I’ve heard some of your complaints on Twitter and agree with some of the alternations needed for this piece. That’s why we’re switching up the format of this article, including only players who are below 70% rostered on Yahoo. That should help clear up who to stash rather than just updating you guys on the must-roster players. With that said, this article will look much different than all the ones from the entire season and we’ll keep doing this from here on out.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this week’s fantasy baseball injury updates and rankings.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- Rest-of-Season Rankings
- Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Baseball Injury Stashes (Week 19)
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for ailing pitchers.
Pitchers to Stash Right Now
It’s been a long recovery for Merrill Kelly, sitting since April 15 because of a shoulder injury. We weren’t sure he’d be back this season, but he’s progressed to a lengthy rehab start on Tuesday. He allowed three runs across four innings, throwing 62 pitches in that game. He might return after that one start but could probably use one more to be fully ready to go sometime next week.
This Walker Buehler situation has been frustrating because a phantom hip injury sent him to the injured list (IL). That placement was more about ineffectiveness, with L.A. sending him down to figure out some mechanical issues. It hasn’t done much because he has allowed eight runs across 7.1 innings in his two rehab starts. The Dodgers said he’d need one more before returning to the rotation, and we still believe in this guy after posting a 3.17 ERA and 1.06 WHIP throughout his career.
Joe Musgrove has been working his way back from an elbow injury he suffered at the end of May. We did see him complete a rehab start on Sunday, throwing 43 pitches in Single-A. In a surprising development, Musgrove said it’s the only rehab start he needs. He could be back with the Padres this weekend.
Ryan Pepiot suffered the most bizarre injury of the season. The Rays pitcher had an infection from a bug bite on his knee and was hospitalized with that ailment. While that sounds scary, fantasy managers are thankful that it wasn’t his arm and that he’s made a full recovery. The righty has completed some bullpen sessions over the last week and is expected to throw a three-inning simulation game over the next few days. That’s the final step before a rehab start or an activation straight to the Tampa rotation.
From an injury standpoint, Mad Max has had a rough season, making just eight starts all year. It started with back surgery in the offseason and then a thumb issue halted his rehab before he ever made his debut. Some arm fatigue most recently sent him to the IL. It’s unclear how much time he’ll miss. Max Scherzer could be back after the minimum 15 days or miss the remainder of the year. This is a situation fantasy managers need to keep an eye on. He’s always a beast when he’s out there, though, and needs to be stashed until we hear more.
Alex Cobb was a sneaky addition by Cleveland, but he’s yet to appear this season. He’s been recovering from a hip injury, but a blister during his rehab stalled his return to San Francisco’s rotation. The Guardians traded for him anyway and he’s projected to make his Cleveland debut this weekend.
Clarke Schmidt broke out with a 2.52 ERA and 1.14 WHIP through the first two months, but a lat issue sent him to the IL back in May. The righty has been building up over the last month and completed a 20-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday. He’s expected to face hitters this weekend and could start a rehab assignment next week. There is also speculation he could be moved to the bullpen, but who knows?
Jacob deGrom is arguably the best pitcher in baseball when healthy, but he’s still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The expectation was that he’d be able to make a handful of starts by the end of the year, and that’s what he’s on pace to do. He threw a 45-pitch bullpen session over the weekend and will face live hitters sometime over the next few days. Even if he only makes it for fantasy playoffs, deGrom could be a massive boost for fantasy managers.
Reese Olson had a nightmarish three-start stretch earlier in the year in which he allowed 17 runs, but he’s allowed two runs or fewer in 13 of his other 15 starts. Unfortunately, Olson was sent to the IL with a shoulder injury a month ago. Detroit was pleased it was announced as a minor injury. We haven’t had many updates since then, but he should begin a throwing program soon.
Must-Roster Fantasy Baseball Injury Pitcher Stashes
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Verlander, Reynaldo Lopez, Ranger Suarez, Grayson Rodriguez, Jared Jones
Hitters to Stash Right Now
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters on the mend.
This Triston Casas injury has been frustrating for everyone involved because he said he’d be back July 1st. That was over a month ago, but he’s progressed to some rehab games over the last week. Casas said he feels discomfort on every swing, which could be a nagging issue for the remainder of the season. With that said, he should be back in Boston over the next few days.
Max Muncy has been out since May 15 with an oblique issue and didn’t feel normal until last week. We’re just happy he’s feeling normal. Muncy is projected to do a simulation game over the next few days. We need to wait and see how he looks after that, but if he looks and feels good, a rehab assignment could follow.
Carlos Correa has been dealing with foot issues for years and his plantar fascia injury has crept back up. That put him on the IL nearly three weeks ago, but the former All-Star will start a rehab assignment this weekend. If that goes well, Correa could be back next week.
Bo Bichette is having the worst year of his career. It got much worse when he was sent to the IL with a calf issue. Toronto said he’d miss multiple weeks when that injury occurred on July 19. We haven’t heard much since then. We’re approaching the third week now and we have to assume Bichette will begin some baseball activities later this week.
Starling Marte has quietly had a bounceback season in New York, recording seven homers and 12 steals while hitting .278 through 66 games. A knee issue halted his comeback campaign, but he was able to start a rehab assignment on Monday. That means Marte could be back as early as this weekend.
Kerry Carpenter suffered a scary injury at the end of May — a stress fracture in his back. That sidelines most players for a long time, but Carpenter has progressed to rehab games this week. He has 28 homers through 168 games since the start of last season and could be a sneaky source of power for the closing 50 days.
It feels like it happened a decade ago, but Nolan Jones was one of the breakout players of the 2023 season. Injuries have derailed his 2024 campaign, with Jones on and off the IL with a back issue. Like many players mentioned above, Jones started a rehab assignment earlier in the week and could be back with Colorado this weekend. He had 20 homers and 20 steals across just 106 games last year. That sort of ability is still there if Jones is fully healthy.
Matt McLain has yet to debut this season, but he’s been working his way back from a shoulder injury. He was set to start a rehab assignment next week, but a stress reaction in his ribs during batting practice will keep him sidelined. That’s a frustrating development. The only update is that Cincy is hopeful he’ll be back before the end of the year. This is far from encouraging and it wouldn’t be surprising if he doesn’t play this year.
Must-Roster Fantasy Baseball Injury Hitter Stashes
Michael Harris, Christian Yelich, Christian Walker, Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts, Fernando Tatis Jr. Tyler O’Neill, Julio Rodriguez
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.