Five Injured Players to Stash in Fantasy Baseball - Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 12 (2025)

Kipp highlights five injured fantasy baseball players worth stashing in redraft leagues, as of June 13, 2025 (Week 12). His waiver wire pickups for IL players.

We've got another edition of the Injured Players to Stash in Fantasy Baseball series for Week 12 as we continue the 2025 season. Today's article examines injured players, including Yimi Garcia, Wilyer Abreu, and Ezequiel Tovar, among others.

With the 2025 fantasy baseball season well underway, several injured players who are out there have low roster percentages and may be available on your league's waiver wires. These players can provide significant value to fantasy managers, especially if they have an IL spot available on their roster.

This article will be featured weekly with updated players for fantasy managers to consider picking up and stashing off the waiver wire. Without further ado, let's look at what Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season has to offer.

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Max Scherzer, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Rostered: 32% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late June

2024 Stats: 2-4/3.95 ERA/40 K/10 BB/43 1/3 IP

Max Scherzer has been on the IL since his first start on March 29 with a thumb injury and is now finally set to make a rehab start. He will likely return at the end of the month and could provide a ton of value to fantasy managers willing to take a chance on him. The fact that the former Cy Young winner is only rostered in 32% of Yahoo leagues is also quite surprising.

While he did not have a superb 2024 season due to injury, he still managed to strike out 40 batters across 40 1/3 IP. He will immediately slot into the Blue Jays rotation upon his return, of course. If he can find anything remotely close to his former self, this is a solid addition to your roster.

If he struggles, he won't cost much aside from a waiver add. There are obvious concerns here with his age, but the upside could still be there for Scherzer.

Max Scherzer Throws a Good Bullpen https://t.co/j0lL0FGuuR

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) June 9, 2025

Yimi Garcia, RP, Toronto Blue Jays

Rostered: 6% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late June

2025 Stats: 3.15 ERA/24 K/10 BB/20 IP

Yimi Garcia went on the IL late last month with shoulder fatigue and should return to the Blue Jays' bullpen later this month. While Garcia walked 10 in his first 20 innings pitched this season, this is not what we would typically expect from him. Additionally, he has plenty to offer fantasy managers upon his return.

Thus far in 2025, Garcia has posted a solid 3.15 ERA and 24 strikeouts across his 20.0 IP. The strikeouts are especially nice and should come as no surprise, as he has also posted a very respectable 12.4% SwStr%, ranking him in the 57th percentile of the league.

Garcia can provide fantasy managers a ton of value in leagues that reward saves, holds, or a combination of the two. He racked up a solid 14 combined saves + holds in just 21 games. Feel free to add him in any leagues where relief pitching is at a premium and you can afford to wait a couple of weeks to have him back.

Wilyer Abreu, OF, Boston Red Sox

Rostered: 60% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late June

2025 Stats: .245/.321/.471/13 HRs/32 RBI/24 BB/4 SBs

Wilyer Abreu most likely will not make this article a second time, as he is already 60% rostered in Yahoo leagues, so I wanted to make sure I got him in here this week. He is on the IL due to an oblique, which is something you never want to hear, but he is expected to miss the minimum amount of time.

Abreu has started the season where he left off in 2024, smacked 13 home runs, and driven in 32 runs. He has been hitting the ball hard, as noted by his 31.9% hard hit rate, which ranks him in the 84th percentile of the league. He also posted an average exit velocity north of 91 mph, so we know the power is real.

He is especially valuable against right-handed pitching as he has posted an OPS north of .825 in each of the previous two seasons. Add him in any leagues where he may have been dropped. He can slot into your lineup as a fourth outfielder immediately in most leagues.

⚾ My Latest on @RotoBaller ⚾

May Top 200 Dynasty Rankings

- Pete Crow-Armstrong 📈📈
- How high for Hunter Brown?
- Wilyer Abreu sneaky good#FantasyBaseballhttps://t.co/zIhAYK9BMR

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) May 20, 2025

Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies

Rostered: 51% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late June

2025 Stats: .258/.406/.348/3 HR/10RBI/2 SB

Esequiel Tovar just went on the IL retroactive to June 3 with, you guessed it, an oblique issue. While this is not the best news, he has gotten off to a solid start in the Rockies' lineup and is one of the few bright spots on the team.

He has posted a solid 35% hard hit rate to begin 2025, which ranks him in the 66th percentile of the league. He has also posted an average exit velocity of 90.3 mph, which ranks him in the 77th percentile. While he has only posted a .258 average, his expected average is over .300.

We also must not forget that Tovar plays in Coors Field, which is always beneficial to the hitter. Look to add him in leagues where you need SS depth.

Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays

Rostered: 10% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Mid-June

2025 stats: .207/.240/.543/8 HR/20 RBI/1 SB

We will run Dalton Varsho back in this week's article, as he is still rostered in just 10% of Yahoo leagues. Varsho has begun swinging in the cages; however, he has not yet been cleared to run. Hitting in the cages is a positive sign, and it is only a matter of time before running drills begin, followed by what is likely a short rehab assignment.

The metrics have been solid as he has posted a 35.9% hard hit rate, which ranks in the 73rd percentile of the league. He has performed surprisingly well against right-handed pitching this season, as noted by his .925 OPS. This is atypical of Varsho, as he is typically known for hitting left-handers harder. This could be a new approach and makes him more valuable than he otherwise could have been.

Snag Varsho if you need an extra outfielder and have the roster construction to allow him to enter your roster.

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