MLB Injury Report – Turmoil in Tampa Bay

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, July 23, 2025. In today’s report, the Rays get dealt three pieces of news that have some serious consequences. Could Brandon Lowe need extensive time away? Is Shane McClanahan ever going to pitch in 2025? Will Ha-Seong Kim need time on the Injured List. All of these questions are examined here, alongside other news, in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

MLB Injury Report

Brandon Lowe – 2B Tampa Bay Rays

On #Rays Brandon Lowe's IL stint for the left foot injury, Kevin Cash said "he understands that he's just not right" and they were concerned he'd try to push through it to play, so felt putting him on the 10-day IL was the best case.

"'m really hopeful that this is a minimum…

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) July 22, 2025

The team placed Lowe on the Injured List with foot and ankle tendinitis, making this a more complex issue than what was first reported. Given his extensive injury history, there’s a chance that this has the makings of at least a month-long absence, and maybe more. For all we know, he may have played in his last game of the 2025 season, though that is based on Carlos Correa’s recent bouts with foot ailments. All that being said, it is peculiar that the Rays traded for Stuart Fairchild the same day that Lowe went to the Injured List, meaning we could see an extensive absence.

Ha-Seong Kim – SS Tampa Bay Rays

Kevin Cash on #Rays SS Ha-Seong Kim's lower back injury: "I'll call it decent news. I think we're going to try to stay away from him today. We'll check on him tomorrow (to see if he's available), but if we can get to Friday through the off day, we're hopeful that he's going to be…

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) July 22, 2025

The team believes that there is a chance for Kim to return on Friday, but nobody knows what the future holds. His status throughout the week will be important to watch to see if perhaps the Rays are correct here. Stay tuned.

Shane McClanahan – SP Tampa Bay Rays

The #Rays are "pulling back" ace Shane McClanahan for a few days with a sore bicep, so he'll miss his scheduled Thursday rehab start. Kevin Cash said it has nothing to do with the triceps nerve issue from spring and is a result of some fatigue building back up.

"He's frustrated,…

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) July 22, 2025

This one is a bummer, but somewhat expected after Monday’s report. McClanahan will be pulling back from his rehab here, as he is fatigued from throwing. There are two sides of the coin here. The eternal optimist will say that returning from this injury is a grind, and after almost two years off of throwing, it can be tough to bring yourself back to the way that you were so used to doing. Not just through Tommy John Surgery, but also a bicep nerve injury, it changes how you must throw and alters the way that you pitch. It will take some time to adjust. However, the “Negative Nancy” will say that the sky is falling, he should have never been stashed away, and if he can’t withstand throwing more than two innings of work now, will he ever be able to do anything close to it? There’s no correct answer here right now, other than it’s important to remember that he belongs to one of the smartest organizations in baseball, and is someone who has and will continue to work hard at returning.

Aaron Nola – SP Philadelphia Phillies

Aaron Nola will come with the Phillies to Yankee Stadium to throw a live batting practice session this weekend, then would begin a minor-league rehab assignment. He is progressing well, Rob Thomson said.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) July 22, 2025

Seemingly good news here on Nola, who will have one final hurdle before beginning a rehab assignment. Once that has begun, it will likely be an extensive one, given the amount of time he has missed as well as the types of injuries that he sustained.

Houston Astros – Team Update

Astros injury updates. pic.twitter.com/C96nWRHH84

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 22, 2025

Where to begin? Of the biggest names with the most fantasy relevance listed here, Spencer Arrighetti pitched well over the weekend and is looking to continue to build upon the positives from his last start. He likely needs at least one more AFTER this next start. As for Yordan Alvarez, the news here hasn’t changed since yesterday’s headline about him having this pain linger possibly for the remainder of the season. Finally, Jeremy Pena is working out in Florida, and there have been murmurs of him facing live batters later in the week.

Lance McCullers Jr. – SP Houston Astros

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/qkkXdrfrdJ

— Houston Astros (@astros) July 22, 2025

Because this is a blister, the hope and belief is that McCullers will need minimum time away from the team to let it heal. The Astros remain in the mix for a starter at the trade deadline.

Max Muncy – 2B The Athletics

A’s manager Mark Kotsay said Max Muncy went for a CT scan this morning, which revealed a fracture in his fourth metacarpal. Muncy will go for a second opinion with hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin in LA.

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) July 22, 2025

Such an awful break for the A’s, who will now be without their second baseman for quite some time. It’s unclear how severe the hand injury is, as the second opinion will give clarity. That said, this likely won’t be something that is healed within the ten-day window allotted for an Injured List designation.

Adley Rutschman – C Baltimore Orioles

Orioles’ Adley Rutschman is a “possibility” to return this weekend, Tony Mansolino says. He’ll catch for Triple-A Norfolk tomorrow and could be eased back in at DH after being activated.

— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) July 22, 2025

Rutschman looked good yesterday in his rehab outing, swinging the bat well. From here, it will likely depend on whether his body can sustain catching and hitting. If all of that works out as it could and should, we may see him back in a matter of days, which is good news for the Orioles and for fantasy owners.

Zach Eflin – SP Baltimore Orioles

Tony Mansolino said right-hander Zach Eflin will make his return from the injured list tomorrow for the Orioles. Charlie Morton pitches Thursday

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) July 22, 2025

Be prepared!

Tanner Scott – RP Los Angeles Dodgers

Tanner Scott said his MRI just showed inflammation. No structural or ligament damage. The plan is to not throw for a couple days and go from there, but the best possibly outcome, seemingly.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 23, 2025

Scott was placed on the Injured List yesterday. The good news is that there is no structural damage in or around his elbow, meaning that rest should be the biggest factor in his recovery. It’s possible that he could begin throwing in a couple of days, but that seems very advantageous right now.

Ben Casparius – SP/RP Los Angeles Dodgers

Got an injury update on Ben Casparius:

"Hopefully it's not a crazy set back and we're back to business. It depends on how I wake up feeling, if it's pain, it could be a strain, but I'm hoping it's just pretty bad cramps." pic.twitter.com/h8wwkrf6vq

— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) July 23, 2025

As mentioned, a lot depends on how Casparius feels today when he wakes up and arrives at the ballpark. He will undergo an MRI at some point to determine the severity of the situation here. Regardless, if he misses some time, this would be a big loss for the Dodgers.

Max Muncy – 3B Los Angeles Dodgers

Max Muncy is taking BP on the field for the first time since going on the IL.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 22, 2025

Fabian Ardaya also said in another post that Muncy’s progress has been quicker than expected, and that he is coming along very well. It’s unclear when his ETA is, but there’s a good chance that he will be back sooner than expected.