More MLB Injury News: Starting Pitchers, Everyday Bats Sidelined

We took a look at a couple notable MLB injuries yesterday. Today, we are back to discuss some more injuries.

We'll discuss any injuries we didn't cover in that first story, looking first at some notable fantasy players.

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Detroit Hurlers Hit IL

Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson were two Detroit starting pitchers to hit the 60-day injured list. Jobe had Tommy John surgery last year, while Olson had labrum surgery earlier this month.

Jobe is expected to miss at least the first half of the 2026 regular season. Olson is out for the entire 2026 season.

With those two pitchers out, Detroit was busy this offseason, adding Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander. Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize are the other projected starting pitchers in Detroit.

Of course, with Olson out for the season, he should not be drafted/rostered in any redraft leagues. It will stink to have to stash him in dynasty leagues, but he's too talented to drop.

Jobe will be a decent fantasy option when he returns from his injury. He's worth drafting/stashing in some deeper leagues, and he could be added/stashed in standard leagues if there's injured reserve spots to stash him in. He will definitely be worth adding as he nears a return. 

Having Jobe and Olson out opens the door for other hurlers to factor in, especially if any members of the starting rotation struggle or get injured. Detroit made the necessary moves so that these two injuries don't derail its rotation, so the Tigers are still set up well for 2026.

Big Names Banged Up in Toronto

Anthony Santander, Shane Bieber and Bowden Francis are three Blue Jays dealing with injuries to kick off the season.

Santander will undergo left shoulder labral surgery and miss 5-6 months. That's a massive blow for the Blue Jays.

That takes him off the fantasy radar, but makes him someone to keep in mind as he nears a return. It opens a spot in the lineup.

George Springer is now expected to be the team's designated hitter. Daulton Varsho is the only projected daily starting outfielder, while Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger are in platoons with Davis Schneider and Myles Straw. One of those platoons will disappear when Santander is ready to return.

It opens the door for other outfielders to help out, especially if there's more injuries, or struggles from the projected platoons.

Bieber has some right forearm fatigue and could miss the start of the season as a result. Francis has to undergo UCL reconstruction surgery and will miss the entire season. Those injuries are a blow to the team's starting rotation.

Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios and Cody Ponce are the projected starting pitchers for the time being. That's still a loaded rotation, and will only get stronger when Bieber returns - it likely will mean that Ponce gets bumped from the rotation, unless Toronto decides on a six-man rotation.

The injuries for Francis and Bieber definitely aren't great, but Toronto is stacked with starting pitchers, so they can make it through just fine. More injuries will potentially test the team's depth at that position a bit more.

Phillies' Star Pitcher to Miss Time

Zack Wheeler had thoracic outlet decompression surgery on September 23 of last year and isn't expected to be ready for opening day. He's also not expected to miss a ton of time, at least at this point.

Philly also has a number of capable starting pitchers to offset a Wheeler absence, but not having him out there is definitely a blow to the team.

Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter are the projected rotation for the time being. Re-introducing Wheeler to the mix could mean Walker or Painter are moved to the bullpen.

The injury news for Wheeler definitely affects his average draft position though. Wheeler is the 101st player on the ADP list, going around pick 102. That should drop a bit after this news.

Hopefully it doesn't alter his regular season too much, but Wheeler is definitely a riskier draft/fantasy option knowing this injury concern.

Atlanta Injury Woes

We talked about Spencer Schwellenbach being placed on the 60-day injured list yesterday, but Atlanta also has Sean Murphy, Grant Holmes and Reynaldo Lopez dealing with early injuries.

Murphy had a right hip labral tear. He could miss the start of the season, and maybe return in May if all things go well. 

The Braves signed Jonah Heim, which we covered on Tuesday. Drake Baldwin has a clearer path to playing time with Murphy out of the picture, and now Heim will be the backup.

Things don't really get altered for Atlanta, but another injury to Baldwin could really hurt the team. Heim is a fine catcher, but isn't the best offensive threat.

We'll see how much time Murphy ends up missing, but hopefully it's not too long.

Holmes and Lopez each are dealing with right elbow inflammation, but both hope to be on the pitching staff to kick off the 2026 season.

Right now, Lopez is the projected No. 3 starter, while Holmes is in the fourth slot. Chris Sale, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder are the other projected starting pitchers for the time being.

If Holmes and/or Lopez are not ready for the start of the season, Joey Wentz, Hurston Waldrep, Didier Fuentes and others could be thrust into the rotation. Martin Perez is a name to keep an eye on as well.

For now, things look fine for Lopez and Holmes, but their injury concerns heading into the season make them riskier fantasy options for 2026. We'll see if that duo can stay healthy and become fantasy assets, as they've been in the past.

Other Injury News

Chicago White Sox' Ky Bush is on the 60-day injured list after having Tommy John surgery. 

Tampa Bay's Manuel Rodriguez is on the 60-day IL after undergoing elbow surgery last August.

Along with Schwellenbach hitting the 60-day IL, Joe Jimenez also hit that list for the Braves. Jimenez had arthroscopic knee surgery in October of last year.

New York Mets' A.J. Minter is about a month behind other pitchers as spring training gets rolling. The pitcher had left lat surgery, but could return by early May.

Arizona's Corbin Burnes isn't on the IL yet, but he should be eventually as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. He's expected back around the All-Star break at this point.

Boston's Triston Casas has been cleared for outdoor activities, but might not be ready for opening day after his ruptured left patellar tendon injury last year. Romy Gonzalez is dealing with a left shoulder injury, but his status for opening day is up in the air. We'll cover these guys more if they end up missing regular season time. 

Los Angeles Angels' Ben Joyce could miss the start of the season after having right shoulder surgery. 

St. Louis' Lars Nootbaar is expected to miss a couple weeks of the regular season after undergoing surgery on both of his heels.

Keep checking back to FantasySP, as we'll continue to update you on notable MLB injuries as the season gets closer.