5 Injured Players To Stash for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2026)

March 16, 2026

Sneaky fantasy baseball injury stashes and IL spot sleepers for 2026 drafts. Joey's five players who are mid-to-late round fantasy baseball values as IL stashes.

Injuries are a major part of fantasy baseball. Players get hurt all the time, and there's really no way to avoid injuries. Sometimes, though, drafting injured players could be a game-changer for your fantasy team. If you pick up the right injured players in fantasy baseball drafts, those players could eventually turn into draft-day steals.

In this article, we will break down five injured players that fantasy managers should be stashing to begin the season. Last year, players like Zach Neto were on this exact list. Neto then went on to hit .257 at the plate with 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases en route to an all-around strong fantasy campaign.

So, let's dive into the five injured players to stash for 2026 fantasy baseball drafts. Be sure to also bookmark our running fantasy baseball injury news and download our free mobile app to get the latest player news and injury alerts.

Jordan Westburg, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles

ADP: 145.7 

Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg has had some tough injury luck in recent years. He suffered a fractured right hand after being hit by a pitch in 2024, missed over 70 games due to a hamstring strain and an ankle sprain last season, and was recently diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in his right elbow last month.

This partially torn UCL will cause Westburg to miss the start of the 2026 season. While there is no set timeline for when the Orioles can expect their starting third baseman back, he will be out through at least April. That means the earliest that fantasy managers can expect Westburgh back is sometime in May. However, a May return isn't even guaranteed at this point.

Jordan Westburg will be out until at least the end of April, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias told reporters Friday morning.

Elias confirmed that Westburg is getting a PFP injection in his right elbow to help fix a partial UCL tear.

Read more:… pic.twitter.com/Hbb6n5bfBr

— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) February 20, 2026

Despite all the injuries that Westburg has had to deal with, he has been a solid fantasy option when healthy. He hit .264 with 18 home runs, 63 RBI, and six stolen bases across 107 games in 2024 and batted .265 with 17 home runs, 41 RBI, and one stolen base across 85 games in 2025. Coming off a season in which he had a .460 expected slugging and a 11.2% barrel rate, the 27-year-old is someone worth stashing in most fantasy leagues.

Westburg also has the potential to steal double-digit bases this year. His sprint speed (29 ft/sec) ranked in the 89th percentile last season, and he had a couple of 10+ stolen base seasons in his minor league career. So, the Orioles infielder has the potential to be an all-around solid fantasy asset once he returns.

That makes him a solid pick in the later rounds. Although his current ADP in Yahoo! leagues is at 145.7, he is going much later than that on other platforms. He's definitely worth stashing in one of your IL slots at that draft cost as he possesses starting-caliber 3B value when active.

Zack Wheeler, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

ADP: 140

There is no better player to stash in fantasy baseball drafts than Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler. Wheeler missed the final six weeks of the 2025 season due to a blood clot in his shoulder. He then underwent surgery on his shoulder to remove the blood clot, which gave him a timeline recovery of six to eight months.

Fantasy managers already know that Wheeler will not be ready for Opening Day as he continues to build up. It was announced last month by Rob Thomson that the All-Star pitcher will need more time to ramp up. However, the Phillies manager seemed fairly confident he wouldn't miss much time to start the year. Reports say a late-April to early-May return is certainly in the cards for Wheeler.

As a result, he's someone that fantasy managers should be thinking about taking in the middle to late rounds of fantasy drafts. He has been one of the best pitchers in the game over the last few years and has been an unquestioned fantasy superstar. Wheeler has finished with at least 12 wins, a sub-2.85 ERA, and 195+ strikeouts in four of the past five seasons.

If Wheeler were healthy going into the season, he would be a top-25 pick in drafts. Instead, fantasy managers can get him at pick 140 in Yahoo! leagues, and all you have to do is keep him in one of your IL slots for the first month of the season. He's an excellent pick in fantasy drafts right now.

Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees

ADP: 182.7

It has been a while since fantasy managers have seen New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole pitch in a game. Cole missed the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery. Considering he underwent that surgery in March of 2025, the expectation is that the right-hander won't return until May or June this season.

Still, Cole is one of the better injured players to stash in fantasy baseball drafts in 2026. He continues to build up toward a return and was even seen hitting 97 mph on his four-seam fastball during a bullpen session against live hitters on February 20. That fastball velocity is definitely an encouraging sign, given that it has been less than 12 months since undergoing Tommy John with an internal brace.

Gerrit Cole vs. Judge at Yankees camp. Has touched 97-mph. Struck out Grisham first AB. pic.twitter.com/nBFrysBrdk

— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) February 20, 2026

There obviously is some risk in selecting Cole at his 182.7 ADP. He has thrown only 95 innings over the past two years, and pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery are always in an adjustment period. Cole also missed the first two months of the 2024 season, as he dealt with an elbow injury early in the spring.

However, Cole is absolutely worth that risk at his late-round ADP. This is a pitcher who has been dominant on the mound whenever he's healthy. He had a 2.63 ERA, a 0.981 WHIP, and 222 strikeouts across 33 starts in 2023 and finished with a 3.41 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts across 17 starts in 2024. Take a chance on one of the top pitchers in the game at his 182.7 ADP in Yahoo! leagues.

Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees

ADP: 192.4

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe will start the season on the injured list. Volpe underwent left shoulder labrum surgery in October and will return sometime in April/May. The good news for those looking to stash the Yankees shortstop is that he is making good progress from that shoulder injury. He is currently hitting off a tee and taking soft toss.

Volpe doesn't really excel in one specific category in roto leagues. But he does enough in every category to make him a nice pick at his 192.4 ADP in Yahoo! leagues. Despite a poor .212 batting average last year, the 24-year-old totaled 19 home runs, 72 RBI, 65 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases across 153 games.

Those are solid numbers for a player you are taking in the 15th or 16th round of fantasy baseball drafts. Fantasy managers would no doubt love his batting average to be much better this year, and it could be with Volpe no longer dealing with that shoulder injury. He has the potential to hit around .235 with more than 15 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and 60 RBI.

Therefore, Volpe is a solid stash in fantasy baseball drafts this year. He should make his season debut within the first few weeks and is a good source of home runs and stolen bases at the shortstop position. The young infielder has hit over 18 home runs and stolen over 20 bases in two of his three major league seasons. Last year, both his barrel rate (10.5%) and sprint speed (28.3 ft/sec) ranked in the upper half of the league.

Justin Steele, SP, Chicago Cubs

ADP: 208.1

Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele's 2025 season was cut short due to an elbow injury. He eventually decided to undergo an internal brace procedure to repair a flexor tendon in his left elbow. With Steele opting for the internal brace procedure over Tommy John surgery, his recovery timeline will be much shorter. That means he could return sometime in May or June.

The left-hander is already making significant progress this offseason. He has already been fully cleared by Dr. Keith Meister and continues to build up in his bullpen sessions. Steele has already built up to two innings in his bullpen sessions and has been able to mix in his fastball, slider, and changeup in these sessions so far.

Justin Steele threw a bullpen today after being fully cleared for baseball activities 👏 pic.twitter.com/XywI2c4usH

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) March 3, 2026

With a May/June return likely at this point, Steele is a nice stash candidate at his 208.1 ADP in Yahoo! leagues. He has been one of the most underrated pitchers in the game since entering the league in 2021. The southpaw has finished with a sub-3.20 ERA in his last three full seasons and is just a few years removed from a 176-strikeout campaign.

So, if you are looking for a pitcher with a potential low ERA and low WHIP in the later rounds, Steele could be the perfect target. His 3.18 ERA since the start of the 2022 season is the 10th-lowest among all starters with at least 400 innings pitched during this span. That should give fantasy managers confidence in selecting him this late in drafts.

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