Fantasy Baseball Injury Stash Rankings and Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 15)

This has been a busy week injury-wise. We knew there wouldn’t be much development because many players on the injured list (IL) are still a few weeks away from returning. It’s incredible how many are projected to return around the All-Star break. That first article is going to be a wild one. We still have way too many good players on the IL. Hopefully, things will calm down at some point.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at this week’s fantasy baseball injury updates and rankings.

Fantasy Baseball Injuries 2024 (Week 15)

Here are updates on injuries to pitchers in fantasy baseball.

Pitchers to stock now

Nick Lodolo (SP-CIN)

Nick Lodolo is back on the IL, but this blister issue is far from a concern. That never keeps a pitcher out for more than a few weeks, unless you’re Rich Hill, so we expect Lodolo to return to the Reds rotation within the next two weeks.

Blake Snell (SP-SF)

Blake Snell is in his third rehab stint, landing on the IL with a groin injury. He also made his third rehab start on Wednesday. This is expected to be his final tune-up before joining the Giants rotation next week. He has a 3.29 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 1.51 K/9 in the minors this year. He could be one of the better buy-lows for the second half of the season.

David Bednar (RP-PIT)

David Bednar is on the IL with an oblique issue, but Pittsburgh said it was minor when the injury occurred. That certainly appears to be the case, as Bednar completed a bullpen session this week. He may only need one or two more before he returns to the Pirates.

Justin Verlander (SP – HOU)

Justin Verlander’s absence is going to be much longer than fantasy managers expected. The former Cy Young winner has been out since June 9 with a neck problem, but was able to pitch again this week. It’s unclear whether he’ll need a rehab start before returning to the Astros, but Verlander should be back before the All-Star break.

Bryan Woo (SP – ZEE)

Bryan Woo has been on the IL several times this year, but he’s been nursing a hamstring injury this time around. That’s a much better deal than the elbow that plagued him earlier this year, especially since Woo completed a 20-pitch bullpen session two days ago. He’s expected to have a longer session in the coming days and will be able to skip a rehab assignment and return after a minimum of 15 days. That would put him back early next week.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (SP – LAD)

We haven’t had many updates on Yoshinobu Yamamoto because this is a healing time for the offseason addition. He’s trying to recover from a rotator cuff injury and the only real update we’ve seen is that Yamamoto is out for the year. That’s about as discouraging as it gets. We don’t expect a real update until the break.

Walker Buehler (SP – LAD)

Walker Buehler was placed on the IL with a hip injury, but we all know that was due to inefficiency. That can happen after returning from Tommy John surgery. Fantasy managers are hoping this break will get him back on track. His last start was June 18th, so he was eligible to come off the IL yesterday. He’s been working on a few things, and we should get a more accurate timeline next week.

Yu Darvish (SP – SD)

Yu Darvish was rehabbing a groin injury when he injured his elbow during his rehab. He was out for almost a month, but started throwing again this week. His MRI came back clean, so we’re hoping he’ll get going again this coming week and possibly return right after the All-Star break.

Clayton Kershaw (SP – LAD)

Clayton Kershaw completed three innings in his first rehab start but was sidelined with some shoulder pain. He called it “old man pain,” so it doesn’t appear to be a serious issue for the former Cy Young winner. He resumed pitching Tuesday and could be scheduled for another rehab assignment next week.

Kodai Senga (SP – NYM)

Kodai Senga has yet to start this season, but we’re getting closer to a return. The Mets pitcher is rehabbing a shoulder issue, but made his first rehab start on Wednesday. Those are the final steps toward a return, with Senga doing his best to be back before the All-Star break. He’ll need at least a few rehab starts before he can return.

On the Border Fantasy Baseball Injury Pitcher Hides

Merrill Kelly, Jeffrey Springs, Robbie Ray, Devin Williams, Eduardo Rodriguez, Luis Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, Jordan Romano, Jesus Luzardo, Joe Musgrove, Jordan Montgomery, Javier Assad

Batters to hit now

Here are updates on fantasy baseball injuries for batters recovering.

Kyle Tucker (FROM HOME)

Kyle Tucker was originally not scheduled to go on the IL, but he has now been out for nearly a month. It’s crazy to see a player out for so long with a bruised shin, but he’s come close to playing. The All-Star returned to baseball activities last week and could be sent on a rehab assignment before next week’s article is published. We’re betting he’ll be back within the next two weeks.

Bryce Harper (1B – PHI)

Bryce Harper suffered a hamstring injury at first base this weekend and is now on the IL. The good news is that it is a minor injury, so the All-Star won’t be out for too long. There is speculation that he could return on July 9th when he first becomes eligible, but that feels optimistic.

Royce Lewis (3B – MIN)

Royce Lewis is a late addition to this article and a bonus 11th guy. That’s not good news, especially since Lewis has spent more time on the IL than he has on the field his entire career. It’s a groin issue that will keep the former top pick out of action, diagnosed as a Grade-2 adductor strain. That will keep him out through the All-Star break.

Kyle Schwarber (VAN – PHI)

This past weekend was a nightmare for the Phillies, with Kyle Schwarber landing on the IL due to a groin injury. This is expected to be a minor injury and Schwarber is expected to return after a minimum of 10 days.

Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS – SD)

The trend of injuries being labeled as minor is a troubling one, as that’s what happened to Fernando Tatis when he was first injured. That “mild” quad issue turned into something more serious, as Tatis is expected to be out for the entire All-Star break. San Diego has indicated that they expect him to make a full recovery and that this will be some much-needed time off. We expect the All-Star to be back for the first game back after the break, as long as his rehab goes smoothly.

Mookie Betts (2B, SS, OF – LAD)

Mookie Betts broke his wrist a few weeks ago and is expected to be out for at least another month. His original schedule was 6-8 weeks. We’re not even halfway through. The All-Star break is at the end of the month, so the best case scenario is to return right after.

JT Realmuto (C-PHI)

The Phils were plagued by injuries in June, with JT Realmuto undergoing meniscus surgery on June 11. He was expected to be out for a month when that happened, but Realmuto resumed baseball activities this week. That’s a quick turnaround, but he’ll be a month removed from his surgery next week. We expect Philadelphia to be cautious with their prized catcher and bring him back after the break.

Giancarlo Stanton (OF – NYY)

Giancarlo Stanton is back on the IL, with a hamstring injury that sent him there this time. It’s a common theme in the slugger’s career. The Yankees said he would miss four weeks when the injury occurred. He’s been hitting lightly this week and even found his way to a treadmill for a light jog. He’s about 20 days away from his schedule, which directly correlates to the All-Star break.

Mike Trout (VAN – LAA)

We are finally making progress with Mike Trout, the superstar said he would be back this month. He had surgery two months ago and has resumed baseball activities this past week. He also said he is no longer in pain. That is a huge step to be back around the holidays.

Michael Harris (VAN – ATL)

It’s hard to believe, but here’s another guy who’s expected to return around the All-Star break. Michael Harris suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury a month ago and said he’ll be running sometime next week. That’s the big step. As long as he doesn’t have any setbacks, we could see him return before the end of July.

Max Muncy (3B – LAD)

Max Muncy has been frustrated with his rehab from an oblique strain, but he’s finally seeing some progress. The slugger has been out since June 21, but was able to do some baseball drills this past weekend. It’s the first time we’ve heard him play baseball. Muncy is expected to return in about 2-3 weeks.

On the Border Fantasy Baseball Injury Hitter Stashes

Starling Marte, Josh Jung, TJ Friedl, Triston Casas, Xander Bogaerts, Evan Carter, Kerry Carpenter, Matt McLain, Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.