When will Langford, Marte, and Winn return and play? Will Langford, Marte, and Winn be back again this season? Read the latest fantasy baseball injury updates and return date for Week 3 of the 2025 MLB season.
With three weeks of the 2025 MLB season already in the books, some key fantasy baseball players who left the regular season with injuries are starting to work their way back into lineups. If you were counting on injured players for production or if you have been using some of their replacements on your roster, you'll need to keep up with all the latest injury updates. In this post, we'll take a look at the latest updates on the status of Wyatt Langford of the Rangers, Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks, and Masyn Winn of the Cardinals.
All three of the players in this post were important to their fantasy lineups before going down with injuries. Fantasy managers will hope to get them back at 100 percent and in their lineup as soon as possible. Successfully navigating injuries and surviving the absence of key contributors is critical to fantasy baseball success all season long. Keeping up with injury news can also help you correctly value players for redraft or dynasty leagues.
None of the three players in this post is expected to be out long-term, but when exactly will each one return? It's also critical to understand how their return impacts their MLB team's lineup. Let's dive in and take a look at the latest information we have on each situation.
Wyatt Langford Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Langford played 12 games this season for the Rangers, hitting .244 with four home runs, two stolen bases, a .382 wOBA, and a 155 wRC+. He seemed well on his way to putting together a bounce-back campaign after disappointing in 2024.
On Tuesday, April 8, he smashed his fourth homer of the season but later left the game with side tightness. An MRI the next day revealed that he had an oblique strain. While he lobbied to stay off the IL, the team opted to play it safe with the 23-year-old outfielder and placed him on the 10-day IL.
Just a week later, Langford was cleared to resume swinging a bat. He ran the bases as well and continues to work his way towards coming back after just a minimum stay on the IL.
Wyatt Langford just ran the bases before Rangers BP. If all goes well, he will play this weekend #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/GSnrCuS5o7
— Kane McCutchen (@Kane_McCutchen6) April 15, 2025
Langford is eligible to return this weekend, when the Rangers will host the Dodgers before heading on the road to Sacramento and San Francisco.
While Langford has been out, Josh Smith, Kevin Pillar, and Dustin Harris have filled in the outfield. Harris was called up when Langford went on the IL and has gone 2-for-8 with a double and a home run. He could head back to Triple-A when Langford returns, or he could stay in the mix since he can play a variety of positions.
Langford's return will be a massive boost to his fantasy owners, and hopefully, this will just be a minor blip on the way to a breakout season for the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Ketel Marte Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Marte was also available at the start of the season and started out swinging a hot bat. He was hitting .346 with three doubles, six walks, and a .418 wOBA over his first eight games. During that hot start, Marte agreed to an extension with the Diamondbacks that will keep him in Arizona through 2031. The deal is worth around $116.5 million and keeps him as a cornerstone of the franchise.
Unfortunately, he was hurt just two days after agreeing to the new deal.
#Dbacks Ketel Marte hurt his hamstring running out a double in the first inning. https://t.co/NsQPpA1RAL pic.twitter.com/GKjttkLCSI
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) April 5, 2025
The next day, the team placed him on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Although there was no clarity about the severity of the injury, it doesn't appear to be something that will keep him out for a long time. He's already missed a couple of weeks but has begun to work his way back. He has been cleared to resume baseball activities and is hitting off a pitching machine.
He was hitting off a pitching machine and then faced live pitching during rehab work at the Diamondbacks' Salt River Fields facility. However, he still has not resumed running, which is obviously a key step in his recovery.
When asked about Marte's return, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo responded, "I said the end of April, the beginning of May." Let's stick to that for now.
He may or may not need a rehab stint since he did play earlier in the season, but if he does, it will likely be relatively short. He isn't as close to returning as Langford, but he's definitely still worth holding on your bench or IL spot if you have him on your fantasy roster.
In Marte's absence, switch-hitting shortstop Geraldo Perdomo has jumped to the top of the lineup and been very productive alongside Corbin Carroll in the batting order. At second base, Garrett Hampson has been taking most of the work with Tim Tawa filling in at times off the bench. Tawa hit his first MLB home run earlier this week and will continue to get some time until Marte is back.
One other key player to watch for the Diamondbacks is infielder Jordan Lawlar, who continues to mash at Triple-A. The top prospect missed most of last year due to injuries, and so far, the team hasn't used Marte's injury as a chance to promote Lawlar. The youngster looks great at Triple-A, though, so he may force the issue if Marte is out longer than expected.
When Marte is back, Hampson will likely return to a utility role with Tawa heading back to the minors. The Arizona lineup will be interesting to monitor to see if Perdomo stays near the top of the order with Marte hitting third or returns to the bottom, where he has been hitting over the last few seasons. Perdomo has much more fantasy value near the top of the D-backs' batting order, which has remained productive even with Marte on the shelf.
Masyn Winn Injury Update For Fantasy Baseball
Just a couple of days after Langford was injured, Winn was removed from the Cardinals' home game against the Phillies. It was an extremely cold game in St. Louis, and Winn couldn't seem to get loose before doubling over in pain while playing the field in the first inning. He was replaced in the second inning and landed on the 10-day IL the next day with back spasms.
Before the injury, Winn played 13 games and went 10-for-45 (.222). He went 0-for-18 in the first five games of the season but followed that with four straight multi-hit performances while going 10-for-27 (.370) in his last seven games before landing on the IL. He hit a home run, scored seven runs, and tallied three RBI in that stretch as well.
Although back injuries can recur and be tricky to navigate, Winn's absence was not expected to be a long one. He has made progress while working his way back, and according to manager Oliver Marmol, he is on pace to be activated early next week.
In terms of the progression for SS Masyn Winn (back spasms), manager Oli Marmol said “we’re on pace for (him to be activated Tuesday.)” Winn will stay in St. Louis this weekend to continue the rehabilitation work on his back. He could return during the series vs. the #Braves . https://t.co/mswpFhdcjF
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) April 16, 2025
While he has been out, Brendan Donovan has shifted to shortstop, with Alec Burleson able to fill the designated hitter role and Nolan Gorman at second base. Thomas Saggese has also gotten some extra playing time against lefties. The Cardinals activated Gorman when Winn went on the IL, so it'll be interesting to see how the at-bats shake out when everyone is healthy.
Winn is still just 23 and viewed as a centerpiece of the franchise, so he's not in danger of losing playing time, especially if he can pick up where he left off after his slow start. If you have Winn, the wait for his return is just about over, and if he was dropped, he could be a great scoop off the waiver wire if you need help at shortstop.
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