MLB Injury Report – Acuna Manana? Don’t Count On It

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, July 1, 2026. In today’s edition, the Braves poured cold water on any early-return speculation for Ronald Acuna Jr., the Astros may not want to pour water on any early-return speculation for Jeremy Pena, and the Blue Jays may need to give Vladimir Guerrero Jr. some time to heal an obviously unwell back. You can read about this and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

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MLB Injury Report

Ronald Acuna Jr. – OF Atlanta Braves

#Braves have Ronald Acuña Jr. on a running progression but remain cautious with his return from IL. Walt Weiss said it could be a long shot to see him before the All-Star break.

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) June 30, 2026

There was some hope that Acuna could be back sooner than expected after seeing the All-Star have a full pregame workout yesterday. However, manager Walt Weiss put to bed any rumors of him returning anytime soon, reiterating that he likely won’t return before the All-Star Break. Fantasy managers should be patient with an understanding that these sorts of injuries take time to recover.

Jeremy Pena – SS Houston Astros

Jeremy Peña said he had been playing through left calf pain for “a week, week and a half” and it gradually got worse. Peña reiterated what Joe Espada said last night: they expect this to be a short stint.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 30, 2026

Pena has been injured multiple times this season now, and with this current one being a lingering issue, it might be time to reconsider how we view the young shortstop. While the Astros do expect this to be a short stint, it feels like it will be longer than the ten-day minimum, given the fact that he has been playing through this for quite some time.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B Toronto Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been removed from the starting lineup with back tightness per club.

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) June 30, 2026

This is the second time he has missed a game because of back tightness, and this, alongside other injuries this year, may have taken a toll on the former All-Star, who may be playing through a slew of things. Could that explain his poor season at the plate? Possibly, but he seems like someone who will push through and choose not to miss extended time on the Injured List. Whether that’s good for his numbers and for the team remains to be seen.

Brent Rooker – OF Sacramento Athletics

Brent Rooker is away from the A’s today being reevaluated at Stanford for his knee injury. Kotsay: “I wouldn’t say that his progress has stopped. … it hasn’t progressed as efficient as we’d like. So he’s down there going through another exam.”

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) June 30, 2026

Speaking of players not looking right all year, Rooker needs to be reevaluated as his recovery isn’t happening as planned. That seems to indicate a more serious problem that could be revealed in the coming days. Definitely not the news you want to read if you roster him, knowing that rest and a running/hitting progression resulted in this.

Matt Chapman – 3B San Francisco Giants

It’s an abdominal muscle strain for Chapman. He’ll get an MRI tomorrow but he said it’s been an issue for a month or more but manageable. Finally sort of really hit today on that barehanded play. Vitello says a move of some sort likely tomorrow with Koss returning.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 1, 2026

The frustrating part is that Chapman has been playing through this injury for quite some time. That being said, given his struggles in May, it’s fair to wonder if those issues were prevalent back then as well. Both he and teammate Willy Adames are now injured, and, from the sounds of it, some sort of move is going to be in place here. Stay tuned.

Cincinnati Reds – Team Update

Francona said there’s no timeline for Myers, but good news overall considering how it looked.

Matt McLain worked out today in center field with Cowgill.

Singer starts Friday, Greene returns to the rotation Saturday.

Ashcraft got good news on a check in today and is on track…

— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) June 30, 2026

A lot of information to digest here. First, Dane Myers was carted off the field on Monday after colliding with the outfield wall. All things considered, this is the best news that could have come of it, as it looked much worse than what transpired here. There is no timetable for a return, but it appears it will be sooner than originally expected. The mention of Matt McMalin here is interesting and will only enhance his fantasy appeal. As for Graham Ashcraft, he spent the last five weeks shut down from throwing, and his return to doing so is good news. That said, while there is a chance he pitches again this season, the question of when remains key. Finally, with Hunter Greene: be prepared!

Byron Buxton – OF Minnesota Twins

MRI showed Byron Buxton has right hip impingement. Derek Shelton said he is day to day. #MNTwins

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) June 30, 2026

Buxton has now missed two straight games with this injury, and there is no timetable for a return. It’s probably a 50/50 chance that he misses more time on the Injured List. That being said, there is still time for him to get better before a decision really needs to be made.

Corey Seager – SS Texas Rangers

Corey Seager left the Ranger's game today due to back discomfort. He was pinch-hit for the first inning before taking the field.

— Henry Palattella (@HellaPalattella) June 30, 2026

Seager didn’t make it to his first at-bat before being pinch-hit for early on. This has been an ongoing issue for him all season long, and the next chapter may have just been written. Stay tuned.

Brandon Nimmo – OF Texas Rangers

Brandon Nimmo has a sprained A/C Joint in left shoulder. No determination on IL, will have further testing tomorrow

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) June 30, 2026

There was no word on yesterday’s testing, but his absence in the lineup shouldn’t have been a surprise. The hope is that the Rangers are waiting until after the fifth day missed to make a decision to see if they believe he can return then.

Connelly Early – SP Boston Red Sox

Connelly Early on his elbow:

“I am personally not too concerned, as of right now. But we’ll see tomorrow with the imaging.”

(🎥 @NESN) pic.twitter.com/Sw3NiKnPKK

— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) July 1, 2026

Early pitched well last night, but his start was unfortunately cut short after this pitch. Discomfort isn’t the end of the world, but it’s also not ideal as well. The planned imaging should help give clarity to what’s happening here with the young pitcher, and their next move will be put into focus. Stay tuned.

New York Yankees – Team Update

Ryan McMahon, who plans to play in a rehab game tomorrow and be back Friday, on Max Fried's live BP today:

"He looked really good. All over the zone. Threw every pitch. Landed the curveball and sweeper for strikes to me, and the sinkers were nasty.

"I've faced him a couple… https://t.co/wk4aN3d9rf

— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) June 30, 2026

Good news here, as both Ryan McMahon and Max Fried took their respective steps forward yesterday, helping each other out in the process. With McMahon returning soon enough, it’s fair to wonder what the Yankees lineup will look like when he’s back. The team has struggled offensively as of late, but it’s not like McMahon was lighting the scoreboard up either. As for Fried, it would appear that everything went well both physically and mechanically. He still has a long way to go, though.

Milwaukee Brewers – Team Update

Brewers injury updates:

– Coleman Crow will throw a live session in Nashville today.

– Logan Henderson's next rehab start will be on Friday.

– DL Hall is throwing out to 60-75 feet.

– Rob Zastryzny will throw a live session today.

— Jack Stern (@ByJackStern) June 30, 2026

The biggest news here is that Logan Henderson will make another rehab start, indicating that he feels better after his first outing, which was quite effective and long in length (50 pitches). There’s still a good chance that we could see him back before the All-Star Break, though a lot needs to go right. As for the other pieces of news, DL Hall is out for a long period of time, but his long toss is a good initial step.