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Josh's top 25 injured players to stash for fantasy baseball as of April 8, 2025 (Week 2). His top fantasy baseball injury stashes for IL spots and redraft leagues.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to another installment of the Injured Players to Stash for Fantasy Baseball series as we head into Week 2 of the 2025 MLB season. Today, we list the top 25 high-profile injured MLB players worth stashing in your leagues, including names like Royce Lewis, Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Neto, and more.
Whether managers had to drop these players or they were left off rosters, you can capitalize on your leaguemates' mistakes. With some savvy moves to begin the year, you can set yourself up for season-long success.
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 Injured Players for Fantasy Baseball
| Player | Team | IL Type |
| Ketel Marte | Arizona Diamondbacks | IL 10 (Hamstring) |
| Ronald Acuna Jr. | Atlanta Braves | IL 10 (Knee) |
| Freddie Freeman | Los Angeles Dodgers | IL 10 (Ankle) |
| Blake Snell | Los Angeles Dodgers | IL 15 (Shoulder) |
| Spencer Strider | Atlanta Braves | IL 15 (Elbow) |
| George Kirby | Seattle Mariners | IL 15 (Shoulder) |
| Royce Lewis | Minnesota Twins | IL 10 (Hamstring) |
| Colton Cowser | Baltimore Orioles | IL 10 (Thumb) |
| Gleyber Torres | Detroit Tigers | IL 10 (Oblique) |
| Grayson Rodriguez | Baltimore Orioles | IL 15 (Elbow) |
| Josh Lowe | Tampa Bay Rays | IL 10 (Oblique) |
| Alexis Diaz | Cincinnati Reds | IL 15 (Hamstring) |
| Zach Neto | Los Angeles Angels | IL 10 (Shoulder) |
| Josh Jung | Texas Rangers | IL 10 (Neck) |
| Brandon Woodruff | Milwaukee Brewers | IL 15 (Shoulder) |
| Ivan Herrera | St. Louis Cardinals | IL 10 (Knee) |
| Clarke Schmidt | New York Yankees | IL 15 (Shoulder) |
| Jack Leiter | Texas Rangers | IL 15 (Blister) |
| Max Scherzer | Toronto Blue Jays | IL 15 (Thumb) |
| Sean Manaea | New York Mets | IL 15 (Oblique) |
| Tyler Stephenson | Cincinnati Reds | IL 10 (Oblique) |
| Victor Robles | Seattle Mariners | IL 10 (Shoulder) |
| Yu Darvish | San Diego Padres | IL 15 (Elbow) |
| Ranger Suarez | Philadelphia Phillies | IL 15 (Elbow) |
| Francisco Alvarez | New York Mets | IL 10 (Hand) |
Fantasy Baseball Players to Monitor Closely
Royce Lewis, 3B - Minnesota Twins
Rostered: 84% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Mid-May (rough estimate)
Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis has not had the best injury luck while playing professional baseball. Before he even reached the Majors, Lewis had torn one of his ACLs twice. Despite being a full-time starter the last two seasons, the 25-year-old has yet to 90 games played in a season. Although he missed more than a handful of games, Lewis produced when healthy.
Before missing most of the 2023 season with an elbow injury, the Twins third baseman hit 15 home runs and stole six bases in just 58 games. Lewis lost playing time in 2024 with a shoulder injury, which held him to just 82 games played last year. The young slugger is now dealing with a hamstring injury that has delayed his 2025 debut.
The Twins are slowly ramping him up to avoid setbacks and ensure his health for the rest of the season. Lewis is unlikely to start a rehab assignment for another three weeks, so that timeline puts his return around the middle of May. Given his lengthy recovery time and injury history, Lewis could be a sneaky buy-low candidate.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP - Baltimore Orioles
Rostered: 73% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Early May
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez is currently dealing with an elbow injury, placing him on the 15-day injured list. The former first-round pick has pitched well since joining the team in 2023, but he has yet to display the upside that made him a top prospect.
The 25-year-old struggled as a rookie, finishing the year with a 4.35 ERA. During the 2024 season, Rodriguez increased his strikeout rate, dropped his walk rate, and decreased his ERA. It was an impressive follow-up to a lackluster first year, but Rodriguez dealt with lat and shoulder injuries that caused him to pitch in three fewer games than the previous year.
The young pitcher threw a bullpen session on Monday, which could be one of the last steps before starting a rehab assignment. Throwing another bullpen before beginning an assignment could put him on pace to join the Orioles in early May.
Rodriguez has not been a lights-out pitcher in the big leagues yet, but a third-year breakout could be in store for the talented right-hander. Scoop him up where he's available and send out some offers in leagues where he is already rostered.
Zach Neto, SS - Los Angeles Angels
Rostered: 65% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Mid-April
Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is dealing with a shoulder injury, which caused him to miss the beginning of the season. The 24-year-old put up 23 home runs and 30 stolen bases in 155 games last season.
Zach Neto again. (He's playing SS today also.) pic.twitter.com/P0VU1XRkTw
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) April 6, 2025
The Angels shortstop is currently on a rehab assignment and will likely return soon once he gets more reps on defense. Neto isn't the flashiest name, but he'll accumulate counting stats across multiple categories as an everyday player.
Jack Leiter, SP - Texas Rangers
Rostered: 52% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Late April
Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter was placed on the 15-day injured list with a blister on his throwing hand. It was an unfortunate blow to the Rangers rotation, considering Leiter was off to a great start.
Leiter only allowed one earned run through his first two starts of the season. Across 10 innings, the 24-year-old racked up 10 strikeouts to just one walk and six hits allowed.
Leiter was a highly touted prospect out of college and is showing that upside. Leiter is available in nearly half of Yahoo! leagues, so scoop him up where you can and stash him for a few weeks.
Ranger Suarez, SP - Philadelphia Phillies
Rostered: 33% Yahoo!
Estimated Return: Late April
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez is on the 15-day injured list with a hand injury, but now is the time to scoop him up.
Ranger Suarez stats from his last 7 games:
48.0 IP | 28 H | 4 ER | 9 BB | 47 K | 2 HR | 0.75 ERApic.twitter.com/znbXjpiVFE
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) May 21, 2024
The 29-year-old finished the 2024 season with a serviceable 3.46 ERA across 150 2/3 innings pitched, but he had a remarkable start to the year.
Through his first 10 starts of 2024, Suarez had a 9-0 record with a 1.36 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 66 innings. This is the type of upside Suarez has when he's on his game.
The Phillies pitcher is only rostered in 33% of leagues, so consider a must-add pitcher since he could be joining the rotation by the end of the month.
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