MLB injury report for Wednesday, April 26th

Intro

MLB injury report: Wednesday, April 26

Michael Harris II (back), Atlanta Braves — After a series of frustrating stops and starts as he battled back tightness, Harris is finally set to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett this week. The team isn’t putting a timetable on his return to the Majors, but it shouldn’t be too long. At least he’s moving like he’s in midseason form.

Raisel Iglesias (shoulder), Atlanta Braves — The news was similarly positive for Iglesias, who actually threw live BP to Harris on Tuesday. That session went well, and the next step for the Braves’ would-be closer will be either another live BP or a rehab assignment. Either way, a return in the next week or two seems likely — and even A.J. Minter’s troubles of late it’s not a moment too soon.

Carlos Rodon (back/forearm), New York Yankees — Rodon played catch on Tuesday at the team’s complex in Tampa, and apparently his nagging back pain has been put behind him. Next up: a bullpen session on Friday, after which he can resume ramping up his throwing program with an eye toward going out on a rehab assignment at some point in mid-May.

Harrison Bader (oblique), New York Yankees — Yankees fans won’t have to wait nearly that long for Bader, who played his first game for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday night after starting his rehab assignment at Double-A. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch says the team is targeting next Friday, May 5, for his potential 2023 debut.

Tony Gonsolin (ankle), Los Angeles Dodgers — Finally some good news on the starting pitching front for L.A.

Gonsolin will likely be on a somewhat strict pitch count against the Pittsburgh Pirates today, but he looked awfully good in his rehab outings and it shouldn’t be long before he’s again among the better pitches in the NL.

Yordan Alvarez (neck), Houston Astros — Alvarez missed his second game in a row on Tuesday, as the team has sent him back to Houston for tests on his neck. Dusty Baker didn’t rule out a stint on the Injured List, which looks increasingly likely. Corey Julks and David Hensley have been splitting DH duties when Alvarez is out.

Chas McCormick (back), Houston Astros — McCormick, on the other hand, could be making his return soon. The outfielder ran the bases and took BP prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, and while he may need a rehab assignment before returning, that should be coming as early as this weekend. McCormick may not unseat Mauricio Dubon as Houston’s leadoff man, but he’ll likely still be towards the top of the lineup.

Will Smith (concussion), Los Angeles Dodgers — Finally some progress for Smith, who’s feeling well enough to take live at-bats prior to tomorrow’s game. He’s already been ruled out for the rest of the Pirates series, but could maybe make a return this weekend or early next week.

Corey Seager (hamstring), Texas Rangers — Seager’s timeline was a minimum of four weeks when he went down with a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 11, so the fact that he’s back on the field participating in baseball activities is a good sign. He should still be on track for a return at some point in the middle of May.

Adam Wainwright (groin), St. Louis Cardinals — Wainwright made what could be his last rehab start at Double-A on Tuesday, throwing around 75 pitches. The team will decide whether he’ll make another Minor League appearance of 90 or so pitches next or whether he’ll just go straight to the Major League club. That famous curveball looks to be in midseason form, at least.

Luis Arraez (knee), Miami Marlins — Arraez’s knee kept him out of the lineup again on Tuesday, and while the team doesn’t seem too concerned, it’s something worth monitoring on a daily basis. Jon Berti and Garrett Hampson will continue to see regular playing time while Arraez is out, with some Yuli Gurriel mixed in as well.

Yasmani Grandal (back), Chicago White Sox — Grandal was pulled from Tuesday’s loss to the Toronto Blue Jays with what the team is calling back spasms. It’s something that’s caused the catcher to miss time in the past, so while manager Pedro Grifol says Grandal could catch in an emergency and Chicago isn’t anticipating making a roster move, there’s obvious cause for concern.

Orlando Arcia (wrist), Atlanta Braves — A positive update for the Braves’ erstwhile starting shortstop.

Considering Vaughn Grissom’s struggles both in the field and with the bat, there wouldn’t seem to be any obstacles to Arcia getting his job back as soon as he returns. The 28-year-old had been in the midst of a breakout season, slashing .333/.400/.511.

MJ Melendez (back), Kansas City Royals — It seems like the back issue that’s kept Melendez out of the lineup could land him on the injured list soon.

Melendez has struggled this year but has also been the victim of a lot of bad luck at the plate, so hopefully he can get back and bust out of his early-season slump soon.

Austin Hays (hand), Baltimore Orioles — Hays, who’s off to a fantastic start this year for the red-hot O’s, left Tuesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox in the fourth inning with a bruised right hand that he seems to have suffered while taking a swing. X-rays came back negative, but the outfielder will likely miss at least a day or two.

Sal Frelick (thumb), Milwaukee Brewers — The Brew Crew just can’t catch a break. A few days after Garrett Mitchell was confirmed to need surgery to repair his torn labrum, Frelick — one of the team’s top prospects and the most likely replacement for Mitchell in center field — was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his thumb that also required surgery. The procedure was successful, but Frelick will still be out for the next six to eight weeks. Joey Wiemer will continue to man center in the meantime and has some appeal in deeper fantasy leagues due to his speed.

Joey Bart (groin), San Francisco Giants — The groin issue that delayed the start of Bart’s 2023 season appears to have popped up again on Monday night, as the catcher was pulled from San Fran’s win over the St. Louis Cardinals. An MRI didn’t show anything too significant, though, and the former top draft pick — who was showing signs of life at the plate in the early going — seems optimistic.

Tarik Skubal (elbow)/Matt Manning (foot), Detroit Tigers — Two young pitchers that the Tigers hope are part of their next contending team are making progress towards a return this week. Skubal will throw his first bullpen since undergoing elbow surgery last August, and remains on track to return to Detroit’s rotation some time before the All-Star break. Manning, meanwhile, has officially started throwing as he comes back from his foot injury. His initial timeline to return was around six weeks, but it looks like he may be able to beat that estimation slightly. Skubal in particular could make for an intriguing fantasy stash after his breakout season last year.

Christian Arroyo (hamstring), Boston Red Sox — Arroyo, who’d just returned from injury a couple days ago, was forced to leave Tuesday’s win in Baltimore with right hamstring tightness. The team noted that his removal was precautionary, so hopefully he’ll be back in the lineup in a day or two.

Ranger Suarez (elbow), Philadelphia Phillies — Suarez is set to make his first rehab appearance for Double-A Reading on Thursday. The lefty is likely to need a lengthy stint after missing the spring — he’s only slated to throw a couple of innings — but it’s obviously still a positive sign. The lefty isn’t worth a roster spot in most fantasy leagues but will be a solid streaming play in the right matchup.

Drew Waters (oblique), Kansas City Royals — Waters played a full nine innings in extended Spring Training on Tuesday, as the former top prospect ramps up after an oblique injury. Assuming no setbacks, the outfielder will head out on a rehab assignment in the next few days — he should be on your radar after posting an .803 OPS with five homers in 32 games in his first taste of MLB action last year. His swing-and-miss problems are very real, but so is his power.