Griffin Canning

Griffin Canning

29-Year-Old PitcherSP
San Diego Padres
15-Day IL
Injury Achilles
Est. Return 4/27/2026
2026 Fantasy Outlook
Canning was pacing to his best fantasy production of his career, right up to the point his left achilles tendon ruptured as he bounced off the mound to back up a play at third base after throwing a pitch to Nick Allen. Canning underwent surgery a few days later, and it is likely Canning will not be ready for the start of the regular season. The timing of the injury could not be worse for Canning as he was entering free agency this winter, and this injury was another reminder of Canning's issues staying healthy oudside of the 2020 and 2024 seasons. Canning made some adjustments to his repertoire including using a cutter against righties and ramping up his slider usage and dialing back his changeup usage a bit. He was throwing four pitch types to righties and five pitch types to lefties keeping them off balance, and more importantly, keeping the ball in the yard for the first time in his career. You should be able to grab Canning in the reserves if you have that option as we wait to hear about a firm timeline for his return, wherever he lands this winter. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Rest of Season
From Preseason
#390
ADP
Signed a one-year contract with the Padres in February of 2026.
Likely to need two more rehab starts
PSan Diego Padres
Achilles
April 15, 2026
Canning (Achilles) struck out four and allowed one earned run on three hits and three walks across 3.1 innings Friday while making his second rehab start at Triple-A El Paso.
Analysis
Canning got stretched out to 62 pitches in Friday's outing, but he's still expected to make at least a couple more rehab starts prior to being activated from the 15-day injured list, per Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune. The 29-year-old posted a 3.77 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 16 starts with the Mets in 2025 before undergoing season-ending surgery shortly before the All-Star break to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon. Once he's activated from the IL, Canning could be a candidate to fill a spot in a San Diego rotation that's currently missing two of its top options in Nick Pivetta (elbow) and Joe Musgrove (elbow).
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2026 MLB Game Log
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Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2024
 
 
-5%
BAA vs RHP
2026
No Stats
2025
 
 
-3%
BAA vs RHP
2024
 
 
-5%
BAA vs RHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2024vs Left .263 558 107 62 129 22 2 21
Since 2024vs Right .251 509 93 39 115 16 2 18
2026vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2026vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2025vs Left .243 172 41 20 37 4 0 5
2025vs Right .236 156 29 15 33 6 1 3
2024vs Left .272 386 66 42 92 18 2 16
2024vs Right .258 353 64 24 82 10 1 15
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Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2024
 
 
-11%
ERA at Home
2026
No Stats
2025
 
 
-37%
ERA on Road
2024
 
 
-27%
ERA at Home
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2024Home 4.50 1.42 132.0 8 5 0 7.6 4.3 1.1
Since 2024Away 5.04 1.36 116.0 5 11 0 6.9 2.9 1.8
2026Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2026Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2025Home 4.62 1.41 39.0 2 2 0 8.5 5.1 0.7
2025Away 2.89 1.34 37.1 5 1 0 8.0 3.1 1.2
2024Home 4.45 1.42 93.0 6 3 0 7.2 4.0 1.3
2024Away 6.06 1.37 78.2 0 10 0 6.4 2.9 2.1
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Griffin Canning See More
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
2023
2021
2020
2019
Canning's major-league career has been plagued by injuries and inconsistent performance. He pitched through some elbow irritation last season en route to a career-high 171.2 innings, but it came with a 5.19 ERA, third worst among qualified starters. Atlanta acquired him from the Angels in late October, only to non-tender him weeks later. His strikeout rate dipped to just 17.6 percent last season, by far a career low, and Canning served up 31 home runs. The right-hander is still just 28 and might be a worthwhile reclamation project. The Mets were the ones to roll the dice, signing Canning to a one-year, $4.25 million contract in December to compete for a rotation spot.
After missing 2022 with a lower-back stress fracture, Canning's season got off to an inauspicious start as began the campaign on the IL with a groin injury. Fortunately, he required only the minimum 15-day visit and went on to toss a career high 127 innings, starting 22 of 24 outings. He did revisit the IL in late July for a calf injury, but only missed three weeks, though it served to keep his inning in check. Considering Canning hadn't thrown a competitive pitch since 2021, his 4.32 ERA was impressive, but a 3.82 xFIP and 3.80 SIERA indicate he pitched even better. His 19.2 percent K-BB percent ranked 22nd among hurlers throwing at least 120 innings. His pitch mix was similar to before he was hurt, but his four-seamer ticked up 1-mph. Even so, Canning's swinging strike rate dropped from 2021, but his called strike rate improved. There's strikeout upside if he can induce more swinging strikes without losing any called strikes. Canning has always yielded homers at a high rate, so he's best used as a streamer, but he can be a sneaky asset if others are scared off by a seemingly high ERA.
Canning was expected to compete for the sixth spot in the Angels' rotation last season, but setbacks from a lower-back stress fracture that first popped up during the previous campaign ruined his spring and eventually wiped out his entire season. The right-hander didn't exactly shine during the previous campaign, posting a 5.60 ERA (5.48 FIP) and 1.48 WHIP over 62.2 innings. Canning has averaged over a strikeout an inning so far as a big-leaguer, but he's had trouble locating his fastball and has posted a 1.6 HR/9 over 209.1 career frames. He'll be about 20 months removed from his last game action when spring training rolls around, so it may take some time for him to work his arm back into shape. He'll be among a group of pitchers vying for a spot at the back of the Angels' rotation, but it may take a strong spring for him to make the Opening Day roster.
Canning was one of the players who benefitted from the shortened season. March drafters did not know what to do with him after he came down with a balky elbow early in camp and received PRP injections. He was a wild card for drafts because many assumed he would go the way of Garrett Richards, Shohei Ohtani and Andrew Heaney before him and eventually have season-ending Tommy John surgery. Canning, in fact, made a full 11 starts in 2020, albeit with lesser results than his impressive 2019 debut. He lost one mph off his fastball, and the league had an easier time with the pitch as it hit .305 off it (.235 xBA). He also cut back his slider usage in favor of more curves, which is understandable given the barking elbow. If he can regain that zip on his fastball with a normal offseason of recovery, things could get interesting in 2021. Health is a risk, but taking on that risk could come with a nice reward.
After three lights-out starts at Triple-A, Canning, the Angels' top pitching prospect, was summoned to the majors in April to bolster a banged-up rotation. He offered immediate aid, posting a 3.06 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 34:9 K:BB across his first six starts. Canning actually did a better job of keeping the ball in the yard thereafter (1.2 HR/9), but a correction in his BABIP and strand rate plus a slight uptick in walks saddled him with a 5.43 ERA over his final 12 turns before he was shelved with elbow inflammation. All in all, it was a promising debut season for Canning, who established himself as a mainstay in the rotation moving forward. Canning's lack of a dominant offering in his four-pitch arsenal probably hinder his chances of emerging as a bona fide ace down the road, but at just 23 years old, there's certainly time for him to improve his skills and change that narrative.
Canning was one of the great in-season helium prospects early on in 2018, but some of that air was let out of the balloon after he advanced to Triple-A. After Canning posted a minuscule 1.97 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 10 starts for Double-A Mobile, he struggled to a 5.49 ERA and 1.53 WHIP with Salt Lake (13 starts). Part of it was just the change in park factors going from the Southern League to the Pacific Coast League -- his HR/FB more than doubled with the jump in levels. However, Canning also lost something from his K-rate (from 27.2% to 24.5%) and the explosion in his opponents' BABIP (from .229 to .376) wasn't all luck and park related as his line-drive rate jumped from 18.3% all the way to 26%. Canning doesn't have any one standout offering, but he has a decent four-pitch mix (fastball, slider, curveball change) and fringe-average command. The Angels will need arms this season, and Canning appears a likely candidate to start at some point.
More Fantasy News
Going on rehab assignment
PSan Diego Padres
Achilles
March 31, 2026
Canning (Achilles) will start for Double-A San Antonio on a rehab assignment Saturday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
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Officially placed on IL
PSan Diego Padres
Achilles
March 25, 2026
The Padres placed Canning (Achilles) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
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Faces hitters
PSan Diego Padres
Achilles
March 25, 2026
Canning (Achilles) pitched against the Mariners in a "B" game on a back field March 20, tossing a scoreless inning with three strikeouts, per MLB.com.
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Could face hitters soon
PSan Diego Padres
Achilles
March 3, 2026
Canning (Achilles) tossed a "high-intensity" bullpen session Tuesday, and his next step could be facing hitters, per MLB.com.
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Will begin season on injured list
PSan Diego Padres
Achilles
February 18, 2026
Canning (Achilles) will begin the season on the injured list but "might not be there for very long," AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could return around May
PSan Diego Padres
March 4, 2026
Canning, who's recovering from an Achilles injury, won't be ready for Opening Day but is expected to be able to return around May or June, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Analysis
The Padres have decided that Canning will start the 2026 season on the injured list, as he's not ready to field his position. That said, the fact that he's already throwing with no issues is certainly a positive sign. Canning suffered the injury while pitching for the Mets in June of 2025.
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