Hello Razzball Friends!

Less than a week until Opening Day, and it’s already gotten pretty busy on the injury front. It’s still too early to act on some vague or “day-to-day” reports of tightness or slow ramp-ups. However, that doesn’t mean hearing this news doesn’t get our wheels turning, wondering how a roster that looked so buttoned-up a week ago is suddenly turning against us.

So today, we will touch on some major and minor updates and their impacts ahead of the week. Or weeks. Or months.

First, let’s check in on some of our developing and continuing situations with the birds: the Blue Jays and Orioles.

The Great Toronto Rotation Collapse of 2026

The Blue Jays rotation is receiving a very early stress test this not-even-the-season-yet season. This week, Jose Berrios and Trey Yesavage joined Shane Bieber on the casualty list. Let’s look at the damage:

Yesavage (Shoulder Impingement): After a late-season spike in workload, Yesavage is dealing with a shoulder impingement. According to John Schneider, Yesavage arrived at camp with the injury but has felt okay. He is scheduled to throw off the mound on March 25. However, the Blue Jays have shared they will ramp Yesavage up slowly, which means he could be out for 4-6 weeks.
Berríos (Elbow Stress Fracture): Just a day before the Yesavage news hit the streets, the Blue Jays shared that Jose Berríos will start the season on the IL with an elbow stress fracture. Originally, the injury was reported as “elbow inflammation.” Clearly, Berríos won’t be ready for Opening Day. So far, reports have mentioned that Berríos doesn’t need surgery (yet), which means an estimated 3-4 month timeline.
Bieber (Forearm Fatigue): We’ve talked at length about Bieber, who is maybe one of the least concerning injuries at this point. There is currently speculation that Bieber could return in late April or early May.

The #BlueJays expect Trey Yesavage will keep throwing to build up and he’s next scheduled to pitch in March 25.This very likely means that Eric Lauer slides into the No. 5 role… and this rotation can’t take another hit of bad news.

— Keegan Matheson (@keeganmatheson.bsky.social) 2026-03-19T15:01:25.170Z

Phew. So, who does that leave us with?

Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease: Not much to say here about what they can do, but the name of the game will be early-season workload with veterans Gausman and Cease.
Eric Lauer: With Yesavage out, Lauer is expected to take the fifth spot in the rotation (though nothing was official at the time of publication). In 2025, Lauer hit 104.2 IP with a 3.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 3.92 K:BB. MarmosDad made some intelligent (I was going to say “prescient,” but don’t get him walking around like Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone, even though he was looking at the past…nevermind!) observations about Lauer’s move to reliever and the Blue Jays rotation in his August 2025 Top 100 Starting Pitchers write-up: “…if there’s one team that could use an extra day of rest for starters (especially for Bieber and Scherzer), this is it.”

The #BlueJays expect Trey Yesavage will keep throwing to build up and he’s next scheduled to pitch in March 25.This very likely means that Eric Lauer slides into the No. 5 role… and this rotation can’t take another hit of bad news.

— Keegan Matheson (@keeganmatheson.bsky.social) 2026-03-19T15:01:25.170Z
Cody Ponce: Cody Ponce is very fun right now, and the upside is tempting. Across 13.2 innings of spring training, Ponce has a 0.66 ERA with a 12:4 K:BB. He is 0% rostered in RCL leagues and thus very available at the moment in case you need a late-round SP or pickup.

In his first two years in MLB (2020,21), Cody Ponce threw just 2 pitches over 95.0 mph. His first 3 pitches of 2026 spring training: 95.2, 95.7, 96.0If it wasn't already clear, this isn't the old Cody Ponce #BlueJays

— Mitch Bannon (@mitchbannon.bsky.social) 2026-02-25T20:12:11.810Z
Max Scherzer: Scherzer’s return to the Blue Jays became quickly more relevant because of the rotation collapse. Like any of our distinguished fellows, it is high risk, high reward.

They say pitching depth, but they never tell you exactly how deep, folks.

Seeking out another Yesavage or Berríos is likely not in the cards at this point, but if you are looking to pivot rather than a replacement or next man up, there are options like Max Meyer (MIA, who Son did a fantastic write-up on in One Man’s Trash: Meyer Returns….Again), with a high K-rate, or Andrew Painter (PHI), who was just named the Phillies’ fifth starter as he fills the Zack Wheeler-shaped void.

The Phillies' starting rotation is set ⤵️

— Phillies Nation (@philliesnation.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T21:42:28.720Z

Other alternatives for regular IP might include someone like Ryne Nelson (ARI) or Matthew Boyd (CHC).

The Baltimore Infield Crisis

While these are not the newest injuries, let’s step away from pitching and look at how injury fallout may affect hitters in a young core like the Baltimore Orioles infield squad.

Jackson Holliday (2B, broken hamate): As you’ll remember, Holliday was one of the many players who hopped on the hot trend of breaking their hamate bone. While the bone may only take a month plus some change to heal, it can sometimes affect player power. However, there is speculation Holliday may return in mid-April as he prepared for a March 27 rehab assignment.
Jordan Westburg (3B, partial UCL tear): Diagnosed back in February with a partial UCL tear, Westburg is avoiding surgery and instead having PRP injections, but he is expected to be out all of April.

The beneficiaries of these outages are

Blaze Alexander (2B): Alexander has had a high contact but lower power spring training. He is hitting .281 through 32 ABs but none of the hits are to the fences.
Coby Mayo (3B): The 24-year-old, 6’5” Mayo has been having himself a solid spring training marked by power. Mayo had 14 H in 31 ABs, but how will that translate to the real deal this year? Mayo struggled last year, finishing with 57 H in 263 ABs. He also had a low BABIP (.274) and a high fly-ball rate of 31.8%. So, who knows, the world could be Coby’s mayo-covered oyster.

Coby Mayo hit a 2-run home run caps an 8-pitch at-bat vs. Max Fried in Tampa. Orioles lead Yankees 2-1 in 2nd.Statcast numbers: 404 feet, 110.3 mph exit velocity, 26-degree launch angle.Mayo is hitting .483 (14-for-29) with 2 home runs in Grapefruit League play this spring.

— Jake Rill (@jakerill.bsky.social) 2026-03-19T17:39:58.970Z

There is probably more opportunity than certainty here. Mayo has the power, but there is stil a lot of volatility with that power. Alexander will likely get some playing time, but he may not breakout.

Alexander and Mayo have at-bats opening up, but the question is how useful those at-bats will be.

Major Impact Injuries

Now that we’ve walked through a few areas of potential fallout, let’s check in on some existing injuries. Not all of these are new, but there are updates worth paying attention to.

We’ll start with pitchers, then move to hitters.

Pitchers

Bryce Miller (SP, SEA) — Oblique soreness

What happened: Tweaked left oblique during bullpen session
Timeline: Expected to be short term
Current outlook: Mariners have time and some depth
Fantasy impact: Unlikely for Opening Day
Replacement: A rental pitcher if needed. Emerson Hancock and Cooper Criswell are in the mix

Grayson Rodriguez (SP, LAA) — Dead Arm

What happened: Dead arm with arm soreness
Timeline: Unclear and called “not serious”, but Rodriguez has a history of arm issues
Current outlook: Evaluation phase
Fantasy impact: There is a range of outcomes from nothing to a problem
Replacement: Have a contingency (Jose Soriano) ready but do not drop

Another update on former Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez:

— Jake Rill (@jakerill.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T17:37:20.290Z

Hitters

Corbin Carroll (OF, ARI) — Hamate Fracture

What happened: Broke hamate during batting practice and had surgery to repair in February
Timeline: Day-to-day
Current outlook: Made his spring training debut and said it “felt fine”
Fantasy impact: Watch mode for now
Replacement: Bench fill (Alek Thomas) only if he sits. If something happens where you need to pivot, consider Victor Scott, Jakob Marsee, James Wood, or Steve Kwan

Josh Jung (3B, TEX) — Adductor Strain

What happened: Had groin/adductor strain
Timeline: Played in March 16 and 18 games and hit a 417 ft homer.
Current outlook: Playing but monitored
Fantasy impact: Expect some missed days or uneven production early. Plan around it
Replacement: None for now. If Jung is the DH, there is always utilityman Ezequiel Duran

Francisco Lindor (SS, NYM) — Hamate Fracture

What happened: Stress reaction in his left hamate bone that was surgically repaired
Timeline: Spring training debut was March 15
Current outlook: Expected for Opening Day
Fantasy impact: No action required, but watch for power
Replacement: None for now

Seiya Suzuki (OF, CHC) — PCL Strain

What happened: Sustained a minor PCL strain in his right knee during the WBC
Timeline: Supposedly, that will be decided today (Saturday, March 20, 2026)
Current outlook: Could make it to Opening Day (seems like a stretch)
Fantasy impact: Maybe some miss days but does not sound long term
Replacement: Utility Matt Shaw likely here (with consideration to Michael Conforto and Dylan Carlson as well), but could also find a ABs or a hot bat.

Quick Hits

Likely Starting On The IL

Merrill Kelly (SP, ARI)

Status: Expected to miss Opening Day because of delay in ramp-up from back injury
Timeline: 12 days once the season starts
Take: Look to Michael Soroka or Ryne Nelson

Andrew Kittredge (RP, BAL)

Status: Low probability for Opening Day with shoulder inflammation
Take: Matters more for deeper leagues or holds here.

Kyle Teel (C, CHW)

Status: Grade 2 hamstring strain, out 4-6 weeks
Take: Look to Edgar Quero.

Monitor Closely

J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA)

Status: Availability for Opening Day up in the air after cortisone shot from Dr. Keith
Take: Have a backup ready for this one

Josh Lowe (OF, LAA)

Status: Expected to be available for Opening Day but has been DH’ing so far
Timeline: Early season ramp
Take: May need to bench if he is ramping up

Hunter Gaddis (RP, CLE)

Status: Will likely open season on IL
Take: May only be out a short time, but Shawn Armstrong would be a replacement

Takeaways

Are we excited for 28 more weeks of this yet?! I know I am.

Just remember during this early part of the season

If they are not on the IL, you don’t necessarily need to act yet unless…
If it’s a pitcher with arm/shoulder issues, maybe consider the options
Day-to-Day is too ambiguous right now
Don’t go dropping any Top 100 players quite yet (unless they are dead-dead)

That’s it for our last pre-season Ambulance Chasers this year. Let me know if you’ve already been bitten by the injury bug in the comments.

I’m Keelin, your sad, sad bi-weekly reminder that injuries don’t follow timelines. You can find me on Bluesky at keelin12ft.bsky.social.

Note: This column focuses on injury situations that meaningfully affect fantasy baseball decisions. It is not a complete injury ledger or a prediction of exact timelines. Teams are often vague, information changes quickly, and this is best viewed as a snapshot of where things stand, with the goal of helping fantasy managers draft with context rather than panic.