It’s time for another edition of FantasyPros’ fantasy baseball injury stash rankings!
Every week, we look to highlight the top overall players to stash, as well as dive into the top eight pitchers and hitters worth stashing. Of course, some names are more obvious than others but the point is to prioritize your fantasy baseball IL slots. After all, injuries have hit hard this season, especially to pitchers.
Fantasy Baseball Injury Stash Rankings
Let’s dive into this week’s Fantasy Baseball Injury Stash rankings and adjust our rosters accordingly!
Top 10 Players to Stash Right Now
Cedric Mullins (OF – BAL)
Manny Machado (3B – SD)
Julio Urias (SP – LAD)
Brandon Woodruff (SP – MIL)
Oneil Cruz (SS – PIT)
Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE)
Carlos Rodon (SP – NYY)
Jacob deGrom (SP – TEX)
Cody Bellinger (OF – CHC)
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – DET)
There’s a brand-new name atop this list, as Orioles superstar Cedric Mullins hit the injured list this week with a right groin injury. The prognosis doesn’t appear rosy, as O’s general manager Mike Elias said the hope is that the injury will only cost Mullins “weeks” and not “months.” Regardless, it sounds like Mullins is set to miss significant time and with eight homers, 13 stolen bases, and an .835 OPS, Mullins is one of the more valuable outfielders in fantasy baseball.
However, there’s plenty of good news on this list that should clear up some IL sports in fairly short order. Triston McKenzie has made three Triple-A rehab starts and while he sports a 4.35 ERA in that time, he also has a dynamite 31.7% K% with 13 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings pitched.
Oneil Cruz will be out of a walking boot next week and while his return is far from imminent, that’s positive news for a player that is an absolute Statcast machine. Carlos Rodon is throwing bullpen session as he rehabs a back injury and Cody Bellinger is hitting in the cage and throwing in his return from a knee injury.
Finally, Tigers ace Eduardo Rodriguez landed on the IL this week with a finger injury. It’s the 15-day variety and while it sounds like he could miss at least a couple starts, he has pitched like a true No. 1 this season with a 2.17 ERA on the campaign.
Top 8 Pitchers to Stash Right Now
Julio Urias (SP – LAD)
Brandon Woodruff (SP – MIL)
Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE)
Carlos Rodon (SP – NYY)
Jacob deGrom (SP – TEX)
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – DET)
Max Fried (SP – ATL)
Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN)
This is a pretty boring list, as six of the eight names are included in the top 10 players to stash right now, but there are a pair of additions worth mentioning as well.
Max Fried has proven to be a true ace, of course, but his forearm injury is awfully scary. For now, he sits outside the top 10 since a setback is possible, but he is at least throwing off of flat ground these days as he gently works his way back to game action.
As for Nick Lodolo, he will continue to rest after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his tibia in mid-May. He’s had a tough go of it so far in 2023 with a 6.29 ERA on the season, but factor in his 3.38 SIERA and 28.3% K% and you can see why he was a popular draft target this spring. He could be worthy of a spot higher on this list but he will be out longer than many of these names.
Top 8 Hitters to Stash Right Now
Cedric Mullins (OF – BAL)
Manny Machado (3B – BAL
Oneil Cruz (SS – PIT)
Cody Bellinger (OF – CHC)
Adam Duvall (OF – BOS)
C.J. Cron (1B – COL)
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B/OF – MIA)
Riley Greene (OF – DET)
The bottom half of this list did not make the top 10 overall players, so let’s focus on them.
Adam Duvall may be higher on this list than he deserves, and coming back from a wrist injury is not easy. However, he was enjoying a wonderful season in his first year and Boston’s Green Monster is such an attractive target for a player with light-tower power. He was all over leaderboards prior to his injury, albeit in a small early-season sample.
C.J. Cron is cut from the same cloth: a player with big-time power playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark. He is taking swings these days after a slower recovery than expected from back spasms, but he will get right back into the Rockies’ lineup on a near-daily basis when healthy.
As noted in last week’s piece, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has faced a tough season so far, but the ceiling is mouth-watering. He’s been solid in head-to-head category leagues, contributing seven homers and 14 stolen bases in 39 games. His 139 wRC+ from the 2022 campaign pegged his bat 39% above the league average overall last year, although it was only a 60-game season. Chisholm just 25 and a major dynasty league asset.
Riley Greene’s inclusion here may surprise some, as he doesn’t hit a ton of homers or steal many bases at this stage in his young career. He has hit five homers with six steals on the season, but it’s his all-round production that matters. He ranked third in baseball with a .365 average in the month of May when he posted a 1.008 OPS and 183 wRC+. He was enjoying his coming-out party in his sophomore season, but a stress reaction in his left fibula will cost him notable time moving forward although he’s another dynasty league surefire stash.
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