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Welcome back RotoBallers to another weekly edition of the Injured Players to Stash for Fantasy Baseball series, as we heading into Week 15 of he 2024 MLB season. Today we list the top 25 high-profile injured MLB players who are worth stashing in your leagues including names like Matt McLain, Robbie Ray, Jeffrey Springs and more.
When productive players are injured, some fantasy folks will be forced to dump them to the waiver wire, depending on league rules and context. This represents an opportunity for you, especially if you have room on your bench to stash an injured hitter or pitcher cheaply now before they come back on the radar.
We look to Yahoo for the roster percentages and will highlight five key players nearing a return who could be under the radar right now. Below is my list of 25 players who are injured, and have their status and injuries listed to keep handy for you.
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Top-25 Injured Players for Fantasy Baseball
| Player | Team | IL Type |
| Mookie Betts | Los Angeles Dodgers | IL 10 (Wrist) |
| Bryce Harper | Philadelphia Phillies | IL 10 (Hamstring) |
| Kyle Tucker | Houston Astros | IL 10 (Lower Leg) |
| Blake Snell | San Francisco Giants | IL 15 (Groin) |
| Devin Williams | Milwaukee Brewers | IL 60 (Back) |
| Tommy Edman | St. Louis Cardinals | IL 60 (Wrist) |
| J.T. Realmuto | Philadelphia Phillies | IL 10 (Knee) |
| Michael Harris II | Atlanta Braves | IL 10 (Hamstring) |
| Triston Casas | Boston Red Sox | IL 60 (Rib cage) |
| Giancarlo Stanton | New York Yankees | IL 10 (Hamstring) |
| Matt McLain | Cincinnati Reds | IL 60 (Shoulder) |
| Kerry Carpenter | Detroit Tigers | IL 10 (Back) |
| Jacob deGrom | Texas Rangers | IL 60 (TJS) |
| Justin Verlander | Houston Astros | IL 15 (Neck) |
| Alek Thomas | Arizona Diamondbacks | IL 10 (Hamstring) |
| Robbie Ray | San Francisco Giants | IL 60 (TJS) |
| Jeffrey Springs | Tampa Bay Rays | IL 60 (TJS) |
| Thairo Estrada | San Francisco Giants | IL 10 (Wrist) |
| Xander Bogaerts | San Diego Padres | IL 10 (Shoulder) |
| Kyle Schwarber | Philadelphia Phillies | IL 10 (Groin) |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Los Angeles Dodgers | IL 15 (Shoulder) |
| David Bednar | Pittsburgh Pirates | IL 15 (Oblique) |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. | San Diego Padres | IL 10 (Quadriceps) |
| Nick Lodolo | Cincinnati Reds | IL 15 (Finger) |
| Josh Jung | Texas Rangers | IL 60 (Wrist) |
Fantasy Baseball Players to Monitor Closely
Triston Casas, 1B - Boston Red Sox
Rostered: 71% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late July (undetermined, just an estimate)
Casas had a scary injury to his rib cage a few weeks back. What makes me optimistic is that he took 20 swings in the batting cage last week and reported no ill effects from it. Granted, baby steps, but steps, nonetheless. The next steps would be hitting off a tee, and then hopefully thereafter, a rehab assignment.
He is still without a timeline, but would likely need at least 50 at-bats in the minor leagues before returning to the middle of the Red Sox lineup. When healthy, Casas is a power source and could help your team down the stretch. Check out his 2023 Statcast data below. Roster him if you can before other players grab him.
Blake Snell, SP - San Francisco Giants
Rostered: 83% Yahoo
Estimated Return: July 8 (or thereabouts)
I am willing to throw out the early returns on Snell this season. He signed so late in the spring that he had zero time to ramp up before the Giants needed to press him into service. Snell has been lousy thus far, with no wins, a bloated 9.51 ERA, and a 1.94 WHIP. However, if we take a deeper dive, we can see that the skill set is still there: 31 strikeouts in 23 innings, a whiff percentage of 31.4%, a strikeout percentage of 26.1%, and a fastball velocity over 95 mph.
Given a chance to get stretched out, Snell could be a great addition to many fantasy staffs. He's rostered in 83% of leagues, but he should not be on the waiver wire in any deeper leagues.
Devin Williams, RP - Milwaukee Brewers
Rostered: 64% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Immediately after the All-Star break
Williams has not pitched this year due to a back injury, but he is nearing a return. Williams threw a successful bullpen session last week. The biggest question facing Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy will be how to use the All-Star closer in combination with current closer Trevor Megill, who has been lights out all season, and successful setup man Bryan Hudson. Best bet here: Williams returns to the closer role when ready, with Megill and Hudson taking a step back into high-leverage setup roles.
The Brew Crew could have an embarrassment of riches for the second half as they work to build their NL Central lead. Last season, Williams had eight wins, 36 saves, a 1.53 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts in 58 innings. This is a skill set you will want to roster, especially in leagues where you need saves, ratio controls, and strikeouts.
Tommy Edman, 2B/SS/OF - St. Louis Cardinals
Rostered: 25% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Post All-Star break
Edman is a player I have had stashed on my bench in multiple leagues. If you read any of my writing, you know I speak weekly of players who have multiple uses on your roster; the so-called Swiss Army knife guys each roster relies upon. Edman gives you positional flexibility at 2B, SS, OF, MI, and UT spots in your lineup. What he also offers is a batting average that won't hurt you, some power, and stolen bases. You roster Edman for the speed.
Edman is yet to play this year, but hit .248 with 13 home runs, 27 stolen bases, and 69 runs scored for the Cardinals while playing multiple positions. Roster him now and reap the benefits of Edman in the second half of this season. See the value Edman has given fantasy players and the St. Louis Cardinals over the last five years.
Robbie Ray, SP - San Francisco Giants
Rostered: 24% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Immediately post All-Star break
Ray has been on a rehab stint and is almost ready for his Giants debut. He's getting close to a return, and is forgotten about in most leagues. In Yahoo, he is only rostered in 24% of leagues. Change that this week in your league. The former Cy Young winner pitched into the fourth inning on Saturday in Class-A San Jose, striking out four while scattering three hits and surrendering no runs. What might be most important to Ray was that he walked none in that outing. Look for him to return right after the All-Star break if he doesn't hit any snags.
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