Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 30 IL with Blake Snell coming off, Jesus Luzardo going on

Mitch Garver and Bailey Ober are also on the verge of returning.

Injuries piling up? Not sure if you can continue to stash everyone? These rankings will help you prioritize.

The methodology is straightforward enough. For each player, I consider these three questions, ordered by importance: 

1. How good is he?
2. How close is he to returning?
3. Could there be lingering effects?

Fernando Tatis, for instance, is arguably the best player in baseball and isn't facing a season-long absence, so he'd probably be the top IL stash if not for Lucas Giolito, a surefire ace who's set to be activated as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday.

Realistically, you're dropping neither of those, but here are some considerations for players further down the rankings:

• Blake Snell will make his season debut Wednesday after missing time with a strained groin, and he's looked great on his rehab assignment, striking out 19 while walking just two in 13 innings. You'll want to monitor his control and efficiency given his struggles last year, though he did finish on a particularly high note.
• Jesus Luzardo just landed on the IL with a strained forearm, an injury with a nasty trajectory, but the Marlins are saying it was more of a precautionary measure and are expecting close to a minimal IL stay. He's shown enough signs of a breakthrough this year to make him must-stash.
• Mitch Garver's sprained elbow sounded like a fairly significant injury, but he's apparently set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday and could be activated within the minimum 10 days. His poor start makes him appear as dispensable as any other catcher, but if you can hold out for his return, I think it'll pay off. He's been getting more consistent playing time than he did in Minnesota, where his per-game production was nothing short of studly.

Now, without further ado ...

Too valuable to drop, period

1	Lucas Giolito Chicago White Sox SP
COVID-19
2	Fernando Tatis San Diego Padres SS
wrist surgery
3	Kris Bryant Colorado Rockies LF
strained back
4	Carlos Correa Minnesota Twins SS
bruised finger
5	Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers SP
hip inflammation
6	Brandon Lowe Tampa Bay Rays 2B
strained back
7	Lance Lynn Chicago White Sox SP
torn meniscus
8	Jacob deGrom New York Mets SP
stress reaction in shoulder
9	Blake Snell San Diego Padres SP
strained groin
10	Eloy Jimenez Chicago White Sox LF
torn hamstring
11	Jesus Luzardo Miami Marlins SP
strained forearm
12	Jonathan India Cincinnati Reds 2B
strained hamstring

Also really difficult to drop

13	Shane Baz Tampa Bay Rays SP
loose bodies in elbow
14	Jack Flaherty St. Louis Cardinals SP
shoulder inflammation
15	Chris Sale Boston Red Sox SP
stress fracture in rib cage
16	Tylor Megill New York Mets SP
biceps tendinitis
17	Mitch Garver Texas Rangers C
sprained elbow
18	Mitch Haniger Seattle Mariners RF
sprained ankle
19	David Robertson Chicago Cubs RP
COVID-19
20	Andrew Heaney Los Angeles Dodgers SP
shoulder inflammation

If you have to, you have to

21	Nick Lodolo Cincinnati Reds SP
strained back
22	Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds 1B
COVID-19
23	Ryan Mountcastle Baltimore Orioles 1B
strained forearm
24	Bailey Ober Minnesota Twins SP
strained groin

Stashing is purely a luxury

25	Marcus Stroman Chicago Cubs SP
COVID-19
26	Anthony DeSclafani San Francisco Giants SP
ankle inflammation
27	Josh Naylor Cleveland Guardians 1B
COVID-19
28	Austin Meadows Detroit Tigers LF
vertigo
29	Manuel Margot Tampa Bay Rays RF
strained hamstring
30	Lance McCullers Houston Astros SP
strained forearm