Welcome back to Pain Train, Razzball Enjoyers and Haters.
Since we last met, things have escalated rapidly, and at the top of that staircase, there is a revolving door.
There is no time to waste. Let’s go in!
We’re going to backtrack a bit this week and start by following a few of the players we’ve been talking about for the past few weeks:
Zach Eflin (SP, BAL): Finally, we talked about the bright red flag that was Zach Eflin seeking a second opinion. Here it is two weeks later with Eflin out for the 2026 season.
Cody Ponce (SP, TOR): We didn’t have a timeline a bit, but the update is six months. So, the happy story we all want is not happening this year.
Alejandro Kirk (C, TOR): Two weeks ago, I mentioned that we were waiting for Alejandro Kirk’s X-rays. Now we know that was the break. Kirk is expected to miss six weeks. The Blue Jays’ ongoing spring march of misery continues.
Garrett Cleavinger (RP, TBR): Still in IL, now eligible from April 15th, and was going to beat BP live.
Hunter Brown (SP, HOU) – Strained Shoulder
Time line: 15 days IL | Eligibility: 04/17 | Stop throwing “a few weeks.”
Current opinion: It is very early in the season for this type of closure. A return in May seems more likely. It would be strange for a group to share that limitation and reverse course. Strange things have happened.
Effect of the dream: Serious. Brown is well organized. At a guess, 4-6 weeks seems possible.
Replacement: Taj Bradley and Jeffrey Springs are potential options, but always expect early season regression.
Not the best outing due to shaky control, but Taj Bradley now has a 1.25 ERA through four, with 29 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. And if this streak holds, the Twins will have won all four of Bradley’s starts.
– Aaron Gleeman (@aarongleeman.bsky.social) 2026-04-12T19:32:25.905Z
Nick Pivetta (SP, SDP) – Strained Flexor Tendon
Time line: 15 days IL | Eligibility: 04/28 | “Weeks to months” timetable (if you can call it that).
Current opinion: Flex tendon strains sound awful, but like most other injuries, they are on a spectrum. The team shared a timeline of “weeks, maybe months”, and this time, we have to believe it.
Effect of the dream: At the top. It is widely planned and the return window is very wide. Find a replacement.
Replacement: What does Landen Roupp do?
🤖 SF Giants on NBCSRespect Landen Roupp 😤
– SF Giants Bot (@giantbot.bsky.social) 2026-04-16T19:41:33.790974+00:00
Matthew Boyd (SP, CHC) – Strained Biceps
Time line: 15 days IL | Eligibility: 04/18 | Rehab assignment started the week of 4/13.
Current opinion: Hello, look! Some good news. Boyd began repair work this week. It may be 2 weeks or more before he returns, but keep him registered.
Effect of the dream: Evaluate with a progressive perspective.
Replacement: Colin Rea was an inside option. Ben Brown is a better option if you need to fill in while Boyd steps up.
Tatsuya Imai (SP, HOU) – Arm Fatigue
Time line: 15 days IL | Eligibility: 04/27 | There is no timetable.
Current opinion: Imai, through his interpreter, shared that he had trouble adjusting to the American way of life, including the baseball load, eating habits, and climate (source). All of these things may have contributed to his injury.
Effect of the dream: It’s in between. Hold, but perhaps not at the expense of better options.
Through an interpreter, Tatsuya Imai said he “just can’t adapt to the American way of life, outside of baseball. Baseball and outside of baseball. That’s probably the reason” for his arm fatigue.
– Chandler Rome (@chandlerrome.bsky.social) 2026-04-14T22:11:01.159Z
Juan Soto (OF, NYM) – Refined Calf
Time line: 10 days of IL | Eligibility: 04/14 | Looking forward to coming back next week..
Current opinion: Soto’s recovery timeline may be timely. Last week, he started his running progress. Then, a few days ago, we learned that Soto may return next week.
Effect of the dream: Serious. Hopefully, we won’t talk about it after today, but be aware that the injury is prominent or run with caution.
Replacement: Nothing to report here yet. And hopefully not for a while.
David Stearns says he expects Juan Soto to return in the Mets’ next outing (next week).
— Roger Cormier (@yayroger.bsky.social) 2026-04-17T17:13:57.183Z
Mookie Betts (SS, LAD) – Strained Oblique
Time line: 10 days of IL | Eligibility: 04/15 | There is no timetable.
Current opinion: Mookie’s eligibility date has passed, and there is no schedule let alone a swing. Since there is no timetable in place, it is safe to take 3-5 weeks of complete elimination.
Effect of the dream: Above with a caveat. Although Mookie is one of the top ranked players in the game, he has had a slow start to the season. Anyway, don’t expect him this week.
Replacement: The infielder, Hyeseong Kim, also saw one homer. I am very naive and easily convinced that this could be it. Outside, look at Mauricio Dubon. I promise that Ambulance Chasers is not a shell article to promote Son, but then again, Son does a well-thought-out profile of whether Dubon is Mr. Right or Mr. Right-Now. See One Man’s Trash: Dubon It.
Christian Yelich (OF, MIL) – Strained Adductor (Groin)
Time line: 10 days of IL | Eligibility: 04/23 | It’s out by at least mid-May.
Current opinion: The good news is that we have a timeline. The bad news is that it’s the middle of May. For those who count, that’s a month. The worst news is that Yelich has a second degree strain, which could last more than a month and closer to 6 weeks.
Effect of the dream: At the top.
Replacement: Sal Frelick is getting an everyday game in Milwaukee, but he really has a cloud over him. Wilyer Abreu would be a good option, but if he is unavailable Ian Happ, Taylor Ward, or Colton Cowser could be good replacements depending on what Yelich stats you need the most.
Rain from these storms seeps into the roof over Sal Frelick.
— Jim Kogutkiewicz (@jimmyfk.bsky.social) 2026-04-15T02:10:38.221Z
George Springer (OF, TOR) – Broken Toe
Timeline: 10 days of IL | Eligibility: 04/22 | There is no timetable.
Current opinion: It could be worse, but with Springer’s injury history and the fact that there is no set period, it’s about as low as it gets. Considering a broken toe in an outfielder may put a team on alert. Keep watching closely for now.
Effect of the dream: At the top. Springer is widely organized. Some fractures have a very clear timeline. So, hearing that there is “no timetable” makes me think this one will take a while.
Replacement: Daulton Varsho is here. Outside, Cam Smith is registered at 94% in the RCL, which means there is someone without him. Mickey Moniak is another outside option.
#BlueJays injury updates:
– Mitch Bannon (@mitchbannon.bsky.social) 2026-04-17T23:39:12.524Z
Royce Lewis (3B, MIN) – Sprained Left Knee
10 days of IL | Valid 04/20 | There is no timetable. Unfortunately, Lewis and the “knee” are not surprising to see here. An MRI revealed a sprain. So, it doesn’t sound like there’s structural damage, but keep an eye out for new information.
Derek Shelton indicated that Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler will form a tight end at third base in the absence of Royce Lewis. Gray, a lefty hitter, figures to start against most righties. Kreidler, a right-handed hitter, figures to start against most lefties.
– Aaron Gleeman (@aarongleeman.bsky.social) 2026-04-13T21:51:12.367Z
Adley Rutschman (C, BAL) – Ankle sprain
10 days of IL | Valid 04/21 | There is no timetable. “Swelling” is a vague label, and there’s never been a recovery timeline given. However, Rutschman is running again.
Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (left ankle sprain) isn’t sure how soon he can return, but said he feels much better. You run, you pass the tests. He is happy with the way everything is going. He is due out of IL on Tuesday in Kansas City.
– Jake Rill (@jakerill.bsky.social) 2026-04-17T19:47:24.568Z
Brent Rooker (OF, ATH) – Fixed Oblique
10 days of IL | Valid 04/20 | No timetable.*sigh* Adds Rooker to the lopsided pile. 2-4 weeks is the reality here rather than a short window of eligibility.
Ryan Mountcastle (1B, BAL) – Broken Foot
60 days IL | Valid 06/10 | There is no timetable. Wow. Best case scenario is that you are back in June. Maybe it’s time to cut unless you’re in a deep league. Well, it sounds like you have a nice pair of wheels.
Ryan Mountcastle is walking around the clubhouse right now with a broken bone in his foot. He said no ligaments were affected, just – as if this was better – a broken fourth metatarsal bone. He said he heard a pop in his foot a step or two after first contact. You have 60 days. It could be months
– Andy Kostka (@afkostka.bsky.social) 2026-04-15T13:45:02.605Z
Cade Horton (SP, CHC): It’s a very bad situation here. Sat out the 2026 season (15-16 months) with an arm strain. Covered the Cubs situation above with Matthew Boyd.
Jordan Lawlar (OF, ARI): 60 day IL with broken arm. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
Tyler O’Neill (OF, BAL): Concussion, IL’s 7-Day concussion protocol, is due on 04/16 but Craig Albernaz shared that O’Neill won’t be ready for Saturday (and you can think beyond that). You can catch him if you have room.
Gabriel Moreno (C, ARI): Fixed oblique, 10 days of IL. A hunter. Oblique. There is no timetable yet. The smell of uncertainty is strong.
Takeaways
Open season on the obliques. Mookie Betts, Brent Rooker, and Gabriel Moreno are among the players with oblique problems in the past two weeks. If you see “no timetable,” next to the oblique, plan for 3-5 weeks.
“Close to throwing” is bad, if not worse than it sounds. Take Hunter Brown’s shoulder. “Close” indicates concern rather than caution. Pretend he won’t be available until May.
Canon: the cursed Blue Jays. Blame it on Drake. Berríos, Ponce, Kirk, Bieber, Springer, and MORE. There’s Patrick Corbin, and Yesavage may be back soon, but he’s had a rough start to conditioning.
A case study on eligibility dates. Soto and Mookie are both “eligible” within the last day or two, and neither is back, although Soto may return the next homestand. This is a good reminder that the 10-day IL and so on are management tools, not a return date.
That’s it for this week’s damage assessment. Let us say a little peace to the fallen. Let me know what bugs and bits affect your list in the comments.
I’m Keelin, your bi-weekly reminder that injuries don’t follow timelines. I found Bluesky at keelin12ft.bsky.social.
This column focuses on injury situations that logically affect fantasy baseball decisions. It is not a complete injury ledger or a forecast of exact times. Groups are often ambiguous, information changes quickly, and this is best viewed as a snapshot of where things stand.
