Fantasy Baseball Injury Report - Spring Training Updates for Shane McClanahan, Vinnie Pasquantino, Connor Norby, Brandon Woodruff, Jared Jones, more

Welcome RotoBallers to my fantasy baseball injury report for March 23, where every week we look back at the major injury developments in the world of baseball and look ahead at what might transpire as a result. Today we look at recent injuries and updates for Shane McClanahan, Vinnie Pasquantino, Connor Norby, Brandon Woodruff, Jared Jones and more.

Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, but how you handle them can mean the difference between a last-place finish or somewhere near the top of your league's standings.

The hope is that, whatever comes your way, you can understand what the injury is, what it means for your fantasy team, and what actions should take place. Let's get right to this week's injury-related news.

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Brandon Woodruff - SP, Milwaukee Brewers

Brandon Woodruff threw 2 innings in a minor league game today. Up to 95 still, Pat Murphy said. He’ll go with the team to New York and throw an extended bullpen there, then back to Milwaukee for a long sim game. Rehab assignment at some point after that.

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) March 21, 2025

Since the start of Spring Training back in February, Brandon Woodruff has cleared every obstacle and checked off every box in his recovery program. Everything has felt good in the sense that he experienced zero setbacks while trying to return from a devastating injury. The good news with his latest outing is that his fastball reached 95 miles per hour, one mile faster than his previous outing.

Fantasy owners should be encouraged by his progress, but expectations should still be low. Anterior capsule surgery is a major procedure that makes it difficult for pitchers to regain their velocity, especially at an advanced age. The track record for success in this regard is quite low, and even those that did return enjoyed some success for small periods. His return to glory would be a feel-good story, but it may not be a long one.

Sonny Gray - SP, St. Louis Cardinals

#STLCards RHP Sonny Gray admitted that he got a pain-killing injection in the flexor tendon of his right forearm late last season and that injury delayed his offseason program. The injury is no longer an issue, Gray said, but the delay could be a reason for his lower velocity.

— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) March 21, 2025

Sonny Gray ended 2024 on a down note, as he was diagnosed with eight forearm flexor tendinitis, causing him to miss some time down the stretch. It was believed that he would have a normal offseason, but that was before it was revealed that he had this pain-killing injection to help ease the pain. His numbers this spring have brought about some concern that perhaps he is not 100% after all.

First, his velocity has been down across the board in every outing thus far. At his latest, his fastball average was between 89 and 90 miles per hour, which is well below his career average of 93 miles per hour. Gray himself noted that there just isn't any explosiveness in any of his pitches, though he has said that health isn't a concern.

What is worrisome, though, is the fact that he's not throwing many fastballs either. On Friday, he threw only six of them within a three-inning span where 37 pitches were tossed. Could it be because he is worried about being hit hard or doesn't want to push himself for fear of a setback?

Whatever the case may be, his start is a curious one that requires attention. His injury history is filled with ailments all over his body, so missing time here shouldn't be a surprise if it happens. It's how much time will be missed that would be missed, which is a complete unknown, but things are not trending in the right direction.

Yu Darvish - SP, San Diego Padres

Yu Darvish (elbow inflammation) will miss the start of the season -- news that has been expected for a few days but was just confirmed by Mike Shildt. No timetable, though Shildt said: "We feel pretty comfortable that some rest and getting ramped back up will be the answer."

— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) March 21, 2025

The news out of San Diego feels ominous, as Darvish will miss the start of 2025 because of elbow inflammation. This, days after being sidelined with fatigue, all point to the possibility of something more serious being the underlying issue here. While it's hard not to think about the worst-case scenario, for now, the team is confident that rest will be what helps him prepare for the season.

For context, Darvish has had Tommy John Surgery in the past, albeit 10 years ago, which makes it difficult to make solid comparisons regarding the timelines. However, late in the 2014 season, he did go through a bout of elbow inflammation before succumbing to the surgery in mid-March 2015. Fast-forward to last season, where Darvish missed extensive time due to elbow inflammation in June (and also a personal family matter), resulting in his return being delayed until very late in the year.

Now, months after an attempted ramp-up, we're seeing some similarities here. Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, it doesn't look good here, but we shall all hope for the best.

Jared Jones - SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

This is an awful blow to the Pirates, as Jones was looking to take a step forward in his production this year. Now, he will play the waiting game as he seeks a second opinion on his elbow. The part that makes this scary is that second opinions are rarely good news. Players often seek a second opinion because they don't like the devastating nature of the first opinion.

It's hard to guess what the future holds for Jones, but it doesn't look bright. He may require surgery that could be season-ending or rest that results in him missing a significant portion of the season. The one thing that we do know is that he likely will begin the season on the Injured List. Until we know more about his future, he is worth stashing on the Injured List while the team creates a plan for him. That being said, it's quite possible that he won't throw a pitch in 2025.

Shane McClanahan - SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan has an inflamed nerve in his left triceps, manager Kevin Cash said. Of all the potential outcomes after he left yesterday's game in pain, this is perhaps the best-case scenario. Will start the year on the IL but shouldn't miss significant time.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 23, 2025

The news out of Tampa Bay was that of relief, but only because it could have been worse. After having seen the look of pain after Shane McClanahan's final pitch on Saturday, the absolute worst was expected. Now, with the knowledge that he is dealing with nerve inflammation in his triceps, both team and fantasy owners can let out a collective sigh.

That being said, nobody is in the clear just yet. Depending on the severity of the injury, this situation could last a while. He will begin with some rest while being shut down from throwing. Once his body responds positively to this, he will likely begin to ramp up the same way he began to build himself when Spring Training started. He may need to start from scratch, depending on the timeline or the level of care the Rays want to use. We should know more in the coming days, but it's fair to say that April can be ruled out completely.

MLB Injury News Quick Hits

Parker Meadows will be shut down from throwing for the next four weeks after undergoing a nerve conduction test. Until then, he can continue to do fielding drills and work on his timing there, but the majority of his preparation has been halted. This is a scary situation, as evidenced by the internal issues suffered by his brother, Austin Meadows, and is something to monitor. As such, he can be ruled out until at least May.

Daulton Varsho will begin the season on the Injured List, as he has yet to be cleared to play the field. Placing him on the Injured list frees up the DH spot for the Jays and gives Varsho additional time to work on his fielding and throwing. His time away is expected to be short.

Spencer Steer has begun throwing and fielding and recently got some at-bats in a Minor League game. These are all indications that a return could be in the works for the multi-positional player who has some value when healthy. He still has a ways to go to prove that he can be a consistent contributor like he was for most of the 2024 season.

Zach Neto is continuing his progression, as he has been throwing across the diamond and participating in fielding drills. Manager Ron Washington has praised his ability to persevere and clear these hurdles, but until he faces live pitching, he won't be anywhere near a return. Once that happens, he could start a Minor League rehab assignment and then join the team. His timeline remains vague, but a return in May isn't out of the question.

Drew Thorpe will undergo Tommy John Surgery and be unavailable to pitch until, hopefully, sometime during the 2026 season.

Jerar Encarnacion has suffered a fractured hand and will miss extended time to begin the season. There was a chance for a potential breakout season here, as he's been one to hit the ball hard in his limited time on the field. Now, that time will have to wait as he looks to rebound from this. He is someone to monitor later in the season if and when he gets a chance.

Connor Norby left Sunday's game after overstretching his side while sliding into third base. The hope is that this isn't something that will cause a trip to the Injured List, but with the season approaching soon, it's hard to determine if that will in fact be the case. Stay tuned.

Vinnie Pasquantino sustained a hamstring strain in yesterday's game, though he says he feels fine. Today will be a big day after additional tests to determine the severity of the injury and a possible timeline.

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