Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Opening Day, 2025. In today’s edition, we get some clarity on the situation with Jared Jones, Vinnie Pasquantino believes that he will be ready for Opening Day, Yu Darvish begins his long journey to return, and the Reds welcome back a familiar face in Spencer Steer to their lineup. All of that and more in today’s Injury Report from Fantrax.
Opening Day MLB Injury Report
Jared Jones – SP Pittsburgh Pirates
Here is the official update on Jared Jones, per Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk: pic.twitter.com/8mxOCAWa5S
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) March 26, 2025
It took almost a full week and a second opinion, but we finally got some clarity on the Jared Jones situation. From this, we can conclude that he did sustain a sprain to his right elbow. While sprains could mean a tear, here there was no structural damage done to the ligament. As such, it would appear that he has avoided the absolute worst case scenario….for now. He will be shut down for quite a while, and the tricky part is figuring out when to resume throwing so as not to trigger that sprain into a tear. There is a significant chance that either he doesn’t ramp up again (with no healing) or that once he starts throwing again, the sprain gets worse and he then needs the surgery we all thought he’d receive. These are dark days for the Pirates with a dim light at the end of the tunnel.
Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B Kansas City Royals
The #Royals say there were no setbacks with Vinnie Pasquantino during the workout today. Still will be re-evaluated tomorrow morning before any final decisions. But sounds positive (like it has all week).
— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) March 26, 2025
One of the final hurdles for Pasquantino was for him to work out yesterday. It would appear that he cleared that hurdle and then some, leading many to believe that he will be in the lineup for Opening Day. Still, he needs to report to the team later today and get himself checked out. Often, how a returning player feels the day after extending himself is a big hurdle, so the hope is that he’s pain-free and can start the season on the right foot.
Francisco Alvarez – C New York Mets
Great news here, as Alvarez’s recovery is going according to plan. As he says here, the plan is for him to return by the six-week mark, which would be on the shorter end of his timeline. That being said, fantasy owners should prepare to be without the backstop for quite a while, and given his injury history, he will likely need more than the minimum. Stay tuned.
Triston Casas – 1B Boston Red Sox
There was some concern that Casas could have missed some time after displaying a hit ball the other day. From the sounds of things here, it would appear that those fears are out the window as the first baseman is feeling much better. While the official word won’t be known until the Red Sox release their Opening Day lineup, fantasy owners should feel confident that Casas will be in the heart of the order and ready to roll come first pitch.
Yu Darvish – SP San Diego Padres
Yu Darvish, who is set to open the season on the IL with right elbow inflammation, is playing light catch at Petco Park today.
Meanwhile, lefty Omar Cruz, who was optioned two weeks ago is here working with the bullpen and might still be part of the Opening Day roster.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) March 26, 2025
While it’s great to see that Darvish is out there and playing light catch, this is also a reminder that he is at the beginning stages of a long road to recovery. He must extend his catch distances before building up the intensity of pitches thrown. After that, he will need to prove that he can throw various pitch types before tossing side sessions, bullpens, and live bullpens. After that, a rehab assignment is likely in the cards before hopefully returning. He and all pitchers starting from scratch have a long journey.
Spencer Steer – DH Cincinnati Reds
Spencer Steer in the batting cage.
Will be available to DH on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/jLwJxhbzDr
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) March 26, 2025
Steer has done a marvelous job recovering from his shoulder injury that extended itself through the offseason and into camp. While he is unavailable to play in the field, he should still see time as the team’s designated hitter to begin the season. His injury is a weird one, as whatever was ailing him did so through the winter and into Spring Training, where he was limited in what he could do and was delayed to begin camp. Still, he worked hard and has gotten himself to this point. The hope is that he can progress to the point of throwing, as the team would most certainly like to give others in the lineup a break on days, too.
Texas Rangers – Team Update
Some Opening Day Eve #Rangers updates: Corey Seager (calf) took live batting practice today and should be a go; Josh Jung (neck) gave a thumbs-up for the opener; and Globe Life Field roof expected to be closed Thursday.
— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) March 26, 2025
Both Corey Seager and Josh Jung were dealing with minor ailments that they suffered earlier in the week. Seager’s calf and Jung’s neck never really seemed to be too much of a threat for them to miss any time; however, given both players’ injury history, one can never be too careful. We won’t know until the Rangers release their Opening Day lineups, but fantasy owners can feel confident that both players will be there by first pitch.
Royce Lewis – 3B Minnesota Twins
Royce Lewis heading to Minnesota to work out and recover is good news, however, the fact that there is still swelling is not. The injury happened almost two weeks ago, and for it to still be swollen is a bit concerning. That said, it is also an indication of how far he still has to go before returning. Fantasy owners and Twins fans should not expect him back anytime soon, as even when he does start to improve physically, he will need to work on his timing and mechanics at the plate.
