Five Injured Players to Stash in Fantasy Baseball - Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20 (2025)

August 11, 2025

Kipp highlights five injured fantasy baseball players worth stashing in redraft leagues, as of August 8, 2025 (Week 20). His waiver wire pickups for IL players.

We've got another edition of the Injured Players to Stash in Fantasy Baseball series for Week 20 as we plunge into the dog days of summer. Today's article examines injured players, including Michael Soroka, Jacob Wilson, and Jake Burger, among others.

With the 2025 fantasy baseball season starting to enter the dog days of summer, 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. We will typically highlight two pitchers as well as three hitters who should be added with a sense of urgency before your league mates can scoop them up. Without further ado, let's look at what Week 20 of the fantasy baseball season has to offer.

Bryce Miller, SP, Seattle Mariners

Rostered: 64% rostered
Estimated Return: Mid-August

2025 Stats: 5.73 ERA/39 K/23 BB/48 2/3 IP

We are going to start this article off with a well-known right-handed starting pitcher in Bryce Miller. Miller had a fantastic 2024 campaign in which he posted a .2.94 ERA with 171 strikeouts across 180 1/3 innings pitched. He also racked up 12 wins across his 31 starts a season ago. He got off to a rough start in 2025 by posting a 5.73 ERA across his first 10 starts of the season.

Miller is currently on the IL with an elbow injury and has been there since the beginning of June. That being said, Miller made his first rehab start on August 1 and looked rather fresh. He managed to throw four innings while striking out six and allowing just one hit. His next rehab start is scheduled for August 7, and he should get upward of 60-65 pitches in the outing.

While Miller did not have a tremendous start to this season, he can still provide fantasy managers a ton of value in the dog days of summer. The Mariners have added Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor to a lineup that was struggling to begin the season, but should pick up the remainder of the season. This new lineup should help Miller rack up some wins.

Miller also limits the long ball as he allowed just 0.9 HR/9 in his 10 games started this season, which ranks him in the top 25% of the league. He is also still 60%+ rostered in Yahoo leagues, which tells me many fantasy managers have held onto him, expecting better results upon his return. Look to add him in all formats, especially if you have a free IL spot on your roster.

Bryce Miller Stellar in Triple-A Rehab Outing https://t.co/CTpbwXTfF8

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) August 2, 2025

Michael Soroka, SP, Chicago Cubs

Rostered: 13% Yahoo
Estimated Return: TBD/Early September

2025 Stats: 4.86 ERA/90 K/25 BB/83 1/3 IP

Michael Soroka was having a pretty decent go at it in 2025. While he has posted a lackluster 4.86 ERA, his strikeouts were way up, as he managed to rack up 90 punchouts across his first 81 1/3 innings pitched.

This appears to be no fluke, as he has posted a very respectable SwrStr% mark north of 10%. He pitched the first half of the season with the Washington Nationals and was recently traded to the Chicago Cubs, but has hit the IL with a shoulder strain.

While Soroka's injury is rather fresh, and we do not have an exact timetable for his return, he can still provide reasonable value for fantasy managers down the stretch.

The trade to the Cubs should do wonders for Soroka's win potential, as the Cubs are posting the second-highest wRC+ mark in all of baseball with a mark of 114. Meanwhile, in Washington, he was backed by the 24th-ranked offense.

Soroka also posted reasonable metrics in terms of average exit velocity (82.1 mph) and Barrels/BBE (4.8%), ranking him near the top half of the league in both categories.

As aforementioned, his timetable for return is a bit up in the air, but it is feasible to think he could return for the fantasy baseball playoffs. He is worth a speculative add now if you have the room on your roster, but if not, he should definitely be monitored throughout his progression and then be added as his return becomes more imminent.

Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics

Rostered: 59% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late August

2025 stats: .312/.354/.439/10 HR/45 RBI/5 SBs

It is not every day that we have the opportunity to grab a Rookie of the Year candidate off the waiver wire, but that is exactly the situation we find ourselves in with Jacob Wilson of the Athletics.

Wilson got off to a torrid start in 2025, posting a .312 batting average and .793 OPS across his first 94 games. He plays in a dynamic ballpark that has equated to a ton of runs, and plays in an Athletics offense that ranks seventh-best in baseball in terms of wRC+.

Wilson is currently on the IL with a fractured forearm, but has resumed running the bases. Once he is cleared for baseball activities, it is only a matter of time before his return. He posted solid metrics thus far in 2025, as noted by his 7.8% K rate, which ranks him at the top of the league. He also hits left-handed pitching extremely well, as noted by his .908 OPS.

He is still 59% rostered in Yahoo leagues, which means many fantasy managers have decided to hold onto him. He can provide a ton of value in terms of batting average, runs scored, and OBP. He is worth adding in all leagues if you have the room for him. He is a rather dynamic player with the potential to have a major impact on a fantasy roster in the fantasy playoffs.

Jake Burger, 1B/3B, Texas Rangers

Rostered: 34% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Mid-August

2025 Stats: .228/.259/.401/11 HR/35 RBI/8 BB/1 SB

Jake Burger has been on the IL since the middle of July with a quad injury and is in the midst of a rehab assignment. He is still 34% rostered in Yahoo leagues, and this number will likely climb once he is activated. Burger posted 11 home runs across 75 games and could be a great source of power down the stretch for fantasy managers.

Since 2023, Burger has smacked a total of 74 home runs across 353 games played. These numbers should come as no surprise, given the power metrics he has posted in 2025. Overall, he has posted an average exit velocity of 90.3 mph, which ranks him in the top 32% of the league. He has also posted a hard-hit rate of 38.3%, ranking him in the top 14% of the league.

While this Texas Rangers offense started slow, it has quickly picked up the pace, and this should further help Burger provide value in stat categories like runs, RBI, and, of course, home runs. Look to add him in any league where you need corner infield help, as he is eligible at both first base and third base.

2. Jake Burger is targeting a return in two weeks.https://t.co/3Cxpu5iVuD

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) July 26, 2025

Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers

Rostered: 25% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Early September

2025 Stats: .242/.340/.428/12 HR/42 RBI/38 BB

I will keep this short and sweet with Rhys Hoskins. He has been on the IL since early July with a thumb sprain and is not expected to begin a rehab assignment until the end of this month. That being said, he makes for a great addition if your season runs longer than most, and you need help in categories like RBI and OBP.

Hoskins also works great as a platoon, as he has posted a .775 OPS vs. southpaws since 2023. The real allure here is the Brewers lineup he will be hitting in the middle against left-handed bats. Since the All-Star break, the Brew Crew has posted the fourth-highest wRC+ mark vs. lefties with a mark of 137.

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