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When will McClanahan, Ohtani, and Arrighetti return and play? Will McClanahan, Ohtani, and Arrighetti be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 3 of the 2025 MLB season.
Even though we are just entering the third week of the MLB regular season, several top pitchers are sidelined. Fantasy managers have needed to pivot off these players quite early and begin looking for replacements.
In this piece, we will analyze the latest injury updates on Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani, and Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti. Out of these three pitchers, Arrighetti was the only one to make an appearance during the early part of the campaign.
All three pitchers carry high upside in all fantasy formats and will become must-start options when they return. When will these three pitchers return to the bump? Let's dive in!
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Shane McClanahan Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
McClanahan missed the 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2023. However, the southpaw was on track to not only make the Opening Day rotation but also get the starting nod on Opening Day.
Through his first seven innings of work in spring training, the left-hander looked like his typical self, logging seven shutout innings with eight punchouts. He held a strong 1.00 WHIP.
However, during his outing against the Red Sox on March 22, McClanahan exited the contest in pain with an apparent arm injury. Following the game, the 27-year-old underwent imaging and was diagnosed with an inflamed nerve in his left triceps. After the diagnosis, manager Kevin Cash said he would miss time but noted that it was "probably the best news."
Great news on #Rays Shane McClanahan. It’s an inflamed nerve in the left triceps, imaging confirmed. He’ll start the season on the IL, but Kevin Cash said they’re “very fortunate” it wasn’t worse. No timeline on a return yet, as they see how Mac responds to rest and recovery, but…
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 23, 2025
McClanahan opened the regular season on the 15-day injured list without a defined timeline.
At the end of March, John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times reported that McClanahan was already better but still remains without an estimated return date.
Shane McClanahan says his arm is already feeling better but there’s no timetable on his return from nerve irritation in his triceps. Waiting for the nerve to calm down. “Granted, situation could be a lot worse. I'm very frustrated that I'm going to be missing a little more time.”
— John Romano (@romano_tbtimes) March 24, 2025
Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he remains on the 15-day injured list. While he has been sidelined, Drew Rasmussen has seen starting opportunities and looked quite sharp. Across his first three starts (15 innings), he has held a stellar 0.60 ERA with a 0.73 WHIP. He has struck out 15 batters and allowed just two walks.
When McClanahan does return, he will likely take Zack Littell's spot in the rotation. He has posted a 6.88 ERA across his first 17 innings.
Fantasy managers should continue to stash McClanahan in an IR spot as he carries elite strikeout upside when on the bump. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the southpaw posted a cumulative 2.85 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP across 281 1/3 innings. He struck out 315 batters.
Shohei Ohtani Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
While Ohtani has been in the lineup daily as a designated hitter, he has yet to return to the bump. Ohtani last pitched during the 2023 campaign and could not pitch in 2024 due to recovering from Tommy John surgery.
His recovery has not limited his production in the batter's box. He won the NL MVP in 2024 and has already begun to put himself near the top of the conversation early in 2025. Through the first 17 games of the regular season, Ohtani has posted a .271/.377/.500 slash line with four home runs and four stolen bases.
He has generated an elite .435 xwOBA, which suggests he should see some positive regression during the summer.
However, on the pitching side of his game, Ohtani is still slowly working his way back from Tommy John. He still lacks a definite timetable for when he will face live hitters, as he has yet to mix all his pitches in a bullpen session.
Ohtani isn't throwing his full mix yet, and there's still no timeline for him to face live hitters.
— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) April 5, 2025
The 30-year-old has begun to throw bullpens but has been restricted in what pitches he can deploy. On Saturday, April 5, Ohtani completed a "fuller" bullpen in relation to what has done earlier in the month.
For now, fantasy managers should expect the Dodgers to closely monitor Ohtani's workload as they will ensure he is fully healthy to pitch during the stretch run. As a result, fantasy managers should continue to view Ohtani exclusively as a hitter and should not expect him to return to the mound anytime soon.
While he remains out, Landon Knack should continue to see starting opportunities but will only carry value in deeper 15+ team formats.
Spencer Arrighetti Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Arrighetti enjoyed an impressive season debut, tossing six innings of one-run ball against the New York Mets. He took a slight step back in his second start, he has allowed five runs in just three 2/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins.
Following this start, Arrighetti was struck by a ball during batting practice and suffered a broken thumb. He was playing catch in the outfield when this accidental injury occurred.
Spencer Arrighetti sustained a broken right thumb, the Astros said.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) April 8, 2025
He was then placed on the 15-day injured list. However, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the right-hander will not need to undergo surgery, which will shorten his recovery timeline. In addition, manager Joe Espada said that the 25-year-old will be in a cast for about "two or two and a half weeks" before undergoing further imaging.
Spencer Arrighetti will not require surgery on his fractured thumb. Joe Espada said Arrighetti will be in a cast for “two or two and a half weeks,” after which there will be follow-up imaging to make sure everything is healing. More clarity after that.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 9, 2025
While Arrighetti will not miss too long, fantasy managers should expect him to be sidelined at least through most of May, which could set up a return at the start of June. While sidelined, Ryan Gusto should continue to see starting opportunities until Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is cleared to return.
Arrighetti is worth stashing in an open IR spot as he flashed high strikeout upside during the final months of the 2024 campaign. After the 2024 All-Star Game, Arrighetti posted a strong 3.18 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP across 65 innings. During this stint, he struck out an impressive 78 batters.
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