Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, August 19, 2026. In today’s edition, the Yankees and the Red Sox have a flurry of planning to do with respect to certain key pieces of the puzzle, such as Aaron Judge, Roman Anthony, and Max Fried. You can read about all of that and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.
MLB Injury Report
New York Yankees – Team Update
Max Fried still throwing, Aaron Judge starting hitting, and Bellinger starting a rehab assignment Thursday seems like a decent outcome for the Yankees given how things felt when the Fried news broke last night.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) August 18, 2026
It was a busy day for injuries in New York with a lot of updates. First, with Max Fried back on the Injured list, there was some concern that his absence would be an extended one. Knowing that he is still throwing supports other reports that it is believed that his absence would be minimal. It’s very hard to know whether or not this is the case, as it is the second injury to his throwing arm this year, but a bone bruise isn’t necessarily concerning long-term. His recovery is based on how quickly he can recover. As for Aaron Judge, he is hitting, and he’s been doing pool activities to help ease his body into the transition of being physically active again. Still no definitive word on when he will return. Finally, it’s fair to assume that Cody Bellinger will be back by this time next week, though the two-day delay from the original timeline does push things back a bit.
Boston Red Sox – Team Update
Massive update here from Jen MacAffrey. Let’s dig into them. First, Masataka Yoshida’s hamstring strain likely keeps him out for most of the regular season. And, depending on how significant this is, a return at some point in the playoffs feels advantageous as well. However, I’m not a doctor. As for Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten, both of them have no structural damage, which means that resting now is what they both need more. When they start a throwing program will depend on how their individual bodies can heal enough to allow for a progression back to begin. The biggest thing on the minds of the Red Sox is to get them back for the playoffs. If they cannot return, could Tanner Houck? It sounds like they plan on bringing him in for relief work, possibly as added insurance in case the aforementioned Whitlock and Slaten can’t return. Roman Anthony played last night, and a day of rest could be in the cards. That said, he did hit a home run and looked awesome in the process. Manager Chad Tracy did leave the window open for pretty much anything to happen after this start. I’d wait to see what the diagnosis is on his hand from the team before making decisions. Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa playing in their rehab games are all a part of the plan here for added depth, though we could see Story starting for them in the playoffs.
Edwin Diaz – RP Los Angeles Dodgers
Dave Roberts said they’ll know more about a timeline for Edwin DÃaz tomorrow — but the initial expectation is that he will return this year https://t.co/i4Fd4Levk6
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) August 18, 2026
Diaz heads back to the Injured List, this time with neck inflammation. With a follow-up examination happening soon, we will know more about his potential return. That said, it’s worth noting that returning “this year” may in fact count the playoffs too, which makes his fantasy production meaningless. For context, he was used in a blowout at Colorado the other night, so he may have been pulled from the closer’s role even before this injury. Either way, roster and use Tanner Scott.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B Toronto Blue Jays
Guerrero finished with some higher intensity running. Good indication that he's making swift progress through MLB's return to play protocol. https://t.co/ogrfuJV9BY
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) August 18, 2026
So far so good this week for Guerrero, who is quickly making his way through concussion protocol and could be back after this weekend. The high-intensity running is the biggest eye-opener, showing that he’s able to handle something that could make him dizzy. What’s more, watching a bit of the Blue Jays game last night, he seemed happy and in a great mood too.
Trey Yesavage – SP Toronto Blue Jays
Trey Yesavage resumed throwing from flat ground on Tuesday at the Blue Jays player development complex in Dunedin, Fla.
Yesavage had meniscus surgery on his left knee a week ago. He'll continue working to put himself in position to return to games late this season.
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) August 18, 2026
It’s hard to tell if and when Yesavage will return to the Jays. On the one hand, he had surgery on his knee just over a week ago, which, you would think, would require a lot of recovery time, especially for his left knee as a right-handed pitcher. On the other hand, he’s already throwing, and the team hasn’t ruled out a return this season. If he does pitch again, he may not have much time left in the season to provide any fantasy value, and if the Jays are out of contention, his outing(s) may be shortened.
Kevin Gausman – SP Chicago Cubs
Cubs starter Kevin Gausman comes out of the game with one out in the 5th. Gausman had a non -pitching hand ( glove hand) issue that started in the fourth inning.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) August 19, 2026
Of all the things that a pitcher could be pulled for, this feels like one of the least likely to be considered serious. Sure, in the moment it feels awful and makes it difficult to pitch through, but for long-standing injuries, it feels like he will be ready to pitch his next time through the order. It feels like the heartburn of pitcher injuries. It sucks in the moment, but you’ll be fine the next day.
San Francisco Giants – Team Update
Giants say Willy Adames (back) can do full baseball work, although he's not yet in the lineup. Marcelo Mayer will continue rehabbing with Sacramento for now. Jesus Rodriguez will start a rehab assignment later this week; Giants plan to have him play some infield when he's back.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) August 18, 2026
The biggest update here is for Willy Adames, who is seemingly ready to return, yet the Giants are hesitant to put him back into the lineup. It’s unclear why he didn’t play yesterday, but the team may just want to give him some more time off since he’s dealt with back issues all season long. As for Marcelo Mayer and Jesus Rodriguez, they both are part of the team’s long-range plans, so they’ll be careful of having a quick return.
Jo Adell – OF Cleveland Guardians
Stephen Vogt said the Guardians pulled Jo Adell in the eighth due to "pretty good pain" in his left knee after he fouled a pitch off himself in the first.
Adell homered 3 pitches later. They're going to evaluate him coming in tomorrow.
DeLauter wasn't available off the bench
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) August 19, 2026
It was quite the impressive home run, as perhaps he was doing that on adrenaline. Still, the foul off of his knee a few pitches prior looked like it hurt, as he was in considerable pain, fighting through to stay in the at-bat. We’ll see if he’s in the lineup today and if additional testing is required. Consider him day-to-day until we’re told otherwise.
Tyler Soderstrom – OF Athletics
Tyler Soderstrom will undergo season-ending hip surgery on Friday.
— MartÃn Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) August 18, 2026
This was almost to be expected, given the nature of the injury and the fact that the Athletics are one of baseball’s worst teams.
