2025 MLB Contender Rankings: The Top 15 Teams and Their Key Injuries

On Friday, prized Phillies trade deadline addition Jhoan Duran was carted off the field after taking a comebacker off his foot. Even scarier, the Phillies announced on Friday that ace Zack Wheeler was dealing with a blood clot in his upper right arm.

On a positive note, Duran was back in action two days later, securing yet another save. The Wheeler situation is more troubling. The Phillies said Monday he had surgery to remove the blood clot with no certainty of his return.  

Of course, every injury this time of year carries more weight, but the Phillies have built a comfortable advantage. They're one of four teams — along with the Brewers, Tigers and Blue Jays — enjoying a division lead of at least five games. 

The Brewers finally lost a game after winning 14 straight on Sunday, while the Dodgers ceded first place to the Padres only to reclaim their spot atop the division in a home sweep against their top division rivals this weekend. In addition, the Yankees got back on track while a trio of teams dropped off our contender rankings entirely, having dropped more than five games out of a playoff spot. (The Rangers, Cardinals and Giants will have a chance to return to the list with a better week ahead.) 

Here are our latest rankings, along with injury updates for each contender. 

Will Cole Ragans be back for the stretch run? He's back to throwing bullpens and could return to the club next month. With breakout starter Kris Bubic out for the year, Ragans’ availability is all the more important. The Royals are still a longshot for the postseason, but meetings against the Nationals and White Sox last week at least helped them stay in the hunt. 

This team is mostly healthy, but that doesn’t mean it’s complete. Losing two