Here is the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Friday, April 26, 2024. In today’s edition, Framber Valdez is healthy just in time to pitch in Mexico, Zack Gelof and J.P. Crawford will both miss some time with oblique injuries, and the Red Sox have updates on some key pieces. All that and more, in today’s Injury Report from Fantrax.
Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Friday, April 26, 2024.
Framber Valdez – SP Houston Astros (elbow)
Framber Valdez will come off the injured list and start Sunday against the Rockies in Mexico City, Joe Espada said.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 25, 2024
Be prepared…..though it is recommended that he remain on the bench due to the game being played in Mexico City, which makes Coors Field look like Kauffman Stadium.
Zack Gelof – 2B Oakland Athletics (oblique)
Both Gelof and the team are optimistic that he can return in short order. That said, oblique injuries are tricky in that they don’t always heal as quickly as they would appear to. An estimate here would be at least one month of games missed, and that might be on the low side of things since six weeks is a common barometer. That said, anything is possible.
Jake Fraley – OF Cincinnati Reds (illness)
After missing a few days with an illness, Jonathan India was back in the Reds clubhouse and did some hitting. He is not in the lineup but available off the bench. Bell said Fraley is better but not ready to return.
— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) April 24, 2024
It’s good to see that Jonathan India returned to the lineup. The hope is that Fraley will do the same soon enough.
Bowden Francis – SP Toronto Blue Jays (forearm tendinitis)
ROSTER MOVES:
🔹 RHP Bowden Francis (Right Forearm Extensor Tendinitis) placed on 15-day IL
🔹 LHP Brendon Little recalled from Triple-A and will be active for today’s game pic.twitter.com/3tRgDydThF
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 25, 2024
Francis has lowered his pitch count since his opening week barrage where he threw a combined 156 pitches over 8.1 total innings. He has since thrown 93 pitches over 6.1 innings, but is now facing what could be a lengthy absence. Stay tuned.
Alek Manoah – SP Toronto Blue Jays (shoulder)
Alek Manoah at AAA Wednesday: 3 IP, 7H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 HR, 5Ks, 88p
John Schneider: “Not ideal. A lot of pitches. I know it’s cold, but it wasn’t the next step forward that we were hoping for.”
Next up, most likely another AAA start, timing TBD.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) April 25, 2024
Manoah has been porously inconsistent over his four rehab outings and doesn’t appear to be ready for a promotion anytime soon. Over 13.2 innings pitched, he has surrendered eighteen runs on twenty-six hits, with nine walks and sixteen strikeouts. That’s not good.
Jackson Merrill – OF San Diego Padres (groin)
“I’m fine. I’m all good. I’ll be in there tomorrow.”
Jackson Merrill does not expect groin tightness to sideline him for long.https://t.co/epWl9uulBc
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) April 26, 2024
There was some worry yesterday when Merrill was scratched with a groin issue, but it would appear that he is ready to go for this weekend’s series. He attributes this to getting adjusted to playing every day at the Major League level.
J.P. Crawford – SS Seattle Mariners (oblique), Gregory Santos – RP Seattle Mariners (lat)
Roster moves:
🔹 Leo Rivas (#76), INF, selected from Triple-A Tacoma.
🔹 J.P. Crawford, INF, placed on 10-day Injured List (retro. April 24).
🔹 Gregory Santos, RHP, transferred to 60-day Injured List.— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) April 25, 2024
Crawford will be out of action for the next little while due to an oblique strain. It’s a good thing that it is categorized as a Grade-one type, which is the least severe in nature. The hope is that he doesn’t miss too much time, but, as mentioned earlier, oblique injuries are tricky. As for Santos, he had recently started a throwing program. This was more of a procedural move for the team to help with the promotion of Rivas.
Max Scherzer – SP Texas Rangers (back)
Max Scherzer’s next rehab start will be on Tuesday with Double-A Frisco in Corpus Christi.
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) April 25, 2024
Scherzer will look to build on his 52 pitches thrown for this outing alongside producing better results than he did. Still, both he and the team are encouraged by where he is developmentally.
Boston Red Sox – Team Update
Devers isn’t comfortable yet at 3B, per Cora. Will likely get back there Saturday.
Unlikely Grissom is active this weekend but getting close. Pivetta will throw at least one rehab game before returning.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 25, 2024
Rafael Devers (shoulder, knee) looks comfortable at the plate, but he has yet to put on his fielding glove. It looks like he will do so this weekend. As for Vaughn Grissom (hamstring), he has just five hits over twenty-two at-bats on this rehab, so the team will likely need to see more before he debuts. That said, the team has been ravaged by injuries and that may force their hand to him starting sooner than he should. Finally, Nick Pivetta, he may not need more than the minimum, which has already passed. That said, this outing will be telling to see where he is and if he can handle a starter’s workload.