MLB injury report for Friday, April 21

Not even a light Thursday slate managed to stem the tide of injuries around MLB, as starting pitchers (Jameson Taillon, Kenta Maeda) and key starters (Logan O’Hoppe) alike went down. How will it all affect the 2023 season and your fantasy baseball team? Our daily injury report breaks it all down.

MLB injury report: Friday, April 21

Liam Hendriks (cancer treatment), Chicago White Sox — First, though, let’s start with some good news. A couple of weeks after completing his final round of chemotherapy, Hendriks has officially been declared cancer-free:

It’s still unclear what Hendriks’ timeline for a return to the field would be, although the team’s decision to keep him on the 15-day IL rather than the 60-day IL means he’s eligible to return in May. Neither Reynaldo Lopez nor Kendall Graveman have done much to distinguish themselves in his absence, so the Aussie should resume as the closer whenever he comes back.

Jameson Taillon (groin), Chicago Cubs — Yet another starting pitcher has bitten the dust. Taillon was scratched hours before his scheduled start against the Los Angeles Dodgers and immediately placed on the injured list with a groin strain.

The team hasn’t issued any sort of timeline yet, but “mild to moderate” would hopefully suggest that an early- or mid-May return is possible — Taillon had exhibited improved velocity and was throwing the ball well so far this year.

Logan O’Hoppe (shoulders), Los Angeles Angels — In the midst of a breakout year, O’Hoppe went down holding his shoulder after a swing against the New York Yankees.

O’Hoppe had the same reaction on a swing against the Boston Red Sox last weekend but attempted to play through it. He told reporters he’s set to see a specialist and the team will take it from there. With Max Stassi already on the IL, though, the Angels can scarcely afford an extended absence.

Bryce Harper (elbow), Philadelphia Phillies — Harper continues to barrel towards an early return from Tommy John surgery. He threw from 60 feet for the first time on Thursday, while a meeting with doctors at the beginning of May will go a long way to determine his return date:

Carlos Rodon (arm/back)/Luis Severino (lat), New York Yankees — Rodon continues to be stymied in his attempt to come back from spring forearm soreness. The lefty had some tests done on his “barking” back, and while those came back clean, Aaron Boone says another CT scan will be needed in a couple days — and Rodon won’t throw again until those are done.

The good news? At least Severino is on track — the righty threw live BP and another bullpen, and he could be out on a rehab assignment as early as next week.

Josh Donaldson (hamstring)/Harrison Bader (oblique) — The Yankees have reached “multiple dual entries in the injury report” territory, which is never what you want. This one is also a good news, bad news situation: Donaldson had a setback with his hamstring strain during a rehab appearance and has been shut down for the time being until the team can reassess, while Bader is set to begin a rehab assignment in Double-A this weekend. He’ll need plenty of at-bats after missing most of the spring, but an early May return seems likely now.

Kenta Maeda (ankle), Minnesota Twins — Maeda just can’t catch a break. After finally making it back from Tommy John surgery, the righty took a line drive off the foot in his start on Thursday afternoon in Boston.

Luckily, X-rays came back clean, and Maeda was walking around without a boot or a wrap after the game. Still, there’ll likely be swelling in the coming days, and given the arm fatigue Maeda’s been experiencing this year he’s likely to at least have his next outing pushed back a bit to give him time to recover. Bailey Ober is waiting in the wings and would be a recommended stream should he get called up in the interim.

Michael Grove (groin), Los Angeles Dodgers — A few hours after Taillon, Grove’s scheduled opponent, was scratched with a groin injury, Grove suffered a strain of his own.

The righty had struggled a bit in L.A.’s rotation, but the Dodgers really need bodies right now without Walker Buehler, Ryan Pepiot and Tony Gonsolin. The cupboard isn’t bare, though: Top prospect Gavin Stone could get the call should Grove have to miss any time.

Tony Gonsolin (ankle), Los Angeles Dodgers — Or, alternatively, Gonsolin’s timeline might be getting expedited. The righty looked awfully good in his first rehab start, fanning seven in just three innings. L.A. would surely like to give him more time to build up strength, but they might not have a better option.

Will Smith (concussion), Los Angeles Dodgers — Smith’s symptoms are improving, but Dave Roberts doesn’t think he’ll return this weekend against the Cubs.

Alex Wood (hamstring), San Francisco Giants — We might have to just shut down all soft-tissue injuries until we can figure out what’s going on. Manager Gabe Kapler said that Wood will miss at least “several weeks” with his hamstring strain, as Ross Stripling likely slides into the Giants rotation in the meantime. He’s a solid streaming option in the right matchup, but don’t get carried away. (It’s not quite Kyle Harrison time, unfortunately.)

Jared Walsh (headaches/insomnia), Los Angeles Angels — GM Perry Minasian said that Walsh, having returned from his treatment for the headaches that were causing his insomnia, is about set to start ramping up baseball activities. The timeline here is still very vague and will obviously depend on how Walsh responds and feels on a daily basis, but good news nonetheless. The Angels could really use that lefty bat in the lineup right now.