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Frank's top 25 injured players to stash for fantasy baseball as of Week 9 (2026). His top fantasy baseball injury stashes for IL spots and redraft leagues.
Welcome to our Injured Players to Stash for Fantasy Baseball series, as we move past Week 9 of the 2026 MLB season. We always want to stay on top of injury updates throughout the season. Sometimes, your opponents will get stuck in a roster crunch, where they can't hold onto all these injury stashes, giving you a chance to pick them up.
That's where this article comes in. We'll go through the top 25 injured MLB players rostered in less than 65% of Yahoo! leagues to determine who is worth stashing. Do note, however, this is not a ranking of value. The players are listed in order of their roster percentage, not in preference. Consider it as a column that updates you on players' injury status.
I've dug through the waiver wire to find these potential values. With each player, we'll provide a projected return date. So, without further ado, let's dive into the top 25 injured players to stash after Week 9 of the 2026 fantasy baseball season.
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Top Injured Players For Fantasy Baseball
| Player | Team | IL Type | Ros. % | Estimated Return |
| Emilio Pagan | Reds | IL15 (Hamstring) | 64% | Mid-June |
| Brendan Donovan | Mariners | IL10 (Groin) | 62% | Early-July |
| Hunter Greene | Reds | IL60 (Elbow) | 62% | Mid-July |
| Mickey Moniak | Rockies | IL10 (Ankle) | 60% | Early-June |
| Ryan O'Hearn | Pirates | IL10 (Quad) | 59% | Mid-June |
| Kris Bubic | Royals | IL15 (Elbow) | 58% | Early-July |
| Matthew Boyd | Cubs | IL15 (Knee) | 54% | Mid-June |
| Luis Robert Jr. | Mets | IL10 (Back) | 54% | Late-June |
| Carlos Estevez | Royals | IL15 (Shoulder) | 51% | Mid-June |
| Gleyber Torres | Tigers | IL10 (Oblique) | 50% | Mid-June |
| Trevor Story | Red Sox | IL10 (Abdomen) | 50% | Mid-July |
| Shane Bieber | Blue Jays | IL60 (Elbow) | 45% | Late-June |
| Yainer Diaz | Astros | IL10 (Oblique) | 43% | Mid-June |
| Heliot Ramos | Giants | IL10 (Quad) | 40% | Late-June |
| Kerry Carpenter | Tigers | IL10 (Shoulder) | 39% | Early-June |
| Jared Jones | Pirates | IL60 (Elbow) | 39% | Early-June |
| Ryan Jeffers | Twins | IL10 (Hand) | 38% | Early-July |
| Brenton Doyle | Rockies | IL10 (Oblique) | 35% | Late-June |
| Corbin Burnes | Diamondbacks | IL60 (Elbow) | 33% | Mid-July |
| Clay Holmes | Mets | IL60 (Leg) | 32% | Mid-August |
| Giancarlo Stanton | Yankees | IL10 (Calf) | 30% | Late-June |
| Spencer Schwellenbach | Braves | IL60 (Elbow) | 30% | Mid-August |
| Alejandro Kirk | Blue Jays | IL10 (Thumb) | 26% | Mid-June |
| Jorge Polanco | Mets | IL10 (Elbow) | 24% | Early-June |
| Addison Barger | Blue Jays | IL10 (Elbow) | 23% | Late-June |
Fantasy Baseball Players To Monitor Closely
Kris Bubic, SP, Kansas City Royals
Rostered: 58% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Early July
Kris Bubic has Started a Full Throwing Program https://t.co/UJQ24E3quc
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) May 25, 2026
Kris Bubic is putting up a 4.11 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP with a 24.6% strikeout rate and a 12.6% walk rate in 50.1 innings. The biggest concern is the lack of command, as his walk rate has ballooned from 8.2% last season. Bubic is also missing bats at a much lower rate, as his swinging-strike rate has plummeted from 13.4% to 10.7%.
You never want to hear elbow with a pitcher injury, but the good news is that Bubic has started a throwing program. The team is hopeful that Bubic will be able to rejoin the team after a rehab assignment.
While that's good news, it's always a good idea to temper your expectations with pitcher injuries. I'm putting down early July as a projected return for Bubic, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him out longer than that. It's not like he was pitching well anyway, so it's probably better that the Royals are patient with him.
Matthew Boyd, SP, Chicago Cubs
Rostered: 54% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Mid-June
An update on Matthew Boyd 👇 pic.twitter.com/IPULdG69SO
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 15, 2026
Matthew Boyd has a 6.00 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP with a 31.0% strikeout rate and a 6.0% walk rate in 24 innings. Don't get too caught up in his high ERA, as the underlying metrics point towards positive regression, as highlighted by an impressive 2.74 SIERA. You have to love that elite 25.0 K-BB% from Boyd so far.
He's also generating a lot more whiffs this season, bumping up his swinging-strike rate from 10.7% to 14.2%. Once Boyd is ready to return to action, he has a chance to be a difference-maker for your rotation.
Boyd is ready for a full bullpen session, so he's nearing a return. After a brief rehab assignment, he should be back in action. With that in mind, it's not a bad idea to try to trade for him now. Perhaps your leaguemate won't realize that Boyd has deserved much better results so far.
Shane Bieber, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Rostered: 45% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Late June
Shane Bieber saw some game action for the first time this season earlier today, pitching a rehab outing in the Florida Complex League. 2 innings, 3 hits allowed, 0 walks, 3 Ks.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) May 25, 2026
The Blue Jays have been extremely patient with Shane Bieber, just like they were with Trey Yesavage. With how great Yesavage has been since returning, it wouldn't shock me to see Bieber make an immediate impact once he's back as well. The veteran righty was solid for the Jays last season, putting up a 3.57 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP with an 18.9 K-BB% in 40.1 innings.
There's a good chance that Bieber can be an asset once again, especially in WHIP, due to his strong control. Toronto has underachieved after being riddled with injuries so far, but they're slowly rounding into form. Once Bieber's ready to return, he could be a source of wins as well, as this feels like a team on the cusp of a major hot streak.
With Bieber already starting his rehab assignment, we're going to see him back on the mound sooner rather than later. I'll bet on a late June return at worst. If you have room, it's time to stash the veteran right-hander.
Trevor Story, SS, Boston Red Sox
Rostered: 50% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Mid-July
#RedSox shortstop Trevor Story underwent a successful sports hernia repair. The procedure was performed by Dr. William Meyers at The Vincera Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 22, 2026
Trevor Story has struggled mightily following last season's resurgence, slashing .206/.244/.303 with three home runs and four stolen bases in 176 plate appearances. Simply put, he's been one of the worst hitters in baseball, as highlighted by his 48 wRC+.
In other words, you probably shouldn't have been holding onto him even when he was healthy. Now that he's out for a while, there's no need to stash him unless you have IL spots.
Story has been injury-prone for a good chunk of his career, so it's starting to look like a lost season for him. I'm not too enthused about the idea of Story as a stash, but he's worth highlighting in this column because this is a new injury. It's likely that he's been playing hurt all year, which explains the abysmal numbers.
Spencer Schwellenbach, SP, Atlanta Braves
Rostered: 30% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Mid-August
#Braves Spencer Schwellenbach told me he started throwing 5 days ago – flat ground at 60 ft. every other day. He'll throw at that distance for 2 weeks then 2 weeks at 75 ft. before hopefully getting on the mound.
He feels really good and is very encouraged by the early sessions.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) May 23, 2026
The Braves have been able to exceed expectations, weathering the storm with early-season injuries to their pitchers to play like one of the best teams in baseball.
Help is on the way, as Spencer Schwellenbach has started throwing. While the progression will be slow, it's still encouraging to see that Schwellenbach is on the mend.
This is the kind of upside play that could put your fantasy team over the top down the stretch. If you have room on your roster, this is exactly the type of stash that you want to make.
