Five Injured Players to Stash in Fantasy Baseball - Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13 (2025)

June 23, 2025

Kipp highlights five injured fantasy baseball players worth stashing in redraft leagues, as of June 20, 2025 (Week 13). His waiver wire pickups for IL players.

We've got another edition of the Injured Players to Stash in Fantasy Baseball series for Week 13 as we continue the 2025 season. Today's article examines injured players, including Spencer Arrighetti, Zack Gelof,  and Royce Lewis, 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 13 of the fantasy baseball season has to offer.

Max Scherzer, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Rostered: 34% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late June

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

We will keep Max Scherzer in this article as the top guy to add heading into Week 13, as he is very close to a return. The next step is for him to throw approximately 70-75 pitches at Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday (June 18), and then he is likely to be reinstated from the IL. If all goes according to plan, this will be the last time Max is eligible to be in this article, barring some additional injury.

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 besides a waiver add. There are obvious concerns here with his age, but the upside could still be there for Scherzer.

Spencer Arrighetti, SP, Houston Astros

Rostered: 31% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Early July

2025 Stats: 5.59 ERA/8 K/5 BB/9 2/3 IP

Spencer Arrighetti has been on the IL with a broken right thumb since the beginning of the season and was recently transferred to the 60-Day IL. This was just a procedural move, and he is still targeting a return in early July. Arrighetti can provide value to those looking for starting pitching, which is everyone in any fantasy league.

In 2024, he posted a 4.53 ERA, but this is not where he derives his value. His value comes from the strikeout. He posted 171 Ks across his 145 IP in 2024, which is exactly why we want to target him coming off the IL. He has also pitched well at home, having posted a 3.86 ERA and a 10.6 K/9 mark since 2023.

Look to add Arrighetti in the coming weeks, as his 31% roster share will likely increase leading up to his return.

Spencer Arrighetti Throwing on Flat Ground https://t.co/DL47wwBHk3

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) June 17, 2025

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, unfortunately, has made it into this article for the second consecutive week. That being said, he is likely to return in the near future as he is set to begin a rehab assignment this week after beginning normal baseball activities without issue earlier this week. This is welcome news to a Red Sox lineup that traded away Rafael Devers.

Abreu started the 2025 season where he left off in 2024, smacking 13 home runs and driving 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 the previous two seasons. Add him in any leagues where he may have been dropped. He can immediately slot into your lineup as a fourth outfielder in most leagues.

Zack Gelof, 2B, Athletics

Rostered: 4% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Mid-May

2024 Stats: .211/.270/.362/17 HR/49 RBI/25 SB

Full disclosure: I have never been a huge Zack Gelof fan; however, he does provide a ton of value on the basepaths, as noted by his 25 stolen bases in 2024. Unfortunately, he was only able to muster a .362 SLG.

This being said, the new park the Athletics are playing in has proved to be quite a hitters' haven thus far in 2025, so we could certainly see his power numbers increase. They also were not horrible in Oakland in 2024 when he hit 17 bombs.

He will also likely slot right back into the lineup upon his return. This is definitely on the lower end of adds in this article, but he is eligible at second base, which has been a wasteland for fantasy baseball this season, so there is some value in adding him if you need depth.

Royce Lewis, OF, Minnesota Twins

Rostered: 47% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late June

2025 stats: .202/.282/.303/2 HR/9 RBI/11 BB

Royce Lewis recently went on the IL after re-aggravating the hamstring he previously went on the IL for. While this is not encouraging by any means, the injury is thought to be less severe, so hopefully, he does not miss much more time than the minimum.

Lewis got off to an abysmal start this season, having hit just two home runs across 99 PA, but he can provide fantasy managers a ton of value in the power department. In 2024, Lewis hit 16 home runs across just 325 PA.

While the home runs have not been there yet in 2025, there is reason to believe they could start showing up upon his return, as he has posted a 90.8 mph average exit velocity, which ranks in the top quartile of the league. He has also posted a 9.1% Barrels/PA mark, which ranks him in the top 8% of the league.

Feel free to add him if you need a right-handed platoon in your outfield, as he has posted a .762 OPS vs. left-handed pitching compared to just a .508 vs. righties this season.

Royce Lewis Hits 10-Day Injured List https://t.co/DU7H2RjvAQ

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) June 15, 2025

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