5 Injured Players to Stash - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 7 (2026)

May 8, 2026

Dan's injury fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, IL stashes for Week 7 of 2026. His top injured players to stash as waiver wire sleepers, breakouts to return.

Welcome to another weekend of sorting through the waiver wire to find help for your fantasy baseball team. Another weekend means a new edition of Five Injured Players To Stash is here to help you get a jump on players that can contribute down the line.

Leading things off this week is an outfielder whose injury history and volatility make him one of the game’s more divisive players. Also on deck are a couple of starting pitchers, one of whom could be ready to go as soon as this coming week. Rounding out the group are a reliever that could step right into a closer committee and a catcher that has shown serious power in his young career.

In my own fantasy baseball leagues that use IL slots, I frequently shuttle players in and out of those spaces. If one of these players pans out, I’m glad to have picked him up on the cheap. If they don’t, or if their timeline is delayed, then they are an easy cut. To give you a hand in managing your IL slots this week, here is Five Injured Players To Stash For Fantasy Baseball for Week 7.

Luis Robert Jr., OF, New York Mets

Rostered: 63% Yahoo!
Expected return: Late May

Outside of his remarkable 2023 season, Luis Robert Jr. (back) has cursed fantasy rosters with a litany of injuries, disappointing production, and oftentimes both. This season started similarly to his last two, with Robert owning a .224/.327/.329 triple-slash, with a couple of home runs and a couple of stolen bases through 24 games. Robert is also back on the injured list after a bout of back tightness led to a diagnosis of a herniated disc in his spine.

And yet I can’t help but feel a bit of excitement for what Robert might be capable of with the Mets in a lineup alongside Francisco Lindor (calf), Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette, once they are all healthy and assuming they can shake their early-season slumps.

Despite the poor returns so far, Robert has shown some encouraging signs. He has slashed his strikeout rate to 17.3% and is drawing walks at a 13.3% clip. Robert’s zone (88.1%) and overall (75.0%) contact rates are at or near career highs. Also, Robert is swinging less often at pitches on the edge of the strike zone, and when he does, he is making contact more frequently than in the past.

Robert was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 30. He is approaching the tail-end of a shutdown period and is awaiting reevaluation. From there, we will have a better idea if the outfielder’s timeline will be measured in days, weeks, or months. I am stashing, and I am ready to be hurt again, if only because I know Robert will be at some point, too. If and when that time comes, I won’t be afraid to cut and run.

Tatsuya Imai, SP, Houston Astros

Rostered: 47% Yahoo!
Expected return: May 11

In an eight-year career with NPB’s Seibu Lions, pitcher Tatsuya Imai’s (arm) resume included 58 wins, 907 strikeouts, a 3.15 ERA, and a 1.27 WHIP over 963.2 innings pitched. Good enough numbers to reasonably expect him to be a solid MLB starter after signing a three-year, $54 million deal with the Astros this offseason, not so great as to burden him with the expectation of becoming a staff ace.

Unfortunately, Imai struggled out of the gate. Most notably, his poor command has gotten him into early trouble in two of his three starts and inflated his pitch count in his one successful outing. Against the Athletics on April 4, Imai blanked the Athletics and struck out nine over 5.2 IP, but threw 97 pitches in the effort. All told, of his 205 pitches thrown as an MLB pitcher, only 111 have gone for strikes. In 8.2 MLB innings, Imai has 13 strikeouts but has allowed 11 walks and seven earned runs.

The Astros put him on the injured list after being chased from his April 10 start against the Mariners, citing arm fatigue. Imai himself later said that, in addition to the physical ailment, he is also struggling to adjust to life in a new country and the differences between the pro leagues in Japan and the United States, namely the size of the ball, the height of the mound, and the pitch clock.

Imai’s expected stats point to better days ahead, though that may mean fantasy production along the lines of fellow countryman Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder). That is, there will be a lot of strikeouts to look forward to, assuming Imai can adjust, but don’t expect a lot of help in WHIP or ERA.

Imai’s next start should come in the Astros’ upcoming series against the Mariners. That makes him less of a stash than a regular pickup, but if your league runs daily waivers, then you might have a bit of a jump on acquiring the pitcher and get away with carrying an extra player through the weekend.

Casey Mize, SP, Detroit Tigers

Rostered: 42% Yahoo!
Expected return: Late May

In 2025, Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (thigh) earned All-Star honors on his way to completing his best season to date. Mize finished the year with a 14-6 record, 139 strikeouts, a 3.87 ERA, and a 1.27 WHIP in 149.0 IP across 28 starts. The 29-year-old picked up where he left off to start this season, collecting two wins, 35 strikeouts, a 2.90 ERA, and 1.19 WHIP in his first six starts.

In that sixth start, however, Mize was forced out in the third inning due to what was initially described as groin tightness. After undergoing an MRI, Mize was diagnosed with an adductor strain and placed on the 15-day IL on April 29.

It’s still early in 2026, but Mize’s 27.3% strikeout rate and 18.8% K-BB% are the strongest of his career. The righty’s 3.44 xERA and 3.70 xFIP point to Mize punching slightly above his weight, but whatever regression is in store for him won’t be egregious. Without a timeline for now, it is hard to say when Mize will return to the mound. Given that his strain is mild, we could see him back by Memorial Day.

Erik Miller, RP, San Francisco Giants

Rostered: 5% Yahoo!
Expected return: Mid-May

To say that the San Francisco Giants have gotten off to a disappointing start in 2026 would be something of an understatement. Offensive woes aside (the Giants are dead last in the majors in run production, on-base percentage, and OPS), closer-in-name-only Ryan Walker has done as much harm as good in the ninth inning, collecting three saves and blowing another three opportunities.

Already, the Giants are dabbling with a committee to work the ninth rather than continue suffering through Walker’s struggles. Caleb Kilian got the nod and came through in the club’s most recent save opportunity. Erik Miller (back) is another candidate to close things out once he returns from the injured list, too.

Miller is currently on the IL thanks to a lower back strain. He was able to pick up a ball and start throwing within days, though, and is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon. He will be eligible for activation on May 16, and if things continue to progress as well as they have so far, he should be back in the Giants’ bullpen on that day or shortly after.

Miller’s Statcast profile has so much cherry red in it, it’s hard not to be excited about his potential even though it only reflects 11.1 innings of work in 2026. Even if he does have to share closer duties in a committee, Miller should be good for a handful of strikeouts each week without threatening your team’s ratios. The lefty will be especially useful in leagues that value holds, as he will continue adding to his tally there when not closing.

Logan O’Hoppe, C, Los Angeles Angels

Rostered: 3% Yahoo!
Expected return: Late May

Always in harm’s way, catchers are among the most injury-prone players in MLB. Since you never know when yours might go down, it is a good idea to have a backup in mind.

Logan O’Hoppe (wrist) is widely available and, once healthy, he should be a regular fixture in the Angels’ lineup. Before going down, the 26-year-old was behind the plate in 26 of the Halos’ first 28 games to start 2026. O’Hoppe hasn’t accomplished much in the batter’s box so far this season, but his power potential makes him an enticing stash.

O’Hoppe clubbed 14 home runs in 2023 despite being limited to 51 games due to a torn labrum. The backstop followed that up with 20 and 19 home runs in 2024 and 2025, respectively, with both of those seasons cut short due to injuries as well.

On April 25, O’Hoppe took a foul ball to the wrist, resulting in a small fracture. He is currently on the 10-day IL and was already playing catch a week after the injury. It’s hard to see O’Hoppe as a league-winner, or even a long-term solution at catcher. I’m interested in stashing him, though, to reap the home runs that would result from a potential hot streak following his activation later this month.

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