MLB Injury Report: Moreno Hits IL, Pivetta Dealing with Elbow Issue

Another day, another bout of MLB injuries to go over. I did a story on Tuesday, and have several more moves that were announced that day to discuss now.

We'll discuss the real-world and fantasy baseball implications of the injuries we discuss. Let's get right to it!

Fantasy baseball injury news can be found all season on FantasySP.

Gabriel Moreno - Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks got Merrill Kelly back on Tuesday, but Moreno, a catcher, hit the injured list the same day. He has a strained left oblique.

He doesn't have a clear timetable at this point, but is likely to be on the list far longer than 10 days. It will be a situation to monitor.

It's a bummer for Moreno and the D-Backs, as he was performing well to kick off the season. In 13 games and across 45 plate appearances, Moreno had a .275 average and .333 on-base percentage.

He has five doubles among his 11 hits, plus five RBIs, six runs scored, three walks and eight strikeouts. Moreno was hitting fourth when he was part of the starting lineup.

Losing a catcher is a bigger deal in the real world most times. Pitching staffs can struggle without their lead guy, so it'll be worth watching as Moreno is sidelined.

Of course, not having Moreno active takes his bat away for potential fantasy baseball usage. He is at 26% owned right now. He was closer to 40% when the season started.

That means Moreno was a deep-league option. If you don't have unlimited IR spots to use, then Moreno could be droppable, especially if he's out way longer than 10 days. He'll be worth keeping an eye on, as he could be worth adding when he's close to returning.

In the meantime, Adrian Del Castillo and James McCann are projected to split the catcher role. Del Castillo will start against righties, while McCann starts against lefties. Aramis Garcia was also called up, so one of those catchers might play elsewhere, or be the designated hitter at times.

Depending how long Moreno is out, a backup catcher in Arizona could have some fantasy value, but probably only in deeper leagues, especially if there's no daily starter.

Nick Pivetta - San Diego Padres

Pivetta has right elbow inflammation, and it cost him at least 15 days. Matt Waldron is expected to take Pivetta's place in the rotation.

Pivetta is down to 93% rostered at this time. He was owned in all leagues pretty much all season. This is a blow to fantasy baseball owners for sure.

In four starts early on, Pivetta was below average. He went 1-2 with a 4.50 earned run average. He allowed eight runs on 12 hits and six walks over 16 innings. Pivetta struck out 24 batters to still have decent fantasy value.

He was great across 31 starts in 2025, posting a 2.87 ERA. Fantasy owners were hoping for more of that in 2026, but he started slow, and now has an injury that could affect his performance all season.

I'd be doing everything in my power to keep Pivetta on my fantasy roster, but the longer he's out, the better chance I'd have of letting him go. Keep watching his status and see how long exactly he's expected to be out.

If he gets dropped in more leagues, be ready to pounce and add him as he nears a return.

Waldron is known for his knuckleball, but hasn't had a ton of MLB success over parts of three seasons. He only made one start in 2025. 

In three Triple-A starts this season, Waldron hasn't allowed an earned run. In 12 innings, he's given up seven hits and one walk, while striking out 12 batters.

He's expected to take the mound against the Angels on Thursday. That matchup is solid, but I'd only want to stream Waldron in deeper leagues. He could become a standard league option if he's excelling, and sticks in the rotation for a bit.

Ryan Pepiot - Tampa Bay Rays

Pepiot hasn't pitched at all this season because of a hip injury. He was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day list.

Pepiot is sitting near 91% rostered at the time this article was published. He was closer to 100% at the start of the season. I mentioned him in today's drop article.

If you are out of IR spots and need some more immediate fantasy help, then dropping Pepiot makes some sense. I would try to trade him away first, as he has some value based on his performances from past seasons.

He was 11-12 over 31 starts in 2025. Pepiot had a 3.86 ERA over 167 2/3 innings pitched. He allowed 77 runs (72 earned) on 134 hits and 61 walks. Pepiot had 167 punchouts, so basically one per inning.

There's a lot to like in those numbers, and set him up as a potential breakout candidate in 2026. The hip issue he's dealing with has halted his progress, and seriously delayed the start to his season.

He should jump to 100% rostered when he's healthy, so be watching his status and be ready to add him back when he's close to returning. For now though, do your best to hold on to him, because it's going to be over a month yet before he maybe gets back on the bump.