MLB Injury Report – Goodbye Baldwin

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, May 20, 2026. In today’s edition, the Braves will be without one of their best hitters for the next little while, Blake Snell successfully underwent surgery on Tuesday, and the Brewers made a surprising change to a pitcher’s rehab assignment. You can read about all of this and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

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MLB Injury Report

Drake Baldwin – C Atlanta Braves

Drake Baldwin has a grade 1 oblique strain, per Walt Weiss.

— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) May 19, 2026

The day started with a bang in the most unfortunate way. Baldwin has been one of, if not the, best catchers in baseball in 2026, and now will undoubtedly miss time here with an oblique injury. Similar to elbow and shoulder injuries among pitchers, this is one of the dreaded ailments for hitters, as it can take a player a long time to recover. As I’ve mentioned many times before, if a player pushes himself too far too soon, there’s a chance that the oblique area not only gets further injured, but it could result in even more significant damage. Now that we know it is a Grade-1 strain, which is the mildest of them all, a month-long absence is the bare minimum here, though I could be wrong. Stay tuned.

Yandy Diaz – 1B Tampa Bay Rays

Kevin Cash had no concrete update on Yandy Diaz postgame, but #Rays hitting coach Chad Mottola said Diaz got nicked on both hands. “When you hit fingers with 95, whether it’s glancing or not…let’s just see what the doctor says.” Diaz was in the training room and not available… https://t.co/VprMdrYVG0

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) May 20, 2026

Diaz exited Tuesday’s game early after getting hit on both hands. He looked to be in significant pain, and Ryan Bass’ comments gave context as to why. The team has already stated that they will have more information later on today, as they will have him checked out for a possible fracture or anything else that could be wrong. This doesn’t seem to be a major issue, but I’ve been wrong before.

Logan Webb – SP San Francisco Giants

Logan Webb said his bullpen went well and plans on making his rehab start on Friday in Sacramento. Expects to only need one outing.

— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) May 19, 2026

This was all part of the plan, having yesterday’s bullpen followed by Friday’s scheduled rehab start. Chances are that he is back in your fantasy lineups by this time next week.

Blake Snell – SP Los Angeles Dodgers

Blake Snell's NanoNeedle procedure today removed three bone spurs from his left elbow. This type of procedure is expected to shave off some of the recovery timeline. https://t.co/Wbd3rEAfSg

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 19, 2026

The major difference between this procedure and that of Skubal is that this one had three pieces that needed removing, whereas Skubal’s had one. It’s hard to know if that makes a significant enough difference in the recovery time and post-procedure gameplay, but it is noteworthy nonetheless. It is also worth noting that both he and the team believe that this NanoNeedle operation is believed to trim down his time away, making a return this season much more viable. We should get a more concrete update within the next few days regarding details about his return-to-play projections, but for now, it’s good to know that his operation was a success. Th

Ryan Jeffers – C Minnesota Twins

Ryan Jeffers (hamate) will undergo surgery and his expected return timeline is 6-8 weeks, per general manager Jeremy Zoll.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) May 19, 2026

Yet another example of a player missing significant time because of a broken hamate bone. Jeffers’ timeline for a return is in line with the others who suffered the same fate earlier this year. He will need time to let it heal properly before ramping up. A lot of how he returns will be based on the adjustments that he makes to sustain a level of playing while having his hand feel differently from what it once was.

Mackenzie Gore – SP Texas Rangers

Unfortunate occurrence here for Gore, who has struggled to get himself going in 2026. Both he and the team described this as precautionary, after Gore said that he had felt cramping behind his shoulder. We should know more after the results of his MRI come in, but chances are that this will cost him at least ten days.

Quinn Priester – SP Milwaukee Brewers

Quinn Priester has departed to join the Nashville Sounds in Durham, N.C. His next rehab start is scheduled for Thursday night.

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) May 19, 2026

This is an interesting development for the Brewers, as Priester has struggled mightily while on his rehab assignment. Through four different outings in various affiliates, the 26-year-old has a 22.74 ERA and a 3.63 WHIP, showing anything but control and command of the strike zone and an inability to keep runners off the bases. There is no guarantee that he will make his 2026 debut for the Brewers anytime soon.

Ernie Clement – 2B Toronto Blue Jays

Ernie Clement not in starting lineup. He’s been dealing with strep throat.
“It started yesterday” Clement told me.

Dylan Cease gets the start in game 2 vs. NYY pic.twitter.com/XyjdHECCKj

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) May 19, 2026

Barring any unforeseen circumstances or an unfortunate turn of events, this should be a day-to-day issue rather than one that will need ten or more days of recovery.

Lance McCullers – SP Houston Astros

Lance McCullers Jr. was scratched due to shoulder inflammation, Joe Espada said. He has dealt with it for a few starts but did not bounce back this week and is returning to Houston to be evaluated, Espada said.

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) May 19, 2026

McCullers was also placed on the 15-Day Injured List with this inflammation. It’s frustrating as a fantasy manager who has rostered him, as it appears he has been battling this injury for quite some time. Other than strikeouts, there hasn’t been a standout category for him, leaving some to wonder how well he could have been had he been healthy.

Kyle Schwarber – UT Philadelphia Phillies

Kyle Schwarber is out of the lineup again tonight.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) May 19, 2026

There hasn’t been much coverage on this situation, but it was noted here that the slugger is suffering from a cold. Because there hasn’t been much else to report, it would seem like a return as soon as tomorrow could happen.