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Josh's top 25 injured players to stash for fantasy baseball as of Week 11 (2025). His top fantasy baseball injury stashes for IL spots and redraft leagues.
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to yet another installment of the Injured Players to Stash for Fantasy Baseball series as we head into Week 11 of the 2025 MLB season. Today, we list the top 25 high-profile injured MLB players rostered in less than 65% of leagues worth stashing in your leagues, including names like Brandon Woodruff, Ezequiel Tovar, Max Scherzer, and more.
Whether managers had to drop these players or they were left off rosters, you can capitalize on your league mates' mistakes. With some savvy moves, you can scoop up difference-makers before your opponents get the chance.
Below, I've listed my top 25 injured players in fantasy baseball in order of Yahoo! roster percentage. I've also highlighted five players to watch, as they could return sooner rather than later. Without further ado, let's get to the list!
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Top-25 Stash-Worthy Injured Players For Fantasy Baseball
| Player | Team | IL Type | Roster % | Estimated Return |
| Brandon Woodruff | Milwaukee Brewers | IL 15 (Elbow) | 63% | Late June |
| Mark Vientos | New York Mets | IL 10 (Hamstring) | 62% | Late June |
| Reese Olson | Detroit Tigers | IL 15 (Finger) | 60% | Late June |
| Luke Weaver | New York Yankees | IL 15 (Hamstring) | 56% | July |
| Dylan Crews | Washington Nationals | IL 10 (Oblique) | 54% | TBD |
| Ezequiel Tovar | Colorado Rockies | IL 10 (Oblique) | 52% | TBD |
| Grayson Rodriguez | Baltimore Orioles | IL 60 (Shoulder) | 38% | TBD |
| Tyler O'Neill | Baltimore Orioles | IL 10 (Shoulder) | 37% | Mid-June |
| Sean Manaea | New York Mets | IL 15 (Oblique) | 36% | July |
| Yu Darvish | San Diego Padres | IL 15 (Elbow) | 36% | TBD |
| Shane Bieber | Cleveland Guardians | IL 60 (Elbow) | 34% | TBD |
| Max Scherzer | Toronto Blue Jays | IL 60 (Thumb/Back) | 32% | Late June |
| Spencer Arrighetti | Houston Astros | IL 15 (Thumb) | 32% | July |
| Jackson Jobe | Detroit Tigers | IL 15 (Elbow) | 31% | TBD |
| Lucas Erceg | Kansas City Royals | IL 15 (Back) | 29% | Mid-June |
| Luis Gil | New York Yankees | IL 60 (Lat) | 29% | July |
| Ryan Mountcastle | Baltimore Orioles | IL 10 (Hamstring) | 27% | TBD |
| Max Meyer | Miami Marlins | IL 15 (Hip) | 25% | TBD |
| Tanner Houck | Boston Red Sox | IL 15 (Elbow) | 24% | TBD |
| Noelvi Marte | Cincinnati Reds | IL 10 (Oblique) | 23% | Late June |
| Austin Hays | Cincinnati Reds | IL 10 (Foot) | 21% | Mid-June |
| A.J. Puk | Diamondbacks | IL 60 (Elbow) | 20% | July |
| Ryan Weathers | Miami Marlins | IL 60 (Lat) | 20% | August |
| Justin Verlander | San Francisco Giants | IL 15 (Pectoral) | 16% | Mid-June |
| Zebby Matthews | Minnesota Twins | IL 15 (Shoulder) | 16% | TBD |
Fantasy Baseball Players To Monitor Closely
Brandon Woodruff, SP - Milwaukee Brewers
Rostered: 63% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Mid-June
We're going back to the well again with Woodruff, but it's only because he's seemingly the unluckiest guy in baseball right now.
Making what was likely his final rehab start before finally returning to the majors after 20+ months, Brandon Woodruff just exited his start in Nashville after being hit by a line drive in the right arm. pic.twitter.com/dx2hEfm3jw
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) June 3, 2025
The 32-year-old set out on his initial rehab assignment in mid-April and was on track to return by mid-May, but life had other plans. Woodruff suffered an ankle injury prior to his final rehab start, which pushed back his return.
After embarking on another rehab assignment, the Brewers veteran was nailed by a comebacker in his latest start. This latest setback proved annoying, but turned out to be nothing serious. The good news is that after the swelling goes does in his elbow, Woodruff will not be far from returning.
The right-hander last pitched in 2023 and had a 2.28 ERA in 11 starts before his injury, so the talent is there, but it has been a long time since then. Woodruff's velocity has also notably been down in his rehab starts, but he will have a chance to prove he's still got it.
Woodruff is available in nearly 40% of Yahoo! leagues, and if he's still available, you can pick him up without having to deal with all the headaches of his past setbacks.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS - Colorado Rockies
Rostered: 52% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: TBD
Tovar recently recovered from a hip injury only to head back to the injured list with an oblique injury.
He has played in 32 games this season and slashed .258/.301/.407 with three home runs in that time. Tovar has put up respectable stats in those 32 games, but his expected stats suggest that he should have been doing even better.
The 23-year-old has an xBA of .303 and xSLG of .500 based on his quality of contact this season. Tovar also plays in hitter-friendly Coors Field when the Rockies are home. Despite the poor team context, Tovar should still provide fantasy value at a top-heavy infield position.
Max Scherzer, SP - Toronto Blue Jays
Rostered: 32% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Late June
Scherzer went on the injured list back on March 29 with thumb and back injuries following his opening day start and has not touched the mound in a major league game since.
Max Scherzer is on track to make a rehab start Friday for the AAA Buffalo Bisons.
After that, he’ll need at least one more rehab outing, John Schneider says. #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 9, 2025
The future Hall-of-Fame pitcher has been working his way back for several weeks and appears to be nearing a return. Scherzer is scheduled for his first rehab start on Friday, June 13. After that start, Scherzer will likely need one more before rejoining the Blue Jays.
If all goes well, these next two starts, Scherzer could be returning to the Jays' rotation by next weekend. The veteran pitcher is just 32% rostered on Yahoo! and could be a sneaky stash for pitching help, but temper expectations.
Austin Hays, OF - Cincinnati Reds
Rostered: 21% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Mid-June
Hays was off to a great start before hitting the injured list with a foot injury. The Reds outfielder was batting .303 with six home runs and six doubles in 31 games.
The former Oriole is benefiting from leaving Camden Yards for the hitter's paradise of Great American Ball Park. Hays is reportedly on the verge of returning either today, June 10, or tomorrow for the finale of the series against the Cleveland Guardians.
Hays is rostered in just 21% of leagues, so he should be widely available for teams looking for outfield help. The 29-year-old was hot before hitting the IL, so he could pick up where he left off upon his return.
Zebby Matthews, SP - Minnesota Twins
Rostered: 16% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: TBD
Zebby Matthews was one of the most interesting pitching prospects coming into this season and delivered solid outings before going down with a shoulder injury.
Matthews has not been particularly impressive in his two major league stints so far, but his minor league success and underlying numbers suggest the best could still be ahead. The 25-year-old racked up 38 strikeouts, nine walks, and a 1.93 ERA in 32 2/3 innings at Triple-A this year. While his BB/9 is a bit up in the majors, Matthews' K/9 is also up through four starts.
The Twins prospect has a 5.21 ERA through 19 innings in the majors this season, but his 3.56 xERA, 3.14 xFIP, and .375 BABIP suggest that he has been unlucky so far. Without a timetable, it is hard to say how long Matthews will be sidelined for, but his skills are evident, and he should produce whenever he returns.
Scoop up Matthews if you have an open IL slot and reap the rewards when the talented right-hander returns to the Twins rotation.
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