Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 50 IL stashes indicate Mike Trout, Wyatt Langford worth the wait

A whole 22 names from my last IL stash rankings two weeks ago have been activated, so you might think I'd have trouble filling out a top 50 this time around. But no, it seems like just as many have been added during that time, which means I still have to exclude several long-term stashes like Robbie Ray, Dustin May and Luis Garcia (the Astros version).

The truth is that few people have the luxury of stashing such players anyway. Their IL space is already overrun, forcing them into some difficult decisions with the overflow. Maybe they can commit a bench spot or two to an injured player, but any more than that will cost them too much in the short term.

These rankings are to help with those difficult decisions, prioritizing players mostly by how impactful they are when healthy but also by how much time they figure to miss. In particular, I want to draw your attention to Mike Trout, who ended up needing the lesser form of a meniscus repair. The Angels haven't offered a timetable, but six weeks is fairly common, putting him returning around mid-June. As you can see, he's my No. 2 injured player to stash.

I'd also like to note Wyatt Langford at 15. I've come close to dropping him myself in a shallow league with only three IL spots (currently occupied by Trea Turner, Gerrit Cole and Steven Kwan), but I've so far resisted, still confident that his rookie struggles will eventually give way to game-changing production. This hamstring injury is an unfortunate delay, but you still have far more to lose than gain by dropping him.

Too valuable to drop, period

1	Trea Turner Philadelphia Phillies SS
strained hamstring - hitting, fielding and doing agility drills, but still likely a month away
2	Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels CF
knee surgery - had less extensive meniscus repair, so could be back by mid-June
3	Luis Robert Chicago White Sox CF
strained hip flexor - expected to begin rehab assignment this week and return in late May
4	Royce Lewis Minnesota Twins 3B
strained quadriceps -ramping up to baserunning, could begin rehabbing in next week or two
5	Grayson Rodriguez Baltimore Orioles SP
shoulder inflammation - could skip rehab assignment and be activated this weekend
6	Bobby Miller Los Angeles Dodgers SP
shoulder inflammation - looks good in bullpen sessions; rehab assignment expected soon
7	Blake Snell San Francisco Giants SP
strained groin - dominant in first rehab start, scheduled for one more
8	Evan Phillips Los Angeles Dodgers RP
strained hamstring - could be back by the end of the week
9	Ryan Pepiot Tampa Bay Rays SP
leg contusion - already throwing bullpen sessions, setting him up to return next week
10	Nick Lodolo Cincinnati Reds SP
strained groin - pitched with injury last time out, hoping for minimal stay
11	Max Scherzer Texas Rangers SP
back surgery - rehab interrupted by thumb injury; back to throwing but several weeks away
12	Gerrit Cole New York Yankees SP
pinched nerve in elbow - throwing bullpen sessions, likely still 3-4 weeks away
13	Josh Jung Texas Rangers 3B
fractured wrist - no news recently, but late May was on the table as of last report
14	Steven Kwan Cleveland Guardians LF
strained hamstring - injury considered "acute" and will sideline him for a month
15	Kodai Senga New York Mets SP
strained shoulder - has backed off throwing program to work on mechanics, likely delaying return

Also really difficult to drop

16	Wyatt Langford Texas Rangers DH
strained hamstring - running at 85-90 percent speed, expected to miss another 2-3 weeks
17	Nolan Jones Colorado Rockies LF
strained back - began rehab assignment Wednesday, so likely just a few days away
18	Joe Musgrove San Diego Padres SP
elbow inflammation - returned to playing catch last weekend, could return this weekend
19	Nathan Eovaldi Texas Rangers SP
strained groin - could throw off mound this weekend, with possible return next week
20	Sean Murphy Atlanta Braves C
strained oblique - back to hitting in cage, should begin rehab assignment next week
21	Rhys Hoskins Milwaukee Brewers 1B
strained hamstring - sounds like just a tweak, so he shouldn't be sidelined for long
22	Dansby Swanson Chicago Cubs SS
sprained knee - no timetable offered, but seems like it could be a multi-week injury
23	Triston Casas Boston Red Sox 1B
cartilage tear in rib - not eligible to return until late June; exact timetable unknown
24	Merrill Kelly Arizona Diamondbacks SP
strained shoulder - moved to 60-day IL, so late-June return is the earliest possible
25	TJ Friedl Cincinnati Reds CF
fractured thumb - had just returned from fractured wrist but now could be out another 4-6 weeks

Still a priority on some level

26	Brandon Lowe Tampa Bay Rays 2B
strained oblique - expected to resume rehab assignment after doctor ruled discomfort was normal
27	Christian Encarnacion-Strand Cincinnati Reds 1B
fractured wrist - only about a week into 4-to-6-week timetable
28	Lane Thomas Washington Nationals RF
sprained knee - back to hitting, but running will be the real test
29	Jorge Soler San Francisco Giants DH
strained shoulder - already on rehab assignment after short stint, so weekend return possible
30	Devin Williams Milwaukee Brewers RP
fractures in back - close to playing catch, still won't return until after All-Star break
31	Michael Conforto San Francisco Giants LF
strained hamstring - no timetable offered but likely not a long-term absence
32	Ke'Bryan Hayes Pittsburgh Pirates 3B
back inflammation - no timetable offered but likely not a long-term absence
33	Francisco Alvarez New York Mets C
thumb surgery - stitches removed, but still just three weeks into eight-week timetable
34	Tommy Edman St. Louis Cardinals 2B
wrist surgery - recently progressed from hitting off a tee to hitting soft toss
35	Gavin Williams Cleveland Guardians SP
elbow inflammation - has resumed throwing after brief shutdown, at least a month away still
36	Shane Baz Tampa Bay Rays SP
Tommy John surgery - has struggled through two rehab starts; return doesn't appear imminent
37	Eduardo Rodriguez Arizona Diamondbacks SP
strained lat - recently resumed throwing program after having to shut down last time
38	Willson Contreras St. Louis Cardinals C
fractured forearm - given 10-week timetable after surgery, putting him out until mid-July
39	Jeffrey Springs Tampa Bay Rays SP
Tommy John surgery - scheduled for extended spring game May 20, making July return possible
40	Garrett Whitlock Boston Red Sox SP
strained oblique - scheduled for rehab start Wednesday, may only need the one
41	J.P. Crawford Seattle Mariners SS
strained oblique - set to begin rehab assignment Tuesday, could return by end of the week

Stashing is purely a luxury

42	Matt McLain Cincinnati Reds SS
shoulder surgery - cleared to throw and run, will begin swinging bat in six weeks
43	Jacob deGrom Texas Rangers SP
Tommy John surgery - throwing from flat ground, won't return until late in the year
44	Jasson Dominguez New York Yankees CF
Tommy John surgery - on rehab assignment, but expected to be optioned once it's concluded
45	Jung Hoo Lee San Francisco Giants CF
dislocated shoulder - has structural damage, which likely means long-term absence
46	Kris Bryant Colorado Rockies DH
strained back - beginning rehab assignment Tuesday with an eye on returning this weekend
47	Masataka Yoshida Boston Red Sox DH
strained thumb - surgery ruled out but still weeks away from swinging a bat
48	Chas McCormick Houston Astros LF
strained hamstring - on rehab assignment, but role unclear after arrival of Joey Loperfido
49	DJ LeMahieu New York Yankees 3B
fractured foot - going through full workout Thursday in anticipation of rehab assignment Friday
50	Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers SP
shoulder surgery - throwing bullpen sessions but not expected back until second half