Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report. In today’s edition, we get some clarity on Zach Neto’s progression, yet we’re still in the dark. Also, the Orioles got some scary news this weekend with Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, but both seem to be on the mend and ready for a return soon enough. Plus, Corbin Carroll and Manny Machado are suffering from back tightness, but how serious are each of their situations? All of that and so much more in the latest edition of the Fantrax MLB Injury Report.
MLB Injury Report
Zach Neto – SS Los Angeles Angels
Zach Neto has some restrictions right now, as he has not been cleared to throw across the diamond, has yet to face live pitching, and has not been able to slide into any bases. He said in an interview on Sunday that he is experimenting with throwing from 75 feet, but nothing has yet been solidified. With such a vague timeline given here, it is difficult to trust his draft price, wherever it may be, as we just don’t know of an estimated timeline. In addition, we still don’t know his exact operation, as the Angels have been incredibly vague on many details. While Neto himself believes he will be ready for Opening Day, chances are we won’t see him in the lineup until May.
Gunnar Henderson – SS Baltimore Orioles
Gunnar Henderson’s lower right side is “improving, still a little sore, still a few days away,” per #Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 2, 2025
The Orioles got a big scare last week when two of their key offensive pieces went down with different injuries, the first one being Gunnar Henderson. He went diving for a line drive and landed awkwardly on his side. He was removed from the game, and later, it was revealed that it was done in an abundance of caution. Without the team planning to have an MRI done, it would appear that this isn’t serious enough for him to miss any significant time. He plans on playing next week, so his return is something to keep an eye on.
Jordan Westburg – 3B Baltimore Orioles
Jordan Westburg (back soreness) began a hitting progression today, did some swinging in the cage, per #Orioles manager Brandon Hyde
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 2, 2025
Joran Westburg was removed from the lineup late last week with lower back soreness. Like Henderson, there is no MRI planned, and his removal was also a precautionary measure. The plan is for him to return this week, too, but the team isn’t rushing it. Both players will be key to any chances the Orioles have for success in 2025, so they want to ensure that they’re 100% healthy before playing them again.
Felix Bautista – RP Baltimore Orioles
#Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is hoping for Félix Bautista to pitch in Monday’s game vs. Red Sox in Sarasota. Would be first game action since August 2023.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 2, 2025
This is great news and something to look forward to later today. Here’s hoping that Bautista can continue progressing and be ready for Opening Day, which is exactly what the plan has been for a while.
Freddie Freeman – 1B Los Angeles Dodgers
A lot of the news this past week on Freeman was positive. He made his Spring Training debut as the team’s designated hitter and finished with one hit in three at-bats. During the game, he was interviewed by a reporter, and the vibe was that of positivity with hope for the future being intact. Everything seemed to be on its way back to some sense of normalcy, and then he was quoted as saying what he did about missing time. It was a reality check, to say the least, and a reminder that perhaps his ankle isn’t as great as we may have believed. Throughout the off-season, this injury was a concern, given his age and the body part. Now, with the Dodgers’ Tokyo departure happening soon, it puts a real question mark as to how their players will be utilized. In addition to that, his ankle could be a major reason why he may not continue to be an asset on stolen bases. Playing first base yesterday was a big step forward. Stay tuned.
Carlos Estevez – RP Kansas City Royals
Carlos Estévez is dealing with mild lower back tightness, manager Matt Quatraro said, which is why we haven’t seen him in game action. He threw off the mound yesterday and said he felt good. Quatraro said they think there’s plenty of time to “get him 6-7 outings later in camp.”
— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) February 27, 2025
This is not what the Royals were hoping for when they went out and signed him for a three-year deal, making him the fifth-highest paid player on the team. The fact that he’s already thrown from a mound is a good sign that this injury isn’t significant, but getting in as much work now would go a long way to him securing this job in a crowded bullpen out in Kansas City. While his injury history has more incidents than we would like, none of them are related to his back, which could just mean that Estevez was slow to start out of the gate.
Wyatt Langford – OF Texas Rangers
Wyatt Langford is “about ready to go” according to Bruce Bochy. He’s been swinging in the cages and should be playing within a few days.
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) March 2, 2025
Langford suffered the injury last week, and the decision was made to keep him out of baseball activities for five to seven days. He returned to practice on the shorter end of that recommendation and has begun light baseball activity. While it’s good to see him get back on track, this is a reminder of how tricky and finicky oblique injuries can be. On average, they tend to take over a month to recover, and they can either linger or reappear once a player believes he has overcome the ailment. In addition to that consideration, Langford has yet to be in a Spring Training lineup, making it all the more conceivable that he misses the start of the season to get in some at-bats. Here’s hoping that he does in fact play and can start the season off on the right foot and remain in the lineup.
Corbin Carroll – OF Arizona Diamondbacks
Talked to @Dbacks OF Corbin Carroll. He said he wasn't overly concerned with the back tightness. Will take tomorrow off of swinging/playing, team has scheduled off day Tuesday. Doesn't feel like it's a big deal.
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) March 2, 2025
Corbin Carroll was pulled from Sunday’s Spring Training game for back tightness. The update seems promising here, though he may need some time to get back into the lineup. How he feels the day after will be important to understand how serious a situation this is. Stay tuned.
Manny Machado – 3B San Diego Padres
Manny Machado is playing third base in drills this morning. https://t.co/K1NWy62iuL
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) March 2, 2025
Machado has been out of action for a few days after experiencing back tightness. The good news is that the team doesn’t feel it is overly concerning and that he was going through infield drills yesterday. The hope is for him to play tomorrow, which will be something to monitor. If that gets delayed, then chances are this is more serious than what was originally believed.
Jacob deGrom – SP Texas Rangers
Jacob deGrom will make his 2025 Cactus League debut on Friday, per Bruce Bochy. pic.twitter.com/gIap1FIf8K
— Michael Bier (@MichaelJBier) March 1, 2025
After a successful and planned bullpen session yesterday, deGrom is now looking ahead to his debut this week. The team was purposeful with this delayed start, meaning that it was not the result of any setbacks. He is 100% healthy right now.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
