MLB Injury Report – Good News on Ohtani

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, August 26, 2026. In today’s edition, the Red Sox are on the verge of welcoming Roman Anthony back to the lineup, the Dodgers are on the verge of welcoming Shohei Ohtani to the mound, and the Marlins may be without their closer Pete Fairbanks for the rest of the season. You can read about this and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

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MLB Injury Report

Roman Anthony – OF Boston Red Sox

In Worcester, Roman Anthony says he “has no flight booked” to return to the Red Sox but feels close to ready and thinks Friday in NY is in play.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) August 25, 2026

Anthony won’t be back just yet, but it would appear that he’s getting close. Before last night’s home run, he had just one base hit since his first rehab game, so perhaps the team wants him to get his timing back before he returns to the Boston lineup. That said, the overall good news is that he’s healthy and just about ready. This is great for anyone who has waited.

Adley Rutschman – C Boston Red Sox

Chad Tracy on Adley Rutshman:
"Adley's got a little irritation. Took a really aggressive swing … He kind of hyperextended his elbow. Nothing to be alarmed about. Just felt like I don’t want to make that worse.
Tracy added, “Nothing I’m concerned about more just a little… https://t.co/UhKjsMNVyC

— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) August 25, 2026

The Red Sox don’t seem overly concerned here, so for now, let’s consider him day-to-day until we hear otherwise. That being said, he is developing a bit of an injury-prone reputation here, and as such, the possibility of him missing at least ten days on the Injured List has to be in play. Keep this in the back of your mind when rostering him.

Pete Fairbanks – RP Miami Marlins

As expected. Pete is headed to Pensacola to be seen by a specialist, hoping to expedite his return. https://t.co/4k4JpbRspG

— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) August 25, 2026

Fairbanks left Monday night’s game early with a nerve issue, and this is similar to what has hampered him in other years as well. He suffers from Raynaud’s Syndrome, which causes a lack of blood flow to the hand. It’s unclear if this is what is causing his nerve irritation, but it’s eerily similar. There is a chance he doesn’t pitch again this season, leaving the Marlins with Michael Peterson or Calvin Faucher.

Aaron Judge – OF New York Yankees

Aaron Judge is expected to hit in the cages today, Aaron Boone said. He has been doing tee-and-toss, so Boone said he expects Judge to advance to overhand BP.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) August 25, 2026

Yet another step forward in his progression, Judge has now evolved into hitting from the batting cages. We will see in the coming days how he feels and if he can continue along this path. A reminder that his health remains a priority for the playoffs, so playing in the regular season isn’t necessarily close to being guaranteed.

Max Fried – SP New York Yankees

Max Fried threw four innings of live BP yesterday. He could be in play for Saturday’s doubleheader against the #RedSox, Aaron Boone said. #Yankees

— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) August 25, 2026

Fried’s injury seemed to be serious at the time, but after a while, the team became confident that he would be back either at or shortly after the fifteen-day period of an Injured List stay, and even now, it would appear that the team feels confident in him returning healthy this weekend. Keep an eye on how he progresses throughout the week and for what Aaron Boone says about him.

Byron Buxton – OF Minnesota Twins

Byron Buxton is leaving the game with what looks like more problems with his right hip.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) August 26, 2026

Buxton started running after a ground ball in the outfield, and after reaching down to grab it, he immediately began wincing and couldn’t put much pressure on his lower body. A team trainer helped him off the field, and he missed the rest of the game. He has had trouble with his hip all season, and if this is the same issue, it could be a season-ending injury. If he does miss some time, it could be the moment when phenom prospect Walker Jenkins makes his Major League debut.

Shane Bieber – SP Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays are placing Shane Bieber on 15-day IL with right teres major inflammation. It’s retroactive to August 21

Chad Dallas recalled from triple-A Buffalo to take his place

— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) August 25, 2026

This is an unfortunate development. Bieber had been pitching quite well, as five of his last seven outings had been solid, where he had given up one or fewer runs. Now, with this setback, he will be shut down for two weeks before attempting to throw again. The team obviously believes that he will be pitching again in 2026, as they retroactively designated this injury back a few days. Still, the clock is ticking.

Shohei Ohtani – SP/UT Los Angeles Dodgers

Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani will either throw a bullpen or live BP session tomorrow

After that, the hope is that he’ll be ready to return to game action as a pitcher

Sunday in Detroit is a possibility, depending on how Ohtani feels

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) August 25, 2026

From the sound of it, Ohtani’s return to the mound is getting closer by the day, and he could be back this weekend. A reminder that he will not have a workload similar to that from before, but instead will be on a pitch count. In fact, he will likely be on a reliever’s pitch count, as the team wants to ease him back into action on the mound.

Will Smith – C Los Angeles Dodgers

“The outlook is, he will be active on September 1st.” ⚾️@THEREAL_DV spoke with Dave Roberts for the latest update on Will Smith in this edition of the Manager’s Meeting.

(@DowneyHyundai) pic.twitter.com/z2luoeo7Bz

— AM 570 LA Sports (@AM570LASports) August 25, 2026

Huge news here, and it all depends on how well Smith does on his rehab assignment. Last night it began with a bang, as he went 1-for-3 with a home run, and he caught a base runner trying to steal. So far, so good, but let’s see how he feels a day after embarking on this game.