If you're overrun with injuries, this list will help you prioritize
By Scott White
• 4 min read
A whole 22 names from my last IL stash rankings two weeks ago have been activated, so you might think I'd have trouble filling out a top 50 this time around. But no, it seems like just as many have been added during that time, which means I still have to exclude several long-term stashes like Robbie Ray, Dustin May and Luis Garcia (the Astros version).
The truth is that few people have the luxury of stashing such players anyway. Their IL space is already overrun, forcing them into some difficult decisions with the overflow. Maybe they can commit a bench spot or two to an injured player, but any more than that will cost them too much in the short term.
These rankings are to help with those difficult decisions, prioritizing players mostly by how impactful they are when healthy but also by how much time they figure to miss. In particular, I want to draw your attention to Mike Trout, who ended up needing the lesser form of a meniscus repair. The Angels haven't offered a timetable, but six weeks is fairly common, putting him returning around mid-June. As you can see, he's my No. 2 injured player to stash.
I'd also like to note Wyatt Langford at 15. I've come close to dropping him myself in a shallow league with only three IL spots (currently occupied by Trea Turner, Gerrit Cole and Steven Kwan), but I've so far resisted, still confident that his rookie struggles will eventually give way to game-changing production. This hamstring injury is an unfortunate delay, but you still have far more to lose than gain by dropping him.
Too valuable to drop, period
| 1 | Trea Turner Philadelphia Phillies SS |
| strained hamstring - hitting, fielding and doing agility drills, but still likely a month away | |
| 2 | Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels CF |
| knee surgery - had less extensive meniscus repair, so could be back by mid-June | |
| 3 | Luis Robert Chicago White Sox CF |
| strained hip flexor - expected to begin rehab assignment this week and return in late May | |
| 4 | Royce Lewis Minnesota Twins 3B |
| strained quadriceps -ramping up to baserunning, could begin rehabbing in next week or two | |
| 5 | Grayson Rodriguez Baltimore Orioles SP |
| shoulder inflammation - could skip rehab assignment and be activated this weekend | |
| 6 | Bobby Miller Los Angeles Dodgers SP |
| shoulder inflammation - looks good in bullpen sessions; rehab assignment expected soon | |
| 7 | Blake Snell San Francisco Giants SP |
| strained groin - dominant in first rehab start, scheduled for one more | |
| 8 | Evan Phillips Los Angeles Dodgers RP |
| strained hamstring - could be back by the end of the week | |
| 9 | Ryan Pepiot Tampa Bay Rays SP |
| leg contusion - already throwing bullpen sessions, setting him up to return next week | |
| 10 | Nick Lodolo Cincinnati Reds SP |
| strained groin - pitched with injury last time out, hoping for minimal stay | |
| 11 | Max Scherzer Texas Rangers SP |
| back surgery - rehab interrupted by thumb injury; back to throwing but several weeks away | |
| 12 | Gerrit Cole New York Yankees SP |
| pinched nerve in elbow - throwing bullpen sessions, likely still 3-4 weeks away | |
| 13 | Josh Jung Texas Rangers 3B |
| fractured wrist - no news recently, but late May was on the table as of last report | |
| 14 | Steven Kwan Cleveland Guardians LF |
| strained hamstring - injury considered "acute" and will sideline him for a month | |
| 15 | Kodai Senga New York Mets SP |
| strained shoulder - has backed off throwing program to work on mechanics, likely delaying return | |
Also really difficult to drop
| 16 | Wyatt Langford Texas Rangers DH |
| strained hamstring - running at 85-90 percent speed, expected to miss another 2-3 weeks | |
| 17 | Nolan Jones Colorado Rockies LF |
| strained back - began rehab assignment Wednesday, so likely just a few days away | |
| 18 | Joe Musgrove San Diego Padres SP |
| elbow inflammation - returned to playing catch last weekend, could return this weekend | |
| 19 | Nathan Eovaldi Texas Rangers SP |
| strained groin - could throw off mound this weekend, with possible return next week | |
| 20 | Sean Murphy Atlanta Braves C |
| strained oblique - back to hitting in cage, should begin rehab assignment next week | |
| 21 | Rhys Hoskins Milwaukee Brewers 1B |
| strained hamstring - sounds like just a tweak, so he shouldn't be sidelined for long | |
| 22 | Dansby Swanson Chicago Cubs SS |
| sprained knee - no timetable offered, but seems like it could be a multi-week injury | |
| 23 | Triston Casas Boston Red Sox 1B |
| cartilage tear in rib - not eligible to return until late June; exact timetable unknown | |
| 24 | Merrill Kelly Arizona Diamondbacks SP |
| strained shoulder - moved to 60-day IL, so late-June return is the earliest possible | |
| 25 | TJ Friedl Cincinnati Reds CF |
| fractured thumb - had just returned from fractured wrist but now could be out another 4-6 weeks | |
Still a priority on some level
| 26 | Brandon Lowe Tampa Bay Rays 2B |
| strained oblique - expected to resume rehab assignment after doctor ruled discomfort was normal | |
| 27 | Christian Encarnacion-Strand Cincinnati Reds 1B |
| fractured wrist - only about a week into 4-to-6-week timetable | |
| 28 | Lane Thomas Washington Nationals RF |
| sprained knee - back to hitting, but running will be the real test | |
| 29 | Jorge Soler San Francisco Giants DH |
| strained shoulder - already on rehab assignment after short stint, so weekend return possible | |
| 30 | Devin Williams Milwaukee Brewers RP |
| fractures in back - close to playing catch, still won't return until after All-Star break | |
| 31 | Michael Conforto San Francisco Giants LF |
| strained hamstring - no timetable offered but likely not a long-term absence | |
| 32 | Ke'Bryan Hayes Pittsburgh Pirates 3B |
| back inflammation - no timetable offered but likely not a long-term absence | |
| 33 | Francisco Alvarez New York Mets C |
| thumb surgery - stitches removed, but still just three weeks into eight-week timetable | |
| 34 | Tommy Edman St. Louis Cardinals 2B |
| wrist surgery - recently progressed from hitting off a tee to hitting soft toss | |
| 35 | Gavin Williams Cleveland Guardians SP |
| elbow inflammation - has resumed throwing after brief shutdown, at least a month away still | |
| 36 | Shane Baz Tampa Bay Rays SP |
| Tommy John surgery - has struggled through two rehab starts; return doesn't appear imminent | |
| 37 | Eduardo Rodriguez Arizona Diamondbacks SP |
| strained lat - recently resumed throwing program after having to shut down last time | |
| 38 | Willson Contreras St. Louis Cardinals C |
| fractured forearm - given 10-week timetable after surgery, putting him out until mid-July | |
| 39 | Jeffrey Springs Tampa Bay Rays SP |
| Tommy John surgery - scheduled for extended spring game May 20, making July return possible | |
| 40 | Garrett Whitlock Boston Red Sox SP |
| strained oblique - scheduled for rehab start Wednesday, may only need the one | |
| 41 | J.P. Crawford Seattle Mariners SS |
| strained oblique - set to begin rehab assignment Tuesday, could return by end of the week | |
Stashing is purely a luxury
| 42 | Matt McLain Cincinnati Reds SS |
| shoulder surgery - cleared to throw and run, will begin swinging bat in six weeks | |
| 43 | Jacob deGrom Texas Rangers SP |
| Tommy John surgery - throwing from flat ground, won't return until late in the year | |
| 44 | Jasson Dominguez New York Yankees CF |
| Tommy John surgery - on rehab assignment, but expected to be optioned once it's concluded | |
| 45 | Jung Hoo Lee San Francisco Giants CF |
| dislocated shoulder - has structural damage, which likely means long-term absence | |
| 46 | Kris Bryant Colorado Rockies DH |
| strained back - beginning rehab assignment Tuesday with an eye on returning this weekend | |
| 47 | Masataka Yoshida Boston Red Sox DH |
| strained thumb - surgery ruled out but still weeks away from swinging a bat | |
| 48 | Chas McCormick Houston Astros LF |
| strained hamstring - on rehab assignment, but role unclear after arrival of Joey Loperfido | |
| 49 | DJ LeMahieu New York Yankees 3B |
| fractured foot - going through full workout Thursday in anticipation of rehab assignment Friday | |
| 50 | Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers SP |
| shoulder surgery - throwing bullpen sessions but not expected back until second half | |
Our Latest Fantasy Baseball Stories
Week 9 Trade Values Chart
Chris Towers • 6 min read
Prospects: Dominguez surging
Scott White • 10 min read
Five stud closers fighting for their job
Scott White • 4 min read
Positive signs for 10 pitchers
Scott White • 1 min read
Waivers: Matos, Manoah top the list
Scott White • 1 min read
Week 9 sleeper hitters
Scott White • 1 min read
-
-
Week 9 Trade Values Chart
Chris Towers 6 min read
-
Prospects: Dominguez surging
Scott White 10 min read
-
Five stud closers fighting for their job
Scott White 4 min read
-
Positive signs for 10 pitchers
Scott White 1 min read
-
Waivers: Matos, Manoah top the list
Scott White 1 min read
-
Week 9 sleeper hitters
Scott White 1 min read
-
Week 9 two-start SP rankings
Scott White 1 min read
-
Week 9 sleeper pitchers
Scott White 1 min read
-
Waivers: There may be something to Assad
Scott White 1 min read
