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Welcome back to our top fantasy baseball injury stashes for Week 25, looking at IL players as of September 15. Today's list of injured MLB players to consider stashing off the fantasy baseball waiver wire includes Edwin Diaz, Michael Conforto, Henry Davis, Julio Teheran, and Starling Marte.
In case you're not yet familiar, this list is a weekly article series that will highlight the top five hitters and pitchers to hold in your IL spots in redraft fantasy baseball leagues. As players injured early in the season begin to make their way back to their respective teams, it's time to check who is coming back sooner rather than later. With the fantasy season approaching its final month, we'll discuss those most likely to be impactful in fantasy upon return.
These five players are rostered in less than 60% of leagues and have the opportunity to make an impact in fantasy the rest of the way. Make sure to check if these players are available to be picked up in your leagues!
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Edwin Diaz - RP, New York Mets
New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz was one of the best closers in baseball when he was last healthy, and there is no reason to believe he cannot be that again once he returns from injury. In 2022, Diaz pitched in 61 games and collected 32 saves. In the 62 innings he pitched, Diaz had a 50.2% strikeout rate and a 46.9% ground ball rate. Diaz's absence has certainly been felt, but he may not be missed for much longer.
Diaz has been on the injured list the entire 2023 season while rehabbing a patellar tendon tear. The injury occurred during the World Baseball Classic while celebrating a victory with his team. The Mets closer has been throwing bullpen sessions for several weeks now. Diaz will likely travel with the Mets on their upcoming road trip and look to face hitters during that time. If all goes well, Diaz could be activated for the last week of the regular season.
Diaz is 20% rostered in Yahoo and 17.3% rostered in ESPN leagues, so he should be available on roughly 80% of waiver wires. Fantasy managers should stash Diaz because he is a talented closer with elite stuff. Diaz should be able to deliver high-end relief pitcher value as soon as he returns.
Michael Conforto - OF, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto has been one of the best hitters in the Giants lineup when healthy this season. Conforto is slashing .251/.343/.405 with 15 home runs, 55 runs, and 55 RBI. The former Oregon State Beaver is still producing at the same level he has his entire career despite missing the entire 2022 season.
Conforto has been on the injured list since August 25 with a hamstring strain. Soft tissue injuries are often difficult to deal with because they have a high risk of reinjury, but it appears Conforto has had a successful rehab. The 30-year-old outfielder should be activated from the injured list as soon as Friday.
Conforto is 27% rostered in Yahoo and 6.3% rostered in ESPN leagues, so he's mostly available. Fantasy managers should stash Conforto because he is one of the most consistent hitters in baseball when healthy. The Giants hitter is more of a floor player, but fantasy managers seeking stability should be happy to have Conforto.
Henry Davis - C/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher and outfield prospect Henry Davis has had a strong showing so far in his debut season. The young hitter has shown decent plate discipline in his first 51 games, walking 10.5% of the time and striking out 23% of the time. Davis displayed good plate discipline throughout his minor league career so its good to see the young hitter is not letting the promotion affect his game.
Davis has been on the injured list since August 23 with a hand strain. Davis began his rehab assignment in Triple-A on September 9. It is unclear how long Davis will need to rehab for, but assuming all goes well, he could be activated from the injured list during the Pirates road trip against the Cubs or the Reds.
Davis is 17% rostered in Yahoo and 6.2% rostered in ESPN leagues, so he's pretty available. Fantasy managers with an open IL slot should consider stashing Davis because catcher is a position without a ton of high-end players. Davis should be in the lineup every day as soon as he returns given his ability to play multiple positions.
Julio Teheran- SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Julio Teheran has been one of the most interesting players of the 2023 season. Teheran made a new for himself pitching for the Atlanta Braves. Following his Braves tenure, Teheran had an awful handful of games with the Los Angeles Angels and then did not pitch in the majors for nearly two years before making an impact with the Brewers this year. Teheran has a 4.74 ERA this season, but earned five quality starts in 11 tries.
Teheran has been on the injured list since July 30 with a hip injury. The 32-year-old righty has made four rehab starts, as of Monday, and should be stretched out enough to return to the Brewers rotation when needed. The issue is there is not an immediate need for Teheran and his performances this season have been warranted a guaranteed rotation spot. That said, it is entirely possible that the Brewers move some pitchers around or employ a six-man rotation and Teheran returns next week.
Teheran is 7% rostered in Yahoo and 2.4% rostered in ESPN leagues, so he is available nearly everywhere. Fantasy managers should consider stashing Teheran in their IL slots because he has shown the ability to work deep into games several times this season. Teheran would likely be a matchup-based streamer, but the Brewers remaining schedule is not daunting for pitchers.
Starling Marte - OF, New York Mets
New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte is amid another injury-plagued season in 2023. Marte has been on the decline for a few years now, but the numbers are just now starting to show it. That said, Marte still has the ability to be a good contact hitter and steal bases when healthy.
Marte was placed on the injured list on August 7 with a groin strain. Groin injuries are especially difficult injuries to rehab because they have a tendency to flare up again, especially for a base stealer like Marte. The 34-year-old has been working his way back from this injury and has gone through pregame workouts successfully. The next step in the process appears to be a rehab assignment in the near future. If Marte begins his assignment this weekend, he could realistically return by next weekend.
Marte is 55% rostered in Yahoo and 47.1% in ESPN leagues, so he should be around on about half of waiver wires. Injuries and age catching up to Marte mean that he is no longer the player he once was, but that does not mean that he is unusable in fantasy. Marte is still capable of making a ton of contact, but fantasy managers will need to expect reduced power and speed stats compared to his earlier seasons. Still, Marte can be a valuable asset for counting stats in the final weeks of the season.
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