A first look at Spring injuries

There are So. Many. Injuries. Every spring. We’ve tried to cover the most impactful and the most difficult to project. If we missed someone who’s a key to your season, our apologies.

A note on Gerrit Cole (RHP, NYY): he had Tommy John surgery with an InternalBrace to reinforce the replaced tissue as it heals. We’ve seen speculation that this could make for a quicker recovery than the usual TJS. While that’s possible, this hybrid technique is much too new to assess its impact on odds of success and recovery time. TJS recovery is so variable to begin with, that one or two return on the early side don’t tell us much, anyway.

Roman Anthony (OF, BOS)
Wilyer Abreu (OF, BOS)
Marcelo Mayer (SS, BOS)
Mookie Betts (SS, LA)
Jacob deGrom (RHP, TEX)
Connor Wong (C, BOS)
Triston Casas (1B, BOS)
The Red Sox clubhouse battled a bad stomach bug this spring. Apparently, it was so virulent that former Red Sox players (and a guy in Texas) were susceptible as well. Most of these players are past their sickness, but they may be physically depleted. Betts in particular is quite fatigued. Abreu is just getting back into action and may be the only one of the group to hit the IL as a result. However, it may take a few weeks before any of them are at 100%.
2025 Impact: Potential for reduced output early in the season
Est. Return: Opening Day, except Abreu
Worry-O-Meter: 1.25

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Cody Bradford (LHP, TEX) – L elbow soreness (3/12/25)
“No structural damage.” Yay! However, regular readers of this space will understand that this has limited informational value—it could still be something structural. If it’s not a UCL injury, it could be a nerve issue or tendonitis; details are scarce. He’ll be shut down for four weeks and will then need 3-4 weeks to ramp up, assuming he’s right as rain at that point. Don’t count on it.
2025 Impact: High risk; Risk of season-ending injury
Est. Return: Early/mid-May, best case
Worry-O-Meter: 3+

Jon Gray (RHP, TEX) – R wrist fracture (3/13/25)
He was hit in the wrist by a batted ball, and a fracture is confirmed. This is an unusual injury for a pitcher, and a bit concerning. We know that certain fractures in the wrist (e.g., the hamate) can cause weakness in the hand and wrist than can extend well beyond the healing of the fracture. However, it’s only an issue if he has difficulty gripping the ball, so chances are, he’ll come back okay.
2025 Impact: Potential for reduced production
Est. Return: Late May/early June
Worry-O-Meter: 2

Jesús Sánchez (OF, MIA) – L side injury (3/13/25)
This is likely an oblique or lat strain, and we don’t know the severity as of yet, though he’s expected to miss Opening Day. We’ll project a Grade 1 strain for now.
2025 Impact: Unkown severity/location
Est. Return: Mid-April is likely
Worry-O-Meter: 2

Tyler Stephenson (C, CIN) – Oblique strain (3/12/25)
This is described as “low grade,” and there’s reason to believe it can heal quicker than most oblique strains. It was first thought to be a back injury, which suggests that the tear is lower down, where the oblique wraps around the back more. The muscle is thinner there, which should mean faster healing. At the same time, a catcher needs a fully health oblique, so it may linger like many do.
2025 Impact: Possible lingering injury; Risk of recurrence
Est. Return: Mid-late April
Worry-O-Meter: 2

Jeff McNeil (2B, NYM) – R oblique strain (3/12/25)
This looks like a typical oblique, but he may need an extra week or two to finish out his spring ramp-up.
2025 Impact: Possible lingering injury; Risk of recurrence
Est. Return: Mid-late April
Worry-O-Meter: 2

Jurickson Profar (OF, ATL) – L wrist, bone bruise (3/8/25)
He says he’ll be back by Opening Day, and that’s possible (note, however: the player is usually the worst source of injury news). We usually figure a month or more, but as with any bruise, it’s the severity that matters. There’s a definite chance he’s not ready by Opening Day, and a good possibility that his production is affected for a couple of weeks after he returns.
2025 Impact: Potential for reduced output when he first returns
Est. Return: Opening Day/mid-April
Worry-O-Meter: 2

Francisco Alvarez (C, NYM) – L wrist fracture (3/7/25)
This is often a season-long issue, as it’s a hamate fracture, which can affect strength in the wrist long after the bone is healed. However, it’s his bottom hand, which is much less involved in producing power, so that’s good news. He may still be affected when he returns, but it should be less severe and for a shorter period.
2025 Impact: Possibility of reduced production when he first returns
Est. Return: Late April/early May
Worry-O-Meter: 2

Giancarlo Stanton (DH, NYY) – Both elbows, tennis elbow (Since 2024) UPDATE
This is really an off-season injury, which we covered in a column last week. However, our worst fears now seem confirmed. This is a strange injury for a baseball player, as the tendon in question isn’t greatly stressed by swinging. It can be a weight-lifting injury, however, so that's a possible explanation. The problem is that not only has it not gotten better, but it’s gotten worse. If rest and rehab aren’t getting it done, surgery is an option, but the surgery is far from a guarantee. This could be a career-ending injury.
2025 Impact: High probability of being out for the season
Est. Return: August, best case. 2026, maybe.
Worry-O-Meter: 4

George Kirby (RHP, SEA) – R shoulder inflammation (3/5/25)
There’s no real diagnosis, but they saw nothing concerning on his imaging. He was give a “biologics” injection (platelet rich plasma, perhaps) on 3/13 in the hope that would help him heal quicker. That’s still TBD. Best case is that he’s pain free this week and gets back to throwing, but at this point he’s likely to miss the first 2-3 weeks of the season. Even longer if the pain lingers.
2025 Impact: Variable recovery time; Elevated risk
Est. Return: Mid-/late April if all goes well
Worry-O-Meter: 3
 

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