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Frank's top 25 injured players to stash for fantasy baseball as of Week 4 (2026). His top fantasy baseball injury stashes for IL spots and redraft leagues.
Welcome back to the Injured Players to Stash for Fantasy Baseball series as we continue Week 4 of the 2026 MLB season. Even though we're still extremely early in the season, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be stashing injured players. They can make a major impact on your roster down the road. If you have IL spots like most leagues, these players are worth stashing on your bench.
In this column, we'll include the top 25 injured MLB players rostered in less than 65% of Yahoo! leagues who are worth stashing, including names like Tatsuya Imai, Royce Lewis, and Addison Barger. The ranking will be by roster percentages, and then we'll dive into five players to highlight. Projected return dates are an estimate. Always assume they'll come back a bit later just to be safe.
I've dug through the waiver wire to find some potential values for you. You'll find projected timelines for when these players will be back in the lineup. So, without further ado, let's find out my top-25 injured players to stash for Week 3 of the 2026 fantasy baseball season.
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Top Injured Players For Fantasy Baseball
| Player | Team | IL Type | Ros. % | Estimated Return |
| Tatsuya Imai | Astros | IL15 (Arm) | 53% | Late-May |
| Jackson Holliday | Orioles | IL10 (Hand) | 52% | Late-April |
| Shane Bieber | Blue Jays | IL60 (Elbow) | 50% | Early-June |
| Spencer Schwellenbach | Braves | IL60 (Elbow) | 39% | Mid-July |
| Corbin Burnes | Diamondbacks | IL60 (Elbow) | 39% | Mid-July |
| Andrew Vaughn | Brewers | IL10 (Hand) | 36% | Late-April |
| Jorge Polanco | Mets | IL10 (Wrist) | 35% | Early-May |
| Alejandro Kirk | Blue Jays | IL10 (Thumb) | 32% | Mid-May |
| Bryce Miller | Mariners | IL15 (Oblique) | 28% | Mid-May |
| Joe Musgrove | Padres | IL15 (Elbow) | 27% | Early-June |
| Mick Abel | Twins | IL15 (Elbow) | 26% | Early-May |
| Quinn Priester | Brewers | IL15 (Wrist) | 25% | Early-May |
| Jordan Westburg | Orioles | IL60 (Elbow) | 24% | Early-June |
| Justin Steele | Cubs | IL60 (Elbow) | 18% | Early-June |
| Jared Jones | Pirates | IL60 (Elbow) | 17% | Early-June |
| Edwin Uceta | Rays | IL15 (Shoulder) | 16% | TBD |
| Kirby Yates | Angels | IL15 (Knee) | 14% | Early-May |
| Grayson Rodriguez | Angels | IL15 (Shoulder) | 12% | Mid-May |
| Jeremiah Estrada | Padres | IL15 (Elbow) | 12% | Mid-May |
| Gabriel Moreno | Diamondbacks | IL10 (Oblique) | 11% | Early-May |
| Kyle Teel | White Sox | IL10 (Hamstring) | 11% | Early-May |
| Garrett Cleavinger | Rays | IL15 (Calf) | 10% | Early-May |
| Tommy Edman | Dodgers | IL10 (Ankle) | 9% | Late-May |
| Anthony Volpe | Yankees | IL10 (Shoulder) | 8% | Early-May |
| Jordan Lawlar | Diamondbacks | IL60 (Hip) | 7% | Mid-June |
Fantasy Baseball Players To Monitor Closely
Jackson Holliday, 2B, Baltimore Orioles
Rostered: 52% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Late April
Farthest opposite-field home runs by a hitter age-21 or younger since the start of last season:
1. Jackson Chourio, 425
2. Jackson Holliday, 406
3. Jackson Holliday, 402
4. Jackson Chourio, 401
5. Samuel Basallo, 396 (today)🎥: @Orioles pic.twitter.com/FU2nv6Hzqf
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) April 12, 2026
Jackson Holliday resumed his rehab assignment over the weekend following a brief setback due to wrist soreness, putting him back on track for a return at the end of the month. So far at Triple-A, Holliday is slashing .167/.239/.214 with zero home runs and one stolen base in 46 plate appearances. This also includes a 6.5% walk rate and a 26.1% strikeout rate. Extremely underwhelming numbers.
Given the abysmal production in the minors, the Orioles can afford to be patient with Holliday. This is compounded by the fact that Jeremiah Jackson is absolutely mashing for them at second base, slashing .303/.319/.561 with five homers in 69 plate appearances. To that end, even if Holliday may be healthy enough to return, the O's could potentially wait it out a bit and ride the wave with Jackson.
With that said, that doesn't mean that Holliday isn't an appealing stash, especially if you need a middle infielder. It wasn't that long ago that this was one of the top prospects in MLB, so we need to continue to monitor Holliday on our watch list.
Mick Abel, SP, Minnesota Twins
Rostered: 26% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Early-May
Mick Abel, K'ing the Side in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/b3ijkMHeFN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 15, 2026
Mick Abel was surprisingly placed on the IL with elbow inflammation on Monday. This came out of nowhere, as we were all gearing up for a two-start week. The word is that it's not considered to be a serious issue, but any time you hear about inflammation with the elbow, you have to be concerned. With that said, for those of you who don't have IL spots, I would still hold Abel until we get more information.
After a strong spring, Abel has found his footing during the season, coming off a dominant outing against the Red Sox, where he tossed seven scoreless innings with zero walks and 10 strikeouts. This comes on the heels of another good start vs. the Tigers, which included six scoreless innings with three walks and six strikeouts.
Let's hope that Abel can return in a few weeks because he was starting to look like a breakout pitcher that made the Twins target him when they shipped Jhoan Duran to the Phillies.
Jared Jones, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Rostered: 17% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Early-June
Jared Jones is returning from internal brace surgery on his elbow. The Pirates' flame-thrower is reportedly going to be entering the simulation game phase of his recovery, according to the Pirates' Senior Director of Sports Medicine, Todd Tomczyk. Tomczyk went on to say that he expects about three to six simulated games with two per week before Jones heads to the minors for his rehab assignment.
If all goes well, that could mean that Jones' recovery comes sooner rather than later. I'm putting early June as his projected return date, as the Pirates are likely to take a conservative approach with their young righty.
Once he returns, there's upside that he can be a difference-maker for your rotation. You're just going to want to be patient because it may take time for him to find his form, given the long layoff.
Edwin Uceta, RP, Tampa Bay Rays
Rostered: 15% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: TBD
#Rays Cash said RH Edwin Uceta has a strain in the shoulder, and it’s a new injury from the discomfort that has sidelined him. He will be shut down from throwing for 2-3 more weeks and then have to build back up so it sounds like it will be some time until he’s ready.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 20, 2026
With Griffin Jax removed from the closer role and Bryan Baker still a relatively unproven reliever, there was hope that Edwin Uceta could re-enter the mix once he returns from injury. However, we got some bad news on that front, as Uceta will be shut down for up to three weeks after being diagnosed with a right shoulder strain.
This sounds like a situation that could wind up as season-ending. If you're in a deeper league with several IL spots with a desperate need for saves, you can still hang onto Uceta until we get more information.
But I wouldn't expect him to make much of an impact. This doesn't sound good at all.
Gabriel Moreno, C, Arizona Diamondbacks
Rostered: 11% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Early-May
Gabriel Moreno was placed on the injured list with an oblique issue. The most recent report states that he participated in catching drills before Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays, according to Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com. The team is reportedly optimistic that Moreno can make a quick return from this injury.
However, with oblique injuries, that could affect a player's power, especially once they first return to action. That means that Moreno is only worth rostering as a second catcher in two-catcher formats.
The fact is, Moreno is starting to develop a reputation as an injury-prone player. We need to see him stay on the field for a longer period of time.
