Welcome to the Fantrx MLB Injury Report for Tuesday, May 6, 2025. In today’s edition, Yordan Alvarez heads to the Injured List for his hand, Teoscar Hernandez looks to be on his way to the Injured List for his hamstring, and the Braves get big progressive updates on their two best players. All of that, and so much more, in today’s Injury Report from Fantrax.
MLB Injury Report
Yordan Alvarez – OF Houston Astros
The Astros placed Yordan Alvarez on the IL with right hand inflammation, they announced. Catcher César Salazar called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) May 5, 2025
Alvarez missed this weekend’s games with this injury, which was never considered overly serious. The report on Monday was a bit surprising, given that he had been dealing with this for quite a while. Still, there are reports that after he was placed on the Injured List, Alvarez was on a plane and headed back to Houston to meet with team physicians and undergo imaging to see the root of the problem. It’s important to note that he suffered right-hand inflammation back in 2022, as was noted yesterday here, but later in the day, the team explained that this year’s inflammation is happening in a different part of the hand. Regardless of its location on his hand, this is a somewhat concerning development, but it could help explain his struggles to start the season.
Spencer Strider – SP Atlanta Braves
https://twitter.com/DOBrienATL/status/1919489065545564296
The good news here is that Strider has been cleared for long toss, which is usually the step just before mound work. However, the negative side of this is that this only extends his time away from the team, and almost certainly means he will need a rehab assignment. We are more than two weeks removed from the day of the injury, and without progressing to the mound, he cannot pitch close to the way he would have in a game. As such, he will likely need time to stretch himself out in the minor leagues. While that is pure speculation at this point, it’s worth considering when planning.
Ronald Acuna Jr. – OF Atlanta Braves
Update on Ronald Acuña Jr. per #Braves — He will not go back to Los Angeles to see doctors again.
The team had discussed it but it was decided in consultation with Dr. Neal ElAttrache today that Acuña's knee is good to go.
He will begin his rehab assignment this month.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) May 5, 2025
This is great news for multiple reasons. First, with Acuna not needing to go back to see doctors, it means that he has progressed to the point where everyone is confident in his health. Not only that, the Braves will get to decide when he will begin his rehab assignment, which could begin in at least one week as he has been ramping up with baseball activities. Chances are that once he does begin that rehab assignment, it will be an extensive one, but that shouldn’t spoil the good news here that Acuna could make his debut by the end of this month or early next month.
Corbin Burnes – SP Arizona Diamondbacks
Threw a flat ground ( not bullpen mound) then spoke with trainer Ryan DiPanfilo and pitching coach Brian Kaplan, ending with a fist bumps https://t.co/VhGBU1vQLd pic.twitter.com/YgWz1741SM
— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) May 5, 2025
Jack clarified a prior post by reaffirming that this was indeed a flat ground throwing session. Regardless of this not being as advanced as a bullpen, it looks like this was a successful outing for the Arizona ace, who is aiming to avoid the Injured List with some additional days off. Stay tuned.
Teoscar Hernandez – OF Los Angeles Dodgers
Dave Roberts said Teoscar Hernández felt tightness in his hamstring and adductor while chasing down a line drive in the gap in the third inning
He’s going for an MRI tomorrow. Roberts said it’s “a little concerning.” Dodgers will fly someone to Miami tmrw in case he goes on IL
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) May 6, 2025
Hernandez already had two hits in the game before this happened, and the word concerning here is, well, concerning. We should know about this later today, but the fact that the team has already considered alternate options likely means a trip to the Injured List is the likeliest of scenarios. Anything more than a mild strain here could mean months.
Freddy Peralta – SP Milwaukee Brewers
Freddy Peralta hasn’t undergone any imaging yet but the Brewers might give him “a day or two,” Pat Murphy said. https://t.co/1EDRucUdro
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) May 5, 2025
This is a situation to monitor, as extra days off for pitchers sometimes indicate an underlying issue. It’s still early enough in the season where extra rest is a red flag, so for now, consider this a possible warning. That said, this could very well be taken at face value and something that he needs here to push through. Stay tuned.
Masyn Winn – SS St. Louis Cardinals
#STLCards SS Masyn Winn (sprained left ankle) said he was encouraged how his ankle felt when he woke up this morning. He said he could enter tonight’s game defensively if needed and hopes to play fully by tomorrow.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) May 5, 2025
A reminder that baseball players are human beings, and that sometimes they can come back to work the next day feeling rejuvenated and healthier. It’s hard to say if that’s the case here, but it was an encouraging sign that he felt as good as he did.
Jerar Encarnacion – OF San Francisco Giants
Giants say Jerar Encarnacion could play in rehab games as early as this weekend. Looks like he’s on track to be fully ready when eligible to come off the IL on May 23.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) May 5, 2025
Encarnacion is recovering from a hand injury, so there’s a chance that some power could be lost in his swing once fully healthy. Still, he’s worth stashing in deep leagues for his power upside, as under the hood, he was an intriguing bat last year.
Shota Imanaga – SP Chicago Cubs
Shota Imanaga update is a mild hamstring pull. Counsell said more than two weeks to be cautious.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) May 6, 2025
The designation for a mild hamstring pull is the first real timeline given for Imanaga here. The two-week timeline referenced here is the fifteen days required for pitchers on the Injured List. It looks as if the team is planning for him to miss more than the minimum, though that isn’t surprising. The aforementioned Spencer Strider can be used as a guideline for a return to action.
