By | 1 |
James Wood
|
| strained oblique – Nationals seem to be taking their time with him, having him do only light baseball activities; upside makes him worth the wait, though | |
| 2 |
Juan Soto
|
| strained calf – recently began doing wind sprints and remains committed to returning this season | |
| 3 |
Cody Bellinger
|
| strained hamstring – set to begin rehab assignment later this week and could be activated for the start of next week | |
| 4 |
Tyler Glasnow
|
| back spasms – threw 3 2/3 hitless innings in his latest rehab start, striking out eight; expected to need just one more | |
| 5 |
Joe Ryan
|
| glute strain – already back to throwing off flat ground, which offers hope that he’ll be able to return when first eligible | |
| 6 |
Aaron Judge
|
| stress fracture in rib – has resumed throwing but not hitting; mid-September seems like the best-case scenario | |
| 7 |
Max Fried
|
| bone bruise in elbow – same injury that sidelined him for more than two months earlier this year, but unclear right now if it’s of the same severity | |
| 8 |
Riley Greene
|
| strained hamstring – sounds like the IL stint was largely a matter of the Tigers not wanting to play short-handed, so he could be back soon | |
| 9 |
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
|
| concussion – timetables can vary, but nothing so far suggests he’ll miss extended time; how eager Fantasy Baseballers are to have him back is a separate matter | |
| 10 |
Konnor Griffin
|
| torn tendon in finger – having splint removed, which will clear him for baseball activities; Pirates hopeful he can return when first eligible Sept. 4 | |
| 11 |
Tyler Soderstrom
|
| hip impingement- still waiting to hear from specialist about whether or not he can return this year | |
Nobody is allowed to get injured anymore.
We’re inside of six weeks to go, after all, which means anyone who goes down now probably isn’t coming back. That’s not strictly true, of course. Minimal IL stints do exist, but they’re not so easily anticipated. Consider it a bonus if you get anything more from a player who you’re currently stashing in an IL spot.
Still, if you have the spots, you might as well use them, right? Even if it seems like a lost cause, the tide can turn quickly. Oneil Cruz and Maikel Garcia were both activated Monday after only a week or so of forewarning. Carlos Rodon is set to be activated Tuesday after making only two rehab starts. Konnor Griffin and Roman Anthony just went from months of no progress to being on the verge of a rehab assignment in the blink of an eye. Not all is lost until the clock runs out.
That’s why, for this last edition of the IL stash rankings, you may notice that certain players presumed to be done for 2026 still occupy a place of significance. Presumption isn’t the final say, after all, and if Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers or Spencer Schwellenbach do make it back for the final week or two, it’ll have a greater say in your league’s final outcome than if you had stashed, say, Davis Martin.
Think of it as just another form of lottery ticket as the season begins to wind down. Maybe don’t hold your breath, but do cross your fingers.
| 12 |
Griffin Jax
|
| elbow discomfort – set to resume throwing after receiving an injection; “in a really good spot,” according to manager Kevin Cash | |
| 13 |
Nathan Eovaldi
|
| elbow inflammation – not UCL-related and Rangers are hopeful he’ll miss the minimum amount of time | |
| 14 |
Joe Musgrove
|
| Tommy John surgery – up to 70 pitches in latest rehab start and throwing with more velocity than when we last saw him; next start could be in majors | |
| 15 |
Samuel Basallo
|
| shoulder inflammation – on rehab assignment with a chance of returning later this week; now the undisputed starter behind the plate with Adley Rutschman gone | |
| 16 |
Daniel Palencia
|
| flexor strain – recently moved to 60-day IL, putting him out until Aug. 28, but he’s well into a rehab assignment and may return then | |
| 17 |
Kyle Stowers
|
| strained hamstring – already back to running just a week after suffering injury, so may be back within another week; was surging before the injury | |
| 18 |
Roman Anthony
|
| sprained wrist and finger – finally beginning rehab assignment Tuesday after being out since early May, might need a couple weeks | |
| 19 |
Will Smith
|
| neck inflammation – has made progress in his recovery and is trending toward rehab assignment next week | |
| 20 |
Nick Kurtz
|
| strained thumb – will remain in brace until mid-September, after which point he’ll need a rehab assignment; the down-and-out Athletics may just decide to shut him down | |
| 21 |
Garrett Crochet
|
| strained lat – is throwing from short distances but still has a lengthy rehabilitation period ahead; maybe he gets 2-3 starts at the end of the year | |
| 1 |
Devin Williams
|
| shoulder strain – originally classified as fatigue, but an MRI revealed the strain; severity is mild, but Mets have no urgency to bring him back | |
| 2 |
Cooper Pratt
|
| strained hamstring – set for rehab assignment Tuesday, putting him well ahead of the initial timeline | |
| 3 |
Trevor Story
|
| sports hernia – recently embarked on rehab assignment with sights set on a weekend return | |
| 4 |
Nick Pivetta
|
| flexor strain – was unable to complete a rehab start Aug. 4 because of tightness in the affected elbow but is back to throwing off a mound already | |
| 5 |
Corbin Burnes
|
| strained shoulder – still just throwing bullpen sessions, but Diamondbacks are saying he could be back soon after Sept. 1 | |
| 6 |
Justin Wrobleski
|
| forearm inflammation – escalating workload makes now a good time to address the arm fatigue he’s feeling; could return as a reliever | |
| 7 |
Ryan Helsley
|
| elbow inflammation – has begun throwing program but isn’t throwing off a mound yet; still weeks away from returning | |
| 8 |
Max Meyer
|
| neck strain/sore rib – just received a cortisone shot in his rib, which is the more recent of the two injuries; Marlins still believe he’ll have time to build back up | |
| 9 |
Ryan O’Hearn
|
| strained quadriceps – has begun hitting and throwing a mere three weeks after suffering his injury, making him a solid bet to beat the initial 6-to-8-week timetable | |
| 10 |
Spencer Steer
|
| sprained wrist – set to have spring removed and begin mobility exercises; could begin rehab assignment before the end of August | |
| 1 |
Shea Langeliers
|
| torn meniscus – only needed meniscus trimmed rather than removed, which makes for a shorter timetable, but odds are still long that he returns this year | |
| 2 |
Dansby Swanson
|
| strained oblique – Grade 2 injury comes with a 4-to-6-week timetable, which means he’ll at most be available for the last two weeks | |
| 3 |
Giancarlo Stanton
|
| strained calf – has been hitting, fielding and recently started baserunning; has a chance of returning before the end of August | |
| 4 |
Connelly Early
|
| elbow inflammation – felt forearm tightness in recent bullpen session, putting throwing program on pause; MRI wasn’t needed, so could resume soon | |
| 5 |
Spencer Schwellenbach
|
| fractured elbow – still feeling some discomfort, and time is rapidly running out for him to contribute (though it’s not yet a done deal) | |
| 6 |
Spencer Strider
|
| elbow inflammation – has resumed throwing program but has had locker cleared out, which doesn’t bode well for his return | |
| 7 |
Trey Yesavage
|
| torn meniscus – not officially ruled out for season but had surgery Aug. 11; Blue Jays say they’re taking it week to week | |
| 8 |
Josh Jung
|
| strained calf – recently began running and should ramp up to fielding in the coming days | |
| 9 |
Kyle Karros
|
| concussion – has been running, hitting and fielding and is nearing a return | |
| 10 |
Kyle Teel
|
| high ankle sprain – trending toward early September return after taking batting practice Monday | |
| 11 |
Jack Leiter
|
| ankle surgery – candidate to be activated this week if Jacob deGrom (triceps) can’t go, but may not be ready after only one rehab start | |
| 12 |
Jack Flaherty
|
| flexor strain – has resumed throwing, just not off a mound yet, which puts him at least a couple weeks away | |
| 13 |
Ben Brown
|
| stress reaction in neck – returned to Chicago for a bullpen session Friday after throwing several in Arizona; best hope may be to return as a bullpen option for the playoffs | |
| 14 |
Davis Martin
|
| blister on finger – presumably a short-term absence, but he was having a miserable time before the injury with an 8.16 ERA in his past eight starts | |
| 15 |
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer
|
| ruptured testicle – has resumed light activities but still likely at least a couple weeks away | |
| 16 |
Endy Rodriguez
|
| hip inflammation – seeking a second opinion for an injury that keeps recurring could reveal the need for a longer-term absence | |
| 17 |
Reynaldo Lopez
|
| knee inflammation – back to throwing off the mound; unclear what role he’ll have when he returns, though manager Walt Weiss is open to him starting | |
| 18 |
Spencer Arrighetti
|
| nerve issue in foot – will attempt to pitch through condition; first rehab start was shaky, with the fastball down 2 mph | |
| 19 |
Edward Cabrera
|
| blister on finger – got throttled in first start back from a two-month absence for a hamstring strain, and now will need at least a couple more weeks | |
Originally published on www.cbssports.com — View original