We have only a few weeks remaining in the regular season. Unfortunately, that fact has made this article less helpful as each week goes by, so this will be our last piece of the season. I’ve enjoyed writing about potential injured list (IL) stashes all year, and it’s helped me find some gems along the way. I also appreciate you all for reading along. I hope all of you finish your fantasy seasons strong.
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 23)
Pitchers to Stash Right Now
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for ailing pitchers.
It’s hard to believe that we’re getting excited about a player who hasn’t appeared this season midway through September, but we’re talking about Jacob deGrom. The ace has been working his way back from Tommy John surgery and has completed three rehab starts already. There’s speculation he could be back this weekend, but the worst-case scenario is he’ll be back next week. This stud has a 2.53 career ERA and 0.99 WHIP, so go pick him up if he’s sitting on your waiver wire.
Robbie Ray spent most of the season on the IL after recovering from Tommy John surgery, but a hamstring strain recently sent him back there. He made just seven starts before that placement and could come off the IL on September 10, when he’s first eligible. We haven’t heard much about his injury, but there should be some news soon.
Clarke Schmidt was incredible before suffering a lat strain in May, forcing him to the IL for nearly four months. The starter has been working his way back, making three rehab starts over the last two weeks. The Yanks decided that was enough and he’ll return to the rotation this weekend. He has a 2.53 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He should be rostered everywhere.
Clayton Kershaw is back on the IL, dealing with a bone spur in his toe. It’s been ailing him for some time. Los Angeles needed to get him off his feet to be ready for the postseason. He resumed throwing earlier this week and could embark on a bullpen in the coming days. If that happens, the former Cy Young winner could return when he’s first eligible on September 15.
Max Scherzer has had more setbacks than any player in baseball, sidelined most of the season with a laundry list of injuries. A shoulder issue is the newest ailment, but Mad Max is scheduled for a rehab start on Saturday. We’ve been down this path before, but the veteran could return next week if that rehab start goes as planned. He has a 3.89 ERA and 1.09 WHIP and is still effective despite all the injuries.
Victor Vodnik was one of the league leaders in saves during his time as the Rockies’ closer, but a bicep injury forced him to the IL a few weeks ago. He’s made significant progress since then, completing an aggressive bullpen session earlier in the week. That means he could return within a week and should step back into Colorado’s closer role.
Peter Fairbanks has been on the IL since August 19 because of a lat issue and hasn’t done much in his rehab. The first step happened over the weekend, with Fairbanks playing catch for the first time. It shouldn’t take too long for a reliever to build up, with Fairbanks possibly returning sometime over the next two weeks. No one in this Rays bullpen has run away with this job, so look for Fairbanks to be the closer when he’s healthy.
Must-Roster Fantasy Baseball Injury Pitcher Stashes
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Glasnow, Hunter Greene, Joe Ryan, Luis Gil, Justin Steele
Hitters to Stash Right Now
Here are fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters on the mend.
Carlos Correa was supposed to miss only two weeks when he went down with a foot issue, but he’s now been out for nearly two months. The most recent update is that he wouldn’t be able to return in August, but we’re past that now. He’s still been unable to run at full speed despite doing baseball activities. Don’t be surprised to see Correa return soon, but he will be limited when that happens because he’s playing injured.
Bo Bichette is having the worst season of his career, and it hit rock bottom when he landed on the IL with a calf strain. The shortstop has been out for nearly two months but finally completed all baseball activities over the last week. He also started sprinting and is expected to start a rehab assignment in the coming days. Look for Bichette to be back next week.
Trevor Story was one of the first players to get injured, breaking a bone in his shoulder in the second week of the season. It’s been a lengthy rehab for the shortstop, but he’s fully healthy now. Story went hitless in his first rehab game on Monday and will need a week of games before being able to return to the Red Sox. We expect Story back next week.
During his first IL stint, Willson Contreras crushed his return timetable, and he’s looking to do the same here. The catcher fractured his middle finger a few weeks ago but won’t need surgery. That means rehab and pain tolerance will determine how long the catcher will be out, but Contreras will do everything possible to return in the coming weeks. They said he needed to rest for three weeks when it occurred. We should know more when that three-week timetable is up next weekend.
David Hamilton was a sneaky addition for fantasy managers before landing on the IL, picking up 33 steals across his 98 games played. A fractured finger slowed down the speedster, landing him on the IL last Thursday. That means he’s eligible to come off the IL this weekend, but Hamilton said it would take at least 2-3 weeks before being able to return. He is a sneaky stash if you need steals in the final few weeks.
Must-Roster Fantasy Baseball Injury Hitter Stashes
Ketel Marte, Ozzie Albies, Byron Buxton, Ha-Seong Kim
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.