Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 50 IL stashes with Kodai Senga, Clayton Kershaw on the road to returning

Players who once seemed so far away are now on the verge of contributing

There's been a fair amount of IL turnover in the month or so since I last published IL stash rankings, enough that some of your long-occupied IL spots may now be vacant.

And you can't leave them that way, particularly not when so many of the long-term injury cases that seemed like hollow pursuits not so long ago are now, uh ... substantial pursuits.

I'm talking about Kodai Senga, who has looked great through two rehab starts. I'm talking about Jeffrey Springs, whose slow and steady recovery from Tommy John surgery is nearing its crescendo. I'm talking about Clayton Kershaw, who's consistently written off with one health concern or another only to come back and do his usual Clayton Kershaw thing. And then there's Tommy Edman and Robbie Ray, who have both begun rehab assignments. Even Matt McLain and Jacob deGrom are giving indications they could make it back within six weeks or so.

They're all well worth stashing in an IL spot if not a bench spot in certain cases. Just how worth it? These rankings serve to answer precisely that question.

Of course, amid all the triumphant returns, I should also note that we're nearing the point when every injury has the potential to be a season-ender, which is why you may be surprised to discover just how low Jesus Luzaro and Jordan Romano rank for me.

Too valuable to drop, period

1	Kyle Tucker Houston Astros RF
bruised shin - absence has been much longer than expected but should be back early in the second half
2	Tyler Glasnow Los Angeles Dodgers SP
back tightness - doesn't sound serious, likely just some extra rest with All-Star break nearing
3	Mookie Betts Los Angeles Dodgers SS
fractured wrist - nearly four weeks into a 6-to-8-week timetable, could play second base when he returns
4	Fernando Tatis San Diego Padres RF
femoral stress reaction - uncommon baseball injury with unclear timeline, but no choice but to wait it out
5	Yoshinobu Yamamoto Los Angeles Dodgers SP
strained rotator cuff - set to begin throwing program next week, likely a month or so away
6	Royce Lewis Minnesota Twins 3B
strained groin - Grade 2 strain, meaning his absence could extend into August
7	Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels CF
torn meniscus - should take batting practice soon, hopes to return by end of July
8	Michael Harris Atlanta Braves CF
strained hamstring - has been running and hitting but no talk of him going on rehab assignment yet
9	David Bednar Pittsburgh Pirates RP
strained oblique - began rehab assignment Tuesday, should return in the coming days
10	Triston Casas Boston Red Sox 1B
cartilage tear in rib - will begin hitting off a tee this week; late July remains possible
11	Kodai Senga New York Mets SP
strained shoulder - results and stuff have been good through two rehab starts, likely needs 2-3 more
12	Jared Jones Pittsburgh Pirates SP
strained lat - shut down through All-Star break at least, with slow buildup likely to follow
13	Devin Williams Milwaukee Brewers RP
fractures in back - threw live batting practice Tuesday, the last step before a rehab assignment
14	Josh Jung Texas Rangers 3B
fractured wrist - was gearing up to return, but continued soreness shut him down again; timetable unclear
15	J.T. Realmuto Philadelphia Phillies C
torn meniscus - opted for surgery with a shorter timetable, so could return right after All-Star break

Also really difficult to drop

16	Luis Rengifo Los Angeles Angels 3B
wrist inflammation - no structural damage, good chance he'll be activated when first eligible
17	Xander Bogaerts San Diego Padres 2B
fractured shoulder - reportedly will be activated Friday after quicker-than-expected recovery
18	Jeffrey Springs Tampa Bay Rays SP
Tommy John surgery - went four innings in his latest rehab start, putting him just 1-2 turns away
19	TJ Friedl Cincinnati Reds CF
strained hamstring - back to running, expected to return within 7-10 days of the All-Star break
20	Giancarlo Stanton New York Yankees DH
strained hamstring - could skip rehab assignment and be activated for the start of the second half
21	Bryan Woo Seattle Mariners SP
strained hamstring - back this weekend, but had been pitching well despite also having a recurring forearm issue
22	Justin Verlander Houston Astros SP
neck discomfort - has missed a month now and still just throwing off flat ground
23	Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers SP
shoulder surgery - set to resume rehab assignment Saturday after a three-week break, likely needs 3-4

Still a priority on some level

24	Yimi Garcia Toronto Blue Jays RP
elbow ulnar neuritis - on a rehab assignment, should reclaim closer role with Jordan Romano out long-term
25	Tommy Edman St. Louis Cardinals 2B
wrist surgery - on a rehab assignment, likely will need a couple of weeks there given length of absence
26	Max Muncy Los Angeles Dodgers 3B
strained oblique - had to be shut down from swinging a bat recently, so still several weeks away
27	Joseph Ortiz Milwaukee Brewers 3B
neck inflammation - will begin a rehab assignment Thursday and could be activated for the weekend
28	Evan Carter Texas Rangers LF
stress reaction in the back - has resumed swinging bat, no word of rehab assignment yet; late July possible
29	Robbie Ray San Francisco Giants SP
Tommy John surgery - latest rehab starts have been shaky, but he's missing plenty of bats, should return soon
30	Matt McLain Cincinnati Reds SS
shoulder surgery - targeting Aug. 12 for a rehab assignment, meaning he might not be back until September
31	Jacob deGrom Texas Rangers SP
Tommy John surgery - throwing bullpen sessions and still has ways to go, so August may be a stretch
32	Merrill Kelly Arizona Diamondbacks SP
strained shoulder - threw a bullpen session Tuesday but probably still looking at a month of buildup
33	Joe Musgrove San Diego Padres SP
bone spur in elbow - still playing catch as of the last report, also tweaking delivery to reduce stress
34	Jesus Luzardo Miami Marlins SP
lumbar stress reaction - ineligible to return until late August, making substantive impact unlikely
35	Walker Buehler Los Angeles Dodgers SP
hip inflammation - has recovered from injury but is working through things at the spring training facility

Stashing is purely a luxury

36	Ryan Weathers Miami Marlins SP
strained finger - seemed minor at first, but move to 60-day IL puts him out until at least mid-August
37	Jordan Romano Toronto Blue Jays RP
elbow impingement - shut down for the next six weeks following surgery; no sure thing he'll recover in time
38	Jordan Montgomery Arizona Diamondbacks SP
knee inflammation - should be back this week or next, to whatever degree we should still care
39	Eduardo Rodriguez Arizona Diamondbacks SP
strained lat - threw a bullpen session Tuesday but probably still looking at a month of buildup
40	Luis Garcia Houston Astros SP
Tommy John surgery - a couple of rehab starts down with several more to go; late-July return possible
41	Tyler Mahle Texas Rangers SP
Tommy John surgery - two starts into rehab assignment, putting him on track to return in August
42	Kerry Carpenter Detroit Tigers RF
stress fracture in back - only doing light running and throwing after suffering a setback last week
43	Alex Cobb San Francisco Giants SP
shoulder irritation - still early into rehab assignment but has looked good; August return likely
44	Javier Assad Chicago Cubs SP
strained forearm - has been throwing the whole time, expected back this week or next
45	Clarke Schmidt New York Yankees SP
strained lat - back to throwing after two-month shutdown, could return at some point in August
46	Kris Bryant Colorado Rockies 1B
strained oblique - has resumed batting practice; rehab assignment should extend beyond the All-Star break
47	Isiah Kiner-Falefa Toronto Blue Jays 2B
sprained knee - has resumed running and throwing, should return early in the second half
48	Vaughn Grissom Boston Red Sox 2B
strained hamstring - working to regain strength in both hamstrings; no timetable offered
49	Anthony Rizzo New York Yankees 1B
fractured arm - about halfway through the eight-week timetable, but Ben Rice is making the case to keep the job
50	Ben Brown Chicago Cubs RP
stress reaction in neck - still feeling discomfort as of Wednesday, so no clear timetable