Five Injured Players to Stash: Week 1 Pickups

Kipp Heisterman (@kipppsta) highlights five injured fantasy baseball players worth stashing in redraft leagues, as of March 27, 2025 (Week 1).

Welcome back RotoBallers to the 2025 MLB season! We've got another edition of the Injured Players to Stash in Fantasy Baseball series for Week 1 to kick off the 2025 season.

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

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 1 of the fantasy baseball season has to offer.

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Francisco Alvarez, C, New York Mets

Rostered: 35% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late April

2024 stats: .237/.307/.403/39 R/11 HR/47 RBI

Francisco Alvarez is going on the IL to begin the season with a surgically repaired left hand. He recently had the stitches removed and is expected to return near the end of April.

Alvarez can provide a ton of value for fantasy managers looking for help at the catcher position, and to be honest, who isn't looking for help at the catcher position in 2025? He is just one season removed from mashing 25 home runs. He will also be part of what is expected to be a rather potent Mets offense in 2025.

If you have an IL spot and whiffed at the catcher position in your draft, Alvarez could be the perfect addition, and you won't have to wait too long for his return.

Francisco Alvarez's Stiches Come Out https://t.co/0MAtnZG2Tf

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) March 26, 2025

 

Sean Murphy, C, Atlanta Braves

Rostered: 16% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Mid-April

2024 stats: .193/.284/.352/19 R/10 HR/25 RBI

We are sticking with the catcher theme again here with Sean Murphy. While I do not think he will have as much of an impact as Francisco Alvarez, Murphy should see plenty of time behind the plate once he returns in the middle of April.

Murphy had a lackluster 2024 campaign that was shortened due to injuries, but he is still only 30 years old, which is hard to believe. In 2023, Murphy managed to play in 108 games and hit 21 home runs while driving in 68 RBI. He should settle into a Braves lineup that ranked 16th in wRC+ in 2024. Mind you, this was without Ronald Acuna Jr. for most of the season.

Upon his return, Murphy is likely to bat seventh in the Braves lineup, which should lend its hand to plenty of RBI opportunities, which can often be hard to come by at the catcher position. Add him and put him in an IL spot if you have one.

Matt Vierling, 3B/OF, Detroit Tigers

Rostered: 4% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late April

2024 stats: .257/.312/.423/16 HR/57 RBI/6 SB

Vierling will begin the season on the IL due to a shoulder injury and is expected to return at the end of April. He had a solid 2024 campaign, as noted by his 16 home runs and 57 RBI across 134 games.

He is expected to hit in the middle of a Tigers lineup that recently added Gleyber Torres and posted a 95 wRC+ in 2024. While the Tigers offense was not stout by any means, it should improve in 2025 with the addition of Torres and the growth of some young rising stars like Kerry Carpenter.

Vierling should also see a majority of the playing time in right field upon his return, so at-bats should not be an issue once he gets his legs underneath him.

Matt Vierling Progressing To Soft Toss https://t.co/0mVROkW3CO

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) March 26, 2025

 

Austin Hays, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Rostered: 3% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Mid-April

2024 stats: .255/.303/.396/5 HR/20 RBI

Austin Hays is by no means a sexy add as he does not provide a ton of pop; however, he has posted a .261 AVG over the previous three seasons and is a great NL-only league addition for many.

He is especially valuable as a platoon outfielder in deeper leagues. This is noted by the fact that he posted an outstanding .941 OPS vs. southpaws in 2024. He has also posted a .787 OPS vs. left-handers since 2022.

Where he will hit in the Reds lineup is still a bit up in the air, but this is a Reds offense that could use some help against left-handers, as they ranked in the bottom half of the league in terms of wRC+ vs. left-handers in 2024. For this reason, he will see plenty of playing time against lefties this season.

Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays

Rostered: 8% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Early to Mid-April

2024 stats: .214/.293/.407/18 HR/58 RBI/10 SB

Daulton Varsho has been playing DH this spring and has raked to the tune of posting a 1.126 OPS across 33 plate appearances. He was not cleared for Opening Day, however, and will begin the season on the IL. He is expected to miss limited time and should be back in the Blue Jays lineup by the middle of the month.

Varsho had a pretty strong 2024 campaign in which he hit 18 home runs. He was especially strong against left-handed pitchers, as he posted a .813 OPS across 104 plate appearances.

The Blue Jays lineup should be stronger with the addition of Anthony Santander as well. Keep in mind that this offense ranked in the top half of the league in wRC+ in 2024, so further improvement could be coming. He will likely bat sixth in this lineup, so the RBI potential will certainly be there as well.

Blue Jays batting leaders this Spring:

H — Bo Bichette (19)
2B — Will Wagner (6)
3B — Andrés Giménez (2)
HR — Bo Bichette, Daulton Varsho (4)
RBI — Andrés Giménez (11)
BB — Davis Schneider (9)
SB — Steward Berroa (3)

Biggest surprise? pic.twitter.com/PJvrzqkfLY

— BlueJays Muse (@TORBlueJaysMuse) March 24, 2025

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