I've probably published a dozen of these DL stash rankings since the start of the 2018 season, but in none has timetable mattered more than this one.
Time is running short, you may have noticed, and that's especially true in Head-to-Head leagues, where playoffs are set to begin in just a few weeks. A lot of good that returnee does you if you're already eliminated.
So for now — and increasingly so over the rest of the season — the criteria for these rankings is weighted differently. It's now:
- What's the timetable?
- How good is the player?
- How likely is the injury to impact his production?
Timetable is now of greater concern than the quality of the player himself since any multi-week absence could now effectively be a season-ender.
In these particular rankings, Carlos Martinez is the first high-end player who I don't feel super confident will make a worthwhile contribution the rest of the way, though it's certainly possible, which is why he still ranks ahead of near-recovered players like J.A. Happ and Brandon Belt. You can find a player-by-player breakdown for the biggest names on this list (basically, how confident I am in each making a meaningful contribution) right here.
A couple quick notes: Hunter Strickland has begun a rehab assignment and would rank much higher on this list if I was confident in him reclaiming the closer role from Will Smith, who has been the better pitcher this year. Meanwhile, Tyler O'Neill is all but certain to miss just the minimum 10 days, but he's of course unproven and has a non-guaranteed role.
1 |
Chris Sale
Boston Red Sox SP
|
shoulder inflammation | |
2 |
Jose Altuve
Houston Astros 2B
|
sore knee | |
3 |
Carlos Correa
Houston Astros SS
|
stiff neck | |
4 |
George Springer
Houston Astros RF
|
sprained thumb | |
5 |
Aaron Judge
New York Yankees RF
|
fractured wrist | |
6 |
Stephen Strasburg
Washington Nationals SP
|
pinched nerve in neck | |
7 |
Gary Sanchez
New York Yankees C
|
strained groin | |
8 |
Wilson Ramos
Philadelphia Phillies C
|
strained hamstring | |
9 |
Tyler Skaggs
Los Angeles Angels SP
|
strained adductor | |
10 |
Ross Stripling
Los Angeles Dodgers SP
|
toe inflammation | |
11 |
Carlos Martinez
St. Louis Cardinals SP
|
strained shoulder | |
12 |
Kris Bryant
Chicago Cubs 3B
|
shoulder inflammation | |
13 |
Wil Myers
San Diego Padres LF
|
bruised foot | |
14 |
Yu Darvish
Chicago Cubs SP
|
shoulder impingement | |
15 |
Lance McCullers
Houston Astros SP
|
strained forearm | |
16 |
Sean Doolittle
Washington Nationals RP
|
stress reaction in toe | |
17 |
Brandon Morrow
Chicago Cubs RP
|
biceps inflammation | |
18 |
Brandon Belt
San Francisco Giants 1B
|
bruised knee | |
19 |
J.A. Happ
New York Yankees SP
|
illness | |
20 |
Eduardo Rodriguez
Boston Red Sox SP
|
sprained ankle | |
21 |
Alex Wood
Los Angeles Dodgers SP
|
strained adductor | |
22 |
Nomar Mazara
Texas Rangers RF
|
sprained thumb | |
23 |
Tommy Pham
Tampa Bay Rays CF
|
fractured foot | |
24 |
Josh Donaldson
Toronto Blue Jays 3B
|
strained calf | |
25 |
Rafael Devers
Boston Red Sox 3B
|
strained hamstring | |
26 |
Ian Kinsler
Boston Red Sox 2B
|
strained hamstring | |
27 |
Hunter Strickland
San Francisco Giants RP
|
fractured finger | |
28 |
Tyler O'Neill
St. Louis Cardinals RF
|
strained groin | |
29 |
Hyun-Jin Ryu
Los Angeles Dodgers SP
|
strained groin | |
30 |
Michael Fulmer
Detroit Tigers SP
|
strained oblique |