Last week, I mentioned it was a relatively quiet first week on the injury front. Unfortunately, that’s not the case this time around. A long list of weekend casualties is highlighted by Juan Soto, Hunter Brown, and Mookie Betts, among many others. On the bright side, Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki is set to return by week’s end. Let’s break it all down in the last MLB Injury Report.
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Juan Soto (calf)
Soto drew immediate concerns when he was removed early in Friday’s game against the Giants after running from first to third in the first inning. He was held out of the lineup for the rest of the weekend and underwent imaging that revealed a mild right calf strain. The 27-year-old star outfielder was initially considered “day-to-day”, but is now set to miss at least 2-3 weeks on the injured list. It’s the smart move as calf injuries could be tricky. His absence seems to clear up some playing time in the short term for both Brett Baty and the hot-hitting Mark Vientos, with Baty likely taking over in left field and Vientos slotting in at first base.
Hunter Brown (shoulder)
This one came as a surprise Sunday morning when Brown was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder sprain. The move was retroactive to April 2. Brown apparently came out of his Friday bullpen session with some soreness. Astros GM Dana Brown stated the team was optimistic about Brown’s outlook, but didn’t provide a timeline. Hopefully, it’s a minimum stay for the 27-year-old right-hander. Brown was widely thought to be one of the more durable fantasy aces, good for plenty of volume, which makes this injury sting that much more. Cody Bolton stepped in to make the start on Monday against the Rockies. Meanwhile, Spencer Arrighetti has made two starts with Triple-A Sugar Land, tossing 8 1/3 scoreless with a 13/5 K/BB ratio. Arrighetti could be worth a stash in deeper leagues, given his strikeout upside. Astros manager Joe Espada had no updates on Brown on Monday, but did indicate that the team will use a six-man rotation starting later this week, with a 13-game stretch of no off days beginning Thursday.
Cade Horton (forearm)
This one is another incredibly unfortunate injury, and one with probably a less optimistic view. Horton left Friday’s start against the Guardians in the second inning with forearm discomfort following a significantly lower-than-average 93.8 mph fastball. He described the discomfort as starting in his wrist before it moved to his forearm. The team placed the promising 24-year-old right-hander on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 4. We probably won’t know much more until Horton is thoroughly evaluated, but the dreaded forearm strain doesn’t usually have a positive short-term outlook.
Matthew Boyd (biceps)
The Cubs’ rotation took another hit on Monday when Boyd was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left bicep strain. This was coming off an impressive start in which he struck out ten batters with one earned run allowed over 5 2/3 innings against the Angels last Wednesday. Apparently, he just didn’t recover well from that outing. The 35-year-old left-hander will now have the next two weeks to rest up and stated he believes he’ll make a speedy recovery. With both Boyd and Horton on the shelf, Javier Assad and Colin Rea figure to slot into the Cubs’ rotation, starting Tuesday and Wednesday against the Rays, respectively. Rea is the more interesting of the two for fantasy purposes. He saw an increase in his strikeout rate over the second half of 2025 and has struck out four batters over three innings of work in each of his two appearances this season.
Mookie Betts (oblique)
Betts was pulled from Saturday’s game against the Nationals after running the bases in the first inning with lower right back pain. An MRI revealed a right oblique strain that landed Betts on the 10-day injured list. It’s an injury that’ll typically sideline players for 4-6 weeks, though manager Dave Roberts is hopeful Betts will return sooner. Hyeseong Kim was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace Betts on the active roster. Kim will likely be on the strong side of a platoon at shortstop with Miguel Rojas. Kim offers some stolen base upside in a great lineup, but little to no power. He could be considered in deep roto leagues as a middle infield streaming option.
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Mike Trout (hand)
Trout left Sunday’s game against the Mariners after he was hit by a pitch on the left hand. Fortunately, X-rays came back negative, and the team opted not to run any other tests. Instead, Trout got the day off Monday to recover and is considered day-to-day.
Alejandro Kirk (thumb)
Kirk was removed in the tenth inning of Friday’s game against the White Sox after he was hit on the left thumb by a foul ball while behind the plate. The fact that he walked off in pain without trying to stay in was an obvious cause for concern. Imaging revealed a dislocation and fracture of Kirk’s left thumb. He’s set to undergo surgery this week, after which we should get a general timeline for his return. Tyler Heineman steps in as the Blue Jays’ primary catcher, though he offers very little fantasy upside.
Jordan Lawlar (wrist)
Lawlar was hit by a pitch last Thursday against the Braves. While initial X-rays were negative, a CT scan found a fracture in his right wrist that will sideline the 23-year-old outfielder for 6-8 weeks. It’s an unfortunate development for Lawlar as he seemed to be coming into his own as a big league player. He had hit safely in all but one game in the early going and had launched his first career home run earlier in Thursday’s contest. Tim Tawa and Jorge Barrosa stand to split time in the outfield to replace Lawlar, at least until Lourdes Gurriel Jr., recovering from a torn ACL, is ready to return. Playing time could once again be in question for Lawlar once he returns.
Zach Eflin (elbow)
Eflin was looking outstanding in his season debut last Tuesday, holding the Rangers to one run with seven strikeouts until he was pulled with two outs in the fourth inning with right elbow discomfort. The team placed Eflin on the 15-day injured list and is reportedly getting a second opinion on his initial evaluation by Dr. Keith Meister, which typically isn’t a good thing. It’s fair to speculate that Eflin could be looking at a lengthy absence. Brandon Young was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to help fill the rotation spot. He struck out two over five scoreless innings in a win against the White Sox on Monday, but his lack of strikeout upside makes him a speculative play only in the deepest of leagues.
Merill Kelly (back)
Kelly was up to 72 pitches in his last rehab outing with Triple-A Reno, tossing five scoreless innings. Manager Torey Lovullo said Sunday that the 37-year-old right-hander is slated for one more rehab start this week before rejoining the Diamondbacks rotation, likely during next week’s series in Baltimore. His return would seem to push Brandon Pfaadt out of the rotation, either to long relief or to Triple-A to remain stretched out.
Seiya Suzuki (knee)
Suzuki is on track to be activated from the injured list later this week, likely Friday when the Cubs open their weekend series at home against the Pirates. Matt Shaw and Michael Conforto have worked a platoon in right field, while Moisés Ballesteros and Miguel Amaya have gotten starts at designated hitter. It remains to be seen how the Cubs plan to utilize Suzuki coming off the injured list.
Nick Lodolo (blister)
Lodolo was due to come off the injured list this week until he suffered a setback in his rehab outing with Class-A Daytona last Thursday. He was expected to throw 60-65 pitches, but made it just 40 before he was pulled with a recurrence of the blister issue. The 28-year-old left-hander played catch on Monday, but there’s no word on when he could appear in another rehab game. He’ll likely need a couple of starts to build his pitch count back up once he’s passed the blister problem. All fantasy managers can do is be patient and hold.
Austin Hays (hamstring)
Hays pulled up limping while trying to field a ball in the outfield on Monday against the Orioles. He was removed from the game with a right hamstring strain that is expected to require a trip to the injured list. Derek Hill took over in left field on Monday and could get more looks in Hays’ absence. Andrew Benintendi could also shift to more outfield starts, opening designated hitter for someone like Lenyn Sosa. From the team’s minor league depth, Sam Antonacci is a name to watch. The 23-year-old infielder is off to a great start with Triple-A Charlotte, hitting .346/.538/.615 with two homers and four steals through his first seven games.
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