FunnellVision - Every team's biggest injury (AL West)
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Injuries are starting to pile up as we get closer to the start of the regular season. As such, decisions will need to be made regarding who makes the Opening Day roster and who will begin the season on the Injured List. And it’s those choices that we, the fantasy baseball community, wait for because they affect how we will edit our own rosters for when games begin. With that in mind, here are the biggest injuries that each team in the American League West is facing.
Sacramento Athletics: Jacob Lopez (elbow)
The good news for the Athletics is that they don’t currently have many injuries. In fact, they’re one of the healthiest teams in baseball right now. As such, there’s a player who battled through injuries last season that could be the foundation of their success: Jacob Lopez.
This was a very telling interview, which also goes through how he dealt with back injuries as well. Despite that, he still had himself an outstanding year that saw him dominate for most of the season. He’s worked hard on maintaining his health in the offseason and has looked good this spring. Will that continue? A lot of that hinges on how his body responds. The hope is that the soft tissue issue doesn’t pop up again and cause more pain, but both he and the doctors believe that they’ve dealt with it properly. If he’s at his best, the Athletics have a chance.
Houston Astros: Josh Hader (shoulder)
Note: I really wanted to discuss Yordan Alvarex here, but he is healthy. He will be the team’s primary DH in an effort to alleviate the risk of injury, as the team’s best offensive weapon looks to get in a full season of work. Instead, the Astros' bullpen has a big hole at the end of games, and it’s unclear when it will be filled.
While this is good news that he has and will continue to throw bullpens, the team would be wise to take their time with him. There’s obviously something not right after injuring himself last summer. He suffered a shoulder capsule strain, and while his time away has exceeded the typical timeline, he’s still not yet ready for Opening Day. He will begin the year on the Injured List, and the team has said that it’s because he’s run out of time to get himself ready. However, there’s something about all of this that doesn’t seem right, and, call it a hunch, but I think he misses extensive time.
Los Angeles Angels: Grayson Rodriguez (arm)
On the verge of a potential comeback, we got word that Grayson Rodriguez was suffering from “dead arm” after pitching this spring. Should the team be worried?
It doesn’t sound like the team will rush Rodriguez back, and that’s a good thing. He is someone with one of the most extensive injury histories in all of baseball, missing all of last season with multiple injuries. They traded for him in the offseason, but did so with the intention of turning him into a long-term project. They were intrigued by his potential and his contract and realized that they had a chance to mold him into what they believed he could be. His injury seems minor, but in the meantime, their starting rotation looks a little weak, with Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson taking the reins every fourth and fifth day. They need him back, but they need him healthy. He is still worth taking a shot on in fantasy, but only at a reduced cost.
Seattle Mariners: Bryce Miller (oblique)
Bryce Miller continues to be one of the most perplexing players in baseball in terms of injuries and health.
Full disclaimer: I don’t know what to think about Bryce Miller. He admitted that last year’s elbow inflammation was something that he experienced in 2024. He said that he had bone chips that would need to be surgically removed in the offseason, but instead chose rest. Now, as he ramps up, he injures his oblique. Could this be because he didn’t have a full offseason of throwing or because he was modifying his release to help alleviate the aforementioned conditions? I don’t know. I am in full “Conspiracy Dave” mode here. There’s something up, and I am avoiding him at all costs come draft day. Then again, teammate Bryan Woo confused me, too, and he’s been great, so who the heck knows?
Texas Rangers: Nathan Eovaldi (sports hernia)
This was the first team in the series where I legitimately didn’t know who to write about. I almost went with Sebastian Walcott, but ultimately decided on someone whose health is hinged on this team’s chance for success in 2026.
This is a feel-good story, as Eovaldi, who has had many injuries in the past, had his 2025 season cut short with a rotator cuff strain in August. He later received offseason sports hernia surgery, causing some concern that he wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day. Instead, he battled all offseason to get healthy, has had himself a great Spring Training, and is now the team’s Opening Day starter. He was one of baseball’s best pitchers last year, and if he can come close to replicating that, he gives the Rangers a wonderful 1-2 option at the top of their rotation. His health is important for Texas to have a shot in a tough division.