When Will Shane McClanahan, Ezequiel Tovar, Jackson Merrill Return? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

When will Shane McClanahan, Ezequiel Tovar, Jackson Merrill return and play? Will McClanahan, Tovar, and Merrill be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 4 of the 2025 MLB season.

One of the hardest things about fantasy baseball is determining what to do with players currently on the injured list. In some leagues, there are only one to two IL slots to stash injured players. In others, there might be three or four IL spots to roster those injured players. If you are in a league that only has one or two IL spots, then stashing the right players is very important.

In this article, we will analyze the injury situations of Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan, Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, and San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill heading into Week 4 of the fantasy baseball season. All three of these players are currently on the IL and could be great stashes in your IL slots. 

So, when will McClanahan, Tovar, and Merrill return? Should fantasy managers be stashing these three players in most fantasy leagues? Let's dive in and find out the answer to those questions. 

• Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
• BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
• PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
• Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
• Daily MLB starting lineups
• Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
• Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard
• Fantasy baseball injury reports

Shane McClanahan Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

It has been a while since McClanahan has pitched in a major league game. He made just 21 starts during the 2023 season before suffering a forearm injury in a start against the New York Yankees on August 2. As a result, it has been over 20 months since the southpaw has appeared in a regular-season game for the Rays.

Following that forearm injury on August 2, McClanahan would soon undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. That resulted in the left-hander missing the rest of the 2023 season and the entire 2024 campaign.

The good news, though, was that the 27-year-old was set to start the 2025 season fully healthy. McClanahan looked fantastic across his seven innings in the spring and had the potential to be a strong fantasy option in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. However, the left-hander was not healthy entering the season after all. 

He left his spring start early on March 22 and was soon diagnosed with a pinched nerve in his left triceps. As a result, McClanahan opened the year on the injured list. Since that injury, there is still no timeline on when he could return, and Rays manager Kevin Cash said the 27-year-old is only making slow progress.

#Rays ace Shane McClanahan just left this game accompanied by head trainer Joe Benge. Here’s video of his final pitch, showing some serious discomfort. He immediately signaled toward the dugout. Will update when I know more. pic.twitter.com/dnhY8KPBTV

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 22, 2025

Nonetheless, it is encouraging that McClanahan could attempt to throw for the first time this upcoming week. If he does, that is a significant step in his recovery process. Still, we should not expect him to return anytime soon. That means fantasy managers should continue to monitor his injury status in the coming weeks. 

Although it's unclear when the Rays pitcher will return, he should be stashed in almost every fantasy league heading into Week 4. In his first three major league seasons, McClanahan emerged as one of the best pitchers in the game. He has a career 3.02 ERA with 456 strikeouts across 404 2/3 career innings pitched. 

Ezequiel Tovar Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

After a breakout campaign, Tovar was looking to build off that season in 2025. The Rockies' shortstop hit .269 with 26 home runs, 45 doubles, four triples, six stolen bases, and 76 RBI across 157 games.

However, the 23-year-old was a popular regression candidate this year after his chase rate (44.1 percent), strikeout rate (28.8 percent), and walk rate (3.3 percent) ranked extremely poor in 2024. 

Although his strikeout rate is way down to open the 2025 season, his chase rate (38.2 percent) and walk rate (4.3 percent) continue to hurt his overall numbers. Those two have played a role in his slow start this year. He is currently hitting .212 with just four runs, four RBI, and two stolen bases in 16 games. 

Now, the young shortstop is dealing with a hip injury that first popped up on April 10. Although Tovar tried to play through that nagging hip issue for a few games, the Rockies decided to place him on the 10-day IL back on April 19 (retroactive to April 16).

The expectation for #Rockies Ezequiel Tovar and his left hip contusion is that he will need minimum 10 days on the injured list.

Bud Black added this could have some lingering effects throughout the duration of the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/YpX5MiR2wx

— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) April 19, 2025

There isn't much information right now on when Tovar will return from the injured list. He will likely get extensive treatment on his left hip in the coming days, and fantasy managers should know more about a potential return later this week. The Venezuelan native is first eligible to be activated from the IL on April 26. 

Given that this IL stint could be short for Tovar, fantasy managers shouldn't drop him just yet. He was a solid fantasy option last year and does play half of his games at the most hitter-friendly ballpark, Coors Field. So, he is a hold in most 12-plus team leagues. 

However, if all your IL slots are already filled, Tovar could be a drop in some cases. His walk rate and chase rate are both concerning moving forward, and this Rockies team has struggled to put up runs in the early going. Just keep in mind that the 23-year-old is only one season removed from hitting 26 home runs, scoring 80 runs, and totaling 76 RBI.

Jackson Merrill Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill stayed healthy in his first major league season, appearing in 156 of 162 games in 2024. Unfortunately, Merrill will not play in that many contests this year after the All-Star injured his hamstring in the second week of the season. The Padres then placed him on the 10-day IL on April 8. 

San Diego initially expected a minimum stay for Merrill on the IL, but that has not been the case. He has already been on the IL for 13 days, and it appears the 22-year-old will miss at least the next two series. Padres manager Mike Shildt said it would be a "little aggressive" for the outfielder to be ready to go by the start of the upcoming homestand on April 25. 

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

Based on those comments, it's fair to assume that the earliest fantasy managers can expect Merrill to return is April 29. However, there's a strong possibility he won't return by then, and his absence continues into May. So, there really isn't a specific timeline set for the Padres outfielder.

Merrill is only light running right now, and Shildt wants him to progress to a "consistent jog" before moving him to the next step in his recovery process. As a result, fantasy managers should keep an eye on his injury status over the next few days. 

When the young outfielder is activated from the IL, he will return to being a strong fantasy option. Merrill was hitting .378 with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI, and one stolen base in his first 10 games this season. Given his strong all-around numbers to begin his major league career, he should absolutely be kept in one of your IL slots right now.

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis