Major League Baseball’s injured roster is a revolving door with a slew of names coming in and out each week. This is something that needs to be monitored throughout the fantasy baseball season, especially in the shallow leagues where there are fewer IL or bench spots available.
This article is meant to prioritize the best players that deserve to be ranked in order. Some players are obviously hidden candidates and will always remain on a fantasy roster barring a season-ending injury, but others force more decision-making.
Ranking the Fantasy Baseball Injury Hideout
Let’s dive in and take a look at the top 10 players worth hiding in every position. Next, we’ll get into priority lists for pitchers and batters at this point in the season.
The 10 best players to hide right now
Judge Aaron (OF – NYY)
Corey Seager (SS-TEX)
Jose Altuve (2B – HOU)
Brandon Woodruff (SP-MIL)
Tyler Glasnow (SP – TB)
Jacob deGrom (SP-TEX)
Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE)
Oneil Cruz (SS-PIT)
Giancarlo Stanton (OF-NYY)
Luis Garcia (SP – HOU)
The two most notable additions to IL over the past week are Aaron Judge and Jacob deGrom. Both superstars easily slip into the top 10 best fantasy baseball players.
Of course, Judge is the undisputed number 1 on the list. Although deGrom isn’t let down by anyone, he slips down the list to #6 for good reason: he’s still on the IL. The same can be said for No. 5-ranked Tyler Glasnow, so these two are essentially interchangeable as high hitting arms who get injured on a regular basis.
Oneil Cruz and Luis Garcia also make the top 10. Cruz’s fractured ankle is going to sideline him until the end of the All-Star break, so fantasy managers will have to be patient. However, he is a serious power and speed threat, as well as a darling of the dynasty at 24.
As for Garcia, his injury is not so clear; Astros manager Dusty Baker said Garcia’s MRI results on his diseased elbow are still being evaluated. However, Garcia is a rock-solid fantasy asset who racks up a solid amount of strikeouts. He also wins plenty of games for fantasy managers, with 26 wins over the past two seasons.
Top 8 Pitchers to Store Right Now
Brandon Woodruff (SP-MIL)
Tyler Glasnow (SP – TB)
Jacob deGrom (SP-TEX)
Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE)
Luis Garcia (SP – HOU)
Luis Severino (SP-NYY)
Carlos Rodon (SP-NYY)
Alex Wood (SP-SF)
Unfortunately, many of the injuries on this list are not very clear. I mentioned Garcia’s uncertainty, and Carlos Rodon is another name in the air. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was due for further tests on his ailing back on Thursday. Rodon’s back prevented him from performing his mechanic and it doesn’t look like his return is imminent. Still, he is quite worthy of a place in IL.
Two names that could return sooner rather than later are Luis Severino and Alex Wood. Severino will undertake a rehab mission in the minor leagues starting Thursday at Single-A. Wood also has some clarity about his injury and is expected to be in rehab himself shortly. It’s worth staying on your IL right now considering he’ll be leaving this spot sooner rather than later.
Top 8 batters to put away right now
Judge Aaron (OF – NYY)
Corey Seager (SS-TEX)
Jose Altuve (2B – HOU)
Oneil Cruz (SS-PIT)
Giancarlo Stanton (OF-NYY)
Yoan Moncada (3B – CWS)
Mike Yastrzemski (OF – SF)
Jared Walsh (1B – LAA)
Jose Altuve recently received good news as he is allowed to participate in baseball activities. Most of this activity will come from the defensive side of the ball since he has been allowed to field balls on the ground. He will be able to test his grip on a bat, but he has apparently not yet been cleared to take swings as he returns from a broken thumb suffered during the World Baseball Classic. However, he won’t be back until the end of the month.
Yoan Moncada constantly makes fantasies tear their hair out. However, after a dwindling 2022 season, he is hitting .308 with two home runs and an .889 OPS in 40 plate appearances. He, too, is nearing a minor league rehab assignment and with Jake Burger appearing to be suffering from an oblique injury on Wednesday, he is expected to return to his day-to-day role at third base upon his return.
As for Walsh, he is yet another player set to return. He hasn’t played yet this season due to headaches, but will head to Los Angeles sooner rather than later. He regressed badly last season but he’s a thief on the rise given the stellar job he put in between the 2020-21 seasons.
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