MLB Injury Report – Time to Fret in Philly?

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Thursday, August 7, 2025. In today’s report, we learn some concerning news on Zack Wheeler’s shoulder, two of Kansas City’s best players are not progressing as well as the team would like, and Byron Buxton seems to be slowly getting healthy. Read about all of this, and so much more, in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

MLB Injury Report

Zack Wheeler – SP Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies are bumping Zack Wheeler back two days to Sunday. He complained of some shoulder stiffness. They sent him for an MRI. It was clean, Rob Thomson said. Wheeler played catch today.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) August 6, 2025

This seemingly came out of nowhere, as Wheeler hadn’t recovered as smoothly as he usually would have after a start. He brought it up to the team, and luckily, it seems that things were identified and dealt with right away. Whether or not this leads to anything remains to be seen, but for now, let’s hope that the extra two days off will help him get back to full strength in time for a start this weekend. Stay tuned.

Aaron Nola – SP Philadelphia Phillies

Aaron Nola’s stats from his first two rehab starts with AAA Lehigh Valley:

6.2 IP | 7 H | 1 ER | 3 BB | 6 K | 1.35 ERA pic.twitter.com/HG0mWlop3S

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) August 6, 2025

Nola has looked good on the mound after two starts, though his total output has still been less than seven innings pitched. He has said that he felt normal soreness after his first start and that he is waiting to see how he feels after yesterday’s second start, where he tossed 69 pitches. All that being said, things are looking good here.

Kansas City Royals – Team Update

Updates here on two of the Royals’ biggest pieces, but neither of them moves the needle much. Jac Caglianone isn’t doing much and has yet to run. Until that happens, he remains at a standstill with his progression. As for Cole Ragans, throwing to 120 feet is a nice big step forward, with the next real hurdle being for him to be cleared to throw bullpens.

Texas Rangers – Team Update

Not a ton of #Rangers news this morning. Josh Jung is still on track to play third base Friday. He took grounders there this morning. Evan Carter said he had an injection in his back and hopes to ramp things up as soon as Friday.

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) August 6, 2025

Josh Jung playing third base should be considered as the final step in his journey to full health, although his injury history suggests he may never truly be healthy. As for Evan Carter, we may see him ramping up his progression and activities next week if this injection takes hold and does its thing. Until then, we play the waiting game.

Byron Buxton – OF Minnesota Twins

Byron Buxton started hitting Tuesday. Hit today. He's upbeat. His baseball activity is picking up. If he keeps trending this way, he thought he'd be ready in a couple of days. #MNTwins

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) August 6, 2025

Slowly but surely, Byron Buxton is recovering. Given his injury history, he may need additional time on a rehab assignment to ensure that he is close to 100% health, though he appears to be closer than ever to that.

Chris Sale – SP Atlanta Braves

https://twitter.com/DOBrienATL/status/1953201529906757959

Fantastic news here for Sale, as a live BP session is (usually) the final step for pitchers before they begin a rehab assignment. As for how many of these sessions he will need, that remains to be seen. Let’s take this one step at a time to see how he feels after his first one. If he does feel better, then there’s a chance that he could be on a rehab assignment in just over a week.

Cristian Javier – SP Houston Astros

Joe Espada said Cristian Javier is in a position to make his next start for the major-league team. That would be in Houston during the next homestand

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 6, 2025

Finally, some good news for the Astros with regard to their pitching and their injured players. Look for them to welcome back Javier next week, though fantasy expectations need to be kept at a minimum.

Nolan Arenado – 3B St. Louis Cardinals

#STLCards third baseman Nolan Arenado will report to Jupiter, Fla., on Friday to begin a rehab assignment, manager Oliver Marmol said. The club’s thinking is that after his shoulder strengthens, he could soon appear in games there.

— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) August 6, 2025

While it’s great to see that there’s a plan in place for Arenado’s return, the team will likely take the cautious approach here, given his advanced age (34) and their long-term investment in him via their contract.

Willson Contreras – 1B St. Louis Cardinals

#STLCards 1B Willson Contreras is out of the starting lineup today because of a stomach bug. He could be available to pinch-hit late in the game if needed.

— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) August 6, 2025

Contreras did not enter the game at all, though with the team expecting him to be available, the hope is that he will be able to return to the starting lineup in short order.