MLB Injury Report – Cubs Lose Another Big Arm

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Friday, June 26, 2026. In today’s edition, the Cubs may have lost yet another pitcher for an extensive period of time in Ben Brown, the Pirates have lost another bat in Spencer Horwitz, but could regain another one in Konnor Griffin soon, and the Mets continue to find ways to struggle. 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

Ben Brown – SP Chicago Cubs

Cubs right-hander Ben Brown was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his neck, manager Craig Counsell says.

"It's a very similar injury to '24," Counsell says.

Brown will be limited in his activity for the next month, then the Cubs will decide/know more from there. pic.twitter.com/cYTACY83F0

— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) June 25, 2026

This is an absolutely heartbreaking piece of news, as the Cubs have lost yet another piece of their rotation for an extended period of time. The fact that it is a stress reaction makes it incredibly difficult to analyze and handle, since all “reactions” should be considered a pathway to a fracture. As such, players must be extra careful in not overdoing things, because anything out of the ordinary may cause further damage. In addition to this, it’s reminiscent of a neck injury he suffered two years ago, giving way to the possibility that something else might need to be done should rest not be enough. There is a legitimate chance that he will not play again in 2026, with something additional planned in the offseason. This has an ominous tone to it.

Bobby Witt Jr. – Kansas City Royals

Matt Quatraro said Bobby Witt Jr. felt better this morning than he expected after all of yesterday’s activity. Witt worked out again this morning. Q said if he feels tomorrow the way he does now, he’ll be back in the lineup in Chicago. “That’s my hope. Yes.”

— Joel Goldberg (@goldbergkc) June 25, 2026

It never felt like he was going to start or play yesterday, as the team was playing an early game before travelling to Chicago for a series with the White Sox beginning today. That being said, it’s hard to imagine him playing less than a week after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain. He has looked okay in pre-game warmups, running around the infield, though there hasn’t been much in the way of reports on sprinting. Shortstop is a very physically demanding position, and it feels like a trip to the Injured List is the safest bet. Whether or not the Royals take that path remains to be seen.

Mike Trout – OF Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout did some on-field exercises today. Kurt Suzuki on Trout: “He's progressing. We still don't know the timetable but I think the activity level is ramping up a little bit and I know he's starting to feel better so that's a good thing.”

— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) June 23, 2026

The good news here is that Trout is progressing and that he is taking part in some on-field exercises. We don’t know to what extent, but he has gone from being essentially shut down to being on the field. That being said, given his injury history and given that he is typically a slow healer, his initial optimism of this being a short stay on the Injured List is likely ill-sighted, as he does have a long way to go.

Pittsburgh Pirates – Team Update

IF Jack Brannigan has a locker in the Pirates clubhouse. He’s expected to be activated today, as 1B Spencer Horwitz (hamstring) will go on the 10-day IL.
Konnor Griffin also is at PNC Park but that was the plan for him to have a day off after rehab start at Double-A Altoona.

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 25, 2026

Spencer Horwitz is on the Injured List with a hamstring strain, though there is no firm timetable on when he is expected to be back. Lower body injuries are tough for players, but more so for pitchers than hitters. If it is a mild strain, he could be back just after the All-Star Break, but until we know more, nothing firm should be set in place. As for Konnor Griffin, he looked great in his first rehab game, and it’s unclear if he will be ready to rejoin the Pirates permanently, or if this visit was more of a checkup. Either way, it shouldn’t be long now before he’s officially reinstated.

Evan Carter – OF Texas Rangers

Evan Carter will start a rehab assignment tomorrow. He’s taking live batting practice at Globe Life Field today, per Skip Schumaker.

— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) June 25, 2026

This feels like an aggressive move for Carter, who has been on the Injured List since June 13 with an oblique strain. Those types of injuries tend to linger and are difficult to come back from in such a quick turnaround. Fantasy managers should be happy that he is ready for a rehab assignment, but also prepared for a setback.

Marcus Semien – 2B New York Mets

The Mets placed second baseman Marcus Semien on the 10-day injured list with a left hip flexor strain.

Ronny Mauricio is up with team.

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) June 25, 2026

Semien has apparently been dealing with this for a few weeks, and it’s quite evident in the numbers. He’s batting .179 in June with just fourteen hits over 85 plate appearances. He will be 36 years old later this season, making him a player who may be on the last end of his career here. Since his All-Star season in 2023, the fourteen-year veteran has hit just .230 over the past two and a half seasons combined

Trent Grisham – OF New York Yankees

The plan is for Trent Grisham to go through full baseball activities with the #Yankees in Boston over the next few days. That will include a few turns running the bases, and he took BP on the field today.

“He’s getting close,” Aaron Boone said, but Grisham will “probably” go on…

— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) June 25, 2026

Grisham is showing steady improvement, as he will go through full baseball activities this weekend. That’s a good sign that both he and the team feel ready to take a big step forward. Should that work, a rehab assignment is next, with a possible return shortly after that. This is surprising, given that he suffered a moderate hamstring strain, and as such, those tend to last longer than those of the mild variety. The injury happened just over a week ago, and now here we are, escalating his workload. Interesting development here.

Jacob Wilson – SS Sacramento Athletics

Kotsay did not have much of an update on Jacob Wilson other than that he's still day to day. Was undergoing further evaluations on his left shoulder before the game.

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) June 25, 2026

Wilson left Wednesday’s game after an awkward play at home on a play while trying to avoid a tag. The bad news is that he had shoulder problems earlier in the year as well, so if he were to make it to the Injured List, this could make for an absence that is longer than the minimum. There wasn’t much more to update here other than speculation.