MLB Injury Report – Ohtani Pitching Return Delayed?

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Monday, August 31, 2026. In today’s edition, Aaron Judge will travel with the Yankees this week, Shohei Ohtani will pause his plans for pitching for the time being, and the Pirates could welcome back Konnor Griffin sooner than expected. 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 will travel with the team to the West Coast. Aaron Boone said Judge will begin participating in more pregame activities, including facing velocity.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) August 30, 2026

This should be considered a step forward, as traveling with the team usually signifies that the team doctors and trainers at their facilities deem him okay to be away from them. That being said, it’s no guarantee that he gets activated anytime soon, as he still has a lot more boxes to check off before returning. Still, with reports that he may not need a rehab assignment, he might be closer than we thought.

George Lombard Jr. – SS New York Yankees

George Lombard Jr said MRI showed knee is structurally fine… just a little inflammation by patella #yankees

— Meredith Marakovits (@M_Marakovits) August 30, 2026

Such a huge relief for the Yankees here, as it was a non-contact injury that occurred with some awkward positioning on a swing. Those usually tend to produce morbid results, so this being a day-to-day issue is good news. Still, it’s hard to know when he’ll be back, and there’s also the possibility of a trip to the Injured List. For now, though, let’s assume that he will return.

Xavier Edwards – 2B Miami Marlins

Speaking postgame, Xavier Edwards describes his injury as a "jammed" thumb.

Still going for imaging tomorrow to determine if it's anything more serious than that.

— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) August 30, 2026

Let’s hope that this is one of those cases where it looked a lot worse than it actually was. Edwards looked to be in significant pain after this, and as a result, he will get some imaging done today. There’s a good chance that he needs time on the Injured List.

Shohei Ohtani – SP/UT Los Angeles Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani will not make his return to the mound on Sunday as was previously anticipated, manager Dave Roberts confirmed.

Ohtani will not pitch Tuesday either and the Dodgers don't have a target date on when he will make his pitching return.

For more: https://t.co/TPE4m1TwbE pic.twitter.com/sbVyEjuHeF

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 29, 2026

Ohtani did not pitch yesterday and won’t pitch tomorrow, as his body isn’t 100% healthy. The team has decided that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze for him to try and pitch an inning or two now and risk further injury. The team’s biggest goal is the postseason, and in the long run, a fully healthy Ohtani outweighs him possibly pitching an inning here or there. The expectation is that he will pitch in a game sooner rather than later, but for now, he is staying off the mound. Also, with their depth at the position, they don’t necessarily need him.

Will Smith – C Los Angeles Dodgers

After spending this past week on rehab with Triple-A OKC, Will Smith is expected to rejoin the Dodgers on Tuesday, Dave Roberts said.
Sounds like Justin Wrobleski, who pitched for OKC last night, is also close to returning to LA (in a relief role).

— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) August 30, 2026

Be prepared! Be prepared! Twice the news, so twice the warning!

Elly De La Cruz – SS Cincinnati Reds

Tito said there’s a chance Elly plays tomorrow. Don’t think the quad is very bad.

— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) August 31, 2026

Elly De La Cruz left Sunday night’s game early with tightness in his left quad. The team deemed it precautionary, and afterward we found out that there’s a chance that he will play today. Even if he doesn’t, chances are he won’t be placed on the Injured List, as this doesn’t sound overly serious. That being said, just a reminder that this is the same quad that he injured and played through last season as well. Also, the Reds have very little to play for in 2026, so he could get shut down at some point over the next 30 days if things don’t improve.

Willson Contreras – 1B Boston Red Sox

Chad Tracy on Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras leaving the game in the seventh inning: "The hamstring was a little tight. Just felt like at that point of the game, I don't want to push it. So we got him out of there."

— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) August 30, 2026

Contreras felt his hamstring get tight, and both he and the team decided to play it conservatively and not push things. Perhaps some of that was score-related, but the man with an extensive injury history has a hamstring issue. This could very well keep him out of the lineup for a day or ten days, or possibly even more. It’s hard to judge now, but keep an eye on reports before lineups lock. Don’t necessarily look at whether he plays or not, but rather listen to what the team says about him. If the comments lean toward him sitting for a few days or with the team running tests, go with Plan B this week.

Byron Buxton – OF Minnesota Twins

Twins placed Byron Buxton on the injured list with the same right hip impingement he's dealt with for much of the season.

GM Jeremy Zoll said earlier this week that Buxton could need offseason surgery.

Gabriel Gonzalez called up from Triple-A St. Paul to fill the roster spot.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) August 30, 2026

There really isn’t much else to add to this, other than we may have seen the last of Byron Buxton in 2026. If surgery is as imminent as it sounds, there’s no point in him risking further damage with a return.

JJ Wetherholt – SS St. Louis Cardinals

JJ Wetherholt said he’s had some pain in his wrist for the last month or so that the doctors have chalked up to frequent usage, most he’s ever played in a year. They attempted rest and recovery but the pain has intensified the last few days.

— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) August 30, 2026

Wetherholt is a big part of the team’s future, and with the Cardinals not having much left to play for, the decision was made here to shut him down. He may return this year, but it’s also quite possible that the grind of a long season is getting to him, given how his offensive production has tapered down lately.

Emerson Hancock – SP Seattle Mariners

News: Emerson Hancock is heading to the 15-day IL with a left adductor strain (retroactive to yesterday).

In a corresponding move, Nick Davila will be added from their taxi squad to their bullpen.

It appears that Bryce Miller could now be an option for Wednesday in Boston.

— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) August 30, 2026

The Mariners will be without Hancock for the foreseeable future, as he felt something while pitching on the weekend. We’re at the point of the season where any injury could be seen as season-ending. What makes this worse is the fact that Seattle may be forced to hand the ball back to Bryce Miller, who hasn’t been himself this year and is possibly playing through multiple injuries. The season can’t end soon enough for the Mariners.

Pete Alonso – 1B Baltimore Orioles

Orioles’ Craig Albernaz with a positive update on Pete Alonso after he was hit in the helmet today:

“Jackie [Holliday] was already ready to run, and Pete was fine, came out fine. He was typical Pete in the dugout, so he'll be fine.”

— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) August 30, 2026

Alonso took a 95 miles per hour fastball off the head and was listed as out of the game as a result. The good news here coincides with the fact that Alonso himself was able to stand up and make his way to first base without any real issues to those watching. Let’s hope that a day later he is fine and continues providing the fantasy goodness he has all year.

Pittsburgh Pirates – Team Update

Ben Cherington radio show injury updates:
– no decision yet on whether Konnor Griffin will play at Altoona or Indianapolis next week after his game in Altoona today.
– Ryan O'Hearn is on pace to begin an rehab assignment in the next 10 days. Mid-September return is the goal.

— Colin Beazley (@colin_beazley) August 30, 2026

Good news here for both players, as Konnor Griffin and Ryan O’Hearn continue to progress in the right direction. For Griffin, just the fact that the team hasn’t decided if he will continue his rehab assignment is a good sign that he is getting healthier and much closer to being ready. He went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts in yesterday’s game. It’s unclear if that’s enough to warrant a return. As for O’Hearn, he continues to be on the path to returning on the quicker end of his original timeline.