MLB Injury Report: Neck strain sends Max Meyer to injured list, Adley Rutschman sidelined with wrist issue

In this week’s Injury Report, the Marlins lose breakout starter Max Meyer to the injured list with a neck strain. Adley Rutschman is sidelined with a wrist injury. And things are looking promising for Kyle Harrison as he recovers from a bout of forearm inflammation. All that and more as we cover all of the most relevant injury news around the league.

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Max Meyer (neck)

Meyer had an abbreviated outing on Saturday against the Brewers, ending his day after 74 pitches through three innings. On Monday, the Marlins placed the 27-year-old breakout right-hander on the 15-day injured list with a neck strain. It’s unknown how much time Meyer is expected to miss or the severity of the injury. He was approaching a career-high in innings pitched with 111. Meyer had combined for 115 innings in 2024 between Triple-A and the majors. He’s stepped up as the team’s ace this season, posting a 2.68 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts.

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Adley Rutschman (wrist)

Rutschman sat out Sunday’s contest against the Royals before he was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday with left wrist inflammation. He’ll likely undergo imaging to determine the severity of the issue. It’s the third trip to the injured list for the 28-year-old backstop. He’s been limited to 67 games, hitting .251/.331/.433 with eight homers and 47 RBI across 284 plate appearances. Samuel Basallo is also working through a shoulder issue. The team promoted Chadwick Tromp for catching depth behind Basallo and Sam Huff.

Kyle Harrison (forearm)

Brandon Woodruff (shoulder)

Harrison threw a bullpen session on Saturday after MRI results revealed no structural damage. He came away from the throwing session with no issues, another encouraging update since he was placed on the 15-day injured list with left forearm tightness. The next step would be for Harrison to face live hitters, but there’s a chance for him to return when first eligible on Friday, if not shortly after. Meanwhile, an update on Woodruff over the weekend wasn’t as favorable. The 33-year-old right-hander will undergo right shoulder capsule surgery, ending his season. Woodruff had a similar procedure in 2023 that cost him nearly a year and a half. While a second surgery would be difficult to come back from, he plans to continue pitching. Though he may not be ready until well into 2027.

Aaron Judge (ribs)

Judge was transferred to the 60-day injured list with an update after he underwent follow-up imaging on his fractured right ribcage. The imaging revealed some healing for the 34-year-old slugger, but he’s still not cleared to resume baseball activities. Judge will need to wait until he’s completely symptom-free before ramping things up. For now, he’s limited to lower body work and neck excercises. With his placement on the 60-day injured list, he won’t be eligible to return until early August, but he remains without a timeline, with September being a more realistic possibility.

Trevor Story (abdomen)

Story has been on the injured list since late May after undergoing sports hernia surgery, a procedure that came with an 8-12 week timeline. The 33-year-old shortstop has progressed to taking batting practice and will ramp up his running progression before he’s cleared for a minor league rehab assignment, something he’s hoping to do by the beginning of August. Story’s return sometime in August would be a boost for a surging Red Sox team, though it shouldn’t preclude them from acquiring more middle infield depth at the trade deadline.

Bobby Witt Jr. (back)

Witt was held out of Sunday’s contest against the Padres with back tightness and was back in the Royals lineup on Monday for the team’s series opener against the Giants. He departed in the fourth inning after going 0-for-1 with a walk with lower back tightness. While the 26-year-old star has been able to avoid the injured list so far this season, he’s played a little banged up as he’s been forced to miss some games due to recurring knee issues. While he’s produced a solid season, it hasn’t quite been up to his upper-echelon standards, slashing .280/.350/.451 with 13 homers, 51 runs scored, 39 RBI, and 30 steals across 414 plate appearances. His situation will be one to monitor in the coming days.

Otto Lopez (finger)

Things look optimistic with Lopez and his availability in the coming days. He sat out a pair of games after taking a ground ball off his right ring finger on Saturday and experiencing some discomfort holding a bat. His initial X-rays came back negative, a good sign that he won’t be sidelined much longer. Still, it’s worth monitoring. The 27-year-old infielder is in the middle of a breakout season, hitting .335/.368/.505 with nine homers, 61 runs scored, 46 RBI, and 18 steals across 419 plate appearances.

Connelly Early (elbow)

Two weeks ago, it was reported that Early was receiving a second opinion on his ailing left elbow after he hit the injured list with inflammation. He must have gotten relatively good news, as he began a throwing progression on Friday, increasing his throwing distance from 75 feet to 90 feet. The 24-year-old left-hander will continue to ramp up his throwing program with the goal of rejoining the rotation sometime in the second half, barring any setbacks. Early enjoyed an excellent first half of his rookie campaign, posting a 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 93 strikeouts over 91 2/3 innings.

Zack Gelof (knee)

Nick Kurtz (thumb)

Gelof has been out since July 9 after suffering a knee laceration during a diving catch in the outfield. He’s due to have his stitches removed on Tuesday and will begin baseball activities. How his knee responds to running could determine how quickly he can return to the A’s lineup, as he may not need any rehab games. Meanwhile, Kurtz has been on the injured list since July 10 with a right thumb capsule sprain. He began baseball activities, including a hitting progression and fielding grounders, with a goal to possibly return later this week.

Kyle Teel (ankle)

Colson Montgomery (shin)

Both Teel and Montgomery made early exits from Monday’s game against the Rangers. Teel required assistance leaving the field following a play at the plate in the second inning in which he appeared to get his leg caught under him as he twisted in an attempt to tag a runner out. He’ll undergo further evaluation and imaging with hopes that he’s avoided a serious injury. Montgomery seems to have dodged a bullet. He departed in the seventh after fouling a ball off of his right shin. X-rays have already ruled out any fractures, so he’s likely just bruised up. He may need an extra day or two off, but he shouldn’t be facing a lengthy absence.

Julio Rodríguez (leg)

Rodríguez was removed from Monday’s game against the Reds just two days after returning from the 7-day concussion injured list. He was hit on the left hamstring on a throw by Elly De La Cruz as Rodríguez legged out an infield single. He remained in the game through the fifth inning before heading through the tunnel with an athletic trainer between innings. We should have more clarity on the situation on Tuesday.