When Will Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna, Josh Lowe Return? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

When will Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna, and Josh Lowe return and play? Will Ohtani, Acuna, and Lowe be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 5 of the 2025 MLB season.

We are starting to see several players finally get healthy. Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (hand) just returned from the injured list this past weekend, Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (knee) is nearing a return, and Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (hamstring) is set to make his season debut on Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Three more players who could be nearing a return are Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe. All three players are currently progressing from their respective injuries and could be back very soon.

So, when will Ohtani, Acuna, and Lowe return? Should we expect them to be back in May? Let's dive in and find out.

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Shohei Ohtani Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

It has been a while since we have seen Ohtani pitch in a major league game. His last start came with the Los Angeles Angels on August 23, 2023, against the Cincinnati Reds. In that outing, the right-hander lasted just 1 1/3 innings after experiencing some arm fatigue. Unfortunately, that arm fatigue turned out to be a torn elbow ligament for the pitcher.

After consulting with doctors, Ohtani then underwent Tommy John surgery in September of that year for the second time in his career. Since then, the right-hander has slowly progressed from that injury. He didn't pitch at all during the entire 2024 season and has missed the first month of the 2025 campaign.

However, Ohtani has made significant progress in his recovery in recent weeks. He threw off the mound on April 26 and threw 31 pitches during that session. Although the two-way star is only throwing four-seamers, two-seamers, and splitters in his bullpen sessions so far, it's a good sign that he has suffered no setbacks. 

Shohei Ohtani throwing HEAT in his bullpen session 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bmGVLLweJb

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 9, 2025

The Dodgers will continue to be cautious with their superstar pitcher, having him throw light bullpen sessions on Wednesdays and full bullpen sessions on Saturdays. While we still don't have an idea of when Ohtani could make his pitching debut this season, there's no doubt he'll be pitching in major league games at some point by the summer.

Therefore, Ohtani (pitcher) should be stashed in every fantasy league heading into Week 5. The right-hander finished with a combined 2.84 ERA and 542 strikeouts across his three full seasons as a pitcher from 2021 to 2023. Even though he will likely be limited on the mound in 2025, he's worth holding in one of your IL slots right now.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

We are just weeks away from seeing one of the most exciting players back on the field. Acuna hasn't appeared in a major league game since May 26, 2024, after he tore his ACL for the second time in a three-year span. As a result, the Braves were always going to be extremely cautious with their star outfielder.

That has certainly been the case, as it has been over 11 months since Acuna tore his ACL in Pittsburgh. However, the 27-year-old is close to a return. He underwent tests on his knee just two weeks ago, and the four-time All-Star "passed everything." So, it's becoming more and more apparent that we could see him return at some point in May.

Acuna is currently at Atlanta's spring training complex in Florida to build up his strength and conditioning before going on a rehab assignment. While we don't know when the outfielder will officially begin his rehab assignment, it should happen very soon. It's clear that he is in the final stages of his recovery process.  

Ronald Acuña Jr. was cleared to ramp up activity and begin progressing toward a rehab assignment. No timetable, but seems like he’s on schedule to return at some point in the next month, as we’d originally thought.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 15, 2025

With a return near for the 27-year-old, fantasy managers will have to wait only a few more weeks to put him in their lineups. MLB.com has the former National League MVP returning sometime in the first half of May. That means we could see him make his season debut during the week of May 12.

Now, it'll be interesting to see how Acuna looks during the 2025 season. The last time he was coming off a torn ACL, he wasn't the best fantasy option. He only hit .266 with 15 home runs, 50 RBI, and 29 stolen bases across 119 games in 2022. With the Braves outfielder already saying he isn't going to run as much upon his return, he might not be that elite all-around fantasy player this year.

Still, all fantasy managers should be holding Acuna in one of their IL spots. He will be a must-start in every format once he is activated off the 10-day IL sometime in May. In his last full season in 2023, the 27-year-old hit .337 with 41 home runs, 106 RBI, and 73 stolen bases across 159 games.

Josh Lowe Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball

The injury bug has certainly affected Lowe in recent years. He dealt with a hip issue and an oblique injury during spring training in 2024, which resulted in the Rays outfielder not making his season debut until May 6. He then landed back on the IL a few weeks later with that same oblique injury.

After a year of frustrating injuries for Lowe, it was an encouraging sign that he was fully healthy entering the 2025 season. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old injured his oblique on his second at-bat of the season on Opening Day. Following an MRI, it was determined that the outfielder sustained a Grade 2 right oblique strain.

This injury is definitely a tough break for Lowe, considering he is still weeks away from a return. He hasn't played in a game since March 28 and likely won't be activated off the IL until sometime in June. As a result, it might be tough to stash the Rays outfielder in most fantasy leagues heading into Week 5.

#Rays Josh Lowe says he has a Grade 2 strain in his right oblique, which is more severe than last year’s oblique injury that kept him out multiple months. No timeline on his return.

“It is a little worse than what happened last year,” Lowe said. “Been through it. You know, maybe…

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 29, 2025

The good news is that Lowe is slowly progressing from that oblique strain. He hasn't suffered any setbacks and took 20 dry swings on April 19. The plan now is for him to hit off a tee this week, which is a step forward for the lefty hitter. Nonetheless, fantasy managers still shouldn't expect him back at all during the month of May.

Therefore, Lowe might not be the best IL stash at this point in the season. Even though the 27-year-old has had a 20-20 season in the past, injuries continue to limit his fantasy upside. Given that he also won't start many games against left-handed pitching, there are just better players to stash right now.

If you do have an open IL slot on your roster, it doesn't hurt to keep Lowe there for the time being. Back during the 2023 season, the former first-round pick hit .292 at the plate with 20 home runs, 83 RBI, and 32 stolen bases across 135 games. With his potential in this Rays lineup, he is more than capable of posting solid all-around numbers again.

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