MLB Injury Report – The Roman Empire is Coming

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Friday, August 28, 2026. In today’s edition, we learned more about the plans for Aaron Judge’s return, that the Red Sox may be bringing back Roman Anthony as soon as possible, and that the Rangers may be altering their rotation plans, as both Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter aren’t where the team thought they’d be at this point in their recovery process. 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

Aaron Judge – OF New York Yankees

Aaron Judge said he hopes to return without a Minor League rehab stint.

“I didn't rehab in ‘23 when I missed probably the same amount of time. Why waste at-bats? Why waste anything down in a Minor League game? I've been doing this for a while now, and I’ve got a sense of what I…

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) August 27, 2026

From the sound of it, Judge will return sooner than expected, though it’s unclear exactly when. He recently hit in the batting cages, and we haven’t heard any news of recurring or additional symptoms. As such, it’s fair to believe he is improving physically. Later within the thread of responses to this original post by Bryan, he answered a question of whether Judge plans to play in the field with “yes”, so he will need to be sure that he is in the best shape possible. For context, back in 2023, over the final 57 games played, Judge hit .245 with 18 home runs. Fantasy baseball managers would love the 20-game equivalent of that to recoup what’s been lost for all of this time away.

Boston Red Sox – Team Update

Roman Anthony just said he (and Trevor Story) decided they wanted to get more at-bats here in Triple-A Worcester today as opposed to wasting a day traveling to New York.

Joining the Red Sox in the Bronx tomorrow is still on the table — and is a decision the club will make after…

— Tommy Cassell (@TommyCassell_) August 27, 2026

Both Roman Anthony and Trevor Story are expected back soon, possibly even today. However, they both opted to play another game in their respective rehabs instead of using Thursday as a travel day. For what it’s worth, Anthony had another multi-hit effort last night and looks all but ready to return.

Nathan Eovaldi – SP Texas Rangers

For anyone relying on Eovaldi returning this season, not so fast. Out since August 10 with elbow inflammation, the 36-year-old has yet to start throwing, but he is at least playing catch. Had he been shut down completely, that would have been a different story altogether, but he is at least able to throw and catch a ball, which is the first step on a pitcher’s road to recovery. The bottom half of this note is standard stuff, talking up the player. Given his extensive injury history, it’s fair to assume that he won’t pitch again this year. With four weeks left in the season, he will need to start throwing from a mound soon, as a rehab assignment is likely in the works too.

Jack Leiter – SP Texas Rangers

This is an interesting development. As a reliever, he worked one inning of relief, tossing 25 pitches in total and giving up three runs. It wasn’t stellar by any means, but chances are it won’t deter the Rangers from sticking with this plan. It can be difficult for pitchers to change their role, as a lot goes into how they prepare for things mentally and physically. As such, giving up on this after one inning of work isn’t the greatest long-term planning. The important point is that Leiter was able to throw 25 pitches and is willing to help out the team in whichever way he can. We shall see when and how he is used in his next rehab appearance.

Hunter Dobbins – SP St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals RHP Hunter Dobbins has an appointment on Tuesday for an outside opinion on the nature of his injury. He was listed with a forearm issue when he landed on the IL.

— Brenden Schaeffer🎳 (@bschaeffer12) August 27, 2026

Dobbins getting himself a second opinion could mean that the first one was inconclusive or something that he didn’t agree with. It will be interesting to see what the diagnosis is, but either way he is likely sidelined for the rest of the season. What’s worse is that if something major needs to be done, this only extends the time away and the recovery process. With a rather large injury history over a short period of time, this is concerning.

Willy Adames – SS San Francisco Giants

Willy Adames got a second opinion on his left elbow, the plan is to rest and rehab and get a PRP injection. He’s expected to miss 3-4 weeks, which is basically the rest of the season.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) August 27, 2026

Adames’ second opinion won’t warrant surgery, but it would appear that his season is all but over. Getting an injection requires rest to allow the liquid to do its thing. As such, with only four weeks remaining in the season, he will probably not play again. He has battled back issues and now this injured elbow. He is someone to remember late in drafts next year as a possible sleeper, especially if he can come back healthy. That said, his status is one to keep an eye on to see whether or not offseason surgery on either ailing body part is needed.

Jeremy Pena – SS Houston Astros

Postgame X-rays on Jeremy Peña's left hand were negative, he said. Peña got hit on the knuckle of both his pinkie and ring finger with a 96 mph fastball from Gerrit Cole.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 28, 2026

Pena got hit in the hand by a pitch, but remained in the game. Afterward, he had X-rays to determine if any damage was done, and it would appear that anything major, such as a fracture, can be crossed off the list. In fact, he also hit a home run later in the contest, so perhaps that can be an indication of whether he will require a trip to the Injured List. Still, the next day is key, and knowing how he felt after having slept on it will determine the next steps, if any. Consider him day-to-day for now until we’re told otherwise.

Roki Sasaki – SP Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers recalled RHP Seth Halvorsen and placed RHP Roki Sasaki on the injured list with a blister on his right middle finger.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 27, 2026

This may end Sasaki’s season, as blisters can sometimes linger, requiring extensive work on pitch grips and/or rehab assignments. There’s no telling right now if this is the case, but it’s obviously severe enough to require time away. The Dodgers are so loaded with talent, though, that this doesn’t even faze them.