MLB Injury Report – Carroll Ready for Opening Day?

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Tuesday, March 3, 2026. In today’s edition, Blake Snell reveals a troubling past with lessons learned, Corbin Carroll continues to impress with his daily regimen, and Royce Lewis makes a shocking proclamation about his plans for the 2026 season. Read about all of this and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

Fantasy Baseball Injury Report

Blake Snell – SP Los Angeles Dodgers

This was an eye-opening piece by Jack Harris, which outlined Blake Snell’s rapid progression and subsequent regression last year. Snell said he was trying to pitch through a shoulder injury, and he knew that he should have just rested instead of pitching in the playoffs. In one game during the World Series, he got hit around so much by the Blue Jays that it’s a wonder that they didn’t end up losing that series. Now, with (hopeful) lessons learned and a World Series title in his back pocket, it would appear that he and the Dodgers will play things slowly, resulting in Snell not debuting until possibly the spring. It wouldn’t be surprising if we didn’t see him until around the All-Star Break, given how zoned in and laser-focused the team is to play in October, and how loaded their roster is. They may not need him for some time.

Francisco Lindor – SS New York Mets

Of the three players with fractured hamate bones, it always felt like Lindor was in some sort of purgatory. While Corbin Carroll seems destined to return with as little time missed as possible, and with Jackson Holliday slated to start the season on the Injured List, Lindor has had the most mixed news out of anyone. There are some worries, as he is the oldest of anyone listed here, and the team has been relatively quiet regarding his progress. The Mets are also incredibly deep, and they can afford to have their star miss some time if needed, given their infield depth already. If one were to make a guess here, it would be that he would miss a bit of time, but not enough to warrant a trip to the Injured List.

Tampa Bay Rays – Team Update

Some injury updates from Mark Topkin’s recent article:

– Gavin Lux is doing increased physical activity and is at minimum a week away from playing in games. Kevin Cash said that timeframe doesn’t prevent Lux from being on the opening day roster.

– Edwin Uceta, who has been…

— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) March 2, 2026

The original article can be found here, though it does cost money to read. As for its contents, first, it sounds like both Gavin Lux and Edwin Uceta are on the right path back to health. With respect to Lux, it sounds like he’ll be ready by Opening Day, if not soon after. It is concerning that he is sore after just having started warming up at Spring Training, but for now, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. He plans on being the team’s everyday second baseman. As for Uceta, the team likely slow-plays his return, as they do like him a lot, and because they have Griffin Jax to close out games for them already. In fact, Jax is so good that it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take the job and run with it from day one.

Dylan Crews – OF Washington Nationals

X-rays on Dylan Crews' left thumb were negative and he is day-to-day. The Nationals outfielder suffered a left thumb contusion after getting hit by a pitch during live batting practice on Saturday and was scratched from Sunday's lineup.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) March 2, 2026

If anyone needs to be 100% healthy for a bounce-back season in 2026, it’s Dylan Crews. Good news here, in that there was no underlying damage done to the thumb. The hope is that within a few days, it will be back to full health, and he can focus on his redemption tour.

Royce Lewis – 3B Minnesota Twins

"I want to see myself have 700 plate appearances, make great defensive plays, and be reliable over there for our pitching staff."

Royce Lewis shares his goals for 2026 and more with @CY24_7 at @Twins camp.

📺 30 Clubs, 30 Camps pic.twitter.com/dglBCDoNoA

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 2, 2026

Interesting interview here by Lewis, as he discusses how he will be more open with any discomfort that arises. Perhaps, and this is speculation, this is what has happened in the past, which led to his long-standing injury woes. No doubt that this is the most positive that he has been in a while, and it’s his first real healthy offseason where he was able to focus on changing his game as opposed to maintaining his health. It feels like 700  plate appearances is a lofty goal, considering 403 is his career-high total. That being said, there’s a world where he eclipses 550. Could he be this year’s Byron Buxton?

Corbin Carroll – OF Arizona Diamondbacks

Corbin Carroll is the guy who was working on his hard tossing the day after he had surgery. He was also seen taking one-handed swings in the cages about a week ago. Now, with two hands on the bat and him taking fly balls in the outfield, the chances of him being ready for Opening Day continue to rise. There’s always some worry that he reaggravates the injured area, or that his power decreases to start, but it’s looking more and more like he will be ready soon.

For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.