Another week of baseball means another week of injuries. Last weeks' injuries were troublesome, but at least there were some positive updates on guys closing in on their return to the big leagues.
The injury bug continues to take out stars in MLB, as the Houston Astros lost a key slugger in their lineup. In addition, the Toronto Blue Jays are still without a key piece to their rotation. Lastly, a Dodgers reliever underwent a poor performance in his first rehab assignment.
Let's explore their injuries in more detail and how it could impact the 2025 season.
Astros, Blue Jays, and Dodgers receive bad news on a trio of stars
Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
The Astros' slugger landed on the shelf with inflammation in his right hand on May 5th. Alvarez's diagnosis following an MRI that was performed on May 7th is that his right hand contains a muscle strain.
The next steps involved will be for the 27-year-old to take the time to recover and rest before he can leap back into the starting lineup. This injury has severely impacted Alvarez to date, as he's having a career-worst season in terms of production. Alvarez is sporting a .210 batting average with a -0.4 WAR and just three home runs.
His timeline remains uncertain, though expect the Astros to play it slow with his recovery. Their lineup needs the best version of Alvarez is they hope to compete in the AL West.
Max Scherzer, Toronto Blue Jays
It's been a frustrating 2025 season for 40-year-old three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. He's been dealing with a lingering thumb issue since last season. On May 5th, Scherzer was transferred to the 60-day injury list, as part of a bunch of roster moves made by the Blue Jyas.
Scherzer will not be eligible to return to the rotation until May 26th at the earliest. This leaves the Blue Jays in a tight spot, with their backup option in Triple-A, Jake Bloss, also landing on the injury list following imaging performed on his right elbow.
The veteran has not pitched on the mound since March 29, when he gave up two home runs and was taken out of the game after three innings. The 17-20 Blue Jays need Scherzer to return quickly and perform at least like a No. 4 starter behind the trio of Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, and Kevin Gausman.
Michael Kopech, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech experienced struggles in his first rehab assignment appearance (May 8th) with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Walks crept up on the 29-year-old, as he gave a free pass to each of the five batters he faced on the night.,
Considering his poor performance, he will need to take several more turn on the mound in Triple-A before he can rejoin the Dodgers' bullpen. Injuries have taken a toll on the Dodgers pitching staff this year, but the NL West's first-place team can't rush back a pitcher who can't find the strike zone after returning from a serious shoulder injury.