Injury Updates and Return Dates for Brandon Woodruff, Tyler Glasnow and More

As we get closer to the All-Star break, it's a good time to look into some injured MLB players.

Several guys are nearing returns, while others have recently hit the injured list. Let's discuss it all!

Fantasy baseball injury news can be viewed all MLB season on FantasySP.

Astros Injuries

Yordan Alvarez has been out since May 2, and his return date is still uncertain. He's got a right hand fracture and is now being shut down so he can go see a specialist. 

Alvarez can be a top-end fantasy hitter when he's healthy, but the longer he sits out, the more it hurts his fantasy owners. If you don't have an IR spot to stash him in, it's getting harder and harder to continue rostering Alvarez.

He's still owned in 98% of leagues, so not many fantasy owners have dropped him yet. Alvarez should be held on to for as long as possible, but if he's out for much longer, I bet Alvarez will be let go in some more leagues.

Jeremy Pena has been placed on the injured list with a fracture in his rib. He's on the 10-day injured list.

Pena was having a big season, and that's why his own percentage is still at 95.

The Astros hope to have him back near that 10-day mark, so he should be kept in most fantasy leagues. The only ones I'd consider dropping him in are on fantasy squads that are struggling and need his roster spot to remain competitive - you aren't going to be able to replace his production from the waiver wire though.

Brewers Injuries

Brandon Woodruff is finally ready to return to the big leagues. He will start on Sunday against the Marlins.

He hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2023. Woodruff's last appearance was against the Marlins, in Miami, on September 23.

Woodruff has been a good pitcher over his career, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy. He has a career 3.10 earned run average over 680 1/3 innings in 115 starts and 130 appearances.

The expectations for Woodruff should be tempered for his first start, and maybe his first few outings, but Woodruff is capable of being an elite fantasy pitcher. Time will tell if he can return to that level, but it makes Woodruff an intriguing waiver wire pickup.

Woody is rostered in 71% of fantasy leagues right now, and that will rise before he makes that Sunday start. If you are interested in Woodruff, you might need to add him now.

Garrett Mitchell had surgery on his left shoulder and is likely out for the remainder of the season. 

He was only able to play in 25 games this season, and injuries have been a theme over his career. Across four seasons, Mitchell has played in just 141 games.

Hopefully he's able to heal up and can stay healthy when he finally gets back on the field, but he'll need to prove himself when he returns, and isn't worth holding in redraft leagues, and most dynasty setups.

Nestor Cortes is nearing a return. He's set to make a rehab start today, and could return to the big leagues after a couple outings.

I'm not sure where he'll slot in, as the Brewers' rotation has several legit options now. He's owned in just 17% of leagues right now.

Cortes could be traded, just like Aaron Civale was after he returned to the big leagues for the Crew after an early-season injury.

Dodgers Injuries

Tyler Glasnow is one of several LA pitchers who are nearing a return.

Glasnow worked his second rehab outing in late June and he might only need one more rehab start before returning to the big leagues. That final rehab start might come on Thursday.

He's owned in 93% of leagues still. That number should climb closer to 100% over the next couple days, and as he nears a return to the big leagues.

Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki are also nearing returns, but are further off. Snell could maybe be back before the All-Star break, or just after it. No return date is known for Sasaki, but seems to finally be moving in the right direction.

Braves Big Injury

Atlanta only has one notable injury note, but it's a massive one.

Chris Sale was transferred to the 60-day IL with his fractured left rib. That means he's now out until at least August 19.

That's a long time to be without one of the game's top pitchers, and is a massive blow to his fantasy owners. Some fantasy owners without an IR spot might have to drop Sale eventually. 

He is still rostered in 98% of leagues, but that's ever so slightly going down now. I'd see if I could trade Sale before outright dropping him, but don't expect much in return.

Red Sox Injuries

A couple of notable hitters are nearing returns for the Red Sox.

Alex Bregman is the bigger name. He's been out since May 23 with a right quad strain. He hopes to be back before the All-Star break, but if it's not before, it should be right after.

He's still owned in all fantasy leagues, and the fantasy owners who have waited patiently for his return can nearly cash in. Bregman was one of the top fantasy hitters before his injury, so we'll see what he can do in his return to the field.

Masataka Yoshida started a rehab assignment at the start of July, so he should be ready to go here soon. He's been out all season with a right shoulder labrum tear.

Yoshida has a career .285 average and .343 OBP over 248 games. Injuries have become a problem for him, but he could be a decent fantasy asset when he's on the field.

It remains to be seen how he factors into things for Boston. He'll likely just be the designated hitter, but he could hit in a favorable spot in the lineup and deliver good enough results to at least be a deep-league asset.

We'll see if he ever pops up on the waiver wire list.

Yankees Injuries

Luis Gil is ramping things up, and is slated to begin a rehab assignment soon. He's been out all year with a right lat strain.

He's still owned in 49% of fantasy leagues, so his fantasy owners are more than ready to see him on the bump. Gil had a 3.50 ERA and 171 punchouts over 151 2/3 innings last season.

Gil will be picked up by a ton of fantasy owners as he nears a return, so keep a close eye on his status.

Austin Wells is dealing with artery damage in his left index finger, but he's working through things and is not expected to hit the injured list. It might limit him a bit throughout the rest of the season though.

Trent Grisham has left hamstring tightness he's dealing with, and could hit the injured list soon. Bryan De La Cruz would likely get called up if Grisham hits the IL, so that's something to keep in mind.

Other Players on the Mend

Some other players are getting closer to returning to the field as well. We'll briefly go over them here.

New York Mets' Kodai Senga has a right hamstring strain and hopes to start a rehab assignment before the All-Star break. That means he could be back shortly after the break.

Tampa Bay's Shane McClanahan has been out with left triceps nerve irritation. He's throwing bullpen sessions, and could return in late July or early August if things continue going smoothly.

Cleveland's Shane Bieber is throwing live batting practice, so he's starting to ramp things up a bit. He's been out after having Tommy John surgery last year. Bieber could be back in July or early August if all things keep going well.

Cincinnati's Hunter Greene is dealing with a right groin strain, but threw a side session and is going to throw a simulated game today. He could return near the All-Star break if he doesn't have any setbacks.

Texas' Tyler Mahle has a right rotator cuff strain and has been shut down from throwing. He won't be back until at least August, most likely.

Teammate Jake Burger is on a rehab assignment and should be back in the lineup by Friday. He can be added back in some fantasy leagues as a result.