We are inching ever so close to the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline as clubs around the league either make a push for the postseason or sell off assets in the hopes of being on the buying end in the coming seasons.
There’s been more turnover on the injury front over the last seven days, as some notable names have come off the injured list while others were not so fortunate.
Let’s take a look at this week’s injury stash rankings as we suggest who is worth your precious IL spots while attempting to tailor or advance toward both redraft and dynasty leagues.
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Fantasy Baseball Injury Stash Rankings
Top 10 Players to Stash Right Now
Aaron Judge (OF – NYY)
Corey Seager (SS – TEX)
Mike Trout (OF – LAA)
Cedric Mullins (OF – BAL)
Clayton Kershaw (SP – LAD)
Max Fried (SP – ATL)
Hunter Greene (SP – CIN)
Chris Sale (SP – BOS)
Brandon Woodruff (SP – MIL)
Oneil Cruz (SS – PIT)
The biggest addition to this week’s must-stash list is Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager who has made his second trip to the IL this season, this time due to a sprained right thumb. The good news this time around is that this ailment should only keep Seager out a couple of weeks, not the month-long absence his hamstring cost him earlier in the season.
Fantasy managers will be happy to know that Mike Trout has taken some dry swings but still has a ways to go in his recovery. Braves fans held their collective breath when it was announced Max Fried was scratched from his latest scheduled rehab appearance but exhaled when it was revealed his absence was due to an illness, not the forearm injury he is currently rehabbing.
Chris Sale is set for a rehab assignment if Thursday’s live bullpen session in Worcester goes to plan, good news for both fantasy managers and the suddenly white-hot Red Sox, who are just 1.5 games back of the rival Blue Jays and somewhat shockingly seven games back of the first-place Orioles in the AL East.
Nick Lodolo is the 11th man on this list, but the nod went to Oneil Cruz as he will return in August, while Lodolo won’t be available until September, limiting his value in redraft leagues.
Folks, we saved the best for last. The top name on any stash list is about to be activated, as Aaron Judge will be back in action on Friday when the New York Yankees take on the rival Baltimore Orioles. Judge took part in a five-inning simulated game on Tuesday and will not require an official rehab assignment prior to returning despite being out since June 3. That’s how badly the Bombers need Judge’s bat back in their lineup.
Needless to say, there will be a new name atop this list next week.
Top 8 Pitchers to Stash Right Now
Clayton Kershaw (SP – LAD)
Max Fried (SP – ATL)
Hunter Greene (SP – CIN)
Chris Sale (SP – BOS)
Brandon Woodruff (SP – MIL)
Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN)
Shane Bieber (SP – CLE)
Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE)
There wasn’t much change on the pitching front over the last week as our list simply swaps out Merrill Kelly for Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie.
Kelly returned from the injured list to toss six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts after missing a month’s worth of action. The righty owns a strong 3.12 ERA across 17 starts this season.
As for McKenzie, the young right-hander is dealing with an elbow issue that forced him to the 60-day IL. He’s out until at least mid-August, but reports suggest his absence will be extended beyond that timeline. Nonetheless, McKenzie is absolutely worth stashing in dynasty leagues despite his injury-plagued 2023 season considering his 3.70 ERA and 27.3% strikeout rate across his first 66 big-league appearances.
Lastly, Shane Bieber has been transferred to the 60-day injured list and will not be available to fantasy managers before Sept. 10 as he deals with elbow and forearm issues. Bieber owns a 3.77 ERA on the season but has disappointed the most with his severely diminished 19.4% strikeout rate. That in itself has driven Bieber down our rankings.
Top 8 Hitters to Stash Right Now
Aaron Judge (OF – NYY)
Corey Seager (SS – TEX)
Mike Trout (OF – LAA)
Cedric Mullins (OF – BAL)
Oneil Cruz (SS – PIT)
Trevor Story (2B, SS – BOS)
Royce Lewis (SS – MIN)
Jazz Chisholm (2B, OF – MIA)
There is a glut of shortstops on this week’s list, led by Seager at the top and finishing with the Twins’ Royce Lewis.
Lewis is currently dealing with an oblique injury but has begun playing catch and taking swings. He’s done nothing but hit in his brief big-league tenure, hitting .319 with six homers, one steal, and a .839 OPS across 140 trips to the plate. Fantasy managers are correct to be wary of the 24-year-old’s injury history, but Lewis has raked since missing the pandemic-shortened 2020 season as well as the 2021 season due to injuries.
Trevor Story is a new name on this list as it has been fairly unclear on his status throughout the season, but he suddenly could be available to the Red Sox this weekend as he is currently rehabbing at Double-A. Story’s production has dipped over the last two seasons, but he still homered 16 times with 13 steals across 94 games in 2022. Whether he can come out of the gate hot and reward patient fantasy managers remains to be seen.
Jazz Chisholm remains sidelined with an oblique injury and was still not ready to take swings as of last Friday. His power and speed combination is certainly worth stashing at the second-base position at just 25 years of age.
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