This is one of our final articles of the season. We say that because fewer than six weeks remain in the season and holding players in your injured list (IL) spots over the final two or three weeks is pointless. With that said, there are still plenty of great options to stash. It’s also becoming essential to cut bait with some studs who have been clogging up your IL spot(s) for weeks.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this week’s fantasy baseball injury updates and rankings.
All the players in this article are rostered in 75% or fewer of Yahoo leagues.
- 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 21)
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for ailing pitchers.
Pitchers to Stash Right Now
Jared Jones had a 3.27 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 rate through his first 13 starts but was forced to the IL with a lat strain. It took over a month for the rookie to get right, but he looked incredible in his second rehab start a few days ago. Jones threw five scoreless innings in that gem while striking out 10 batters. That means he’ll likely be ready to return for his next start, making him a candidate to return over the weekend or early next week.
This has been the plan the whole season, and Texas is sticking with it. They wanted Jacob deGrom to make a handful of starts at the end of the year and have a full rehab in his return from Tommy John surgery. He’s hit every step up until this point and will have his first of four rehab starts this weekend. That should have him ready to return between September 10 and 15. He’s been the best pitcher in baseball whenever he’s been healthy, so it might be worth it to stash him in those final weeks.
Max Scherzer is one of the oldest players in baseball. His body is breaking down like most old people. The veteran has had finger, shoulder and back injuries all year, making just eight total starts. The good news is that he got an injection two weeks ago and is projected to make a rehab start sometime this week. There’s speculation he could be back with the Rangers after that. He’s still been good despite all of the setbacks this season.
Clarke Schmidt had a 2.52 ERA and 1.14 WHIP before landing on the IL at the end of May due to a lat strain. He was quickly shifted to the 60-day IL, but he’s finally making serious strides toward a return. The righty tossed a live batting practice on Sunday and could begin a rehab assignment sometime over the next week. They projected Schmidt to return around September 10, and it’s the perfect opportunity since Luis Gil is dealing with some health issues of his own.
Reese Olson has been brilliant at times this year, but Detroit is being cautious with one of its prized arms. The youngster has been out since July 20 due to a shoulder issue and threw off a mound for the first time today. That means he still has a few more steps before beginning a rehab assignment, but he should return sometime in September.
Hunter Harvey was KC’s sneaky acquisition at the deadline, along with Lucas Erceg, but he’s on the IL due to a back strain. The good news is that it’s not considered serious, and he resumed throwing on Tuesday. What’s unfortunate is that he suffered a setback during that session and won’t resume his rehab until this weekend. He was getting saves for this weak Royals bullpen and could get some chances in the closing weeks when he returns.
Must-Roster Fantasy Baseball Injury Pitcher Stashes
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Verlander, Ranger Suarez, Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Glasnow, Hunter Greene, Joe Ryan, Luis Gil
Hitters to Stash Right Now
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters on the mend.
Carlos Correa is rehabbing from a plantar fascia issue in his foot. His rehab has been much slower than he had hoped. The shortstop has resumed some sprinting and most baseball activities, but there’s still no timetable for his return. Doing all of that is a positive sign. We expect Correa to be back sometime before the end of the month.
Byron Buxton has only played over 100 games once in his career and hopes to clear that mark this season. He’s already up to 90 games, but a hip issue forced him to the IL last week. Minnesota is saying that it’s not a severe issue and they could have him back in their lineup this weekend if his body responds as expected.
It would be an understatement to say Bo Bichette is having a rough season, but it hit rock bottom when he landed on the IL due to a calf strain. He’s been sidelined with that issue for four weeks now, which is discouraging since this was projected to be a 4-6 week timetable. He is supposed to resume running any day now — the final step before a few rehab games. Bichette could be back by the end of the month, but early September is the most likely outcome.
Ke’Bryan Hayes has been dealing with back inflammation for weeks, and it finally sent him to the IL over the weekend. The Gold Glover was just 1-for-24 before that IL placement. Pittsburgh is hopeful it’ll get him right for the final month of the year. He could be back when he’s first eligible, which would have Hayes back in their lineup by the end of the month.
Ha-Seong Kim was finally starting to break out from his season-long slump before landing on the IL due to shoulder inflammation. The good news is that his MRI came back clean after jamming his shoulder, and he should be able to do some rehab immediately. That means he could be back on August 28. San Diego is hopeful that’s just what will happen.
Matt McLain has not played this season, suffering a severe shoulder injury during spring training. He was supposed to be back from that issue by now, but a rib injury during his rehab starts halted his rehabilitation. The good news is that he was able to resume baseball activities over the weekend and could restart his rehab assignment next week. He might only play for a few weeks, but McLain was a fantasy stud last season.
Must-Roster Fantasy Baseball Injury Hitter Stashes
Christian Yelich, Christian Walker, Kyle Tucker, Fernando Tatis Jr. Tyler O’Neill, Jazz Chisholm, Ketel Marte
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
