MLB injury reshuffle: Rays lose Griffin Jax, Nathan Eovaldi sidelined, Hunter Greene set for elbow surgery as Dodgers brace for Snell’s return

In an MLB injury week that again centered on elbow trouble, several teams had to rethink their near-term pitching plans. According to Yahoo Sports’ MLB Injury Report, the Rays lost Griffin Jax with an elbow injury, Nathan Eovaldi was sidelined with elbow inflammation, and Hunter Greene is expected to miss the rest of the season as he prepares to undergo elbow surgery.

For Tampa Bay, Griffin Jax’s injury is an immediate stress test for late-inning depth and, depending on how the team shortens its rotation, for the broader bullpen workload. Elbow injuries to pitchers can change how aggressively a club uses leverage arms, particularly late in games when bullpen fatigue becomes a factor. Even without granular medical timelines, losing a key arm pushes the Rays into quicker-than-ideal sequencing choices for their relief corps and spot starters.

The report also put Nathan Eovaldi’s status in question with elbow inflammation. In-season inflammation is often managed conservatively, which typically means a pause in starts and a longer runway before a meaningful return. For a team relying on a starting pitcher’s ability to give multiple innings, even a short absence can ripple outward, forcing managers to either stretch candidates in the rotation or turn more to the bullpen earlier than desired.

Hunter Greene’s situation is the most season-altering development in the injury roundup. Yahoo Sports reported that his season is effectively over and that he is set to undergo elbow surgery. When a pitcher moves from day-to-day management to the surgery stage, there is usually no quick workaround for the remainder of the schedule, and the club’s postseason pitching planning becomes more about what can be built from the remaining starters and bullpen options rather than what might return later.

While the league dealt with multiple setbacks, the Dodgers’ note of optimism is tied to a specific return date. Yahoo Sports reported that Blake Snell is set to return on Tuesday, with his comeback planned against the Royals. For Los Angeles, the value of a midweek return is not just about one healthy starter. It can stabilize the rotation turn, preserve bullpen arms for high-leverage usage, and reduce the likelihood of cascading lineup changes across the following starts.

The Royals opponent matters for evaluating how the Dodgers might manage the first look back. Matchups can influence pitch counts, bullpen planning, and how quickly a pitcher is allowed to reach his preferred workload. Still, teams rarely rush a returning starter to a full expected pitch volume if there is any sensitivity remaining, even when the calendar says the pitcher is back.

Going forward, the league will watch how quickly the affected pitchers progress from “sidelined” to “ready,” and how their teams distribute innings in the meantime. With elbow-related issues, the immediate next step is often less about recovery milestones that can be announced publicly, and more about day-to-day bullpen/rotation responses that show whether the discomfort has truly settled. Tuesday’s game for Snell will be the first visible checkpoint for that return plan, while the Rays’ next few outings will show how they patch the Jax absence into a sustainable late-season mix.