Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 50 IL Stashes, Jared Jones and Josh Hader Nearing Return

Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 50 IL stashes with Jared Jones, Josh Hader nearing a return

Find out where new additions Cal Raleigh and Corey Seager rank

By Scott White

May 19, 2026 at 9:42 am ET • 5 min read

- - -

Normally, the mood here is a dour one, with the emphasis being more on what's been lost than what's being gained.

But we've reached a point in the season when some of the early injury cases who once seemed so far over the horizon no longer are.

One such player is Pirates pitcher Jared Jones, who's making his way back from an internal brace procedure on his elbow. The 24-year-old had the look of a rising star a couple years ago, standing out most for his slider and a high-rising fastball that brushed triple digits. It's doing more than brushing now. In fact, his one rehab start at Triple-A on May 6 saw him average 98.8 mph on his fastball, up 1.5 mph from when we last saw him healthy. In all, he has a 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in four rehab starts and is likely to need just 1-2 more.

If you're looking for an impact pitcher on the waiver wire, Jones is a better bet than some flavor of the week. Which injured player could you consider dropping for him? Find out in the latest edition of  IL Stash Rankings .

Too valuable to drop, period 1

Garrett Crochet Boston Red Sox RP shoulder inflammation - has built up to 35 pitches in two bullpen sessions, could return before the end of May 2

Francisco Lindor New York Mets SS strained calf - still no baseball activities, but could be back within the next month 3

Tarik Skubal Detroit Tigers SP loose bodies in elbow - already throwing off a mound despite having surgery May 6, could return within a month 4

Cole Ragans Kansas City Royals RP elbow impingement - Sunday bullpen session went well, hoping to return when first eligible Friday 5

Hunter Brown Houston Astros SP strained shoulder - close to beginning rehab assignment with an eye on returning in mid-June 6

Cal Raleigh Seattle Mariners C strained oblique - finally addressing an issue that he's been playing through, could resume baseball activities in a week 7

Logan Webb San Francisco Giants SP knee bursitis - scheduled for rehab start this week, which may be his only one 8

Gerrit Cole New York Yankees SP Tommy John surgery - looked great in latest rehab start and set to be activated this weekend 9

Tyler Glasnow Los Angeles Dodgers SP back spasms - not currently throwing after back flared up again, but still looking at shorter ramp-up time once he's ready 10

Corey Seager Texas Rangers SS back inflammation - avoided IL for five days before finally relenting; team thinks he could return before the end of May 11

Roman Anthony Boston Red Sox OF sprained wrist - tried swinging a bat Monday, but still felt sore, which likely delays him another week 12

Wyatt Langford Texas Rangers OF flexor strain - still not cleared for hitting or throwing, putting May return in doubt 13

Josh Hader Houston Astros RP biceps tendinitis - about halfway into rehab assignment, could return right around the start of June 14

Ryan Helsley Baltimore Orioles RP elbow inflammation - back to playing catch, expected to need rehab assignment before returning 15

Kris Bubic Kansas City Royals SP elbow soreness - seems optimistic it's minor, but further testing will need to be conducted 16

Max Fried New York Yankees SP bone bruise in elbow - will stop throwing for a few weeks, then have further imaging done to determine timetable 17

Hunter Greene Cincinnati Reds SP bone spurs in elbow - will throw first bullpen session in about a week, likely looking at six weeks of buildup 18

Blake Snell Los Angeles Dodgers SP loose bodies in elbow - having same revolutionary procedure that Tarik Skubal had, which supposedly has 4-to-6-week timetable Also really difficult to drop 19

Eugenio Suarez Cincinnati Reds 3B strained oblique - set to begin rehab assignment this week, meaning he'll likely be back before the end of the month 20

Jose Altuve Houston Astros 2B strained oblique - Grade 2 injury will sideline him well into June 21

Brandon Woodruff Milwaukee Brewers SP shoulder inflammation - will face hitters Friday to determine if he's ready for rehab assignment 22

Jared Jones Pittsburgh Pirates SP internal brace procedure - has looked good with signs of improved velocity in four rehab starts, likely to make 1-2 more 23

Emilio Pagan Cincinnati Reds RP strained hamstring - about two weeks into 4-to-8-week timetable, expected back at some point in June 24

Spencer Schwellenbach Atlanta Braves P bone spurs in elbow - was nearing the start of throwing program at last report a week ago; out until second half 25

Edwin Diaz Los Angeles Dodgers RP loose bodies in elbow - still aiming for second half return 26

Ryan O'Hearn Pittsburgh Pirates RF strained quadriceps - likely to miss at least a month with injury that's described as moderate 27

Taj Bradley Minnesota Twins SP pectoral inflammation - struggled in rehab start Sunday, which might necessitate one more; he could instead return this weekend 28

Matthew Boyd Chicago Cubs SP torn meniscus - already back to throwing off a mound, so could return in as soon as 4-6 weeks, potentially Still a priority on some level 29

Trevor Story Boston Red Sox SS sports hernia - probably out at least six weeks, and there's a chance he could be sidelined for the rest of the season 30

Luis Robert New York Mets CF herniated disc - still dealing with symptoms and likely 2-3 weeks away; A.J. Ewing thriving in absence 31

Mick Abel Minnesota Twins P elbow inflammation - back to playing catch last week after suffering triceps setback earlier; still a few weeks away 32

Chase Dollander Colorado Rockies SP sprained elbow - considered a mild case of an injury that can sometimes result in surgery; likely to miss only a month or two 33

Shane Bieber Toronto Blue Jays SP forearm fatigue - scheduled to face hitters for the first time Tuesday, likely weeks away from beginning rehab assignment 34

Corbin Burnes Arizona Diamondbacks SP Tommy John surgery - throwing bullpen sessions, still looking at midseason return 35

Nick Pivetta San Diego Padres RP flexor strain - no update since manager Craig Stammen said Pivetta's absence could measure in "weeks and maybe months" a month ago 36

Jacob Wilson Athletics SS shoulder subluxation - won't go on rehab assignment until he sufficiently strengthens shoulder Stashing is purely a luxury 37

Jose Caballero New York Yankees 2B fractured finger - has resumed fielding and throwing, has chance to return later this week 38

Brendan Donovan Seattle Mariners 2B strained groin - could resume baseball activities in 2-3 weeks, which means potentially a month on the sidelines 39

Yainer Diaz Houston Astros C strained oblique - seems like a mild case, but no timetable officially offered 40

Alejandro Kirk Toronto Blue Jays C fractured thumb - catching and hitting but no rehab assignment yet 41

Giancarlo Stanton New York Yankees DH strained calf - still not cleared to run yet, which pushes timeline back another couple weeks 42

Addison Barger Toronto Blue Jays 3B elbow inflammation - hopes to be cleared for hitting and throwing this week, missed time with ankle injury earlier 43

Kerry Carpenter Detroit Tigers RF sprained shoulder - running and throwing, will progress toward swinging a bat this week 44

Jorge Polanco New York Mets 1B Achilles bursitis - could go on rehab assignment soon, but return will be contingent on how he manages the pain 45

Hurston Waldrep Atlanta Braves SP bone spurs in elbow - has been throwing bullpen sessions, but won't return any earlier than late June 46

Justin Steele Chicago Cubs SP UCL revision surgery - shut down from throwing in late April; will resume when asymptomatic, which likely pushes him to second half 47

Francisco Alvarez New York Mets C torn meniscus - given a 6-to-8-week timetable, which puts him out until right around the All-Star break 48

Kyle Teel Chicago White Sox C sprained knee - sidelined for another 3-6 weeks after already missing time with a Grade 2 hamstring strain 49

Heliot Ramos San Francisco Giants LF strained quadriceps - sidelined for "at least a couple of weeks and probably more than that," according to manager Tony Vitello 50

Jasson Dominguez New York Yankees CF sprained shoulder - working to regain strength, but still at least a couple weeks away

Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/fantasy-baseball-injury-rankings-top-50-il-stashes-with-jared-jones/)._