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Kipp highlights five injured fantasy baseball players worth stashing in redraft leagues, as of May 16, 2025 (Week 8). His waiver wire pickups for IL players.
We've got another edition of the Injured Players to Stash in Fantasy Baseball series for Week 8 as we continue the 2025 season. Today's article examines injured players, including Andres Gimenez, Giancarlo Stanton, and Parker Meadows, among others.
With the 2025 fantasy baseball season well 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 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 8 of the fantasy baseball season has to offer.
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Hayden Wesneski, SP, Houston Astros
Rostered: 10% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Early June
2025 Stats: 4.50 ERA/29K/6 BB/32 IP
Hayden Wesneski went on the IL recently with elbow inflammation. This is not at all what you want to hear. However, there is not much risk in taking a chance on a Houston starting pitcher who has been relatively solid over the past season and more.
This season, Wesneski struck out 29 batters across six starts while posting a 4.50 ERA. In 2024, he posted an even more respectable 3.86 ERA over 67 2/3 innings pitched. While he will not blow anyone away with his stuff, he has posted a double-digit swinging strike rate this season and plays for a team in Houston that could provide him some run support and help him rack up some wins this season.
While his timeline for return is currently uncertain, he could be added to a team with an open IL spot in hopes that he will return to decent form heading into the latter half of the season.
Shane Bieber, SP, Cleveland Guardians
Rostered: 25% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Early July
2023 Stats: 3.80 ERA/107 K/10 BB/128 IP
I am going to go ahead and keep Bieber in this article again this week after having mentioned him here just last week. Bieber has progressed a bit over the previous week as he now has a successful live batting practice session under his belt. He came out of the session without issue and is on the right track for fantasy managers.
Bieber is not due to return for two more months. Still, if you have an IL spot or the depth to add an injured piece, this is precisely the type of guy you can afford to hold onto for an extended period of time due to the rewards you will reap down the stretch in the fantasy baseball season.
Bieber is a former Cy Young winner who is only 30 years old and has a lot to prove. This offseason, he signed a team-friendly deal that would allow him to rehab with the Guardians' staff and build himself back up so he can snag a bigger deal on the free agent market. Simply put, he will be motivated.
Andres Gimenez, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays
Rostered: 55% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late May
2025 Stats: .195/.273/.305/3 HRs/10 RBI/9 SBs
Andres Gimenez has resumed baseball activities after suffering a quad injury and should be set to return to the Blue Jays' lineup in the coming days. He started his tenure with the Jays on a torrid pace before ultimately cooling off.
That being said, he did manage to rip off 10 stolen bases across the first month of the season, which is something fantasy managers should be looking to target. Although he is hitting just .195 this season, this should be expected to increase gradually as he is a career .257 hitter.
He was hitting in the middle of the Blue Jays' lineup, but he is a candidate to be moved around their lineup depending on his play. He should be able to provide managers with a decent batting average, runs scored, and stolen bases upon his return. He is worth adding to play second base in most leagues.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, New York Yankees
Rostered: 12% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Late May or Early June
2025 Stats: .233/.298/.475/27 HRs/72 RBI/ 38 BB
The Evil Empire is about to get a reinforcement in the middle of their lineup, who goes by the name of Giancarlo Stanton. This is a major power bat that is typically not found on most waiver wires, but since he has been injured to start 2025, he is currently available in 88% of Yahoo leagues.
Stanton mashed 27 home runs in just 114 games in 2024 and managed to drive in 72 runs as well. He will be inserted into the heart of a Yankees' lineup that is currently posting a 133 wRC+ mark on the season, which ranks as the best in baseball.
He is not going to provide much in terms of batting average, but when he gets a hold of one, he will make fantasy managers very pleased. The wRC+ mark aforementioned is also important because when he hits a bomb, there are likely to be Yankees aboard the bases. Add him in all formats where you have the room.
114.3 MPH, 439 FEET
GIANCARLO GOES BOOM! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/J7I1MkaVSQ
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2024
Parker Meadows, OF, Detroit Tigers
Rostered: 10% Yahoo
Estimated Return: Early June
2025 Stats: .244/.310/.433/9 HRs/28 RBI/9 SBs
Parker Meadows is set to return early next month, and the Tigers will be excited to get him back into their hot lineup. Thus far in 2025, Detroit is posting a 116 wRC+ mark, so Meadows will certainly have value hitting in this lineup.
Across just 82 games in 2024, Meadows managed to mash nine home runs and steal nine bases. He will look to improve upon these numbers in 2025, and he still has a ton of value as a fourth or fifth outfielder in most leagues.
He is especially valuable against right-handed pitching, as he hit eight of his nine home runs off of righties last season and posted a very respectable .746 OPS against them.
Parker Meadows Doing Baseball Activities https://t.co/KyIYOSZ8RG
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) May 10, 2025
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