5 Injured Players to Stash - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 4 (2026)

April 17, 2026

Dan's injury fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, IL stashes for Week 4 of 2026. His top injured players to stash as waiver wire sleepers, breakouts to return.

It’s hard to believe that we are already one month into the new baseball season. As you prepare for a fresh week on the fantasy baseball calendar, I have a new edition of Five Injured Players To Stash for your consideration.

In this week’s grab bag are a couple of options with the potential to earn saves once activated. Also included are a phenom turned post-hype sleeper, help at catcher, and a starter whose last two starts raised eyebrows (in a good way) before a last-minute scratch.

Before we get into it, I want to take a moment to remind you to do your due diligence when searching for injury stashes. Just last week, I was able to pick up Seiya Suzuki (knee) in one of my leagues. Guys like Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Wheeler are all rostered in about 90% of Yahoo leagues. Is it improbable that you will find one of them on your wire? Yes. Impossible? No. In the likely event that such flashy players are unavailable, see if any of my Week 4 injured players to stash will be a good fit for your team.

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Carlos Estevez, RP, Kansas City Royals

Rostered: 68% Yahoo!
Estimated return: Early May

Carlos Estevez (foot) is rostered in more leagues than the typical entry in this column, but he is in a potentially lucrative spot, and his roster rate has tumbled since landing on the injured list. Estevez was struck on the foot by a comebacker on March 28, in his first and only appearance of 2026. The incident drove Estevez out of the game, but not before he gave up four hits, two walks, and six earned runs (including a walk-off grand slam) in one-third of an inning.

In 2025, Estevez led MLB with 42 saves and had a 2.45 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Some of his under-the-hood stats were a bit disconcerting, however. Estevez’s xERA checked in at 3.69, and his xFIP was 4.95. Estevez has never been a huge strikeout pitcher, but his 20.1% K% last season was the lowest of his career, and his 10.6% barrel rate was his second-highest.

Since Estevez’s departure, Kansas City has employed Lucas Erceg as its closer, and he has gone 5-for-5 in save opportunities so far. Whether the Royals stick with Erceg or give the ninth inning back to Estevez upon his activation is unknown. For managers in need of saves, it is worth adding Estevez now and seeing how the situation shakes out. There is the risk that he might not get his job back (and even if he does, you might take a hit to your ratios), but at least it will only cost you a few dollars of your FAAB or a waiver priority.

Royce Lewis, 3B, Minnesota Twins

Rostered: 38% Yahoo!
Estimated return: April 21

Once one of the most promising prospects in the game, Royce Lewis (knee) was an afterthought in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts as a result of his frequent trips to the injured list. After suffering a sprained left knee last week, the Twins placed him on the IL on April 11. This is his ninth trip to the IL since his MLB debut in 2022.

In 12 games played thus far in 2026, Lewis has two home runs, eight RBI, six runs, and two stolen bases, with a .222/.378/.444 slash line. With a sample size of just 45 plate appearances, it is a bit early to judge much of what Lewis seems capable of this year, but his 12.5% barrel rate and 95.3% zone contact rate are encouraging. Upon activation, Lewis should slot back in as Minnesota’s everyday third baseman.

Fortunately, Lewis has reported that the knee is feeling better. The steps the team took may have just been a precaution given Lewis’ history. Lewis tore the ACL in his right knee in 2021 and again in 2022. The 26-year-old is already participating in workouts and baseball activities and expects to be activated once eligible on April 21.

Kirby Yates, RP, Los Angeles Angels

Rostered: 14% Yahoo!
Estimated return: Late April

After a disappointing 2025 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kirby Yates (knee) made the trek south to Orange County and signed with the Angels in January. With a wide-open bullpen and low stakes, Anaheim must have been an appealing place to attempt a rebound season after getting knocked around to the tune of a 5.23 ERA and 1.33 WHIP last year. It's worth noting that Yates maintained a 35.3% whiff rate and 29.1% strikeout rate during his down year.

Yates was likely the frontrunner for the Halos’ closer job until he reported discomfort in his knee late in spring training. Imaging revealed inflammation in the knee, and the 39-year-old started the 2026 season on the 15-day IL. Yates has progressed to facing hitters in bullpen sessions and awaits a rehab assignment and should be brought onto the Angels’ staff once his stamina is where it needs to be.

In the interim, Jordan Romano staged a comeback of his own, collecting four saves in his first four opportunities and logging seven strikeouts to two walks in his first six appearances of the season. The closer role is not guaranteed to him, though. In his two most recent outings, Romano has allowed five earned runs, blowing consecutive save opportunities, and taking the loss in each game. Yates is worth nabbing now on the chance that the Angels will be ready to find another option for the ninth inning by the time he is activated.

Gabriel Moreno, C, Arizona Diamondbacks

Rostered: 12% Yahoo!
Estimated return: Late April

Gabriel Moreno (oblique) is quite often looked over in fantasy baseball, as there is not much pop in his bat. However, he has been one of the most consistent hitters for average at his position over the last several seasons, owning the third-highest batting average among catchers between 2023 and 2025. This season got off to a similar start with Moreno going 11-for-40 (.275) in his first 13 games before being forced out of the lineup due to injury.

Moreno left Arizona’s April 10 game against the Phillies early due to back tightness. He missed the next three games due to the same issue. Moreno’s sore back was eventually diagnosed as a strained oblique, and the backstop was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 11. The 26-year-old will be eligible to return from the IL on April 21, but is expected to need more time to recover from his injury, and a firm timeline is not yet in place.

It would behoove fantasy managers in two-catcher leagues to stash Moreno. Not only can he help out in batting average after he returns, but he could also see an uptick in RBI this year. With the exception of two instances where he entered a game as a pinch hitter, Moreno has hit cleanup in every one of his games this year. Once the bats at the top of the D-Backs order warm up, that could be a lucrative spot for Moreno to slot back into, even if he isn’t a power hitter.

Kyle Freeland, SP, Colorado Rockies

Rostered: 4% Yahoo!
Estimated return: Late April/Early May

It’s no secret that Kyle Freeland (shoulder) has had it pretty rough since his otherworldly 2018 season, wherein he went 17-7 and posted a 2.85 ERA while making half of his starts at Coors Field. More often than not, what we have seen from Freeland over the years has done more to keep fantasy managers at bay than inspire hope for some kind of comeback.

Freeland was off to a good start by his standards in 2026. After his first three starts of the season, Freeland was gaining legitimate streaming interest, having compiled one win, 13 strikeouts, a 2.30 ERA, and a 1.09 WHIP through 15.1 IP. Unfortunately, Freeland was a late scratch just ahead of his scheduled start against the Padres last weekend due to stiffness in his shoulder. Freeland was eventually diagnosed with inflammation in his left shoulder and was sent to the 15-day IL retroactive to April 13.

There is no firm timetable for his return yet, but we could see him back in action before the month is out. Freeland’s surface-level stats are attractive, but some of his underlying numbers are all the more encouraging. Three starts are a small sample size, but so far he has posted a robust 29.6% CSW% and 36.2% O-Swing%. Freeland might still be a hard sell in 12-team leagues and shallower, but a stash now could pay off down the line for deeper contests.

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