Here is the Fantrax Injury Report for Sunday, March 3, 2024. In today’s edition, we have a major update on the status of Ronald Acuna Jr., two Reds players in Matt McLain and Nick Lodolo headed in different directions, and a massive update on the rotation in Texas. All that and more in today’s Injury Report from Fantrax.
Fantrax MLB Injury Report
Ronald Acuna Jr. – OF Atlanta Braves
The knee injury to Ronald Acuna Jr. was the biggest news from yesterday. It was reported on Friday that he felt irritation in his right meniscus and that he would get it checked out by a medical professional. He will subsequently fly across the country for an appointment with a specialist in Los Angeles tomorrow. Acuna will see the same doctor who performed on his torn ACL a few years ago. The tricky part about all of this is the mixed messages the public is receiving. It began as a precautionary measure of him having everything checked, which seemed like a normal follow-up. Then, manager Brian Snitker used the phrasing “trying to remain optimistic” as he inferred that Acuna could miss a few weeks of action. There has been quite an amount of speculation, but alas, nobody will know the next steps until after Monday’s appointment. Until then, fantasy owners can only wait.
Ian Happ – OF Chicago Cubs
Ian Happ has a mild left hamstring strain.
He won’t get into games for a bit, Craig Counsell said, but Cubs are optimistic Happ will be ready for Opening Day.
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) March 2, 2024
This seemingly popped up out of nowhere and will set the Cubs back a bit. Happ has no timetable for a return, but there is optimism that he will be ready for Opening Day. He is a big part of their offense and any setback before the season is better than during the season.
Nick Lodolo – SP Cincinnati Reds
Reds manager David Bell on Lodolo:
Next-day recovery after throwing "not perfect." "Still feels it."
LHP to be re-evaluated and have leg "re-scanned."
If all OK, still could start season on time. Would need to be in spring game by end of next week for that.
"No major concern"
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) March 1, 2024
The day after his first live bullpen session was projected to be the most telling of where Lodolo was headed concerning his injury. While he did feel great while throwing, it was his body’s recovery process that was the tricky part. With his leg still bothering him and another scan to take place, his future status remains cloudy. This is seemingly one injury that he just can’t shake.
Alek Manoah – SP Toronto Blue Jays
Alek Manoah felt some soreness in his right shoulder during a bullpen session yesterday so Blue Jays are bumping him from tomorrow’s start. No structural damage and Jays hope the break required is short-term per mgr John Schneider
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 2, 2024
After a disappointing first start this spring, news of an injured shoulder is quite disheartening. This news, coupled with last year’s disastrous season, is almost at the point of making Manoah borderline unrosterable.
Matt McLain – 2B Cincinnati Reds
David Bell said Matt McLain took 70 swings yesterday. Live at-bats around Wednesday next week.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) March 2, 2024
McLain has done this and fielded some ground balls over the past two days as he works his way back from an oblique injury. He is slated to see some live at-bats, which could be the last step before Spring Training games. He just might be ready for Opening Day, though time is of the essence and any setback may eliminate that possibility.
Eury Perez – SP Miami Marlins
Eury Perez breaks down his start.
– He broke a nail and is fine
– Happy with the progression of the curveball.#Marlins pic.twitter.com/2TY4pKhKVK— Fish on the Farm (@marlinsminors) March 2, 2024
Perez broke the nail on his middle finger yesterday, which caused his start to be a bit shorter than he would have liked. This doesn’t seem to be anything serious and he should be back on the mound when the wound heals and the nail starts to grow.
Vaughn Grissom – 2B Boston Red Sox
This is a disappointing development, as Grissom was slated to be an everyday part of Boston’s infield. In the meantime, Enmanuel Valdez should be the team’s second baseman. While it’s not set in stone that Opening Day will be missed, it’s highly unlikely he will be ready.
Matt Brash – RP Seattle Mariners
Mariners announced Matt Brash has medial elbow inflammation and can start playing catch on Tuesday. Brash visited Dr. Keith Meister, who opted not to have a surgical procedure.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) March 1, 2024
The news here was better than expected, as Brash was believed to have suffered a major injury that might require extended time off and/or surgery. Instead, he will now start over from scratch and will require a full build-up of his arm. He will still miss Opening Day and will spend a lengthy amount of time on the Injured List. That said, he does have a cautious yet significant chance of pitching in the first half of the season.
Texas Rangers – Team Update
"With Max, we are now looking at June. That's a little bit earlier than we thought.” 👀@Rangers manager Bruce Bochy gives an update on Max Scherzer and how his squad can avoid a potential World Series hangover. pic.twitter.com/1UaBnaRZzy
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 1, 2024
The middle section of this interview was very informative. Bochy mentioned that the team is expecting Max Scherzer to be back in June, which was earlier than expected. Additionally, for Jacob deGrom, Bochy said (and he emphasized) that maybe he returns in August, while Tyle Mahle might be back by July. All of these speculations are quite vague, but they can hopefully offer a glimpse of an approximate timeline for important pieces of the puzzle for Texas.
Gunnar Henderson – 3B Baltimore Orioles
Gunnar Henderson doing some base running today. He’s expected to get into a game in the next 3-4 days pic.twitter.com/1Xmi2HGIpz
— Danielle Allentuck (@d_allentuck) March 2, 2024
Henderson has been battling an oblique injury since the start of Spring Training, but Opening Day had never really been in doubt. The expected timeline for him to get into a game puts him early in the week for his debut. Stay tuned.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.