush back their superstar second baseman, and the baseball season is very long. If you currently roster him in any of your fantasy leagues, make sure to put him into one of your IL spots. He is the best second baseman in fantasy when he's healthy. 

Freddie Freeman Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

There was always some concern with Freeman in fantasy entering the 2025 campaign. His 9.1 percent barrel rate last season was the lowest of his career, and the veteran underwent surgery on his ankle in the offseason. That same ankle is why the left-handed slugger is currently on the IL. He slipped in the shower at his home and winded up being placed on the IL on April 3 (retroactive to March 31).

The Dodgers didn't originally place Freeman on the IL and just gave him a few days off following his "mishap" in the shower. But it was probably the smart move to give the 35-year-old 10 full days off. With the move retroactive to March 31, the first baseman could be activated as soon as April 11 against the Chicago Cubs.

As it stands now, that appears to be the case for Freeman. Los Angeles never planned on having his IL stint be long, and the veteran should be back in the lineup at some point during the team's upcoming homestand. That's surely a sigh of relief for both the Dodgers and the fantasy managers who own him.

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is eligible to return from the IL Friday night at home vs. the Cubs. He’ll have had 12 days to rest the ankle and will have had 19 days without having to fly by the time the team goes to Texas April 17. He’s been missed. Here’s to his good…

— Howard Cole (@Howard_Cole) April 8, 2025

For now, fantasy managers should continue to keep him in their IL slot. He will miss Wednesday's game against the Washington Nationals but has a good chance to return on Friday. Once he is activated off the injured list, you should put him back in your starting lineup. Before his IL stint, the former National League MVP totaled two home runs, one double, and four RBI in his first three games.

If a fantasy manager in your league is already panicking about Freeman, now would be the perfect time to make a move for him. Despite already missing 10 of the Dodgers' first 13 games, the first baseman has been one of the most consistent fantasy options in recent years. He has played at least 145 games in four straight years while averaging 26 home runs and 94 RBI per season during that span.

Colton Cowser Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

Some would argue that Cowser deserved to win American League Rookie of the Year over Luis Gil last year. The 25-year-old batted .242 with 24 home runs, 24 doubles, 69 RBI, and nine stolen bases across 153 games. Although he didn't win the award, he was set to build off that successful rookie campaign into 2025. 

Unfortunately, the left-handed slugger will be out for the foreseeable future. Cowser injured his thumb sliding into first base in a game on March 30 and was immediately placed on the 10-day IL one day later due to a left thumb fracture. The Orioles outfielder is now expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks with that thumb injury. 

That means the earliest Cowser can return will be the week of May 12. However, there's also a chance that we won't see the slugger until the beginning of June. Therefore, it's going to be some time until the 25-year-old is activated off the IL. If you are someone who currently owns the left-handed slugger on your fantasy team, he is a fine IL stash. 

His power makes him a solid fantasy option, and he'll have an everyday role in this Baltimore offense once he does return. However, if your IL slot is already filled with players like Kirby, McClanahan, and Marte, then fantasy managers should be thinking about dropping Cowser. Carrying him on your bench while he is out for the next six-plus weeks might hurt your team. 

Colton Cowser drives a leadoff homer to straightaway center. 💪 pic.twitter.com/k5hu8NVGYr

— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2025

There's no doubt that Cowser's injury is a big loss for this Baltimore team. Although he had just two hits in his first 16 at-bats in 2025, the Orioles will immediately lose a strong power hitter in their lineup. The good news, though, is that the outfielder will be back within the next eight weeks. So, if you have an open IL spot on your roster, make sure to keep him there until he returns. 

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