Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, May 21, 2025. In today’s edition, Dylan Crews will get an MRI for a concerning injury. Also, Colton Cowser and Max Scherzer got some good news, while Jacob Wilson and Zack Gelof did not. All of that plus so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.
MLB Injury Report
Dylan Crews – OF Washington Nationals
Dylan Crews will get an MRI on his lower back/left side tomorrow. Said he’s been dealing with this for about a week, felt it “grab” on the check swing tonight. Davey Martinez admitted he’s a little concerned.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) May 21, 2025
It’s interesting to note that Crews had been ailing with this back/left side discomfort for a while, as he does have five hits in the last seven days. Still, check swings are tricky because the batter has to decide to stop swinging as fast as he can within a split second. The concern here comes with manager Davey Martinez’s concerns, as this might already be in the cards as a trip to the Injured List. With this injury, prospect Robert Hassell III has already been called up, possibly to take his place. Given how well he did in Spring Training, he’s worth adding in deeper leagues to see if he can have that success carry over.
Detroit Tigers – Team Update
More injections for Alex Cobb… pic.twitter.com/YWdVjnQDmW
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) May 20, 2025
The reporters who cover the Tigers do a great job of informing the public. There’s a lot to take in here. First and foremost, Alex Cobb will be receiving multiple injections for an inflamed hip that has been ailing him all season long. There’s a chance that if this doesn’t work, he may need surgery yet again, or he may possibly retire, given his advanced age. As for Sawyer Gipson-Long, he will continue with his bullpens and continue to throw his rehab assignment. As of this writing, he has posted a 1.29 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over 7.0 innings pitched. He is worth monitoring in deep leagues. Parker Meadows’ rehab assignment got postponed due to rain last night, but regardless of the weather, chances are this will be a lengthy one, no matter his production at the plate. He has been battling nerve issues all season, making this a tenuous comeback. Finally, Matt Vierling looks to continue along his rehab assignment, and he appears close to a return, though he is striking out a lot thus far.
New York Mets – Team Update
Carlos Mendoza provides updates on Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn:
Blackburn: Rehab start tomorrow
Manaea: bullpen session tomorrow
Montas: live BP tomorrow in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/acnyiVW9Vx— SNY (@SNYtv) May 20, 2025
It would appear that Paul Blackburn is the closest to a return, as his injury isn’t arm-related. He was set to make two more starts before returning to the Mets, and this will be his first. He’s aiming for 75+ pitches, which is his highest total thus far. As for Frankie Montas, he is next in line for the closest return date, though there is a wide gap between him and the aforementioned Blackburn in terms of expected times back. A live bullpen session is a great way to see if someone is ready for a rehab assignment. Chances are, if all goes well, he is ready later in June. Finally, Sean Manaea is a small step behind Montas in terms of progress, as he has yet to face batters. His return could happen in late June or early July, barring any setbacks.
The Athletics – Team Update
Jacob Wilson exited last night’s game after getting hit by a pitch in the third inning, which sounded incredibly painful. He himself believes that he will be fine once the swelling subsides, but a day later, things can change. The hope is that the bones around the wrist area weren’t damaged. As for Zack Gelof, the question was asked of Martin Gallegos after he posted about Wilson, which warrants some attention. Gelof had to pause his current rehab for his wrist because of a stress reaction in his rib area. He has not begun progressing his swing, and chances are he won’t for a while. Stress reactions are incredibly fickle, in that any ill-advised movement can cause damage to the area in question. It’s unfortunate, but he will require rest in order to allow it to heal over time, which could be lengthy.
Brandon Woodruff – SP Milwaukee Brewers
Brandon Woodruff is headed to Nashville to make a rehab start tomorrow. After that? Still TBD.
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) May 20, 2025
This was sent out yesterday, meaning that tonight is his scheduled resumption of a rehab assignment. A reminder that this is scheduled for the rehabilitation and recovery of his ankle and not his shoulder. He is wished the best of luck.
Andres Gimenez – 2B Toronto Blue Jays
Andres Gimenez is doing baseball activity and started running yesterday.
Will likely need a rehab assignment before he rejoins the #BlueJays
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) May 20, 2025
Gimenez has been absent since injuring his quadriceps weeks ago. He is likely at least two weeks away from being ready to return. That said, he is progressing, and the plan is for him to return to the starting lineup.
Max Scherzer – SP Toronto Blue Jays
Max Scherzer threw a 33-pitch bullpen and everything felt good, John Schneider said.
Next: He’ll throw off a mound another time or two before facing hitters. #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) May 20, 2025
Scherzer has had multiple setbacks for multiple reasons, so seeing a productive day out of him where everything felt good is a welcome sign. He still has a long way to go before returning and will need an extensive “Spring Training-like” rehab session. That being said, the hope is that he can put this finger issue behind him.
Colton Cowser – OF Baltimore Orioles
Orioles’ Colton Cowser is doing pregame work at Aberdeen today and will be him a rehab assignment with them tomorrow, the team announced.
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) May 20, 2025
Fantastic news here for Cowser, who has just 16 at-bats under his belt this season, after fracturing his thumb on a slide. He is eligible to return at the end of the month, though there’s no guarantee that he will be back on that day. Regardless, his presence will be a much-needed boost for the Orioles’ offense.
