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Frank's top 25 injured players to stash for fantasy baseball as of Week 8 (2026). His top fantasy baseball injury stashes for IL spots and redraft leagues.
Welcome to our Injured Players to Stash for Fantasy Baseball series, as we move past Week 8 of the 2026 MLB season. Throughout the season, it's always a good idea to check the wire for players to stash to add upside to your rosters, as long as you have room. Remember, you don't want to waste roster spots.
In this column, we'll go through the top 25 injured MLB players rostered in less than 65% of Yahoo! leagues who are worth stashing. Do note, though, this is not a ranking of value. The players are listed in order of their roster percentage, not in preference. Think of this as an updated look at when they're ready to return.
I've dug through the waiver wire to find these potential values. With each player, it will include a projected return date. So, without further ado, let's dive into the top 25 injured players to stash after Week 8 of the 2026 fantasy baseball season.
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Top Injured Players For Fantasy Baseball
| Player | Team | IL Type | Ros. % | Estimated Return |
| Ryan O'Hearn | Pirates | IL10 (Quad) | 63% | Late-June |
| Hunter Greene | Reds | IL60 (Elbow) | 62% | Late-July |
| Luis Robert Jr. | Mets | IL10 (Back) | 56% | Late-June |
| Matthew Boyd | Royals | IL15 (Knee) | 55% | Late-June |
| Shane Bieber | Blue Jays | IL60 (Elbow) | 44% | Late-June |
| Clay Holmes | Mets | IL15 (Leg) | 41% | Late-August |
| Jared Jones | Pirates | IL60 (Elbow) | 37% | Late-June |
| Corbin Burnes | Diamondbacks | IL60 (Elbow) | 32% | Early-August |
| Spencer Schwellenbach | Braves | IL60 (Elbow) | 30% | Early-August |
| Joe Musgrove | Padres | IL60 (Elbow) | 18% | Early-August |
| Quinn Priester | Brewers | IL15 (Shoulder) | 17% | Late-June |
| Chase Dollander | Rockies | IL15 (Elbow) | 17% | Early-August |
| Mick Abel | Twins | IL15 (Elbow) | 14% | Mid-July |
| Kodai Senga | Mets | IL15 (Back) | 13% | Mid-June |
| Yusei Kikuchi | Angels | IL15 (Shoulder) | 12% | Mid-July |
| Justin Steele | Cubs | IL60 (Elbow) | 11% | Mid-August |
| Robby Snelling | Marlins | IL15 (Elbow) | 9% | Mid-August |
| Rhett Lowder | Reds | IL15 (Shoulder) | 6% | Mid-August |
| Dean Kremer | Orioles | IL15 (Quad) | 5% | Mid-July |
| Justin Verlander | Tigers | IL60 (Hip) | 4% | Early-June |
| Max Scherzer | Blue Jays | IL15 (Forearm) | 4% | Mid-June |
| Troy Melton | Tigers | IL60 (Elbow) | 3% | Late-June |
| Hurston Waldrep | Braves | IL15 (Elbow) | 3% | Mid-July |
| Clarke Schmidt | Yankees | IL60 (Elbow) | 2% | Mid-August |
| Zach Eflin | Orioles | IL60 (Elbow) | 2% | Mid-August |
Fantasy Baseball Players To Monitor Closely
Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Rostered: 63% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Late June
It's not going to be a 10-day thing with Ryan O'Hearn, it's going to be weeks probably #Pirates GM Ben Cherington said, it could be a month
"It's a blow because he's such a big part of the lineup"— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) May 17, 2026
Ryan O'Hearn has established himself as one of the most underrated hitters in baseball. The veteran corner infielder was off to a rock-solid start with the Pirates, slashing .289/.368/.459 with seven home runs in 182 plate appearances.
The plate discipline looked great (10.4% walk rate, 18.7% strikeout rate), helping him provide 20-homer type of upside while remaining an asset in batting average. That's why O'Hearn's absence is going to hurt the Pirates' lineup. We're likely looking at a one-month absence, with the potential for more.
In fantasy baseball leagues, O'Hearn isn't good enough to hold unless you have an IL spot. Even in deeper leagues, I'm willing to cut bait. You can pick him back up when he returns.
Clay Holmes, SP, New York Mets
Rostered: 41% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Late August
Breaking: Clay Holmes has a fractured bone in his leg, suffered on a comebacker in tonight's game. He'll be out "for a long time," Carlos Mendoza said. Massive blow to the Mets.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 16, 2026
Clay Holmes had gotten off to a terrific start to the season for the Mets, putting up a 2.39 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP with a 20.9% strikeout rate and an 8.4% walk rate in 52 2/3 innings.
That's why it's awful to see such a lengthy absence for the veteran righty. He had gotten into a nice rhythm for the Mets, so they're going to miss his presence at the backend of the rotation.
As with O'Hearn, you're dropping Holmes in fantasy baseball unless you have an open IL spot. While the ratios were nice, there's simply not enough strikeout upside to make it worth hanging onto him.
We can hope for the best, but the reality is that even when Holmes recovers from this injury, it's going to take some time for him to get back into form. This makes him an easy drop.
Chase Dollander, SP, Colorado Rockies
Rostered: 17% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Early August
#Rockies SP Chase Dollander says he’s dealing with a “minor UCL sprain.”
Here’s what he had to say: pic.twitter.com/G9EnMWzPXD
— Eli Whitney (@eliwhtney17) May 15, 2026
Chase Dollander looked like he was in the middle of a breakout season, putting up a 3.89 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP with a 24.9% strikeout rate and a 9.5% walk rate. But after a pair of poor outings, we found out that the Rockies' right-hander was dealing with a minor UCL sprain.
Any time you hear "UCL," you have to be concerned. Take the most conservative estimate when it comes to Dollander's potential return. The Rockies are a rebuilding team, so they have every incentive to take it slow with Dollander.
With that in mind, it wouldn't surprise me if Dollander was out for the rest of the season. I get it, he showed terrific upside while healthy, but the unclear injury timetable makes him an easy drop in all formats.
It's a shame because Dollander had some nice moments in the early part of the year, but it's time to move on now.
Robby Snelling, SP, Miami Marlins
Rostered: 9% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Mid-August
Robby Snelling will travel on Thursday to visit Dr. Keith Meister#Marlins
— Kevin Barral (@kevin_barral) May 18, 2026
Robby Snelling was getting a lot of hype this season, especially with how dominant he looked in the minors, putting up a 1.86 ERA with a 40.0% strikeout rate in 29 innings in Triple-A.
But after a disappointing start when recalled to the big leagues, Snelling was diagnosed with a UCL sprain. Just like with Dollander, we have to take an extremely cautious approach with him.
There's a legitimate chance that Snelling will be forced to have surgery, which would end his season. Given that the Marlins are a rebuilding team, we can expect them to be willing to take it slow with Snelling.
That means there's no need to hang onto him. Maybe if you have an IL spot, it's fine, but if I had to put money on it, I'd bet against Snelling returning to the Marlins this year.
Justin Verlander, SP, Detroit Tigers
Rostered: 4% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Early June
A.J. Hinch on Justin Verlander's three-inning throwing session: "Velocity was up a tick. Execution of the slider was better. He mixed in all of pitches."
Verlander will throw live again sometime next week during the Cleveland series https://t.co/0M6QYDnA10
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) May 15, 2026
Justin Verlander got off to a poor start to the season, putting up a 12.27 ERA in 3 2/3 innings in his lone start. But this is a crafty veteran who could provide some value for you when he gets into a rhythm.
Think back to last season with the Giants, when he registered a 2.99 ERA in the second half. It wouldn't shock me if he eventually can do that with the Tigers at some point this year. He's getting closer to returning to action. The news that the velocity is up for Verlander is intriguing. Perhaps the layoff will allow him to get back on track.
With Tarik Skubal sidelined, the Tigers need Verlander, so I expect him to return to action soon. You don't have to pick him up just yet, but keep him on your watch list.
