In our first article, we discussed how we didn’t have many hitters on the injured list (IL), but that changed quickly. Unfortunately, this situation will be fluid all year because baseball is a brutal sport. It’s demanding for these guys to stay healthy every day in a 162-game season. Our goal is to help you understand which ones are worth holding. With that in mind, we’ll look at some of these new injuries and how they impact your fantasy teams.
Let’s dive into this week’s rankings and determine who is worth those precious IL spots.
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2024 Fantasy Baseball Injury Stashes
Pitchers to Stash Right Now
Walker Buehler is the best stash in fantasy because he could be back soon. The former All-Star threw 54 pitches in a rehab start on Sunday, building his way back to a return. This guy has a 2.95 ERA and 1.02 WHIP since his rookie season and should return to that level when he takes the mound sometime in the next month. We expect about two more starts in the minors and then a return near the end of April.
Gerrit Cole suffered the most disappointing spring training injury, dealing with some elbow issues. The good news is that surgery is off the table and he could resume a program in about two weeks. He did land on the 60-Day IL, but there’s some speculation he could return right after it. Cole is the best pitcher in baseball when he’s right.
Justin Verlander has been healthy for a month but didn’t have enough time to build up his arm for the start of the season. The former Cy Young winner threw 52 pitches in a simulated game on Monday and could be sent on a rehab assignment over the next week. A few starts should have him ready to return at the end of April.
Justin Steele suffered a hamstring strain in his debut, which is sad since he was mowing down the world champs. The good news is that it’s not an arm issue and Steele is expected to return sometime in May. A Grade 1 strain is the best possible scenario, so don’t be surprised to see Steele fully recover and return to the stud we saw last season.
Max Scherzer was supposed to miss more time. Sticking him on the 15-Day IL shows how optimistic Texas is about his status. The former Cy Young winner could return sometime in May, throwing a bullpen session earlier in the week. This stud has a 2.83 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over the last three years and is one of the best stashes out there if you have an IL slot available.
The Blue Jays closer completed a side session two days ago and could face live hitters within the next week. Relievers don’t need as much time to build up, so we expect Jordan Romano to return sometime in April.
Sonny Gray was a popular pick in drafts but a hammy issue started his season on the IL. He’s not far from a return, though, throwing a simulated game today. It sounds like he’ll need two rehab starts to be ready and could be back in the rotation by mid-April.
This Eury Perez situation is tricky. The talented righty had elbow inflammation during spring training but was able to throw 20 pitches off a mound a few days ago. That means he could take some steps over the next month to return. There will likely be some limitations when he comes back, however, because he is Miami’s prized young ace.
Paul Sewald suffered an oblique strain in the final week of spring training and will be out for at least a month. He did start playing catch two days ago, which is the first step in a lengthy rehab process. Don’t expect Sewald to return for at least a month.
Nick Lodolo allowed one run across five innings in his most recent rehab start, striking out eight batters. That means he might return sometime next week, which is big since Lodolo had a 3.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in his last full season. We wouldn’t pick up Lodolo for his first start back but he’s a nice stash if you can see that first start while holding him in your IL.
Hitters to Stash Right Now
Josh Lowe is the top hitting option on the IL, collecting 20 homers and 32 steals in a breakout 2023 season. He did have to start the year on the IL, though, suffering a Grade 1 oblique strain in spring training. That’s the lowest grade possible but it should keep Lowe out for a few more weeks. He only appeared in two spring training games, so he will likely need at least 40 at-bats to prepare for game action.
Royce Lewis was the first big-name player to go down in the opening week, but it’s sadly not a surprise. Despite playing just 71 games at this level, this is his fourth IL stint. He has all the talent in the world but Lewis is becoming one of those dreaded “injury-prone” players. He suffered a severe quad strain and will be out for at least one month.
Sean Murphy was one of the best catchers in baseball last season, posting a .365 OBP and .843 OPS. He’s another guy who suffered an oblique strain, but it’s just a Grade 1. He’s eligible to return on April 9 but likely won’t be back for at least a few weeks.
Josh Jung was a youngster I was high on in drafts but a wrist fracture will knock him out for 4-6 weeks. Max Muncy only missed two weeks with that injury in the past, but we’ve also seen players miss three months. It’s completely unpredictable but a month on the shelf is the best-case scenario.
Tommy Edman had offseason wrist surgery and is scheduled for an MRI. Dealing with wrist issues before playing a game is concerning but at least Edman is known for his speed. He’s got at least 27 steals in three straight years and is a worthy stash candidate if you’re desperate for some steals.
Ironically, we have both Lowe brothers listed, with Nate Lowe closer to a return. He’s another guy who suffered a Grade 1 oblique strain but is expected to return sometime in the next 2-3 weeks.
Lars Nootbaar was a beast in the final months of last year, flirting with a .400 OBP as the Cardinals’ lead-off hitter. He’s also one of the closest to a return of any of these guys, making his first rehab start on Tuesday. That means about a week of games should have him ready to return, which is massive since St. Louis is shorthanded in the outfield right now.
TJ Freidl fractured his wrist during spring training and was placed on the 10-Day IL. That’s the only bit of good news as he’s projected to miss at least six weeks.
We had Matt McLain as our top stash candidate last week but we didn’t know he would get shoulder surgery. That horrid news makes it challenging to hold in fantasy because he’ll likely miss the first 2-3 months of the year. There’s no guarantee he’ll return at all but the potential for a top-50 player makes him worthy of a stash if you have a spot.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
