MLB Injury Report – Fools Rush In

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, April 1, 2026. In today’s edition, the Diamondbacks get some good news all around regarding their slew of injured players, the Orioles get some bad news regarding a key piece to their rotation, and the Yankees get some mixed news on two pieces they are relying on for midseason success. Read about all of this and so much more in today’s MLB Injury Report from Fantrax.

MLB Injury Report

Arizona Diamondbacks – Team Update

Updates from Torey Lovullo:
– Merrill Kelly threw a bullpen today, to start in Triple-A Friday
– Adrian Del Castillo catching for Reno today, will DH tomorrow
– Corbin Burnes threw a 20-pitch bullpen today
– Lourdes Gurriel Jr. playing in sim games. Late April for earliest return

— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) March 31, 2026

Big day of updates for the Diamondbacks. First, Merrill Kelly’s biggest test will come on Friday when he begins his minor league rehab assignment. While he likely won’t be ready after just one start, the length of his stay there will depend on how quickly he gets ready to start the season. Just a reminder: he didn’t have a Spring Training, so he will need some time. As for Corbin Burnes, he continues to show progress, throwing more and more bullpen sessions. His next step will be facing live batters, but that hasn’t been scheduled yet. Finally, Lourdes Gurriel continues to defy the odds.

Carlos Rodon – SP New York Yankees

Carlos Rodón experienced right hamstring tightness while going through his throwing program today, Aaron Boone said. “We’ll see what we have there.”

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 31, 2026

While the team doesn’t believe this is a serious injury, it is something that will slow him down and delay his 2026 debut. Hamstring injuries are difficult for pitchers to manage, as they can limit progress due to the risk of worsening the injury. As such, any progress he has made with his arm may be delayed even further. If he cannot return to pitching soon, we could be looking at a May return.

Anthony Volpe – SS New York Yankees

Aaron Boone tells us that Anthony Volpe will start live BP tomorrow and should begin a rehab assignment in two weeks pic.twitter.com/uoYXYCsNIk

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 31, 2026

This is a big day for Volpe, who will take live BP in some form or another. If all goes well, another session or two will likely follow before a rehab assignment is considered. He has yet to participate in defensive drills or diving work, and it’s unclear whether that has happened yet.

Zack Wheeler – SP Philadelphia Phillies

Zack Wheeler is currently throwing a bullpen at CBP pic.twitter.com/UHRC4HlDyI

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) March 31, 2026

Wheeler threw another bullpen session as he continues to build toward his next start later this week. Each outing is an important step in ensuring he is fully ready to handle a normal workload heading into his 2026 debut. The Phillies have been cautious with his progression, but all signs point to him trending in the right direction. With the way Taijuan Walker has been throwing, Wheeler’s return to the rotation can’t come soon enough for the Phillies or their fans. His presence at the top of the staff will be critical if the team hopes to stabilize its pitching and make an early-season push.

Cody Ponce – SP Toronto Blue Jays

Cody Ponce has a right ACL sprain (knee).

Team is waiting on a second opinion on the MRI but Schneider said “ he’ll miss significant time.”

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) March 31, 2026

This would help explain the awkward landing that Ponce made while running to retrieve a ground ball on the play where he got injured. The good news is that he did not tear his ACL, so it’s not the worst-case scenario. Still, the team is already planning for significant time away. The bad news lies here with the Blue Jays, as they are already thin with options in the rotation. They are already relying on Max Scherzer to be their SP4, and now, with Ponce gone, there’s a real hole given the injuries that they have.

Seiya Suzuki – OF Chicago Cubs

Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (knee) will begin a rehab assignment during the club’s upcoming road trip. The length of Suzuki’s minor-league stay is still to be determined (at either Double-A Knoxville or Triple-A Iowa). Cubs manager Craig Counsell: “We’re in a really good space.”

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) March 31, 2026

From the sounds of it, Suzuki has had a really strong week of healing and strengthening. The hope is that once he gets back on the field for this rehab assignment, the team hasn’t rushed things and caused further damage. That said, they’re the doctors, not me, so let’s just watch and hope for the best.

Zach Eflin – SP Baltimore Orioles

MRI for Eflin tomorrow. Going on IL. Bullpen move coming #orioles

— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) April 1, 2026

Eflin was forced to leave last night’s game early after throwing a pitch and injuring himself. The issue appears to be with his elbow, as he exited with discomfort. For now, consider this somewhat minor and precautionary, but there is a chance this could be a significant development. We should know more later today, but the fact that the team already expects a move to the injured list isn’t ideal.

Chase De Lauter – OF Cleveland Guardians

Chase DeLauter left game with left-foot contusion. X-rays were negative.

— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) April 1, 2026

DeLauter took a foul ball off his foot and was in considerable pain. After the game, it was revealed that he underwent X-rays to assess the damage, and the good news is that they came back negative. Regardless, he may still miss some time in the short term, depending on how he feels. The Guardians play an earlier game today, which means less time to recover, though the team has said he was scheduled to have the day off regardless.