MLB Injury Report – Say It Ain’t So Lodolo

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Friday, April 3, 2026. In today’s edition, the Braves offer a bevvy of updates on Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Sean Murphy. Also, Nick Lodolo has a setback in his recovery process, while the Royals make some changes to their weekend pitching plans. Read about all of these and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

MLB Injury Report for 4/3/2026

Atlanta Braves – Team Update

Chris Sale played catch in the outfield here today. But he's still dealing with the stomach bug. So, Weiss thought Sale may go back to the hotel for tonight's game.

Strider will throw a bullpen here tomorrow. We'll see what the next step is. But he'll need at least one rehab…

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 3, 2026

Chris Sale gutted his way through six innings of one-run ball on Wednesday, despite being at the start of this illness that he is now suffering through. Now, a day later, he was really feeling it, so much so that he couldn’t be with the team. The Braves don’t have a day off until next Thursday, so it’s unclear how they will approach his next start. That said, it doesn’t appear that this will be a long-term issue that will require a trip to the Injured List. As for Spencer Strider, he has been away from the team all season due to an oblique injury sustained in the spring. While he is eligible to return from the Injured List soon, chances are that he will need at least one rehab start before returning. A reminder that he was only able to throw 8.1 innings of work in the spring, and that his velocity was noticeably down, too. There’s a chance that he will need multiple rehab starts before making his 2026 debut.

Sean Murphy – C Atlanta Braves

Sean Murphy caught three innings in a sim game with Rome yesterday. Rehab assignment plans should be announced soon. He'll need to build up to catching nine innings and then catching 9 inn. on consecutive days before he'll be ready to be activated.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 3, 2026

Murphy has yet to play in 2026, and that’s because of offseason hip surgery that he had back in September 2025. The plan was for him to be back around May, and it would appear that he’s well on his way to making that prediction become reality. Three innings of catching is a good start, and while that needs to extend into nine innings of work, with a little bit of time, that should happen barring a setback. All that being said, with the way that Drake Baldwin has been playing, a returning Murphy likely won’t take away playing time, but instead give both catchers more time at the designated hitter spot once they’re both active.

Jordan Lawlar – SS Arizona Diamondbacks

X-rays were negative for Jordan Lawlar, who was hit by a pitch on his right wrist. He’ll get a CT scan tomorrow to be sure, manager Torey Lovullo said.

— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) April 3, 2026

Lawlar was hit by a pitch on his hand and wrist area and exited the game as a result. The team has already had X-rays done, which came back negative, eliminating the prospect of him having a fracture. He will have a CT-scan done today in order to check for anything else, such as a hairline fracture, just to be sure. The good news is that there isn’t enough swelling to prevent these tests from happening. There is still a chance that he misses time here, though the results of these tests will determine how much, if any at all.

Nick Lodolo – SP Cincinnati Reds

Reds starter Nick Lodolo, pitching at Low-A @daytonatortugas on rehab assignment (blister), exited home game vs. Jupiter with two out in the T3, had retired 8 in a row to start the game with 4 K's but then exited due to the blister problem.

— Pat Brennan (@PBrennanENQ) April 2, 2026

This was set to be Lodolo’s only rehab start, as he works his way back from a blister. Instead of laboring through the planned 60-65 pitches, he was able to throw just 40 before succumbing to the pain. Chances are that he will not return within a week and will need extensive time away to allow this blister to fully heal. He is no stranger to blisters in the past, and this will be like those before this. However, to have it reopened and likely increase in damage, he could need weeks now to let it heal before trying to throw again. Stay tuned.

Cody Bradford – SP Texas Rangers

Cody Bradford made it through 2 innings in Round Rock.

Gave up a couple of HRs in the 2nd. One on a change and one on a FB.

2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 SO, 27/17 strikes

5 swing and misses.

Top velo 91.5

— The Prospect Times (@ProspectTimes) April 3, 2026

Bradford underwent the internal brace procedure last June, aligning him with the typical recovery timeline and return-to-play timeline. This was his first competitive action in quite some time, so the only really important number here is 27 pitches thrown. Giving up two runs isn’t ideal, but he will improve his control and command with each start. The no walks allowed is nice to see, too.

Colorado Rockies – Team Update

Colorado shifts roster ahead of home opener:

LHP Jose Quintana to 15-day IL (retro to 3/30, right hamstring strain)

RHP Valente Bellozo recalled from Triple-ABQ

INF/OF Ryan Ritter sent down to Triple-ABQ#Rockies 26-man roster at 25. Expect OF Mickey Moniak to get activated.

— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) April 2, 2026

Jose Quintana being placed on the injured List hurts the Rockies more than it does fantasy managers, since not many teams roster many Colorado pitchers. That said, Quintana is somewhat usable in spurts and could be valuable in deeper leagues when he pitches on the road. As for the final statement there, we could be seeing a returning Mickey Moniak in the near future. Look for an update on him closer to today’s game.

Rafael Devers – 1B San Francisco Giants

I asked Vitello if there is a rough timeline for Devers’ return to the field and he said by the time the team returns from the next trip. That just so happens to be when the Dodgers are in town. (And of course it could be earlier. Devers is working at 1B every day.)

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) April 2, 2026

It’s unclear if this is because of Devers’ injured hamstring from Spring Training, or if there’s another plan in mind here in the future.

Michael Wacha – SP Kansas City Royals

#Royals will start RHP Luinder Avila tomorrow against the Milwaukee Brewers as Michael Wacha is dealing with an illness.

The remainder of weekend starters remain the same. Seth Lugo will start Saturday and Kris Bubic takes the mound on Sunday.

— Jaylon T. Thompson (@jaylonthompson) April 2, 2026

From the sounds of things, Michael Wacha will not pitch this week, but could be a two-start pitcher next week.