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When will Shane McClanahan, Logan Gilbert, and Michael King return and play? Will McClanahan, Gilbert, and King be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 11 of the 2025 MLB season.
There are plenty of superstars who currently find themselves on the injured list. Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez has been out since early May due to a hand fracture, Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene landed back on the IL after re-aggravating his groin, and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow hasn't pitched since the end of April.
Three more players who have been out for quite some time are Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan, Seattle Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert, and San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King. All three pitchers are currently on the IL and haven't contributed for fantasy managers in weeks.
So, when will McClanahan, Gilbert, and King return? Can we expect them back sometime in June? Let's dive in and find out.
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Shane McClanahan Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
It has been a while since McClanahan has pitched in a major league game. He missed the end of the 2023 season and all of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2023. However, the left-hander appeared to be fully healthy entering the 2025 campaign. He looked solid in spring training and was set to be Tampa Bay's Opening Day starter.
Then, the unthinkable happened in his final spring start. McClanahan left that contest early after he "felt something grab" on a pitch in the third inning. While some feared the worst, the Rays received better news than expected. The 28-year-old was only diagnosed with a nerve irritation in his left tricep area.
Although this is a significant injury, the team remains optimistic that McClanahan will pitch again in 2025. That still appears to be the case after the two-time All-Star threw his first bullpen session on June 7.
Shane McClanahan posted this to his IG story today. Moving in the right direction. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/TXDXYnESJh
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) May 28, 2025
Throwing a bullpen session is a significant step forward for McClanahan, considering he has just been playing catch and long toss in recent weeks. Rays manager Kevin Cash also said that "all went well" in that bullpen session a few days ago. With the southpaw continuing to progress from that injury, we should expect him to make his season debut later this summer.
As of now, there is no timetable for when we could see McClanahan this season. He is still a ways away from a return and has to build back up. Nevertheless, we could see the Rays pitcher return toward the end of July or early in August. That's precisely the timeline Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said last week when appearing on a radio show.
Therefore, McClanahan should be stashed in almost every league heading into Week 11 of the fantasy baseball season. He has been one of the best pitchers when healthy and has a career 3.02 ERA in his first three major league seasons. Although the Rays will be cautious with the left-hander throughout the year, he should provide enough for fantasy managers in 2025.
Logan Gilbert Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Gilbert has been one of the most durable pitchers in all of baseball since making his MLB debut in 2021. The hard-throwing right-hander made at least 32 starts in each of the past three seasons. So, when the Mariners pitcher landed on the 15-day IL on April 26 due to a right elbow flexor strain, it came as a surprise to most.
It was a scary situation when Gilbert left his start early on April 25 because a lot of fantasy managers assumed the worst when he left with right forearm tightness. However, a Grade 1 flexor strain was the best-case scenario for the right-hander. He now continues to progress well from that injury, and his return to the major league roster should be shortly approaching.
He has already made two rehab starts and is set to make another one on Tuesday for Triple-A Tacoma. In his last rehab outing, the 28-year-old threw 60 pitches across three-plus innings. Given that Gilbert's velocity was down in the fourth inning of that start, it makes sense that the team will give him another rehab outing before activating him off the IL.
Logan Gilbert’s day is done down in Tacoma, after throwing 60 pitches over three-plus innings in his second rehab start.
He surrendered two runs (plus an inherited runner currently on base) on five hits and one walk, with two strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/Pt8RoLgVGo
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) June 5, 2025
If all goes well in that start on Tuesday, Gilbert will likely rejoin Seattle's rotation early next week. There's a good chance he will make his first start back on Monday against the Boston Red Sox, giving him six days between starts. That means fantasy managers should only be without him for one more week.
When he is finally activated, he will return to being a strong fantasy option for managers. Gilbert had a 2.37 ERA and 44 strikeouts in his first six starts before his injury and will be a top-5 starting pitcher in fantasy for the rest of the season. So, use this opportunity to potentially buy the 2024 All-Star in all fantasy formats.
Michael King Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
In his first season as a starter in 2024, King dominated on the mound. He finished with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts across 173 2/3 innings pitched. More importantly, the right-hander stayed healthy. He appeared in 31 games for the Padres and didn't spend any time on the IL last year.
However, King couldn't avoid the 15-day IL in 2025 after being diagnosed with a pinched nerve in his right shoulder area a few weeks ago. The injury first popped up when the 30-year-old was scratched from his start on May 24. Although the Padres pitcher landed on the IL on May 25 (retroactive to May 22), the good news was that his shoulder was structurally sound.
The Padres have placed Michael King on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation, per the team. pic.twitter.com/gomwIy5vll
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 25, 2025
The bad news, though, is that the right-hander hasn't made much progress since being placed on the IL two weeks ago. He is only playing light catch at this point in his recovery, and Padres manager Mike Shildt said last week that King is only in the early stages of his recovery. Therefore, there's a chance he might not return until July.
King has to build back, go through a handful of bullpen sessions, and then be sent out on a rehab assignment. That will all take multiple weeks. So, it's not surprising that he has no clear timeline for his return right now. However, an early July return feels like the earliest we could expect the Padres pitcher to return.
That means fantasy managers will have to wait a few more weeks to activate King from their IL slots. If you don't own the right-hander in your leagues, see what it would take to acquire him. He was a strong fantasy option before his injury and should continue to be one once he is fully healthy from that shoulder issue.
King had a 2.59 ERA and 64 strikeouts in his first 10 starts this season. Fantasy managers should expect similar numbers the rest of the season, as his expected batting average against (.208), expected ERA (2.98), average exit velocity (88 mph), and strikeout rate (28.4%) all rank extremely well in the early going.
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