Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 50 IL stashes with Jared Jones, Josh Hader nearing a return

Normally, the mood here is a dour one, with the emphasis being more on what’s been lost than what’s being gained.

But we’ve reached a point in the season when some of the early injury cases who once seemed so far over the horizon no longer are.

One such player is Pirates pitcher Jared Jones, who’s making his way back from an internal brace procedure on his elbow. The 24-year-old had the look of a rising star a couple years ago, standing out most for his slider and a high-rising fastball that brushed triple digits. It’s doing more than brushing now. In fact, his one rehab start at Triple-A on May 6 saw him average 98.8 mph on his fastball, up 1.5 mph from when we last saw him healthy. In all, he has a 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in four rehab starts and is likely to need just 1-2 more.

If you’re looking for an impact pitcher on the waiver wire, Jones is a better bet than some flavor of the week. Which injured player could you consider dropping for him? Find out in the just in edition of IL Stash Rankings.

Too valuable to drop, period

1	Garrett Crochet Boston Red Sox RP
shoulder inflammation – has built up to 35 pitches in two bullpen sessions, could return before the end of May
2	Francisco Lindor New York Mets SS
strained calf – still no baseball activities, but could be back within the next month
3	Tarik Skubal Detroit Tigers SP
loose bodies in elbow – already throwing off a mound despite having surgery May 6, could return within a month
4	Cole Ragans Kansas City Royals RP
elbow impingement – Sunday bullpen session went well, hoping to return when first eligible Friday
5	Hunter Brown Houston Astros SP
strained shoulder – close to beginning rehab assignment with an eye on returning in mid-June
6	Cal Raleigh Seattle Mariners C
strained oblique – finally addressing an issue that he’s been playing through, could resume baseball activities in a week
7	Logan Webb San Francisco Giants SP
knee bursitis – scheduled for rehab start this week, which may be his only one
8	Gerrit Cole New York Yankees SP
Tommy John surgery – looked great in just in rehab start and set to be activated this weekend
9	Tyler Glasnow Los Angeles Dodgers SP
back spasms – not currently throwing after back flared up again, but still looking at shorter ramp-up time once he’s ready
10	Corey Seager Texas Rangers SS
back inflammation – avoided IL for five days before finally relenting; team thinks he could return before the end of May
11	Roman Anthony Boston Red Sox OF
sprained wrist – tried swinging a bat Monday, but still felt sore, which likely delays him another week
12	Wyatt Langford Texas Rangers OF
flexor strain – still not cleared for hitting or throwing, putting May return in doubt
13	Josh Hader Houston Astros RP
biceps tendinitis – about halfway into rehab assignment, could return right around the start of June
14	Ryan Helsley Baltimore Orioles RP
elbow inflammation – back to playing catch, expected to need rehab assignment before returning
15	Kris Bubic Kansas City Royals SP
elbow soreness – seems optimistic it’s minor, but further testing will need to be conducted
16	Max Fried New York Yankees SP
bone bruise in elbow – will stop throwing for a few weeks, then have further imaging done to determine timetable
17	Hunter Greene Cincinnati Reds SP
bone spurs in elbow – will throw first bullpen session in about a week, likely looking at six weeks of buildup
18	Blake Snell Los Angeles Dodgers SP
loose bodies in elbow – having same revolutionary procedure that Tarik Skubal had, which supposedly has 4-to-6-week timetable

Also really difficult to drop

19	Eugenio Suarez Cincinnati Reds 3B
strained oblique – set to begin rehab assignment this week, meaning he’ll likely be back before the end of the month
20	Jose Altuve Houston Astros 2B
strained oblique – Grade 2 injury will sideline him well into June
21	Brandon Woodruff Milwaukee Brewers SP
shoulder inflammation – will face hitters Friday to determine if he’s ready for rehab assignment
22	Jared Jones Pittsburgh Pirates SP
internal brace procedure – has looked good with signs of improved velocity in four rehab starts, likely to make 1-2 more
23	Emilio Pagan Cincinnati Reds RP
strained hamstring – about two weeks into 4-to-8-week timetable, expected back at some point in June
24	Spencer Schwellenbach Atlanta Braves P
bone spurs in elbow – was nearing the start of throwing program at last report a week ago; out until second half
25	Edwin Diaz Los Angeles Dodgers RP
loose bodies in elbow – still aiming for second half return
26	Ryan O’Hearn Pittsburgh Pirates RF
strained quadriceps – likely to miss at least a month with injury that’s described as moderate
27	Taj Bradley Minnesota Twins SP
pectoral inflammation – struggled in rehab start Sunday, which might necessitate one more; he could instead return this weekend
28	Matthew Boyd Chicago Cubs SP
torn meniscus – already back to throwing off a mound, so could return in as soon as 4-6 weeks, potentially

Still a priority on some level

29	Trevor Story Boston Red Sox SS
sports hernia – probably out at least six weeks, and there’s a chance he could be sidelined for the rest of the season
30	Luis Robert New York Mets CF
herniated disc – still dealing with symptoms and likely 2-3 weeks away; A.J. Ewing thriving in absence
31	Mick Abel Minnesota Twins P
elbow inflammation – back to playing catch last week after suffering triceps setback earlier; still a few weeks away
32	Chase Dollander Colorado Rockies SP
sprained elbow – considered a mild case of an injury that can sometimes result in surgery; likely to miss only a month or two
33	Shane Bieber Toronto Blue Jays SP
forearm fatigue – scheduled to face hitters for the first time Tuesday, likely weeks away from beginning rehab assignment
34	Corbin Burnes Arizona Diamondbacks SP
Tommy John surgery – throwing bullpen sessions, still looking at midseason return
35	Nick Pivetta San Diego Padres RP
flexor strain – no news since manager Craig Stammen reported Pivetta’s absence could measure in “weeks and maybe months” a month ago
36	Jacob Wilson Athletics SS
shoulder subluxation – won’t go on rehab assignment until he sufficiently strengthens shoulder

Stashing is purely a luxury

37	Jose Caballero New York Yankees 2B
fractured finger – has resumed fielding and throwing, has chance to return later this week
38	Brendan Donovan Seattle Mariners 2B
strained groin – could resume baseball activities in 2-3 weeks, which means potentially a month on the sidelines
39	Yainer Diaz Houston Astros C
strained oblique – seems like a mild case, but no timetable officially offered
40	Alejandro Kirk Toronto Blue Jays C
fractured thumb – catching and hitting but no rehab assignment yet
41	Giancarlo Stanton New York Yankees DH
strained calf – still not cleared to run yet, which pushes timeline back another couple weeks
42	Addison Barger Toronto Blue Jays 3B
elbow inflammation – hopes to be cleared for hitting and throwing this week, missed time with ankle injury earlier
43	Kerry Carpenter Detroit Tigers RF
sprained shoulder – running and throwing, will progress toward swinging a bat this week
44	Jorge Polanco New York Mets 1B
Achilles bursitis – could go on rehab assignment soon, but return will be contingent on how he manages the pain
45	Hurston Waldrep Atlanta Braves SP
bone spurs in elbow – has been throwing bullpen sessions, but won’t return any earlier than late June
46	Justin Steele Chicago Cubs SP
UCL revision surgery – shut down from throwing in late April; will resume when asymptomatic, which likely pushes him to second half
47	Francisco Alvarez New York Mets C
torn meniscus – given a 6-to-8-week timetable, which puts him out until right around the All-Star break
48	Kyle Teel Chicago White Sox C
sprained knee – sidelined for another 3-6 weeks after already missing time with a Grade 2 hamstring strain
49	Heliot Ramos San Francisco Giants LF
strained quadriceps – sidelined for “at least a couple of weeks and probably more than that,” according to manager Tony Vitello
50	Jasson Dominguez New York Yankees CF
sprained shoulder – working to regain strength, but still at least a couple weeks away

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