MLB Injury Report – Horton Hears a (Boo) Who

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, April 8, 2026. In today’s edition, the Astros get “good” news regarding Hunter Brown’s condition, the Rangers get actual good news on Jacob deGrom’s knee, and the Cubs get devastatingly awful news about Cade Horton’s diagnosis. Read about this and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

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MLB Injury Report

Hunter Brown – SP Houston Astros

Hunter Brown was diagnosed with a grade 2 strain in his shoulder, per the Astros.

He will not be throwing for 3-4 weeks. And then will kick up again.

Most likely we’re looking at a June return.

The GOOD news is there is not structural damage in the shoulder.

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) April 7, 2026

The team also said that they would re-evaluate Brown in two weeks. They considered all of this to be positive news, specifically the part about there being no structural damage to the shoulder itself. Still, with the potential for a June return, this makes him a tenuous hold in all leagues, especially those that don’t have spots on the Injured List. There’s a chance that in two weeks, he doesn’t feel any better, and that June timeline turns into July. If he can be stashed on the Injured List in your leagues, he should remain on your team for now. Also, in dynasty leagues, he is a hold.

Houston Astros – Team Update

Josh Hader could face hitters next week, Joe Espada said. Bennett Sousa threw a live BP today in Houston. Nate Pearson, who is being stretched out as a starter, threw two innings in West Palm Beach.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 7, 2026

Throwing against live batters would be a huge step forward for Hader, as he continues to get closer to making his 2026 debut. As for Nate Pearson, the Astros know how to get the best out of their arms, and adding him would be a sneaky-good move ahead of time.

Cade Horton – SP Chicago Cubs

#Cubs Cade Horton will have surgery on his UCL and miss the rest of the season.

— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) April 7, 2026

Whether or not he needs a full Tommy John procedure or just the internal brace is not yet known. Regardless, this is a huge blow to a team with postseason aspirations.

Cody Ponce – SP Toronto Blue Jays

Cody Ponce will have ACL surgery. Timeline is six months most likely ending his 2026 season

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) April 7, 2026

He is, unfortunately, this year’s New York Jets’ Aaron Rodgers. His season is over before it really even started.

Alejandro Kirk – C Toronto Blue Jays

Alejandro Kirk had a screw placed in his thumb.

“The timeline is looking like six weeks,” John Schneider said. #BlueJays

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) April 7, 2026

Kirk underwent successful surgery yesterday, having a screw placed in his thumb to fix the fracture. Keep an eye on this situation. The Blue Jays may trade for or sign a catcher to upgrade themselves at this position. If they do that and the player they use is successful, this could lower Kirk’s playing time when he returns.

Gerrit Cole – SP New York Yankees

Aaron Boone said Gerrit Cole threw yesterday. If all continues to go well, he’s scheduled to face batters again on Sunday. #Yankees

— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) April 7, 2026

Sunday could be a big day for Gerrit Cole and the Yankees. While he’s already faced hitters in a game, this would be after a long time away from them, demonstrating that his body is holding up.

Mookie Betts – SS Los Angeles Dodgers

Mookie Betts is going through some pregame drills today

He said yesterday he’s hopeful it’ll be a short IL stint: https://t.co/BzcatkuVol pic.twitter.com/xSxsr2ProK

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) April 7, 2026

While it’s great to see Betts working on the field and doing what he can to stay active, this is a reminder that he has a long way to go before returning from an injury that is prone to setbacks. The hope is that he doesn’t aggravate his side to the point of having to start the healing process over again.

Max Scherzer – SP Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays manager John Schneider says Max Scherzer “feels good. Doesn’t feel any worse than [Monday."]

Plan as of Tuesday is for Scherzer to throw his normal side session on Friday and make his next start.

— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) April 7, 2026

This sounds like someone who just wants to pitch, but can’t come to grips with the fact that his body isn’t what it once was. The Blue Jays need him badly, but he may not last much longer if things persist.

Brice Turang – 2B Milwaukee Brewers

Brice Turang, out of the lineup tonight, has been dealing with an ankle/foot injury for about a week now. Sounds like he may be in position to get the full day off.

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) April 7, 2026

This could help explain his recent 1-15 slide heading into last night’s game. Hopefully, a day off will get him closer to 100% and allow fantasy managers to reap the rewards of drafting him.

Milwaukee Brewers – Team Update

A few more Brewers injury notes:

– Jackson Chourio has follow-up imaging on Thursday for his fractured hand. Still estimating mid- to late-April return.

– Andrew Vaughn also has a follow-up Thursday with his hand surgeon. Hopefully will get clearance to progress to next step.

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) April 7, 2026

Tomorrow looks to be a huge day for the Brewers, as they will get updates on the status of two ig-name offensive weapons. If both go according to the plans outlined above with no setbacks, they could be back closer to full strength by the end of the month or early May.

Jacob deGrom – SP Texas Rangers

No structural issue with DeGrom. An old injury kinda flared up. He’ll throw a bullpen between starts to test it, but Rangers do not expect him to miss a start

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) April 8, 2026

Jacob deGrom getting an MRI on that knee is a bit concerning, but the results give fantasy managers and the team a big sigh of relief. It doesn’t sound like this is much of anything, but rather just an old nagging injury. Howeverm this should serve to remind people that he is at the tail end of his career, and as such, these nagging injuries tend to linger and not heal the way they once did.

Los Angeles Angels – Team Update

Grayson Rodriguez said he should be throwing off a mound within the next week. Kirby Yates threw to hitters today and said it went well but his legs could’ve felt a little fresher. But he’ll sit down tomorrow and come up with a plan with a rehab assignment a possibility.

— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) April 7, 2026

Grayson Rodriguez had been doing strength and conditioning exercises before this, but never to the point where he was even close to throwing from a mound. When he does in fact do so, it will be a big step in the right direction for him. As for Kirby Yates, the team may want to see a few more live bullpen sessions before having him start a rehab assignment. That being said, he appears to be on the right track to return before April is over.

Edwin Uceta – RP Tampa Bay Rays

Edwin Uceta pitched in Montgomery tonight and threw a scoreless inning allowing one hit and getting one strikeout. 15 pitches. #RaysUp

— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) April 8, 2026

Uceta is worth stashing now, as the closer’s job could be his upon his return. This is everything that you’d want to see from someone set to make his debut as soon as possible.