MLB Injury Report – Guerrero Does the Splits

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Tuesday, August 19, 2025. In today’s edition, we get a reassuring update on Zack Wheeler, some shocking news on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and another injury for Jordan Westburg. Read about all of this and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

More great Fantasy Baseball Analysis: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire | Weekly SP Rankings | Pitching Streamers | Two-Start Pitchers | Hitting Planner | Lineup Analysis | MLB Injury Report | Risers and Fallers | Prospect Report | Advanced Stats | Under the Radar | Overvalued & Undervalued

MLB Injury Report

Zack Wheeler – SP Philadelphia Phillies

Right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler underwent a successful thrombolysis procedure to remove a blood clot in his right upper extremity this morning by Dr. Paul DiMuzio at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Further treatment and a subsequent timeline of recovery for Wheeler is to…

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 18, 2025

Great news here, as Wheeler’s procedure went smoothly, and he can now focus on his recovery. As a human being and as a father to a newborn, this was important to ensure his long-lasting health. From a fantasy perspective, the team has maintained that they do not know how long a recovery process their ace has in front of him, and fantasy baseball managers should look for alternatives going forward.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B Toronto Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr experienced left hamstring tightness following this stretch he made in the third inning

He’s getting an MRI tonight and Blue Jays will evaluate him tomorrow https://t.co/8fyZiElMkn

— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) August 19, 2025

Guerrero Jr. made an outstanding reaching catch on a groundout during this game, as he was literally doing the splits at one point. He was forced to leave the game early as a result, and an MRI will help determine the severity of the situation here. The team hopes that he can be back in the next day or two, but a trip to the Injured List wouldn’t be surprising. Stay tuned.

Jordan Westburg – 2B Baltimore Orioles

Jordan Westburg exited with right ankle discomfort, the club announces https://t.co/51eoxdcaUd

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) August 18, 2025

The team will likely offer some updates today, but the hope is that this is a minor ailment. Westburg has had difficulty staying healthy all season, and this could be another example of an injury derailing his positive momentum.

Austin Riley – 3B Atlanta Braves

Austin Riley ran the bases yesterday. He’ll do so again tomorrow. There’s still some abdominal discomfort. So, his return date is TBD. Chris Sale will make one more rehab start before being activated.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 18, 2025

Riley had a bit of a setback on Sunday, and as such, his return to the team will be delayed yet again. He will likely need to be symptom-free today and possibly even tomorrow before a return will be considered. With the Braves off on Thursday, Friday seems like a good starting point, but that’s purely speculative from here.

Chris Sale – SP Atlanta Braves

Chris Sale will make another rehab start. He’s felt good. The plan is for him to throw around 75 pitches in his next outing and they’ll go from there.

— Gabe Burns (@GabeBurnsAJC) August 18, 2025

The team has leaned toward making this next start his last one before returning to the team. Should he be effective and pain-free afterward, it’s looking like he will be back this weekend.

Jackson Merrill – OF San Diego Padres

Jackson Merrill was walking with a noticeable limp in the Padres clubhouse. Mike Shildt says they'll know more today if it's a day to day thing or something more@SportingTrib

— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) August 18, 2025

Merrill, with a limp, does not seem like a promising development for Merrill. It was said that his ankle pain got noticeably worse over the weekend, so perhaps a multiple-day absence is warranted. Whether or not that extends to multiple weeks remains to be seen.

Colson Montgomery – SS Chicago White Sox

Colson on his side: "I just took a swing on a foul ball and I kind of felt a little bit of a stretch. But I mean nothing crazy or anything like that. Got on first and they saw I was feeling for it and they asked me if I felt something and I was like yeah, but nothing too serious.

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) August 19, 2025

This sounds an awful lot like an oblique injury, which could lead to an extended absence. Without jumping to conclusions, let’s wait for updates throughout the day to ensure that everything is okay, and this is more of a day-to-day sort of thing.

Brendan Donovan – 2B St. Louis Cardinals

INF José Fermín has been recalled from Memphis (AAA).

INF/OF Brendan Donovan has been placed on the 10-day IL (left groin strain), retroactive to Aug. 15. pic.twitter.com/UAVJjDWEER

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 18, 2025

Donovan has had a successful season, yet he has revisited the Injured List more than once this year. Here’s hoping this time off will give him what he needs to return healthy.

Jorge Soler – OF Los Angeles Angels

Soler has been in a bit of a standstill regarding his recovery process, showing little to no improvement. Since the team has him under contract for one more year at a substantial rate, they will want to ensure that he is physically sound and ready to compete, rather than rushing him back too soon. Here’s hoping he returns this season with enough time to help provide a substantial contribution in fantasy.

Cole Ragans – SP Kansas City Royals

Cole Ragans threw a 35-pitch bullpen this afternoon. More volume and introduced offspeed stuff. Another positive step in his recovery.

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) August 18, 2025

Ragans has slowly but surely been recovering well. He hasn’t shown any setbacks, and if he feels okay today physically, he may be cleared for live batters. Stay tuned.