MLB Injury Report – Year of the Loose Bodies

Welcome to the Fantrax MLB Injury Report for Monday, May 18, 2026. In today’s edition, the Dodgers will lose another starter to significant injury time, the Astros go one step forward and two steps back, and it’s another year with another injury for Corey Seager. 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

Blake Snell – SP Los Angeles Dodgers

Blake Snell is having surgery to remove loose bodies on Tuesday, Dave Roberts said. Roberts didn’t know the specific type of surgery (aka if it was the same one Tarik Skubal had).

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 16, 2026

It’s the year of the loose bodies, as yet another pitcher will undergo surgery to have them removed from their throwing elbow. The biggest news from this development is that there is a chance that Snell gets the same surgery that Tarik Skubal had, where a minimal absence presents itself on the horizon. That said, it was a relatively new type of surgery, and those operating on him won’t know if that’s even possible until they open him up and see what’s going on inside his elbow. There could be ligament damage, multiple loose bodies, and something else that’s wrong there that needs to be operated on. If you held out for this long with Snell, it’s best to wait until after surgery to see what the official diagnosis is.

Houston Astros – Team Update

Just when the Astros thought that they might be making headway back to a healthier state of being, this happens. Altuve injured himself this weekend while swinging at a pitch and not even running toward second base. He was immediately pulled from the game, and now we find out that he has a Grade 2 oblique strain, which is significantly worse than a Grade 1 strain.

Most mild oblique strains can take up to six weeks for a return to play, as they pester and tend to linger. This being a more intense one could mean multiple months of absence here. At age 36, he also won’t heal as quickly as he once did, and as such, it’s fair to say that this absence will be a longer one. The good news is that the Astros will welcome back Jeremy Pena and Jake Meyers to the lineup, giving them a much-needed offensive boost. Additionally, Nate Pearson has been stretched out to be a starter, and he offers a chance to eat up some innings. All three returnees are worth rostering, with Pearson a recommendation in the deepest of leagues.

Hunter Brown – SP Houston Astros

Astros GM Dana Brown said the plan is for Hunter Brown to return "some time in mid-June." Hunter Brown will throw a live BP on Tuesday and he could be on his first minor-league rehab appearance by the weekend, Dana Brown said.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) May 17, 2026

Brown has had a seemingly smooth recovery process, with little to no hiccups. While anything can happen, especially if done too soon, this does feel like something might finally be going Houston’s way here. That said, he still has a long way to go. For full context, Chandler Rome did say in a later post, in reply to a question, that he expects Brown to need at least four rehab starts before being able to return.

Josh Hader – RP Houston Astros

Josh Hader needs five more rehab outings, Joe Espada said today. Hader will not come off the IL on May 24 when he is first eligible, but that is only due to the calendar they've set for his final five appearances, Espada said. https://t.co/ahsHs48h6b

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) May 16, 2026

For those fantasy managers stashing Hader, it would appear that patience will need to be key, as a return before June doesn’t seem likely. As it stands, he has fired off four scoreless innings in four appearances already.

Kyle Teel – C Chicago White Sox

Teel tweaked his right knee on his last swing last night. He's out of the lineup today. Will be re evaluated Tuesday.

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) May 17, 2026

Speaking of waiting on players stashed, Teel suffered what seems to be a setback in his rehab and will now be re-evaluated on Tuesday. If this is a serious issue that requires surgery, it could be a lost season for the youngster, but a huge fantasy boost for Edgar Quero. Stay tuned.

Ryan O’Hearn – OF Pittsburgh Pirates

Cherington: Ryan O'Hearn's injury is on the "moderate" side but it's also not a 10-day thing. He will be back soon but not right away. Too soon to tell exact timetable but he's heard roughly four weeks.

— Danny Demilio (@Demilio22) May 17, 2026

O’Hearn injured himself this weekend, and it turned out to be a significant quad strain. With four weeks set as a potential timetable, it will be interesting to see if he can recapture the momentum he had to start the year as one of the team’s best hitters.

Brendan Donovan – 2B Seattle Mariners

Brendan Donovan has been placed on 10-day Injured List (retroactive to May 16, left groin muscle strain).

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) May 17, 2026

Though it hasn’t been announced, this could be the result of coming back too soon from a similar injury earlier this month. If it is, he may be forced to miss much more than the ten-day minimum here, as teams tend to “learn their lesson” with recurring injuries.

Corey Seager – SS Texas Rangers

Corey Seager is headed to Arlington to see the #Rangers’ back specialist. MRI results are still pending. He won’t be available for at least the first game in Colorado.

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) May 17, 2026

Given Seager’s extensive injury history, there’s a chance that he misses significant time here. It feels like once a season, he goes onto the Injured List for a variety of reasons, causing fantasy managers to scramble for their plan B. While this might be getting ahead of ourselves, it would be wise to have that plan ready to go for this week and beyond, as seeing a specialist doesn’t exude confidence in this being a short-lived absence.

Roman Anthony – OF Boston Red Sox

Roman Anthony is going to start swinging a bat tomorrow, starting with hitting flips before hitting off a machine

— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) May 17, 2026

Today will be a big day that might very well decide the path of recovery that’s taken. Should he successfully swing with no setbacks or pain, he might be able to do a live bullpen session shortly afterward. That being said, one day at a time here for Anthony, who is ready to embark on this next step.

New York Yankees – Team Update

Some very minor #Yankees injury updates, per Aaron Boone:

Giancarlo Stanton is “doing some more dynamic stuff,” but he’s still not ready to ramp up running.

Jasson Domínguez is doing well post-PRP shot. He has been swinging in the pool and working out in the weight room.

— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) May 16, 2026

The news here isn’t major, but it is noteworthy that both Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Dominguez are more in the waiting stages of their recoveries, with not much happening. As a result, it does not appear that either player will be activated anytime soon.

Cole Ragans – SP Kansas City Royals

#Royals LHP Cole Ragans threw 30 pitches in a bullpen today and felt good afterwards.

A further plan hasn’t been decided for next steps but Ragans is progressing and on track.

— Jaylon T. Thompson (@jaylonthompson) May 17, 2026

Great news here, as this planned bullpen session was his first since being injured. It’s unclear if he’ll need at least one more or if he can go right into a rehab assignment. Either way, things are looking good here despite a worrisome injury.